10/7/2010: Vampire Weekend w/ Beach House - Houston, TX

A few nights ago, two really great bands came through town.

Beach House performs "Norway." Meanwhile, iPhone takes poor pictures.

Beach House has been getting regular plays on my iPod for months now, but mostly just the song "Zebra," which I adore.  The rest of their most recent album is awesome, but it's just not going to be featured on my regular rotation.  But damn, Beach House was amazing the other night!  Hearing "Norway" live was probably the highlight of the evening, besting anything that Vampire Weekend could come up with.  The band has this sort of ethereal sound that just flies out of the speakers and hits you in the chest.  If you're going to listen to Beach House, live is the best way to do it!

And then Vampire Weekend came out and put on a hell of a show!  This was the first time the band has ever been through Houston, and I feel like we did them right!  The crowd was loving everything they were playing.  Even total balls songs like "Taxi Cab" - just a live bore, really - was treated to applause and niceties.

Vampire Weekend does their thing.

One thing the band definitely has is showmanship.  Whether it was bursting onto the stage to rap music, Ezra's undeniable stage presence, or Chris Tomson's amazing drumming, the band is absolutely captivating!  In the little over an hour they played, they hit all the highlights of their first two albums, though I was a bit disappointed that they left out "I Think Ur a Contra."  Granted, it wouldn't really have livened up the crowd, but it is a gorgeous song.  Best song of the night was easily "Oxford Comma" which remains their crowning achievement in general.

It was a wonderful evenening and I had a great time!  The only thing better than this night was the next.