After announcing their first new album in five years last week, Vampire Weekend has now unveiled the first two songs from Only God Was Above Us and an extensive tour in support of it.
“Gen-X Cops” is a typically upbeat, melodious affair for the band, while the subtle opening vibes of “Capricorn” eventually give way to a much noisier finish. Each song is accompanied by a music video, with “Gen-X Cops” directed by Iron Man 3 co-writer Drew Pearce and “Capricorn” helmed by Vampire Weekend creative director Nick Harwood. Both are built around footage of New York shot in 1988 by Steven Siegel, whose imagery is featured on the new album’s cover art.
Only God Was Above Us will be released April 5 by Columbia. Inspired by 20th century New York, it was recorded in the Big Apple, Los Angeles, Tokyo and London and was produced by Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig and longtime collaborator Ariel Rechtstaid.
The Live Nation-promoted tour’s first show is a previously confirmed daytime April 8 appearance at the Moody Center in Austin, Tx., to mark the total eclipse, and Vampire Weekend will extend the theme with three other matinee performances in Berkeley, Ca., Bonner, Mt., and New York’s Madison Square Garden throughout the itinerary.
Per a statement, the band has “carefully curated” the eclectic roster of opening acts, some of whom “hold local significance” to their given cities: LA LOM, the English Beat, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Phish’s Mike Gordon, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Ra Ra Riot, Maya Rudolph and Gretchen Lieberum’s Prince cover band Princess, Cults, the Billy Joel tribute combo Turnstiles, the Brothers Macklovitch and Mark Ronson, who will DJ as opposed to performing with a band.
Tickets go on sale Feb. 21. Visit Vampire Weekend’s website for more information.
Here are Vampire Weekend’s tour dates:
Mon Apr 08 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater
Sat April 27 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Fri May 10 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Block Party
Thu May 30 – Barcelona, Espana – Primavera Sound
Thu Jun 06 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
Fri Jun 07 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
Sun Jun 09 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
Mon Jun 10 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
Wed Jun 12 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
Sat Jun 15 – Berkeley, CA – The Greek Theatre at U.C. Berkeley
Sun Jun 16 – Berkeley, CA – The Greek Theatre at U.C. Berkeley (Matinee Show)
Tue Jun 18 – Burnaby, BC – Deer Lake Park
Wed Jun 19 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
Thu Jun 20 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Sat Jun 22 – Bonner, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater
Sun Jun 23 – Bonner, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater (Matinee Show)
Fri Jul 19 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Mon Jul 22 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre
Tue Jul 23 – Lincoln, NE – Pinewood Bowl Theater
Thu Jul 25 – Maryland Heights, MO – Saint Louis Music Park
Fri Jul 26-27 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
Tue Jul 30 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory
Thu Aug 01 – Milwaukee, WI – BMO Pavilion
Sat Aug 3 – St. Charles, IA – Hinterland
Thu Sep 19 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
Fri Sep 20 – Cincinnati, OH – The ICON Festival Stage at Smale Park
Sat Sep 21 – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
Mon Sep 23 – Rochester Hills, MI – Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
Tue Sep 24 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Wed Sep 25 – Laval, QC – Place Bell
Fri Sep 27 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Sat Sep 28 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at The Mann
Mon Sep 30 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
Wed Oct 02 – Charlottesville, VA – Ting Pavilion
Sat Oct 05 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Sun Oct 06 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden (Matinee Show)
Tue Oct 08 – Wilmington, NC – Live Oak Bank Pavilion
Wed Oct 09 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
Fri Oct 11 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater
Sat Oct 12 – Atlanta, GA – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
Sun Oct 13 – Asheville, NC – Rabbit Rabbit
Tue Oct 15 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Thu Oct 17 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
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