Photo by Andrew Dubinsky

Vampire Weekend
Sony Centre
Toronto, ON
May 16

There has always been something almost too-perfect about Vampire Weekend. The perceived quality of the bands music aside, it’s the super-clean production, tidy songcraft, and self-assured cunning embodied by frontman Ezra Koenig that give the brand its sheen. As tight on stage as they are in the studio, the ivy-league-jet-setter-indie-rock poster boys pack a pinpoint punch, while arguably sticking to a “safe” formula. With their quest for genre-blending excellence now aided by a brilliant third record (the just-released Modern Vampires of the City, which gives the group a 3-for-3 score thus far), the potent collision of study and safety produced thrilling results on an early-tour Toronto appearance.

The all-ages drove packing the Sony Centre screamed along to Koenig’s Mariachi-tinged guitar in opener “Cousins,” which came heavy on strobe lights and precision, before the first de-humanizing moment reared its head – courtesy of the many backing tracks on “White Sky.” This pair of Contra favorites was followed by “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” and “I Stand Corrected” (both from 2008’s self-titled debut), the former containing Koenig’s only vocal misstep of the night and the latter offering bassist Chris Baio his first chance to shine.

The album-pairing pattern continued with two selections from the latest record – “Diane Young” delivering the goods via the effected “baby, baby, baby” chorus, and “Step” flaunting the newfound sparseness that highlights Koenig’s current songwriting chapter. The note-heavy “Holiday” quickly contrasted that spacious vibe, relayed so prescriptively that one had to wonder when the bubbly song was last absent from a VW setlist. “Unbelievers” then made its play for best-of-the-new-bunch, Koenig’s main collaborator Rostam Batmanglij laying down the Springsteen-goes-Celtic keyboard line to follow the awesome chorus melody. Chris Tomson’s e-drums and solicited audience hand-claps segued ‘Horchata’ directly into “Everlasting Arms,” which saw Baio walking down the neck of his bass in another strikingly scant arrangement.

Baio continued to impress on the well-lit outro of “Ya Hey,” a strange novice that’s still searching for its footing when played live. The child-like (and somewhat creepy) vocalizations in the chorus revealed ultra-rare cracks in the otherwise solid VW specter, a titan of sound and swagger that blissfully steamrolled through the final stretch of songs. Classics “Campus” and “Oxford Comma” rocked hard with scholastic rigor, and set-closer ‘Giving Up The Gun’ took the production to another level, a wash of infared glow complimenting its electronic drive.

The devoted shrieking reached fever pitch as VW re-emerged for the encore, “Diplomat’s Son” reminding everyone that sporadic arrangements aren’t entirely new territory. Before “Mansard Roof” and “Walcott” capped things off to dependable fanfare, the band grinned at the use of Kool & The Gang’s “Hollywood Swinging” for the intro to sing-along smash “One (Blake’s Got A New Face).” Whether supported by a horn-filled funk sample or the countless pre-recorded bits that filled out their live sound, the VW guys left nothing to chance. They may not switch things up much night-to-night, but that’s true of most touring bands – few of which come so damn close to perfection.