JENNY LEWIS EXTENDS JOY’ALL BALL TOUR INTO JUNE 2024
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, MARCH 15 AT 10AM LOCAL TIME
“Sparkly stage. Bouncing Balls. Jenny Lewis brought singing, style, and swagger…And that’s the joy of a Jenny Lewis concert…This night in Saint Paul, Minnesota, it was a ball for all.” – MUSIC IN MINNESOTA
“Jenny Lewis, it seems, can do it all…Though Lewis shines in stadiums…her superstardom is more apparent up close, a refusal to shrink her charm to fit a venue where guests nearly piled out the door.”– WASHINGTON POST
In the wake of a massive outpouring of love and positivity around her first live shows of 2024, Jenny Lewis keeps her foot on the pedal, confirming 10 all new Joy’All Ball Tour dates.
The June leg of the Joy’All Ball tour will kick off June 18 in Lexington, KY and continue through Columbus OH, Harrisburg PA, Vienna VA, Richmond VA, Saxapahaw NC, Asheville NC, Charleston SC, Jacksonville FL, before concluding June 30 in Birmingham AL. Seattle singer-songwriter Dean Johnson will be joining Jenny as support for this run of dates. Later this spring, Jenny will rejoin the Postal Service for the continuation of the ‘Give Up Transatlanticism’ 20th anniversary co-headline tour with Death Cab for Cutie.
General on sale begins this Friday, March 15 at 10 am local time.
JENNY LEWIS – JOY’ALL BALL 2024 DATES 06/18/24 – Lexington, KY – Lexington Opera House 06/19/24 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall 06/21/24 – Harrisburg, PA – Riverfront Park 06/22/24 – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap – Out & About Festival 06/23/24 – Richmond, VA – The Broadberry 06/25/24 – Saxapahaw, NC – Haw River Ballroom 06/26/24 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel 06/27/24 – Charleston, SC – Music Farm 06/29/24 – Jacksonville, FL – Intuition Ale Works 06/30/24 – Birmingham, AL – Iron City
VAMPIRE WEEKEND INTRODUCE VAMPIRE CAMPFIRE: New Podcast Hosted By Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, & Chris Tomson First Episode OUT NOW
North American Tour Nearly Entirely Sold Out
Only God Was Above Us Out April 5th
As anticipation continues to grow for their long-awaited 5th studio album, Only God Was Above Us, Vampire Weekend have released the debut episode of their new podcast, Vampire Campfire. Hosted by Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio and Chris Tomson, and captured on a trio of Ikegami ITC-730AP cameras, the podcast will be released semi-regularly for the foreseeable future. Fans who tune in will be invited behind the scenes into a longstanding and formerly private Vampire Weekend ritual: the frequent campfire chats where Baio, CT and Koenig convene to discuss and brainstorm all things VW—and so much more. Observant listeners will spot the occasional Easter egg, while all will be treated to advance insights into the upcoming Only God Was Above Us album and tour — and will be invited to witness as the band members reminisce about the past and discuss important matters in the present, ranging from tour openers, set lists and the potential of a future album called The 40-Year-Old Email, to such controversial topics as the dominant type of taco shell and The Real World vs Road Rules. Future episodes will see the band delve deeper into the new album and will feature some very special guests. Listen to Vampire Campfire wherever you listen to podcasts, or watch it here:
Meanwhile, the recently announced Only God Was Above Us tour is almost entirely sold out, with over 250,000 tickets sold in the first few days. Sold out venues adding seats to accommodate overwhelming demand include New York’s Madison Square Garden and Boston’s TD Garden, while Colorado’s Red Rocks (with an added Dillon Ampitheater which also sold out immediately) and TD’s Pavilion at the Mann Center in Philadelphia both sold out in pre-sales alone. Only a handful of tickets remain for the remainder of the tour which kicks off on April 8th in Austin, TX for a very special eclipse show, which also sold out instantly. See below for a full routing.
Only God Was Above Us will be released on April 5th via Columbia Records. The 10-track magnum opus tops lists of most anticipated albums this year by Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Paste, Uproxx and others. Next week Vampire Weekend will release one more track from the album.
Mon Apr 08 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater (Solar Eclipse) 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 Sat Jul 20 – Dillon, CO – Dillon Amphitheater 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 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island Sat Jul 27 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island Tue Jul 30 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory Wed Jul 31 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory Thu Aug 01 – Milwaukee, WI – BMO Pavilion Sat Aug 03 – 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 Tue Oct 01 – 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
JOSH HOMME & FRIENDS A BENEFIT FOR THE SWEET STUFF FOUNDATION Featuring BECK, BILL BURR, DAVE GROHL, ST. VINCENT, THE KILLS, SARAH SILVERMAN, JUSTIN WILLMAN, MEMBERS OF ARCTIC MONKEYS, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, MINI MANSIONS & MORE
On March 20, the Belasco in Los Angeles will host a one-night-only assemblage of talent united for a righteous cause: Josh Homme and Friends, featuring a lineup of the Queens of the Stone Age founder’s brothers and sisters in music, mirth and magic including Beck, Bill Burr, Dave Grohl, Matt Helders of Arctic Monkeys, Jesse Hughes of Eagles of Death Metal, Homme’s Queens of the Stone Age compatriots Troy Van Leeuwen and Michael Shuman, Sarah Silverman, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, St. Vincent, The Kills, Tyler Parkford, Vivant, Justin Willman, and of course a few surprises…
100% of proceeds from the show will benefit the Sweet Stuff Foundation, the non-profit created by the Homme family in 2013 to provide assistance to career musicians, recording engineers and their families struggling with illness and disability.
ALL WITHIN MY HANDS RECEIVES “FOR THE LOVE OF LABOR” GRANT FROM CARHARTT
America’s Premium Workwear Brand Celebrates International Women’s Day with Grant and Sales Donation to Metallica’s Foundation
Women’s gear sales on March 8 to fund scholarships for women pursuing fulfilling careers in the skilled trades
The demand for skilled workers is higher than ever as professionals in the trades retire at a faster rate than younger workers replace them, estimated to leave three million skilled roles unfilled by 2028.1 Despite the widening labor shortage, women only make up roughly 4% of the U.S. skilled workforce2, which is why America’s premium workwear brand, Carhartt, is awarding critical funding to organizations that help light the way for women to explore meaningful careers and increase representation in the trades.
In recognition of International Women’s Day, Carhartt is donating proceeds from women’s apparel sales up to $250,000 on Carhartt.com, Reworked.Carhartt.com and at any one of its 43 retail locations on March 8 – and dedicating its Spring 2024 “For the Love of Labor” grant – to support Metallica’s Foundation, All Within My Hands’ Metallica Scholars Initiative. Created by the members and management of Metallica, All Within My Hands is a philanthropic organization dedicated to creating sustainable communities by connecting future workers with trade programs in their communities.
“Every woman opting for a rewarding career in the skilled workforce is not only contributing to the industries they serve, but also actively challenging outdated stereotypes that often hold back talented individuals from pursuing their passions,” said Todd Corley, senior vice president of inclusion, sustainability and community at Carhartt. “By combining efforts with All Within My Hands, we aim to help break down barriers for women in the trades, which include fewer job education programs tailored for women, limited childcare options and a general lack of resources that exacerbate the gender inequity within many industries, to cultivate the next generation of workers making their own history.”
Through its partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges, the Metallica Scholars Initiative is uniquely positioned to enhance career and technical education programs at a local level and help foster stronger pathways for women to develop the skills needed to enter a traditional trade or other applied learning program. Now in its fifth year, the Metallica Scholars initiative has impacted the lives of approximately 6,000 students, directly supporting 42 community colleges across 33 states through an investment totaling over $6 million to support the American skilled workforce to-date.
“Careers in the trades are overflowing with high-demand positions offering stable wages that can be life-changing,” said Peter Delgrosso, Executive Director of All Within My Hands. “However, these jobs often reside in historically male-dominated industries that present added obstacles for women looking to get involved. Within our program, approximately 30% of the Metallica Scholars have historically been women, and we want that trend to continue. Carhartt’s sales donation and For the Love of Labor grant contribute to the resources we need to continue shifting perceptions around the trades and help unlock impactful opportunities for women at a time when we need it most.”
This isn’t the first time Carhartt and All Within My Hands have teamed up to help close the skilled trades gap. Timed with Labor Day in 2021, the two like-minded partners collaborated on a nationwide campaign, “Hard Rock is Hard Work,” aimed to recruit a new generation of workers to the trades, in live events – such as concerts – and beyond.
About Carhartt Established in 1889, Carhartt is a global premium workwear brand with a rich heritage of developing rugged products for workers on and off the job. Headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, with more than 3,000 employees worldwide, Carhartt is family-owned and managed by the descendants of the company’s founder, Hamilton Carhartt. For more information, visit www.carhartt.com.
About All Within My Hands All Within My Hands (AWMH) was established in 2017 by Metallica to invest in the people and places that have supported the band. It also allows Metallica’s fans to engage in philanthropy and volunteerism. The Foundation is dedicated to creating sustainable communities through workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services. All expenses of the Foundation are covered by the band, the board, and a few special friends so that 100% of donations go to the organizations it supports. AWMH is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For more information, visit www.AllWithinMyHands.org.
Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm is an unprecedented exhibition, revealing extraordinary photographs taken by the beloved musical icon. Organized by the National Portrait Gallery in London, the exhibition will open at the Portland Art Museum on September 14, 2024, and run through January 19, 2025.
Comprised of recently rediscovered photographs from Paul McCartney’s personal archive, more than 250 pictures invite visitors to intimately experience The Beatles’ meteoric rise from British sensation to international stardom. At a time when so many camera lenses were turned toward them, McCartney’s perspective from the inside out brings fresh insight into the band, their experiences, the fans, and the Beatlemania phenomenon. Through these photographs, along with video clips and archival material, visitors can witness the dawn of the “British Invasion” that fundamentally transformed rock and roll music and American society.
Captured by McCartney during a pivotal three-month period for The Beatles in late 1963 and early 1964, the photographs evoke an affectionate family album, picturing his fellow band members, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, at a time when their lives were changing irrevocably. The exhibition gives visitors a highly personal glimpse into an extraordinary time with one of music’s enduring legends.
The exhibition also captures McCartney’s interest in the visual arts, with his photos reflecting the aesthetics and popular culture of the period. The range of work, from portraiture and landscape photos to documentary images, reveals McCartney’s familiarity with the formal styles of early 1960s photography. References to New Wave, documentary filmmaking, and photojournalism can be found across the exhibition.
“Looking at these photos now, decades after they were taken, I find there’s a sort of innocence about them,” said Paul McCartney. “Everything was new to us at this point. But I like to think I wouldn’t take them any differently today. They now bring back so many stories, a flood of special memories, which is one of the many reasons I love them all, and know that they will always fire my imagination.”
Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm is curated by Paul McCartney with Sarah Brown on behalf of MPL Communications Limited and Rosie Broadley for the National Portrait Gallery, London, and organized for the Portland Art Museum by Julia Dolan, Ph.D., the Minor White Senior Curator of Photography.
Annie Clark, the musician better known as triple-GRAMMY-winning iconoclast St. Vincent, has confirmed the release date of her seventh full-length studio album: All Born Screaming will be delivered April 26 via Virgin Music Group.
St. Vincent’s first self-produced record, All Born Screaming is Clark at her most unfiltered. Assuming the mantle of sole producer made for an unprecedented direct translation to tape of the sounds originating in her head, heart and hands:
“There are some places, emotionally, that you can only get to by taking the long walk into the woods alone—to find out what your heart is really saying,” Clark says. “It sounds real because it is real.”
All Born Screaming is an invitation to test the limits of what is possible–and to then keep going; Brought to life with the aid of a highly curated dream lineup of friends — Rachel Eckroth, Josh Freese, Dave Grohl, Mark Guiliana, Cate Le Bon, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Stella Mogzawa and David Ralicke — the album is an unadulterated expression of St. Vincent’s singular vision.
Exhibit A is “Broken Man,” the first advance offering from the gauntlet of emotional wreckage that is side one of All Born Screaming. The song is a sonic juggernaut that shatters preconceived expectations and introduces the album with an irrefutable power–one that arrives in tandem with a video shot in Philadelphia in mid-January by Alex Da Corte, whose visuals complete the album’s distinct aesthetic. The video made its broadcast premiere on MTV Live, mtvU and the Paramount Times Square billboards.
All Born Screaming was produced by St. Vincent and mixed by Cian Riordan. The album’s track listing is as follows:
Hell is Near Reckless Broken Man Flea Big Time Nothing Violent Times The Power’s Out Sweetest Fruit So Many Planets All Born Screaming (featuring Cate Le Bon)
blur has added an intimate theater show to kick off the band’s first visit to the U.S. in nearly 10 years. On April 10, Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree will take the stage at the Fox Theater in Pomona CA for a one-night-only event ahead of their April 13 and 20 performances on the Coachella main stage. Tickets for the show — blur’s first on American soil since a 2015 run that included headlines at Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl — will be on sale to the general public beginning 12 noon PT March 1 at https://www.axs.com/events/532378/blur-tickets
Announcing their arrival with debut album Leisure in 1991 followed by Modern Life is Rubbish in 1993, blur would go on to revolutionize the sound of English popular music with six successive UK #1 albums Parklife (1994), The Great Escape (1995), Blur (1997), 13 (1999), Think Tank (2003) and The Magic Whip (2015) and a string of Top 10 singles, including two #1s with “Country House” and “Beetlebum.” One of the biggest British bands of the last three decades, blur have released nine studio albums and collected ten NME Awards, six Q Awards, five BRIT Awards and an Ivor Novello Award, and played live to hundreds of thousands of devoted fans across the globe. The band’s latest studio album titled The Ballad of Darren was released on July 21st 2023 to rave reviews and Best of 2023 accolades, including:
“While many of their contemporaries are frozen in time, Blur remains relevant.” –BILLBOARD
“… an enjoyable, heartfelt, and contemplative record… The Ballad of Darren is these four’s statement of resilience and unbreakable respect towards one another… Blur know that light arrives after darkness. Across 10 songs, you can hear them each trying to find it, hand in hand, harmony after harmony.” —CONSEQUENCE
“Blur have knocked it out of the park… a must have for Blur fans… an album that can stand alongside their best work” –GOLDMINE ★★★★★
“A sprawling 42-minute trip through the best sprightly riffs, grungy alt-rock, and experimental electronic work the band has offered up since their founding in early-’90s Britain… they successfully bridge the work in the group that made front man Damon Albarn famous in England with the one that made him famous in the States.” —NEW YORK / VULTURE
“The prettiest and tightest of their nine albums, elegantly arranged with lush harmonies, baroque flourishes…” —PITCHFORK
“The very existence of Blur’s first new album since 2015 feels nothing short of miraculous… there’s still no one who does a bittersweet mope quite like Blur.” —ROLLING STONE
“A reclamation of a core Blur ethos mostly unheard for decades… An intimate sense of celebration” –STEREOGUM
“A brilliant, brave, and perhaps most importantly, truly creative album just when it was least expected… exceptional” –UNDER THE RADAR
“This is Blur’s simplest and most direct full-length release–it’s light on sonic flourishes as it nails the basics… ace songwriting and impressive economy.” –WALL STREET JOURNAL
Foo Fighters to Perform at Power to the Patients Concert in Washington D.C.
America’s foremost rock band to play for lawmakers and staffers, volunteers, and advocates in support of healthcare price transparency
On Tuesday, March 5, Foo Fighters will take a rare detour from stadium, arena and amphitheater stages to perform at a private one-night-only concert in Washington, D.C. hosted by Power to the Patients, a non-profit fighting for a more affordable, accessible, and equitable healthcare system through true price transparency. Hip hop legends Fat Joe and Chuck D will also be in attendance.
“When we were asked by Power to the Patients to help raise awareness of the need for transparency in healthcare pricing, we immediately said yes. People suffering from illness and injury shouldn’t have to worry about being bankrupted by surprise charges for their treatment.” — Foo Fighters
With lawmakers, government officials, and their dedicated staff in attendance, Foo Fighters will join the drive to raise awareness about the inequality and uncertainty created for millions of patients when hospitals and insurers hide actual upfront prices. With more than 100 million Americans suffering from medical debt due to surprise bills and lack of accountability, it’s time for all elected officials to come together and turn the page on our nation’s broken and opaque healthcare system.
Upfront prices empower patients to make informed decisions, take control of their health, and lower their costs. All consumers have the right to know the actual price of their care before they receive it. If you believe you have been overcharged for healthcare, or if the price you were quoted doesn’t match your bill, you can find information and resources about how to fight your bills by visiting PowertothePatients.org.
As a leader in this movement, Fat Joe has taken his message to Capitol Hill, visiting with members of the U.S. House and Senate and urging them to pass legislation to codify and expand healthcare price transparency requirements.
In December of last year, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill to strengthen and expand healthcare price transparency requirements, hold hospitals and insurers accountable, and stand up for patients, workers, employers, unions, and all healthcare consumers. (S.3548)
Since the 1995 release of their self-titled first album, no other band has carried the torch for rock & roll like Foo Fighters. Throughout the steady ascent to their indisputable status as the last great American rock band, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have raised stadiums, arenas and festival fields of voices in song with anthems like the billion-plus-streaming “Everlong,” “Monkey Wrench,” “My Hero,” “Learn To Fly,” “Breakout,” “All My Life,” “Times Like These,” “Best Of You,” “The Pretender,” “Walk,” “These Days,” “The Sky Is A Neighborhood,” and more recently “Rescued” and “Under You” from the universally acclaimed But Here We Are, released June 2, 2023 on Roswell Records/RCA Records.
The latest and arguably greatest installment in a 15-GRAMMY-Award-winning discography that includes the band’s eponymous debut, The Colour and the Shape, There Is Nothing Left To Lose, One By One, In Your Honor, Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace, Wasting Light, Sonic Highways, Concrete and Gold, and Medicine at Midnight, But Here We Are is a testament to the healing powers of music, friendship and family. Courageous, damaged, unflinchingly authentic and “driven by a fresh sense of pathos and urgency” (The New York Times), But Here We Are opens with the Alternative/Rock radio #1 “Rescued,” the first of 10 songs that run the emotional gamut from rage and sorrow to serenity and acceptance, and myriad points in between — including “a gruff, melodic rocker with bittersweet hooks” (Stereogum) in the form of “Under You,” the “totally unexpected foray into shoegaze and dream-pop territory” (Uproxx) that is “Show Me How,” the 10-minute epic “The Teacher,” and more. Produced by Greg Kurstin and Foo Fighters, But Here We Are is in nearly equal measure the 11th Foo Fighters album and the first chapter of the band’s new life. Foo Fighters are currently in the midst of the global Everything or Nothing at All Tour, which will find the band headlining stadium and festival stages in the US and abroad well into 2024.
About “Power to the Patients”
“Power to the Patients” is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to creating a more affordable and equitable healthcare system through price transparency. For years, hospitals and insurers have been disregarding rules requiring them to disclose prices to patients in advance of care. Patients, families, workers, unions, and employers need systemwide healthcare price transparency to make fully informed decisions about the cost and quality of their care. All healthcare consumers have the right to upfront prices. Our Health. Our Money. Power to the Patients. Additional information and PSAs at powertothepatients.org.
VAMPIRE WEEKEND RELEASES FIRST NEW MUSIC IN FIVE YEARS ANNOUNCES MASSIVE TOUR ACROSS NORTH AMERICA
“Capricorn” and “Gen-X Cops” Available Now Watch Both Videos Here and Here
ONLY GOD WAS ABOVE US Out April 5
Tour Dates Include Saturday Night + Sunday Morning shows in Berkeley, CA, Bonner, MT and at New York’s Madison Square Garden
Having ended a half decade of anticipation with last week’s album announcement, Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio and Chris Tomson p/k/a Vampire Weekend now fill that void with “Capricorn” and “Gen-X Cops,” a double portion of first tastes of the anxiously awaited Only God Was Above Us, available April 5 via Columbia Records. Pre-order is available now here. Simultaneously, the band has confirmed a full scale North American headline tour. Produced by Live Nation, the 39-date trek follows a select few previously announced festival headlines, a sold out show in the shadow of the solar eclipse, and will include three unique two-show engagements that will see Vampire Weekend play Saturday night shows followed by Sunday morning sets at the Greek Theater in Berkeley CA, KettleHouse Amphitheater in Bonner MT and New York’s Madison Square Garden.
The newly released pair of advance tracks showcase distinctly different aspects of Only God Was Above Us, while feeling very much parts of the same whole. “Capricorn,” written by Ezra Koenig and produced by Ariel Rechtstaid and Koenig, begins on a deceptively subdued note, its honeyed melodies and arpeggiated keys launching into a transcendent chorus featuring a maelstrom of distorted guitars and vibrant drum fills. “Gen-X Cops,” co-written by Koenig and Chris Tomson, and produced by Rechtstaid, Koenig and Tomson, kicks off with a frantic guitar figure befitting a title lifted from a 1990s Hong Kong action movie, and rides a jaunty beat to an anthemic refrain of “Each generation makes its own apology.”
Each of the new tunes is accompanied by a new video built around footage of New York circa 1988 by Only God Was Above Us album art photographer Steven Siegel. Directed by longtime Vampire Weekend creative director Nick Harwood, “Capricorn” is a visual journey to late ‘80s New York City that showcases the alluring yet grimy era of the city— before breaking to modern day Vampire Weekend. “Gen-X Cops,” directed by Drew Pearce (The Fall Guy, Hotel Artemis, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Iron Man 3), takes a decidedly different route to authenticity, utilizing the exact film-stocks Siegel used in 1988, and tracking down the only authentic 1970s New York subway car on the west coast. Pearce and DP Doug Emmett then meticulously researched the actual light patterns of 1980s subway tunnels in order to build a rig that would emulate them as well as shooting “Gen-X Cops” on 8mm and 16mm cameras to ensure maximum precision.
Only God Was Above Us will be available April 5 via Columbia Records and will be available digitally, and physically on CD, standard black vinyl, limited edition clear vinyl on the band’s webstore, and with an alternate album cover available exclusively at Independent retailers. Pre-order here: https://vampireweekend.lnk.to/OGWAU/vinyl1
Support acts for Vampire Weekend’s upcoming tour have been hand-picked and carefully curated by Koenig, Baio and Tomson. Every region of the country will be treated to their own very special guests — several of whom hold local significance —all of whom are beloved by the band. Those guests include: LA LOM, The English Beat, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Mike Gordon, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Ra Ra Riot, Princess featuring Maya Rudolph and Gretchen Lieberum, Cults, a DJ Set By Mark Ronson, Turnstiles and The Brothers Macklovitch. Please refer to the tour poster for more information on which acts will appear on which dates.
Citi is the official card of the Vampire Weekend Tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Tuesday, February 20 at 10 AM local time until Thursday, February 22 at 10 PM local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.
Fans are encouraged to sign up now for early access to the band’s presales at vampireweekend.com. Those presales start Wednesday February 21 at 10 AM local time. The general on sale will begin Friday, February 23 at 10 AM local time at vampireweekend.com.
VAMPIRE WEEKEND Only God Was Above Us Tour 2024
Mon Apr 08 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater (Solar Eclipse) – SOLD OUT 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 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island Sat Jul 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
VAMPIRE WEEKEND: ONLY GOD WAS ABOVE US New Album Out April 5
Only God Was Above Us, the fifth studio album — and first in five years — from Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio and Chris Tomson, is due out April 5 from Columbia Records. Inspired and haunted by 20th Century New York City, the album was recorded all over the world, from Manhattan to Los Angeles to London and Tokyo. Only God Was Above Us was primarily produced by Koenig and longtime collaborator Ariel Rechtshaid, mixed by Dave Fridmann and mastered by Emily Lazar. Watch the album trailer HERE.
The beginnings of Only God Was Above Us stretch back to 2019-2020, when Koenig wrote the bulk of the lyrics. The 10-track magnum opus is the product of five years spent refining, reworking and gradually shaping those lyrical and melodic structures to take Vampire Weekend to a new creative peak. The album is direct yet complex, showing the band at once at its grittiest, and also at its most beautiful and melodic.
Only God Was Above Us is nothing short of a definitive statement — one that begins on a playfully profane and confrontational note, and runs a gauntlet of emotions, experiences, characters and stories, before ending on an unambiguous note of acceptance… and quite literally “Hope”:
“I hope you let it go
I hope you let it go
Our enemy’s invincible
I hope you let it go”
The title is lifted directly from the album artwork, comprised of photos taken from a subway graveyard in New Jersey in 1988 by Steven Siegel. In the album’s cover, a man in a toppled subway car reads the May 1, 1988 edition of the New York Daily News — the cover story detailing the horrific explosion that tore the roof off Aloha Airlines flight 243. The headline quotes a survivor: “ONLY GOD WAS ABOVE US.”
The tracklist is as follows:
Ice Cream Piano Classical Capricorn Connect Prep-School Gangsters The Surfer Gen-X Cops Mary Boone Pravda Hope
To celebrate their release week, Vampire Weekend will perform in Austin, TX at the Moody Amphitheater at noon on April 8th during the historic total eclipse. Tickets for this special event go on sale on February 13th at 10am CT. Pre-sale and general information can be found at www.vampireweekend.com.
Only God Was Above Us is the first full-length offering from Vampire Weekend since 2019’s Father of the Bride, which was the band’s third consecutive #1 album on the Billboard 200. Nominated for an Album of the Year GRAMMY, Father of the Bride won Best Alternative Album, marking the band’s second win in that category. Deemed “a masterpiece” by David Fricke of Rolling Stone, the album and its coinciding tour of sold-out arenas, sheds and festival headlining slots, solidified the Tri-State born and bred VW as the preeminent band of the New York rock scene, or in the words of USA Today, “The best indie band of their generation.”
Only God Was Above Us will be available digitally, and physically on CD, standard black vinyl, limited edition clear vinyl on the band’s webstore, and with an alternate album cover available exclusively at Independent retailers. Pre-order here.
