The night began with a pilgrimage as indie fans of all ages trekked up Highland Avenue on their way to the Hollywood Bowl. Fans in striped rugby polo shirts and low-top Dr. Martens hiked the merchant-lined road, as people peddled bacon-wrapped hot dogs, half-off BuzzBallz and bootleg merch from the edge of the cramped sidewalk. 

On Wednesday, June 12, Vampire Weekend brought out every breed of Los Angeles indie. From the farmers market familiars and natural wine drinkers to the old school indies and Tumblr enthusiasts, they had all gathered for a one-of-its-kind, sold-out show.

As lead singer and guitarist Ezra Koenig would later announce, it was Ska Night at the Hollywood Bowl. This unique sect of Jamaican pop is what he deemed “one of the 17 secret ingredients that make up [Vampire Weekend’s] proprietary sound.” Ringing in the night’s festivities, ska veterans Voodoo Glow Skulls and The English Beat filled the hills with plucky basslines and energy-filled grooves. 

Fans poured in until no seat was left empty among the venue’s endless rows. Finally, after the sun had set, it was time for the main event. 

A giant “VAMPIRE WEEKEND” banner occupied most of the stage, save for the three monochromatically dressed men who stood before it. Three of the band’s four founding members faced the crowd, led by Koenig, with Chris Baio on drums and Chris Tomson on bass. What started among these friends at Columbia University has come to define a generation’s coming of age, as the literate lyricism and sharp melodies produced on their earliest albums quickly became a cultural touchpoint for the sounds of the college experience. 

“I just like how I’ve been able to grow up with them,” said Sydney Jenner, a Tumblr-era fan. “Their music really takes me back to certain periods of my life.” 

Paying homage to their roots, the band kicked off with exciting “Contra” throwbacks “Holiday” and “Cousins,” followed by the tour debut of “Ladies of Cambridge,” the fan-favorite B-side from their first-ever single, “Mansard Roof.” 

Left alone on stage, Koenig sang through the initial strums of the “Only God Was Above Us” opening track “Ice Cream Piano,” and as its instrumental swelled, the banner fell to reveal an expanded band. Accompanied by a second drummer, a keyboardist and two multi-instrumentalists, the seven-piece erupted in a distorted crash of galloping drums and overdriven feedback. Behind them, lights flashed from the depths of a New York City Subway tunnel. The stage design is undoubtedly a tribute to the Steven Siegel photographs that inspired the band’s fifth album and a nod to the city where it got its start.

The “Only God Was Above Us” tour truly brings the album to life, with its wide compositions and complex production style. After a lush performance of “The Surfer,” the band welcomed the album’s co-producer, Ariel Rechtshaid, onstage for performances of “Capricorn” and “Gen-X Cops.” Rechtshaid produced the last three Vampire Weekend releases, and as an L.A. native and ex-ska band member, he fit right in. 

Though the new record took up a majority of the 29-song setlist, Vampire Weekend dished out an even sampling from each of its first four albums. With bouts of nostalgia, the band delighted longtime fans with early VW tracks like “Diane Young” and “Oxford Comma.” The jam-driven grooves of “Father of the Bride” unfolded in real time with the ’70s liveliness of “This Life” and the in-the-pocket precision of “Sympathy.” 

In true Ska Night spirit, Vampire Weekend even debuted a selection of “ska-ified” takes on Vampire Weekend classics, including “Skaflower” (“Sunflower”), “Skattoman” (Ottoman) and “Giving Up the Skun” (“Giving Up the Gun”). 

Nearing the end of the set, nobody was prepared for the jolt of excitement that zipped through the air at the sound of a very familiar combination of opening chords. Like a musical defibrillator, “A-Punk” electrified the thousands in attendance with an immediate spark of unparalleled joy. For two minutes, not a soul stood still. The thousands in attendance wholeheartedly hit every “Oh” and “‘Ey, ’ey, ’ey, ’ey,” dancing along to the song’s contagious shuffle. 

“You guys are bringing incredible energy for a Wednesday night,” Koenig said.

“And you know what, this is just our first week of really doing a real tour, so to be here in L.A., our second home, so many people we love, 17,000 people sitting outside on a beautiful night, it doesn’t get better than that.”

Preparing to unofficially close their set, the band gave the crowd some breathing room with the pared-down pace of tracks like “Hannah Hunt” and “Harmony Hall.” Toward the end of an eight-minute send-off with “Hope,” one by one, the seven band members walked into the disco ball-lit subway tunnel, stripping back the instrumentals until the stage was left empty. 

In an unpredictable turn of events, the band returned for the encore performing “Dangerous Knife (the Night is a Knife).” Written for the Netflix series “I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson,” they briefly welcomed the show’s creator, comedian Tim Robinson, to the stage.

Taking on-the-spot fan requests, the band issued gibberish-filled covers of Steely Dan’s “Peg,” Grateful Dead’s “Touch of Grey” and The B-52’s “Rock Lobster.” A buzzer-beater finale, Vampire Weekend ended the night with the show-wrapping tradition, “Walcott,” sounding its last few notes just before the Bowl’s 11 p.m. cut-off. 

Vampire Weekend’s performance was a testament to their musicianship. Live shows usually have some sort of grit, but after playing together for 18 years, the band sounded just as tight as ever. 

Managing to simultaneously display their matured sound while tapping into their characteristic collegiate preppiness, the band allows the music to grow alongside them. Vampire Weekend has perfected its craft, exploring new facets of inspiration while staying true to the band’s identity. 

“I really loved the spectacle of it all,” said Audrey Serrano, a rising junior studying journalism as well as law, history and culture and Hollywood Bowl first-timer. “[It’s] such a famed venue and I’ve lived in L.A. for two years and still [hadn’t] gone, so I would say Vampire Weekend made it so so special … It was really magical.”