Vampire Weekend Unveil Two New Songs, Huge Tour

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