Photo Credit: Michael Schmelling
Ahead of their LP release, Vampire Weekend has shared the fourth and final preview of Only God Was Above Us, out April 5 via Columbia Records. “Mary Boone” was scribed by Ezra Koenig and paired with samples of Soul II Soul’s “Back to Life (However Do You Want Me).” In addition to the sonic offering, the band paired today’s release with its official visual equalizer, which captures rapper Despot driving from New Jersey to Manhattan via the Lincoln Tunnel.
“Mary Boone” was produced by Koenig and Ariel Rechtshaid, and presents riotous orchestration a la Will Canzoneri. The song’s name is derived from New York City art dealer and collector Mary Boone, an influential member of New York’s creative society in the 1980s, hitting on the narrative delivered via Koenig’s honeyed lyrical delivery: “Painted white/ New in town/ You weren’t hiring but I was looking.”
Sonically, “Mary Boone” drifts through the Big Apple like a leaf in the warm spring breeze, taking the listener on a journey as it moves through the telling of New York art history while preserving the subject’s storyline, amplified using the band’s signature listing of experience–core descriptors which assist in honing in on the notion: enjoying the ride, rather than reach the destination.
Today’s single, “Mary Boone,” represents the final tease before the full-length unveiling of Only God Was Above Us. Previously, Koenig, Chris Tomson, and Chris Baio shared three additional songs, including “Gen-X Cops,” “Capricorn,” and “Classical.” Vampire Weekend will celebrate the set under a total solar eclipse above Austin, Texas, on April 8. The show will also be broadcast for free on Veeps.com.
Scroll down to view forthcoming tour dates in support of the LP. For more information, visit www.vampireweekend.com.
Vampire Weekend Only God Was Above Us Tour Dates:
April 8 – Austin, Texas – Moody Amphitheater (Solar Eclipse)
April 27 – New Orleans – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
May 10 – Salt Lake City – Kilby Block Party
May 30 – Barcelona, Spain – Primavera Sound
June 6 – Houston – 713 Music Hall
June 7 – Irving, Texas – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
June 9 – Phoenix – Arizona Financial Theatre
June 10 – San Diego – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
June 12 – Los Angeles – Hollywood Bowl
June 15 – Berkeley, Calif. – The Greek Theatre at U.C. Berkeley
June 16 – Berkeley, Calif. – The Greek Theatre at U.C. Berkeley (Matinee Show)
June 18 – Burnaby, British Columbia – Deer Lake Park
June 19 – Bend, Ore. – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
June 20 – Seattle – Climate Pledge Arena
June 22 – Bonner, Mt. – KettleHouse Amphitheater
June 23 – Bonner, Mt. – KettleHouse Amphitheater (Matinee Show)
July 19 – Morrison, Colo. – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
July 22 – Kansas City – Starlight Theatre
July 23 – Lincoln, Neb. – Pinewood Bowl Theater
July 25 – Maryland Heights, Mo. – Saint Louis Music Park
July 26 – Chicago – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
July 27 – Chicago – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
July 30 – Minneapolis – The Armory
Aug. 1 – Milwaukee – BMO Pavilion
Aug. 3 – St. Charles, Iowa – Hinterland*
Sept. 19 – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio – Blossom Music Center
Sept. 20 – Cincinnati – The ICON Festival Stage at Smale Park
Sept. 21 – Indianapolis – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
Sept. 23 – Rochester Hills, Mich. – Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
Sept. 24 – Toronto, Ontario – Budweiser Stage
Sept. 25 – Laval, Quebec City – Place Bell
Sept. 27 – Boston – TD Garden
Sept. 28 – Philadelphia – TD Pavilion at The Mann
Sept. 30 – Washington – The Anthem
Oct. 2 – Charlottesville, Va. – Ting Pavilion
Oct. 5 – New York – Madison Square Garden
Oct. 6 – New York – Madison Square Garden (Matinee Show)
Oct. 8 – Wilmington, N.C. – Live Oak Bank Pavilion
Oct. 9 – Raleigh, N.C. – Red Hat Amphitheater
Oct. 11 – Nashville, Tenn. – Ascend Amphitheater
Oct. 12 – Atlanta – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
Oct. 13 – Asheville, N.C. – Rabbit Rabbit
Oct. 15 – St. Augustine, Fla. – St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Oct. 17 – Austin, Texas – Moody Center