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Vampire Weekend at Kemba Live!

Vampire Weekend, on a breezy and bright night at Kemba Live! in Columbus, curated a cultural dialogue—a kind of prep-school gospel under the Midwestern stars, where irony and earnestness held hands and danced.

Parents standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their Gen Z kids, a picnic of pre-teens and grad students, dads in boat shoes nodding along to polyrhythms, and all ages in between filled Kemba Live! in Columbus. But that's Vampire Weekend's quiet superpower—this improbable communion. In a world prone to segmentation, they offered synthesis.

The band opened with “Campus,” a fitting throwback that set the tone: collegiate, self-aware, and still tender after all these years. From there, the setlist unfolded like an honors thesis in melodic anthropology. Classics like “Holiday,” “Cousins,” and “Diane Young” crashed joyfully against the shimmering architecture of new tracks like “Gen-X Cops,” “Mary Boone,” and the hypnotic “Ice Cream Piano.” The sequencing felt intentional—like a Socratic dialogue between their Ivy League roots and their ever-expanding sonic vocabulary.

“Capricorn” and “Hope” brought meditation through weight and breath. “Harmony Hall,” perhaps the band’s most crystalline hymn to contradiction, turned the lawn into a luminous, philosophical singalong: “I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die.” Few lyrics cut through the twilight with such elegant ambiguity.

The encore, “Walcott,” was a crowd-pleaser and a benediction. Ezra Koenig and company seemingly suggested that perhaps we’re all trying to leave Cape Cod—or some internal version of it—and that rock and roll, when it’s this smart and this generous, might be one of the few valid exit strategies.

Kemba Live! became a well-lit seminar room under White Skies, where the syllabus was joy, rhythm, and the strange poetry of growing up.

The next 3 stops in Vampire Weekend’s Only God Was Above Us tour are: • Jun 3, 2025 at Stage AE Pittsburgh, PA • Jun 4, 2025 at Broadview Stage at SPAC, Saratoga Springs, NY • Jun 6, 2025 at Firefly Distillery, Charleston, SC VAMPIRE WEEKEND Website  Facebook  X

KEMBA LIVE! Website  Facebook  X

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Jenny Lewis at the Newport Music Hall

On a balmy June evening, the storied Newport Music Hall in Columbus, Ohio, fans gathered to witness the incomparable Jenny Lewis.

The hottest and most humid day Columbus has experienced this year was right in the middle of an 8-day excessive heat advisory. The Newport Music Hall is not an air conditioned concert hall. Two industrial floor ACs stood at each end of the stage with a 10-inch hose leading to the emergency exits to pump out the hot air for tonights show. The staff was even passing out free bottles of water to the crowd to minimize any injuries due to the heat.

The cool demeanor of Dean Johnson gave some respite from the heat. Much like Vance Joy, he is a terrific songwriter that leaves little to the imagination during his stage performance. He has a unique and simple way of addressing the audience that you might at first think is part of the show, but ease into the refreshingly honest moments where he explains each song before it is performed.

“We’re going to depart from the heartbreak songs with this next one. It is about going to heaven and then in about 1000 years, wishing you could get out of heaven. In a big way, it suggests that eternal life is hell.”

He was gracious and thanked everyone for coming out early to check him out despite the heat.

Unfortunately, when Jenny Lewis took the stage, the entire venue got a lot hotter. Known for her poignant songwriting and eclectic musical style, Jenny Lewis delivered a performance that captivated young and old. As the lights dimmed and the first chords of “The Big Guns” reverberated through the hall, the audience was drawn into Lewis’s world. A few fan favorites were missing, but the setlist was a journey of Lewis’s artistic evolution since the start of her solo career after her departure from Rilo Kiley, over ten years ago.

Throughout the performance, Lewis’s talented band provided impeccable support, elevating her songs with their skillful instrumentation. The ensemble’s chemistry made the entire show feel like a dynamic, collaborative effort. Lewis’s connection with the audience was clear too. During her performance, Lewis made eye contact with several people in the crowd as if reconnecting with old friends. Between songs, she engaged the crowd with a warmth and candor that further endeared her to the fans. She shared personal anecdotes and the stories behind her songs, creating a sense of connection and intimacy that is often lost in larger venues. Her banter was light-hearted and genuine, providing a perfect counterbalance to the more serious themes explored in her music. Her warmth and humility only added to the evening’s magic, creating a sense of communal celebration among the devotees gathered at the historic Newport Music Hall.

As the night drew to a close, Lewis left the audience with her classic “Acid Tongue,” with her raw and unfiltered vocals soaring through the historic venue. The simplicity of the arrangement allowed the lyrical depth of the song to shine, creating a moment of reverence among the audience. It was a fitting conclusion to an unforgettable evening.

JENNY LEWIS Website  Facebook  X

DEAN JOHNSON Website  Facebook  X

THE NEWPORT MUSIC HALL Website  Facebook  X

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Dustin Bates, Starset - Nov 26, 2021 #starset #liveperformance #photography #music #live #musicphotography #livusic #concertphotography #concert #ohio #expresslive #columbusphotographer #ohiophotographer #harryacostaphotography #ınstagood #photooftheday #atrillionsouls copyright Harry Acosta (at Express LIVE) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXOZ0GyAL22/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Lauren Mayberry, Chvrches, Nov 20, 2021 #chvrches #promowest #expresslive #music #concertphotography #ohiophotographer #columbusphotographer #liveperformance #instagood #harryacostaphotography #photooftheday #atrillionsouls copyright Harry Acosta (at Express LIVE) https://www.instagram.com/atrillionsouls/p/CXOZpDVAmxq/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Hotrod, Cybertronic Spree, Nov 5, 2021 #cybertronicspree #tranaformers #hotrod #concertphotography #ohiophotographer #hairmetal #columbusphotographer #cincinnati #bogarts #livemusic #dare #harryacostaphotography #photography #instagood #photooftheday #atrillionsouls copyright Harry Acosta (at Bogart's) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXJYFXgrcNr/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Steve Stivers, OACB 2021 event #stevestivers #piblicspeaking #presentation #photography #ohio #oacb #hiltoneaston #civil #conference #conferencephotography #columbusphotographer #ohiophotographer #harryacostaphotography copyright Harry Acosta (at Hilton Columbus at Easton) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXB0bDPLOvk/?utm_medium=tumblr

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The World Alive, Nov 26, 2021 #theworkdalive #livemusic #jump #music #liveperformance #musicphotography #concertphotography #photography #ohiophotographer #harryacostaphotography #ınstagood #photooftheday #atrillionsouls copyright Harry Acosta (at Express LIVE) https://www.instagram.com/p/CW4vUSjBL6P/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Dustin Bates, Starset - Nov 26, 2021 #starset #liveperformance #photography #music #live #musicphotography #livusic #concertphotography #concert #ohio #expresslive #columbusphotographer #ohiophotographer #harryacostaphotography #ınstagood #photooftheday #atrillionsouls copyright Harry Acosta https://www.instagram.com/p/CWxCZZcgWXt/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Phoebe Bridgers, Sept 18, 2021 #phoebebridgers #promowest #expresslive #music #concertphotography #ohiophotographer #columbusphotographer #liveperformance #instagood #harryacostaphotography #photooftheday #atrillionsouls copyright Harry Acosta (at Express LIVE) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWm4czoAbDC/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Lauren Mayberry, Chvrches, Nov 20, 2021 #chvrches #promowest #expresslive #music #concertphotography #ohiophotographer #columbusphotographer #liveperformance #instagood #harryacostaphotography #photooftheday #atrillionsouls copyright Harry Acosta (at Express LIVE) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWm4L-eg5a1/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Muna, Sept 18, 2021 #muna #livemusic #concertphotography #ohiophotographer #columbusphotographer #music #photography #expresslive #promowest #vocals #harryacostaphotography #instagood #photooftheday #atrillionsouls copyright Harry Acosta (at Express LIVE) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWm3m-1AnV4/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Lauren Mayberry, Chvrches, Nov 20, 2021 #chrvches #laurenmayberry #laurenmayberryfans #livemusic #concertphotography #expresslive #promowest #harryacostaphotography #ohiophotographer #columbusphotographer #music #photooftheday #ınstagood #photography #musicphotography #facepaint #atrillionsouls (at Express LIVE) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWjh3p7r3Ke/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Charles Bradley, July 16, 2017 #charlesbradley #livemusic #liveperformance #music #forecastlefest #photography #musicphotography #ohiophotographer #columbusphotographer #instagood #harryacostaphotography #photooftheday #atrillionsouls copyright Harry Acosta (at Forecastle Festival) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWfum8mrzoY/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Mathew Logan Vasquez, Delta Spirit, Nov 16, 2021 #deltaspirit #livemusic #touring #musicphotography #concertphotography #music #mathewloganvasquez #harryacostaphotography #photooftheday #instagood #atrillionsouls copyright Harry Acosta (at Newport Music Hall) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWYQhZjr3Q4/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Black Signal, Nov 5, 2021 #blacksignal #bogarts #livemusic #concertphotography #ohiophotographer #columbusphotographer #music #lights #harryacostaphotography #photooftheday #instagood #atrillionsouls copyright Harry Acosta (at Bogart's) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWC2gzsLESx/?utm_medium=tumblr

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The Cybertronic Spree, Nov 5, 2021 #bogarts #cincinnati, #cybertronicspree #cybertron #arcee #omicron #quintesson #livemusic #concertphotography #music #rock #hairmetal #columbusphotographer #ohiophotographer #music #1986 #transmorphers #transformers #slyvinyl #flushthefashion #harryacostaphotography #livenation #photooftheday #instagood #atrillionsouls copyright Harry Acosta (at Bogart's) https://www.instagram.com/p/CV-es9hr4M3/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Starset, Nov 1, 2019 Upcoming shows in Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati Hope to photograph one of them #starset #bassist #music #rock #liveperformance #ohiophotographer #hardrock #electricrock #columbusphotographer #promowest #expresslive #concertphotography #harryacostaphotography #instagood #photooftheday #atrillionsouls copyright Harry Acosta (at Express LIVE) https://www.instagram.com/p/CVh_mXmryye/?utm_medium=tumblr