New York indie-rock act Vampire Weekend's third album, Modern Vampires of the City, hit the streets in 2013 and debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart. The feat was nothing new for the acclaimed young band, which also topped the chart with their preceding album, 2010's Contra.
Ezra Koenig (lead vocals), Chris Baio (bass), Chris Tomso (drums), and Rostam Batmanglij (producer and multi-instrumentalist) formed Vampire Weekend while attending New York's Columbia University, and their fusing of alt-rock sensibilities with African rhythms and hooks was garnering plenty of attention long before they'd released their self-titled debut album in 2008 -- in fact, their first appearance on the cover of Spin magazine came before their first album hit stores. The early acclaim and scrutiny didn't faze the band, which continued to impress fans and critics with each new release. Vampire Weekend remained a fixture on the tour circuit in 2013 as the foursome headlined concerts at large venues around the world and topped bills at major festivals. Fans who scored tickets in 2013 heard the band play favorites like "A-Punk," "Oxford Comma," and "Horchata," along with several songs from Modern Vampires of the City.
