Vampire Weekend is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 2006 and currently signed to Columbia Records.[6][7] The band was formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig, multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, drummer Chris Tomson, and bassist Chris Baio. Batmanglij departed the group in early 2016 but has continued to occasionally contribute to subsequent albums as a songwriter, producer, and musician.
The band's debut album, Vampire Weekend (2008), incorporated elements of indie pop, Afropop, and chamber music. Featuring charting singles "A-Punk" and "Oxford Comma", it has been hailed as one of the greatest debut albums.[8] Their sophomore album, Contra (2010), was similarly acclaimed and garnered strong commercial success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200, and featuring well-received singles including "Holiday". Their subsequent studio albums Modern Vampires of the City (2013) and Father of the Bride (2019) continued the band's success, with each album receiving widespread critical acclaim, topping US charts and winning the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in their respective years. They released their fifth studio album, Only God Was Above Us, on April 5, 2024.
They made their musical guest debut on Saturday Night Live on March 8, 2008, the seventh episode of Season 33, hosted by actress Amy Adams. They performed "A-Punk" and "M79".
They returned to Saturday Night Live for their 2nd musical guest appearance on March 6, 2010, the sixteenth episode of Season 35, hosted by comedian and actor Zach Galifianakis. They performed "Cousins" and "Giving Up the Gun".
They returned to Saturday Night Live for their 3rd musical guest appearance on May 11, 2013, the twentieth (and penultimate) episode of Season 38, hosted by longtime former cast member Kristen Wiig. They performed "Diane Young" and "Unbelievers".
They returned to Saturday Night Live once again for their 4th musical guest appearance on May 11, 2024, the nineteenth (and penultimate) episode, as well as the Mother's Day show of Season 49 of Saturday Night Live, hosted by longtime former cast member Maya Rudolph. They performed "Gen-X Cops" and "Capricorn".
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