Now, I'm not the biggest Muse fan ever anymore, but at the time, they were probably one of the most credible bands I listened to. For example, I vaguely remember purchasing a Plain White Ts album freshman year. [Exeunt credibility, reader(s)]
Anyway, we were just exploring the "Alternative" music section and repeated clicking on the "Related Artists" (these were the golden days before Genius, my friends). Eventually, we came across a band we had both heard of but never really listened to: Vampire Weekend. Through some (assuredly legal) means, Joel got a hold of their eponymous debut and burnt me a copy. And then the levees broke.
This marked my official entrance into the magical world of, for lack of a better word, indie music. Since that historic occasion, I—more often than not with the assistance of Joel—have journeyed down such beautiful streets as Arcade Fire Alley, Bright Eyes Boulevard, and Passion Pit Place. I have traveled to Illinoise, Phoenix, and even Iceland. I have explored old wonderlands like E Street, Highway 61, and the seedy velvet undergrounds of New York. I have endured mysterious places like the mythical Animal Collective forest, discovering that sometimes the best things in life don't come easy. I have seen that White is right, but Black Kids are nice, too. I have stumbled into the ghetto, where I feared I'd be an OutKast and a Public Enemy but instead received the Blueprint to thug life and was directed West. I scraped my Shins, fell on the Pavement, got cut deeply by The Knife. I stayed at the Neutral Milk Hotel. I messed around with Girls. I took a road trip to St. Louis.
Where I saw Vampire Weekend in concert. It was a good show, but the fact that I was actually seeing VW was so much more significant to me than the actual music. Plus, I went with my friend Eric, who I exposed to Vampire Weekend, among other indie-rockers. It was as if the arc of awesome music had come full circle.
So thank you Vampire Weekend. Thank you for making great Afro-pop and ridiculously comfortable tour T-shirts. Thank you for having a band member whose last name begins with "Batman" and for being obnoxiously and unapologetically preppy. And thank you for sparking my interest in a whole new world of entertainment and discovery.
I used oxford commas just for you.
P.S. Joel: Happy birthday. Everyone else: Go read Joel's blog.
LIKE IT: "Too Much" - Sufjan Stevens
LOVE IT: "I've Got Friends" - Manchester Orchestra
GOTTA HAVE IT: "Where'd All The Time Go?" - Dr. Dog
