The Influence of Rostam

Rostam performing at the El Rey Theatre, LA by Jonathan Nack

SET FEATURED NEW REMIXES FROM EX-VAMPIRE WEEKEND MAESTRO

Since my adolescence, I have followed Vampire Weekend religiously as they were a band that really influenced my taste at a young age. They always strived to push the envelope when it came to their sound and somehow figured out a way to present this really refreshing rock sound to a younger audience that had never been done before. Behind many of their iconic songs was an instrumentalist named Rostam Batmanglij, who is now considered one of the greatest indie pop producers of all time. During Vampire Weekend’s hiatus of about 6 years, I followed Rostam’s solo work as he went on quite an impressive run of projects along with a very diverse production discography. He has written and produced for the likes of Frank Ocean, Haim, Clairo, and Solange along with many more. My excitement was very high as not only did I get to photograph someone who played a significant role in my childhood but also someone who is known for their musical prowess.

I arrived at the El Rey Theatre at an early to acquire my photo pass and get a good spot in the pit with the friend that I brought along with me. I ended up running into another friend by chance soon after settling into the venue; she expressed her excitement for the show as she has seen Rostam before and raved about how powerful his shows are for not only the message that he brings but his ability to perform live music at a masterful level. Soon after the curtains of the stage opened up, we were greeted by the opener Sam Buck who is a Los Angeles-based country artist. Buck was an absolutely incredible as he brought so much energy to the crowd as people danced around and cheered on. Near the end of his set, Sam thanked Rostam for bringing him and mentioned that he had opened up for Vampire Weekend all the way back in 2009 during their early tour days which was so beautiful to see they are still together after so many years. 

Rostam performing at the El Rey Theatre, LA by Jonathan Nack

After about 15 minutes, the curtain opened up once again as Rostam started with the song “Kinney” which is an up-tempo groovy cut from his most recent release Changephobia. I was immediately blown away by not only Rostam’s performance but the band as well since the chemistry they were demonstrating was undeniable. I have a bit of a background in live sound production so I always survey the stage to see what type of gear an artist is using and I noticed that he was using a very eclectic set up. As all the bandmates rotated through multiple instruments such as the mandolin, a violin, and even a saxophone, they all sounded absolutely incredible  (big shoutout to the sound guy who probably had his hands full). Rostam noted soon after the first couple of songs that they would be switching through many genres throughout the show, touching songs that are rooted in Persian influence all the way to more Jazz cuts. This was ever so apparent as he played “Wood” off his 2017 project Half-Light which opens with a beautiful violin melody along with this drum pattern that soon had the crowd on their feet. About halfway through the song, Rostam sings this melody which had the crowd following in a similar fashion chanting “Oh oh oh oh oh.” The theater was soon filled with the voices of the crowd as the band continued to build the energy of the instrumental up. Rostam then began to riff another melody over the the crowd singing, making us feel like we were truly part of the band. Once the song ended, the audience erupted in applause as it was truly a magical.

Rostam moved into the more Jazz influenced song “Changephobia,” which was a beautiful ode to how we are all scared of change but how change is good and how we should all accept it with open arms. He took the time to introduce his band promptly titled “The Changephobia Band”  which had: Michael Blasky on bass and saxophone, Jack Hallenbeck on keys, Mandolin and guitar, Julian Julian on violin and guitar, and finally Drew Tachine on drums. Soon after, he said that this was one of his favorite shows that he had ever had the pleasure to play which was quite apparent to me with the energy in the crowd being something that felt special. “ Well let’s just pretend that this is the last song,” Rostam continued. They ended their immediate set with the piano-driven song “To Communicate” which is a beautiful track that tackles ideas of psychology as Rostam struggles to be able to communicate with his partner. The band left the stage and the crowd roared as everyone was demanding an encore after such a powerful performance. Rostam and company made their way back to the stage and gave fans three more songs to end off the night, closing with the song “From the Back of the Cab” which was a somber send-off to a beautiful night as the song ends with the words “I am happy you and I got this hour.” 

Walking out of the venue, I could overhear the words of those who I just stood around as people recalled their favorite moments from the show and spoke of how impacted they were after witnessing such an incredible display of musicianship. As I got into my car, I couldn’t help but feel honored to see one of my musical idols perform in such a beautiful venue with a crowd that was equally as blown away as Rostam was performing on stage. Check out the setlist here! 

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!