Vampire Weekend Make Bassist Chris Baio's 'Real Housewives of ...

On Friday, May 10, Vampire Weekend took their Only God Was Above Us tour to Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City for a festival slot at the Kilby Block Party. During the single-set performance, the ensemble pulled from each album entry, specifically emphasizing their 2008 self-titled debut, Modern Vampires in the City, and their 2024 collection, for which the run is named. Continuing their tradition of combining cornhole and celebrity into their frame, the band brought out Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Heather Gay at the invitation of bassist Chris Baio. 

The potential for an on-stage union between the band and reality personality was sparked via Vampire Campfire Episode 2, the group’s March 25, 2024, YouTube video, entitled “The Waldorf Astoria Bathroom (with Josh Goldsmith).” In the clip, Ezra Koenig asks, “What’s so special about Real Housewives of Salt Lake City?” The question elicited a sigh from Baio, who refrained from answering and instead flipped his response into an invitation: “If you are a member of the cast of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Heather, Whitney, Lisa, Meredith, Angie K., and yes, Monica. If you have any interest in going to an indie rock festival in your town of Salt Lake City, we are playing Kilby Block Party in the second week of May.” 

Sure enough, Gay showed up during Vampire Weekend’s aforementioned stop, appearing in front of the audience and confirming her rank, “Hi Salt Lake City! I am here as your official Housewives representative if you will have me.” In the same vein as the band’s Coachella appearance, when chief reality star Paris Hilton hit the stage with an Abe Lincoln impersonator for a round of the popular lawn game, Gay’s playtime saw musical accompaniment with a run through up-tempo slayer, “Campus.” 

Before their guest’s arrival, Vampire Weekend brought up another fan, sans reality star status. allowing them to join on piano during Only God Was Above Us cut, “Connect.” Adding to the weekend, last night, May 11, the ensemble made their highly anticipated return to Stage 8H for their Saturday Night Live appearance. Between skits from former cast member and host Maya Rudolph, VW delivered two songs, pulling from their 2024 set, on “Gen-X Cops” and “Capricorn.” Watch below.