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Vampire Weekend Goes Country (and Unexpected) at Coachella with Paris Hilton

Vampire Weekend ended their surprise Coachella set with a bizarre twist, inviting socialite Paris Hilton onstage for a game of cornhole. Ezra Koenig and his ban

Vampire Weekend ended their surprise Coachella set with a bizarre twist, inviting socialite Paris Hilton onstage for a game of cornhole.

Ezra Koenig and his bandmates took the stage on Saturday, April 13th, after a last-minute addition to the Coachella lineup. This night’s headliner was Tyler, The Creator, following a diverse second day that included Sublime, No Doubt, Blur, Justice, and Jon Batiste.

Opening on the Outdoor Theatre stage, Vampire Weekend launched into “Classical,” a track from their latest album, Only God Was Above Us. They followed with fan favorites like “Holiday,” “Unbelievers,” “This Life,” and “Diane Young.”

However, it was the end of their set that truly stole the show. Vampire Weekend surprised the Indio crowd with a country covers medley dubbed “Cocaine Cowboys.” This unexpected detour began with their own “Married In A Gold Rush” from Father Of The Bride (2019), before venturing into classics like Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers Band’s “All The Gold In California,” Gram Parsons’ “Sin City,” the Grateful Dead’s “Cumberland Blues,” and Phish’s “Possum.”

Adding to the surprise, Koenig and company brought out none other than Paris Hilton for a mid-medley game of “gold rush back toss,” better known as cornhole. Hilton, referencing her reality TV days on The Simple Life, admitted she hadn’t played in years, promptly missing both throws.

Security then distributed gold bars (chocolate bars wrapped in gold foil) to the audience, with Koenig declaring, “We told you Coachella, it’s golden!”

Catch more highlights from the set and the full Vampire Weekend setlist below.3

This appearance came on the heels of a special solar eclipse gig in Austin, Texas on April 8th. There, the New York band played through the eclipse, debuting new songs and even welcoming surprise guests.

Only God Was Above Us, released earlier this month, received a four-star review from the publication, praising its ambitious blend of sounds and frontman Ezra Koenig’s increasingly melancholic vocals.

Vampire Weekend will embark on a North American tour later this year, with additional dates across Europe, the UK, and Ireland. They’ll also be performing at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Luton next month.