In The Venue was packed from top to bottom Thursday night when Vampire Weekend stopped in Salt Lake City.

Beginning shortly after 9 p.m., the New York-based quartet proved that when they take the stage, they don't disappoint.

The band started performing as soon as their instruments were in their hands and didn't stop to greet their screaming fans until after they played their second song.

The concert in general was a whirlwind of energetic songs that allowed lead singer/guitarist Ezra Koenig to show off his vocal flexibility.

Perhaps the best element of the concert was the group sounded so good live. Vampire Weekend is not a band that gets a makeover in the studio. What you hear on CD is what you get on stage; Koenig hits every note with precision and clarity. The other three band members are just as impressive, especially keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist, Rostam Batmanglij, who was all over the place instrumentally and worked the keyboards like a master.

As they played songs that made you feel like you should be sipping pina coladas, Vampire Weekend showed that though they are not stage thrashers. They certainly like to dance, and even more than that, they like their fans to dance with them.

Toward the latter part of the hour-long set, the band toned it down with a slower-paced song that allowed drummer Chris Tomson to stand at the front of the stage and play a much smaller, more discreet drum kit alongside bassist Chris Baio, who switched over to a standing classical bass.

In addition to proving they can put on a great performance, Vampire Weekend showed they know how to create a nice line-up, interspersing songs from their new album with fan favorites such as APunk, a hit song from their first record.

After working up quite the sweat, Vampire Weekend bid farewell to fans who weren't quite ready to say goodbye. After only a few moments of chanting for one more song, fans were once again screaming their appreciation when the band took the stage to play a three-song encore.

Even better than that, Koenig told the fans that the Salt Lake show was his favorite on the tour so far and he hoped to return soon. That's great news for Vampire Weekend fans, and even better news for those who haven't been to one of their shows. Vampire Weekend is definitely a must-see band and the Salt Lake show at In The Venue more than proved that. Note to the band: hurry back!