Remember the halcyon days of early to mid 2019, when there was no COVID-19 and I was constantly blogging about how much I loved Vampire Weekend’s Father Of The Bride? It was a wonderful time, and I’m here today to take you back there via a special performance of “Married In A Gold Rush.”

Well, not exactly. As you can see from Ezra Koenig’s quarantine haircut and the fact that this performance was cobbled together from multiple locations, the pandemic is still raging. But this duet — with longtime collaborator Angelique Kidjo singing Danielle Haim’s parts, assembled for a recent fundraiser benefitting Kidjo’s Batonga Foundation — will at least remind you that FOTB exists and is good. It will also remind you that Kidjo is a much more commanding live singer than Koenig, but I digress.

Watch below, and don’t miss the sweet guitar work from Dominic James, who Koenig calls “a big inspiration to me.”

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