- Chris Baio
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Chris Baio 
Chris Baio on December 11, 2009Background information Born October 29, 1984 Origin Bronxville, NY Genres Worldbeat, Indie rock Occupations Musician, DJ Instruments Bass Guitar, Guitar, Backing Vocals Associated acts Vampire Weekend, Underrated Christopher Baio is an American musician, best known for being the bassist for the New York City-based indie rock band Vampire Weekend.
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Early life
Baio was turned on to music at an early age, purchasing his first album at the age of seven and going to his first concert, a live performance by the band Cracker, at the age of nine. Baio said that, as a child, he would go to sleep with Doolittle by The Pixies playing.
Baio attended Columbia University in New York, majoring in Russian and Eurasian Regional studies and minoring in Math, finally graduating in May of 2007. He served as College Rock Music Director of WBAR during his time at school.[1]
He is a cousin of actor Scott Baio, who played Chachi Arcola on Happy Days and Charles on the hit 80's television program Charles in Charge.
Musical career
During high school, Baio was lead guitarist, song writer, and vocalist in a local Bronxville, NY band known as Underrated.[2]
Baio was in a country-influenced band called the Midnight Hours with Vampire Weekend's current drummer, Chris Tomson at Columbia University, where the rest of the Vampire Weekend band members were also attending.[3] Following the breakup of Midnight Hours, Baio was working as a DJ as a side job until Vampire Weekend was created. The band members got straight to rehearsing for their first gig, which was booked before the band had even started practicing.
A year after Baio graduated, Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut album was released. It peaked at number 15 on the UK Album Chart and number 17 on Billboard 200. Also one of the album's singles, "A-Punk" was voted the 4th best song of 2008 by Rolling Stone magazine in addition to being featured in the film Step Brothers with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, and the popular UK television series The Inbetweeners. On June 14, 2008 they played Central Park SummerStage in Manhattan, and a benefit for democracy in October.
In January 2010 Contra was released, the band's second album. It reached number one on the Billboard 200 and on January 9, 2010 the band appeared on MTV Unplugged. Then on March 6, 2010, the band appeared as the musical guests on Saturday Night Live; the second time the band had appeared on the show.[4]
Musical Influences
In an interview with the British newspaper column "Hugs and Kisses 23" Baio said, in reply to the question 'what his favorite album of all time was', "Queen, Classic Queen. I still like it. It could be Greatest Hits. It's the one with 'Bohemian Rhapsody' on it. They were selling it on MTV with an ad trailer featuring the guys from "Wayne's World" singing along to it in the car. I was maybe seven, and I was like, I really like that song, so I'll get that album."[5]
Vampire Weekend also used The Beatles as an influence saying to Columbia University's alumni journalist "they played extremely popular music but at the same time drew upon Eastern and Western sources. Whereas today, rock music has killed itself by being so white bread. We’re trying to mix sounds that are old and new and sounds that are Western and that are not Western. I think that’s our vibe.”[6] The band also has taken its style from a form of music called Afrobeat which is a mix between jazz, funk, and highlife, all cemented together by heavy traditional African influences.[7] Before Vampire Weekend, Rostam Batmanglij and Chris Tomson were in a bluegrass band called Lion in the Grass, as well.
Equipment
Baio's primary bass is an old hollow-body Kustom brand bass guitar in teal. He also is frequently seen using a Rickenbacker 4003 bass guitar and an Epiphone Jack Casady bass guitar
References
- ^ "Vampire Weekend", "Coup De Mayin Magazine". Retrieved 27 May 2010.
- ^ MyHometownBronxville. http://www.myhometownbronxville.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1695:chris-baio-bronxville-03-grad-makes-it-big-time-in-one-of-countrys-hottest-rock-bands-qvampiere-weekendq&catid=3:art-drama-music-books&Itemid=3
- ^ "Chris Baio", "The Village Voice". Retrieved 28 May 2010.
- ^ "Vampire Weekend", Wikipedia. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
- ^ "Chris Baio interview", "Hugs and Kisses 23". Retrieved 27 May 2010.
- ^ ""Chris Baio Alumni Update", Columbia University. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
- ^ ""Afrobeat", Wikipedia. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
See also
Vampire Weekend Studio Albums Mixtapes Singles "Mansard Roof" · "A-Punk" · "Oxford Comma" · "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" · "The Kids Don't Stand A Chance"Other songs Related Articles Categories:- Vampire Weekend members
- American bloggers
- American bass guitarists
- American rock musicians
- American musicians
- Living people
- American people of Italian descent
- Columbia University alumni
- 1984 births
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