all photos: Dakota Fine
all words: Andy Hess
Programming note: I'm going to start including setlists in my reviews for at least the headliners.
The National @ DAR Constitution Hall
Runaway, Mistaken For Strangers, Anyone's Ghost, Bloodbuzz, OH, Secret Meeting, Slow Show, Squalor Victoria, Afraid of Everyone, Little Faith, All The Wine, Available, Conversation 16, Apartment Story, The Geese of Beverly Road, Abel, Daughters of the Soho Riots, England, Fake Empire // Karen, Lemonworld, Mr. November, Terrible Love, About Today
It's the little things that make The National special.
Sure, Matt Berninger scaling the balcony of DAR Constitution Hall during the always triumphant "Mr. November" was something to see, but I found myself more awestruck by the details. The fan fare at the end of "Fake Empire", the nearly unrecognizable re-working of "Apartment Story" and the joyous explosion at the end of "About Today" -- a song that is normally anything but -- made me take notice.
The National used to be just another quintet from Brooklyn. Now they are one of, if not the biggest, names in indie rock. The band had played at DAR before -- opening for the Arcade Fire -- but "this time sucks less," quipped guitarist Aaron Dessner between songs. In 2007, they played to a half empty room and in three short years later they sold out the building. Having been relegated to seeing this band at festival appearances for the past couple of years, it was nice to see them play in a proper venue -- even if it holds 3,700 people.
Armed with an extensive back catalog, The National's setlist reads like a greatest hits record. Older songs like "Available" and "All The Wine" are still great. The new material sounds even better. "Bloodbuzz, OH" has a palpable tension before its roaring, cathartic release in the climax. "England" is a gorgeous slow burner. The paranoia in "Afraid of Everyone" is overwhelming. "Conversation 16" is downright creepy.
In the New York Times profile of the band the feature focused on the band's give and take with each other during the recording process of High Violet. It was even more apparent in the live show: brothers Bryce and Aaron trade melody as drummer Bryan Devendorf dances around the drum kit effortlessly while Berninger is on the verge of losing it as the music keeps him slightly restrained.
Despite the variables that play into running sound at a cavernous venue like Constitution Hall, the sound engineers worked the boards perfectly giving nuance to the highly orchestrated numbers. During the show a few people pleaded for the band to go back to a smaller space like the 9:30 Club. Unfortunately, I don't think those people are going to get their wish.
The Antlers were made for that room. In fact, I don't think I would have enjoyed their show as much as I did they weren't playing a seated venue. So, like the rest of the people in the venue, I sat and took in the waves of noise coming from the stage.
Hospice is an emotionally draining listen. It's a record that longs for deep, introspective listens. The songs from the same band who made that record were almost unrecognizable, but the emotional response was the same.
For a three-piece band Antlers make a lot of noise. Peter Silberman’s captivating vocals really came alive during their performance and drummer Michael Lerner added an emotional heft with his perfectly placed fills.
Normally a shimmery, guitar driven song, "Two" has been transformed into a languid piano ballad before opening up to something bigger. "Bear", a jaunty pop number, comes off more like a drone that builds and builds before erupting. "Kettering" is a sweeping number that moves from a slow synth build to something almost violent once the drums tower over the rest of the song during the coda. I look forward to the next time the group is in town, but it's going to be hard to beat this performance if not just for the sheer force of nature that came out of the speakers.
Ready for more BYT -National gushing? Check out:
- Our review/photos of them from last summer @ 930 Club
- and Our review/photos of them from a couple of summers a go
Previously in Live DC:
- 5/24: LiveDC: The Adicts @ RNR Hotel
- 5/24: LiveDC: The Donkeys @ Black Cat
- 5/23: LiveDC: The Barr Brothers w/ Kishi Bashi @ The Hamilton
- 5/23: LiveDC: Damien Jurado @ Black Cat
- 5/23: Report: Soundbites 2012
- 5/22: LiveDC: Spirit Animal @ Red Palace
- 5/22: LiveDC: Astra Via @ Black Cat
- 5/22: LiveDC: Father John Misty @ Rock & Roll Hotel
- 5/22: LiveDC: Drive-By Truckers and Lucinda Williams @ Merriweather
- 5/22: Photos: Summer Camp takes the "Ladies of Town" Drag Show
God loves a cheerful giver.
all i have to say is (and i super appreciate The National's sound, i think they're a pretty amazing band) they (being lead singer, Matt Berninger) look on-stage exactly like they sound. Berninger looks like he's about to keel over at any moment from exhaustion. it's ALLL so melancholy.
super fotos. the national = paying to hear the sounds of not having fun.
That was my 7th time seeing the national (the first being when they opened for the arcade fire at DAR 3 years ago).
they seriously just are consistently awesome live. as someone who has grown really bored of most of the 'indie rock' stuff, they still keep my attention. they really know how to build a setlist. the setlist climaxes as opposed to individual songs.
was really pumped they played 'geese of bevarly road' (i dont think they play that much) and it always great to get about today. terrible love was really awesome and powerful. they certainly wrote the new album with these types of venues in mind as its by far their most anthemic (though they do anthemic in a totally non-douchey inverted way). new stuff sounded great. old stuff sounded great.
the antlers were really good also. i had never heard their music before. certainly worthy of the hype. really cool timbres.
@SJ Yeah, I wasn't expecting to hear "Geese of Beverly Road" or "Available". It's nice to see that they haven't forgotten those deep cuts when putting together their setlists.
double commenting (not cool i know)
@ Logan "super fotos. the national = paying to hear the sounds of not having fun"
i think your comment hits at an important thing in indie music right now which is.. why does everything have to be party music? i'm so sick of every indie band doing the stupid disco hi-hat beat. it was awesome in 2002 but not everything needs to be party music for it to be worthwhile. that's not to say i dont love me some lcd and what not, but not everything needs to be dancy. the problem is now that indie crossed over to the sorority/frat market, it seems like in order for most bands to get big they have to make really poppy music within the context of the indie world (sleigh bells, etc). people forget that 'indie big' used to be playing a venue like black cat.
SJ-- You're right, I don't think going the opposite route, finding fizzy fun pop music is any better in theory.. Then again I'd likely have a much more pleasing result at those shows (Basement Jaxx, The Avalanches, for instance) simply because that music is contingent upon dancing.
Also, I don't think indie music, or at least the blogs that tastemake/hype "indie music," are neglecting music palette runs the gamut of emotion. For instance Flying Lotus is hardly a bowl of sunshine, yet his album is lauded as one of the best of the year.
I appreciate moody music. I appreciate their songwriting ability and apparent sophistication. It's just that I'd rather not pay to invoke sadness. I've seen The National before, and it was basically standing for over an hour, listening to the sounds of brooding, melancholy, and gloom. Slightly masochistic, I think.
"...are neglecting music that runs the gamut of emotion."*
Great show and nice pics. I have a video and a review of the show at www.anoceanofnoise.com
I never liked the National until I saw the National live
Probably my favorite photo of the year.
I love that you included the setlist, Andy. Who would think it could be so much fun to listen to such (beautiful) sad bastard music?
Love your post. The pictures are brilliant. I would like to use one for a blog post I'm putting together this month and will most certainly link to your site!
I meant I will link to this page and to the artist page, obviously.