To approach The National, you must have a desire for challenges. It might be easy to listen to Fake Empire and be that person who become a “casual National fan.” So be it, but you are missing out on one of the most genuine and rewarding bands of our time. Whether it’s the melancholy deepness of their intense catalog or the way they are able to rock the fuck out despite their dreary subject matter, The National make music for people who care enough to pay attention to what they listen to.

Opening the show was Brent Knopf’s Ramona Falls. Ramona Falls was a band that slowly grew on me last year. I heard and absolutely loved their song Fever, but for whatever reason didn’t listen to the rest of their album. It wasn’t until a few months ago that I dedicated time to listen to last year’s Intuit. While there were few of the dozens of guest appearances that fill Intuit (Helio Sequence, Mirah, Loch Lomond, 31 Knots, Talkdemonic, Nice Nice, Tracker, Dat’r, Dear Reader, 3 Leg Torso to name a few), Brent was joined by Menomena’s Danny Seim (bass) and Paul Alcott (drums) with Matt Sheehy (guitars).

The band straight-up rocked the house that night, playing practically all of Intuit and most likely making a fair share of new fans. It’s well deserved even though Menomena are pushing out a new album in the coming months. Particularly with songs like Going Once, Going Twice, Diamond Shovel (which Brent opened with acoustically) , and of course the amazing Fever; the crowd found a new band of obsess over.

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[mp3] Ramona Falls – Fever from Intuit (2009)

I don’t know if the crowd consisted mainly of fans that gravitated toward The National because of their latest masterpiece, High Violet, or of fans that have been with the band since Boxer and beyond. What I can say is the crowd knew that they got what they payed for. The National brought their trademark lush arrangements with brawny deliverance. It was the first night of two shows at The Fox Theatre but they played like it was their last night of touring for a while.

As much as the band itself created a beautifully melancholy atmosphere, it was the presence of Matt Berninger’s heavyhearted vocals that completed the entire experience. The National decorate their sprawling ballads with aplomb, helped on several songs by their touring brass section as well as strings and piano from Padma Newsome. The magic of The National is the fact that despite how dark their style is, the band is anything but depressing.

This is intensified when you witness them live. Songs like Anyone’s Ghost and Mr. November were explosive and blasting with high energy. On the other hand, songs like Start A War and Afraid Of Everyone were hauntingly intimate and silenced a respectful audience who were drawn so closely to this special band.

The band even broke out songs from 2005′s Alligator (Secret Meeting, Abel, Mr. November) which made fans like me remember that this is a band that is proud of their previous material and isn’t shy to put a smile on the faces of loyal fans. But whether you joined the club back in 2001 with their self titled or just this year with High Violet, if you witness The National live, you will feel benign and blessed that you opened your ears to this magnificent act.

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Setlist
Start A War
Mistaken For Strangers
Anyone’s Ghost
Bloodbuzz Ohio
Afraid Of Everyone
Secret Meeting
Slow Show
Squalor Victoria
Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks
Little Faith
Conversation 16
Apartment Story
Daughters Of The Soho Riots
Abel
Sorrow
England
Fake Empire

Encore
Runaway
Lemonworld
Mr. November
Terrible Love

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[mp3] The National – Terrible Love from High Violet (2010)

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[mp3] The National – Bloodbuzz Ohio from High Violet (2010)

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