The National

[PHATJ]

Ban tree

Saw these dudes at Eaux Claires fest last weekend. They played on a custom-built in-the-round stage designed by the same dude who designed their studio in NY. Here's a couple pics:

Spoiler: show

In addition to the cool stage they had 3 platforms about 20 feet away on each side for guest musicians. One had an extra drummer (Phil Cook/HGM drummer JT Bates), one had a sax player and later Julien Baker doing one of her songs (Appointments, segueing into Fake Empire) with the National backing her up. Not sure what the other platform had. Possibly laptop/blippity bloop stuff.

Other guests included Phoebe Bridgers (Sorrow), Gordi, and Chastity Brown (can't remember their two songs). Richard Reed Parry might have joined them at one point, too.

They played 3 or 4 brand new songs, a bunch of stuff from Sleep Well Beast, Sorrow, Graceless, Don't Swallow the Cap, About Today, Fake Empire, and closed with an acoustic, mostly un-miked version of Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks with the whole crowd joining in.

I'm a very casual National fan at best (a little Berninger goes a long way for me), but this moved them up a level in my mind. Very cool show.

Does Matt always get super drunk?

The setlist for people who are curious about new song titles:

[lennytheweedwhacker]

i still haven’t listened to the last album

[Strat]

Saw these dudes at Eaux Claires fest last weekend. They played on a custom-built in-the-round stage designed by the same dude who designed their studio in NY. Here's a couple pics:

Spoiler: show

In addition to the cool stage they had 3 platforms about 20 feet away on each side for guest musicians. One had an extra drummer (Phil Cook/HGM drummer JT Bates), one had a sax player and later Julien Baker doing one of her songs (Appointments, segueing into Fake Empire) with the National backing her up. Not sure what the other platform had. Possibly laptop/blippity bloop stuff.

Other guests included Phoebe Bridgers (Sorrow), Gordi, and Chastity Brown (can't remember their two songs). Richard Reed Parry might have joined them at one point, too.

They played 3 or 4 brand new songs, a bunch of stuff from Sleep Well Beast, Sorrow, Graceless, Don't Swallow the Cap, About Today, Fake Empire, and closed with an acoustic, mostly un-miked version of Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks with the whole crowd joining in.

I'm a very casual National fan at best (a little Berninger goes a long way for me), but this moved them up a level in my mind. Very cool show.

Does Matt always get super drunk?

The setlist for people who are curious about new song titles:

The one time I saw the natioanl (amazing show!) matt got fucking lit. They tried All The Wine 2-3 times and he couldnt get through a single phrase.

[Chris_H_2]

I haven’t heard them sound better live than on this live version of Boxer.

[dimejinky99]

They’ve never sounded better than now. It’s brilliant. Can’t stop listening to them.

[PHATJ]

I love this band so much. They are easily my current favorite band in the world (and they have been my favorite for years). I better see them soon or I’m gonna go crazy.

[psychobain]

I love this band so much. They are easily my current favorite band in the world (and they have been my favorite for years). I better see them soon or I’m gonna go crazy.

[given2trade]

Best band out there. And no other band has this many albums and you can say the most recent is as listenable as the others. I've found myself listening to Sleep Well Beast more than the rest which is pretty amazing given they on album 5 or 6 or 7 or whatever. It usually just turns to shit at that point.

[PHATJ]

Best band out there. And no other band has this many albums and you can say the most recent is as listenable as the others. I've found myself listening to Sleep Well Beast more than the rest which is pretty amazing given they on album 5 or 6 or 7 or whatever. It usually just turns to shit at that point.

Good point, although I don’t adore Sleep Well Beast on the same level as the previous five. Sleep Well Beast is aging well with me (as has literally every other National album), but those previous five are some of my favorites ever made.

[chewm]

Boxer
Alligator
Hogh Violet
Sad Songs
Sleep Well Beast
Trouble Will Find Me
I haven't listened to S/T

[given2trade]

I can't really rank them but since I got into them so many years ago (because of this board) I think it's basically Alligator/Boxer and then the rest.

[digster]

I still think I'd place Boxer at the top of the pedestal (that run of Fake Empire through Start a War is just a group of songs impeccably captured that I would put up against any run on an album I've heard). Sleep Well Beast may actually be second, though after Boxer it gets murkier. There's definitely songs that might be a bit more highlights on some of the other records, but thematically and musically Sleep Well Beast is really powerful. My only wish is that the title track sounded a bit closer to how it sounds live, more demented and anxious in its contrasts. Usually the studio versions of their songs don't suffer in comparison cause they're different, but that one does a bit to me.

[Chris_H_2]

I'm seeing them tonight in Milwaukee and again on Thursday at the Metro here in Chicago. I'm really hoping we don't get the same exact show. But even if we do, there could be worse things.

[dimejinky99]

I'm seeing them tonight in Milwaukee and again on Thursday at the Metro here in Chicago. I'm really hoping we don't get the same exact show. But even if we do, there could be worse things.

They’ve been changing it up every single night. Sometimes radically.
Hope you have great shows!

[---]

becoming showered and blue-blazered is the second serious step in life

[dad]

Boxer
Alligator
High Violet
Trouble Will Find Me
Sleep Well Beast
Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers
The National

[PHATJ]

Boxer
Alligator
High Violet
Trouble Will Find Me
Sleep Well Beast
Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers
The National

If I was hard pressed to come up with a ranking, this might be it. I think I’d swap Sad Songs and Sleep Well Beast, but im not positive. And honestly, the top four could basically be in any order. I LOVE those albums, and when I’m listening to any one of them it feels like my favorite in that moment.

[dimejinky99]

THe last two really feel connected to me. Really flow into each other.
That said I always have all their records on shuffle so..

[Chris_H_2]

The show last night in Milwaukee was pretty good (relative to the other times I've seen them, I'd give it a 7/10). With the exception of the 2 new songs (Quiet Light and Light Years) and Hard to Find, it was pretty much the same show they've been playing since last year. Again, no criticism though.

For me, Empire Line (which is one of my favorites from the new album) was fantastic. Matt admitted before the song that he always fucks it up, but he was spot on last night.

Rylan was a weird, weird choice for a 1st set closer. And with the encores, you know what you're getting after the first song. But still great.

Lastly, they definitely need to play I'll Still Destroy You more (such a great song).

Looking forward to Thursday.

Nobody Else Will Be There
The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness
Walk It Back
Guilty Party
Don't Swallow the Cap
Bloodbuzz Ohio
I Need My Girl
Green Gloves
Light Years
Empire Line
Slow Show
Day I Die
Carin at the Liquor Store
Hard to Find
Graceless
Fake Empire
Rylan
___________________
Quiet Light
Mr. November
Terrible Love
Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks