The National

I agree. No, I wasn't actually at the show, but Brennser describes it as I imagine it.

Originally posted by brennser:
hey, to each his own - I'm glad some of you like it

but to me it was one big snoozefest

and to not play anything from sad songs for dirty lovers is borderline criminal….

I don't remember the band either! Though I think it was a 930 gig.

Originally posted by nkotb:
Didn't the National open for someone at the Black Cat a few years ago? I remember seeing them, and Markie, Lulu and Econo being there, but I'll be damned if I can remember who it was now. Any help?

Yeah, Joe told me it was opening for the Walkmen and Weird War (or maybe WW opened).

Originally posted by econo:
I don't remember the band either! Though I think it was a 930 gig.

I enjoyed the set, but I think they were better when they opened for the Arcade Fire a few months ago.

I never understood how people could forget the concerts they went to. Now I'm beginning to go through it myself.

Originally posted by nkotb:
Yeah, Joe told me it was opening for the Walkmen and Weird War (or maybe WW opened).

meh. i think me being a grandma and going to bed at 9:30 p.m. may have been a good decision.

i'll make up for it this weekend.

odd how opinions vary so dramatically.

i saw them in Pittsburgh the night before. think it was my 6th time seeing them & was probably my favorite.

i thought the new songs were very good live. all amped up X2. more than erasing the mellow consideration of boxer.

i do agree that it was a disappointment that they played nothing from the first 2 records.

however - assuming you got a similar setlist:

Geese of Beverly Road was amazing. as was About Today.

Originally posted by brennser:
eh.

wait, i thought i was the canadian here? :)

what brennser said. voice was completely lost in the mix, and what was up with coming back for the encore and playing the slowest, most plodding song of the night? my reaction was "wow, you woke me up for this?" admittedly the national's music doesn't lend itself to a crazy stage-show, but i felt they dropped the ball and didn't even try. there were a few good songs, but not enough to make this memorable show. it was merely OK.

unfortunately i missed both openers (at the office late), i'll have to check them out on NPR.

Originally posted by sweetcell:
and what was up with coming back for the encore and playing the slowest, most plodding son of the night? my reaction was "wow, you woke me up for this?"

what song was this?

Originally posted by nkotb:
Yeah, Joe told me it was opening for the Walkmen and Weird War (or maybe WW opened).

As I recall, it was The National-> Weird War -> The Walkmen at the 9:30 Club. There were maybe 50 people there in time to see The National.

Originally posted by i'm her slave:

Originally posted by sweetcell:
and what was up with coming back for the encore and playing the slowest, most plodding son of the night? my reaction was "wow, you woke me up for this?"

what song was this?

Oh I thought Daughters of the Soho Riots was one of the worst of the night, which was such a shame, because its such a beautiful song.

I've never seen them before so perhaps I didn't have the same expectations but I thought it was great.

Oh god, Shapes & Sizes were terrible. Why they got billing over Talkdemonic is beyond me. Talkdemonic was really good though. The National were just amazing.

I've never seen them live before, don't listen to them often (although I do like them), and ended up going at the last minute, but I thought it was a really good show. Having no expectations probably helped. But I thought the energy was good and I didn't get bored at any point.

However, I would like to take this opportunity to bitch about the people around me who a) sang along louder than the band (although one guy was pretty nice when I asked him to dial it down, which I've never done before, but man, he was loud) and b) loudly talked the entire damn time – during the quiet songs, the energetic songs, in between songs. Granted, they were mostly talking about the band's songs and not something stupid and unrelated, but still. You loud people suck.

I thought they sounded great. The new album is pretty slow, but they definitely rocked some songs out a bit more live. I've only seen em twice, but that was a far better performance than their Black Cat show (March) last year.

I thought the show was OK (both in the good and bad senses). The new stuff sounds pretty good live, but, like the album, it's not up to snuff with Alligator. The show had some dead spots and some bright spots. 6.3 Z's

I thought the show was okay and agree with the comment that the band seemed a bit better when they opened for the Arcade Fire last month. I too agree with the vocals being lost.

I enjoyed all of the songs and really like the way the band amps up the recorded tracks when they perform them live (as was said)

I arrived toward the beginning of Shapes and Sizes and could not get into them at all. It was as if they had all of these ideas and dismissed any editing or revision process prior to recording their songs.

I don't think their live show will convert anyone. It's mainly for people who were fans going in, espeically last night because the vocals were lost.

And there was almost a fight near me in the middle of Soho Riots, which was odd.

This is good to know. When I saw them with Weird War a few years back I wasn't impressed.

What's a good album to start with?

Originally posted by Taster:
I don't think their live show will convert anyone. It's mainly for people who were fans going in, espeically last night because the vocals were lost.

Originally posted by Bombay Chutney:

Originally posted by nkotb:
Yeah, Joe told me it was opening for the Walkmen and Weird War (or maybe WW opened).

As I recall, it was The National-> Weird War -> The Walkmen at the 9:30 Club. There were maybe 50 people there in time to see The National.

Yup, I was there with Lulu, Markie and Pollard. That was my first time seeing them, and after they played "Murder Me, Rachel" I asked Markie if I could yell out for them to play it again. After all, with only 50 people there, they would have heard my request. That buzzkill, Markie said no. I pleaded, "but I always listen to it twice!?!"

As for last night, I enjoyed the show – some songs were great and built to strong crescendos, but not all – but it wasn't one of the best. Here are my issues:

- I'm with Brennser, it is a CRIME to play nothing from "Sad Songs…" If they never play songs from that album again, I may be finished with my National shows.

- The crowd was for shit. You can definitely tell that The National has tipped in to 'buzz band' status. A bunch of fratty-type guys who shouted and drank (and spilled beer) all throughout the show, and their accompanying posse of girls in white tube tops OR tight white pants, who talked equally as much and marched around to get drinks and go to the bathroom in huge groups of four and five. SO much chatter. Granted, my alcohol-free school night approach probably lent itself to a higher degree of annoyance than usual, but I hated it. A friend was down in the Back Bar earlier in the evening and said the conversations were quite telling. Things like, "I hear this is TOTALLY the band to see!"

Nice to see Darth Ed…

Originally posted by Taster:
I don't think their live show will convert anyone. It's mainly for people who were fans going in, espeically last night because the vocals were lost.

And there was almost a fight near me in the middle of Soho Riots, which was odd.

hmmm.. guess seeing them in DC was completely different than their bowery shows. because there were so many people there that weren't the biggest fans, but came out HUGE fans! perhaps nyc can do that for bands. and it had been a sell-out for months which probably means it wasnt people who 'just' discovered them. they were so incredible when i saw them, and were one of my fav shows this year. and ive been to a ton of shows for anyone who thinks i must have only been to a handful of shows.

as far as talkdemonic, i have seen them several times now, and have loved them more each time. its been awhile, and i barely remember what they sound like, but any time theyre in nyc, i try my best to see them :)