The National: Indie Icons Made Me Cry
- Samantha Blovits
- Jun 30, 2019
- 4 min read
Have you ever openly wept in a public setting surrounded by thousands of strangers? If not, you should definitely try it! If you need help, The National have got your back.
The renowned "sad dad" band, composed of two sets of brothers and frontman Matt Berninger, performed at the historic Hill Auditorium in downtown Ann Arbor on June 25th, 2019. Following quickly on the heels of their 2019 album release "I Am Easy To Find", the band seemed eager to breathe life into their new critically acclaimed songs.
Indie rock sensation Courtney Barnett kicked off the evening, proving to be quite a difficult opener to follow. Barnett's ten song set rattled the walls of Hill Auditorium, a venue mainly known for orchestral and choral performance. I am quite positive that Barnett was probably the first performer to spit on the stage in between verses. The punk spirit is alive and she has a mullet!
Filling in the roles as songwriter, front woman, and lead guitarist, it's clear that Barnett is the whole package. Highlights of her performance include newer songs such as "City Looks Pretty" and "Nameless, Faceless" along with her breakout single "Pedestrian At Best" off of her 2015 debut release. By the end of her set, Barnett had managed to get half of the stubborn Ann Arbor crowd on their feet to cheer, holding her guitar over her head as the loud noise of feedback surged out of the amplifiers. Barnett has been on the "ones to watch" list of many music magazines, and I can say with certainty that this won't be the last time I'll catch her live.
The National walked onto the theater stage to a standing ovation and launched into their new single, "You Had Your Soul With You". Unique from all of their previous albums, "I Am Easy To Find" showcases a variety of female vocalists accompanying the soothing baritone voice of Matt Berninger that we all know and love. Zoë Randell, of the Australian band Luluc, blended in beautifully with the sonic soundscapes crafted by the veteran band.
After four songs from the new album to kick off the show, The National treated the crowd to older favorites: "Don't Swallow The Cap" and "Bloodbuzz Ohio". Berninger waltzed around the stage sporting his dad dance moves and climbing amplifiers. The fact that the audience was rather dead did not stop the frontman from taking it upon himself to evoke an emotional response, and even steal a few hats from those in the first row.
There are a handful of characteristics that make The National stand out amongst other bands, but the drumming of Bryan Devendorf has got to be maybe the most important. Devendorf's drumming style is so fresh and unique, it is quite simply the very core of the National's sound. Add his brother and bassist, Scott Devendorf, and you've got yourself an extremely tight rhythm section on your hands.
The other pair of brothers, Aaron and Bryce Dessner stand on opposite sides of the stage, but I am convinced they have a form of telepathy going on. Must be a twin thing. The two play dueling guitar parts that are so interwoven and inseparable, it's difficult to tell who is playing what. During a handful of songs, Aaron can be found behind a set of piano keys; both of the Dessner brothers are multi-instrumentalists and provide backing vocals as well!
In between songs, Bryan asked for a microphone and told the audience that he was thankful to be back in Ann Arbor has he was born in the U of M hospital. The rest of the band stood in awe, promising the audience that Bryan had not spoken on stage since 2002. "But where were you conceived?" Berninger deadpanned. It is clear that there is a communal love between the band members and a light sense of humor that I would believe is necessary to keep bands together at this point in their career.
My favorite parts of the National's set were definitely their grittier rock pieces, including "The Day I Die", "The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness", and "Graceless". During each of these songs, Berninger managed to escape the stage and jump down into the audience, making his way up and down rows of fans. May I remind you, this was a SEATED GIG. Berninger screamed his lungs out while moving through a sea of fans as if if he were getting up to get popcorn at the movies. Occasionally, he would stop to shove the microphone into an unsuspecting audience member's face, forcing them to sing along as if he was Wayne Brady on "Don't Forget The Lyrics!".
At one point, Berninger grabbed a U of M hat off of a gentlemen in the first row and put it on, creating a chain reaction of cheers from the prideful townies. Later, the audience member asked for Berninger to sign the hat and give it back. "You want this back? No, this is mine now." He responded with a laugh before leaning down to sign the fan's shirt, even asking the fan to sign his new hat for him.
"Terrible Love", "Mr. November", and an acoustic, crowd-led rendition of "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks" closed out the encore. Berninger turned the microphone stand to face the crowd and paced back and forth on the stage as a chorus of voices echoed him, filling up the venue. A rather bittersweet way to end the show, but that very specific feeling has stuck with me five days later as I am writing this.
I bought tickets for this show back in February as a casual fan, excited to see two artists I admired on one bill. I left the show with a new found respect and love for The National. I'll admit that I have been listening to them solely on repeat for about a week now and I am even planning on flying to Boston to catch them again in the fall. Seems I was a little late to catch on to the brilliance of the Ohio raised band, but I will not miss out on seeing them ever again!
Watch the band romp through a raucous version of "Mr. November", including one of Matt's journeys into the depths of the crowd!
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