{"id":633,"date":"2010-05-24T23:14:49","date_gmt":"2010-05-24T23:14:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/?p=633"},"modified":"2013-05-03T11:00:25","modified_gmt":"2013-05-03T19:00:25","slug":"chills-and-spills-the-national-at-the-wiltern-522","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/2010-05\/chills-and-spills-the-national-at-the-wiltern-522\/","title":{"rendered":"Chills and Spills–The National at the Wiltern 5\/22"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo courtesy of Greg Lawler<\/a><\/p>\n

We rendezvoused in Hollywood this past Saturday at the Wiltern Theater to see one of our faves, The National<\/strong>.\u00a0 Once again the band and its deliverances demolished our expectations.\u00a0 Singer Matt Berninger<\/strong>, the multi-talented sets of Dessner<\/strong> and Devendorf<\/strong> brothers, two horn players, and violinist\/keyboardist Padma Newsome<\/strong> sauntered onto the stage with backdrop of moody, monochromatic lighting that perfectly fit the songs and band.<\/p>\n

We have been listening to their new album, High Violet<\/strong>, nonstop since its release earlier this month, and are happy to report that these new songs made the show for us.\u00a0 High Violet is the record of the year thus far and, as with most of their prior records, the depth and power of these songs continues to grow with each listen.<\/p>\n

The National<\/strong> kicked off Saturday night’s show with Start a War<\/em><\/strong> and Mistaken for Strangers<\/em> <\/strong>off of their prior, standard-setting Boxer<\/strong> album.\u00a0 With double-horn and keys accompaniment, the sound was full and organic, and the band was striding a great mood.\u00a0 Matt had his usual wine bucket and white wine in hand, and off we went for the National ride.<\/p>\n

The show really began ti kick in with Bloodbuzz Ohio<\/strong> <\/em>and Afraid of Everyone<\/em><\/strong> off High Violet<\/strong>.<\/em>\u00a0 Berninger’s repeated refrain in Bloodbuzz <\/em><\/strong>of\u00a0 \u201cI still owe money to the money, to the money I owe\u201d captures both the current distressed zeitgeist, but also our nostalgia for less doleful times and and acknowledgment that we can’t sufficiently pay back what we owe to our blood and other deliverers.\u00a0 “The floors are falling out from everybody I know.”\u00a0 Indeed.\u00a0 Too many have fallen.\u00a0 And everyone felt it at the Wiltern.<\/p>\n

High Violet<\/strong> was recorded with an impressive supporting cast (Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Newsome<\/strong> to name but a few), and throughout their set on Saturday, you could intermittently hear how the High Violet<\/strong> songs and delivery had been affected.\u00a0 This was first heard on Afraid of Everyone<\/em><\/strong> during which the band has added high, mournful, spectre-ish vocals, which may have been borrowed from the band’s prior collaborations with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon<\/strong> (on the stellar charity-fundraiser record from last year, Dark Was the Night<\/strong>, and elsewhere). \u00a0 The plaintive-vocal effect grabs you by the heart and can be heard throughout High Violet<\/strong> (e.g. on Terrible Love<\/em> <\/strong>at 2:45, on Conversation 16<\/em> <\/strong>at :41, and Sorrow<\/em> <\/strong>at 2:25, and on England<\/em><\/strong>).\u00a0 Beyond those ghost-train vocals, the first ecstatic high of the evening came towards the end of Afraid of Everyone<\/em><\/strong> when Berninger added sibilant syncopation to powerful effect via the lyrics:<\/p>\n

“Your voices all in my soul soul soul soul
\nYour voice is swallowin’ my soul soul soul soul
\nYour voices swallowin’ my soul soul soul soul
\nSoul soul soul soul soul soul soul soul soul soul”<\/p>\n

Chills.\u00a0 And more chills.<\/p>\n

Then it was back to a bevy of Boxer<\/strong> beauties (including Squalor Victoria<\/em><\/strong> which was introduced by Matt as almost resulting in a career-ending travesty the night before), followed by more highs from High Violet<\/strong>, including one of our prime picks, Conversation 16<\/strong>. <\/em>In this song the chorus insidiously intrigues: “I was afraid I’d eat your brains, I was afraid, I’d eat your brains, ‘Cause I’m evil, ‘Cause I’m evil.”\u00a0 And interspersed is the alternately frightening and hilarious: “I’m a confident liar, had my head in the oven so you’d know where I’ll be, I’ll try to be more romantic.”\u00a0 How could he be more romantic, we ask you!?\u00a0 Afterwards, Berninger confirmed earlier reports and marveled that his wife had helped write the lyrics despite the subject matter.\u00a0 At the Wiltern, the crowd screamed the chorus with vigor.\u00a0 And it made us hope that the gang had not missed Matt’s intent:\u00a0 an acknowledgment and lament for the darkness within.\u00a0 We remain concerned that many of the attendees read it instead as a boastful platform.\u00a0 The world deserves better.<\/p>\n

After Conversation 16<\/em><\/strong>, it was back to the Boxer<\/strong> bailiwick for the well-wrought Apartment Story<\/em> <\/strong>and Green Gloves<\/em> <\/strong>before going deep for the always-enjoyable aggression found in the delivery and crowd-participation on Abel<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 Sorrow<\/strong><\/em> and the mighty England<\/strong> <\/em>followed from High Violet<\/strong>, before the band ended the set with the assured, heartening masterpiece, Fake Empire<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

In between all of these fine deliveries Matt continued to brandish his always-full wine glass, with progressive aggression aimed towards the bottle and ice bucket, ultimately leading to the spilling of the bucket, and ice and water strewn over the stage, making for dicey footing and peevish looks from other band members.\u00a0 Despite the challenge, the band and Matt managed to navigate the float and flow well through to the finale.<\/p>\n

The encore was majestic and featured three of High Violet’s<\/strong> strongest songs (Runaway<\/em><\/strong>-on which the horns sang with abandon, Lemonworld<\/strong> <\/em>and Terrible Love<\/strong>), <\/em>interrupted with the obligatory, anthemic wonder, Mr. November<\/strong>. <\/em>The last time we saw The National at the Wiltern, Berninger came out into the crowd and tight-rope-walked a wall to exhort the crowd, which responded in kind.\u00a0 While this version couldn’t possibly match those heights, Matt gave it his all and then some, and the crowd roared on.\u00a0 Not to be missed.\u00a0 Berninger<\/strong> lives and dies these songs to great emotive effect.\u00a0 The entire band takes the recorded songs way beyond.\u00a0 Do whatever you have to do to catch this band live.\u00a0 And see ’em soon, ’cause you never know.<\/p>\n

Our one criticism was the glaring omission of two of our favorites from the night’s set:\u00a0 All the Wine<\/em> <\/strong>and Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks<\/strong>.<\/em> We have seen the band on its last three tours and each time they have managed to omit their finest anthem, All the Wine<\/em><\/strong>, and its various hilarities.\u00a0 And though we heard Vanderlyle<\/strong> <\/em>last year, it is amongst their finest songs and was sorely missed.<\/p>\n

Regardless, The National<\/strong> has established themselves as one of the great American bands live.\u00a0 The next time they head out on tour, make sure that you’re in the audience and ready to get Nationalized<\/strong>.\u00a0 You can thank us later.<\/p>\n

To make up for the above-referenced omission, give a good, close listen to Afraid of Everyone<\/em> a<\/strong>nd Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The National–Afraid of Everyone<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

[audio:https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/05-Afraid-of-Everyone.mp3|titles=05 Afraid of Everyone]<\/em><\/p>\n

The National–Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

[audio:https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/11-Vanderlyle-Crybaby-Geeks.mp3|titles=11 Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks]
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo courtesy of Greg Lawler<\/p>\n

Wiltern Setlist<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

1. Start a War
\n2. Mistaken For Strangers
\n3.\u00a0 Anyone’s Ghost
\n4.\u00a0 Bloodbuzz Ohio
\n5.\u00a0 Afraid Of Everyone
\n6.\u00a0 Brainy
\n7.\u00a0 Baby, We’ll Be Fine
\n8.\u00a0 Slow Show
\n9.\u00a0 Squalor Victoria
\n10.\u00a0 Little Faith
\n11. Conversation 16
\n12. Apartment Story
\n13. Green Gloves
\n14. Abel
\n15. Sorrow
\n16. England
\n17. Fake Empire<\/p>\n

Encore:<\/p>\n

18. Runaway
\n19. Lemonworld
\n20. Mr. November
\n21. Terrible Love<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo courtesy of Greg Lawler We rendezvoused in Hollywood this past Saturday at the Wiltern Theater to see one of our faves, The National.\u00a0 Once again the band and its deliverances demolished our expectations.\u00a0 Singer Matt Berninger, the multi-talented sets of Dessner and Devendorf brothers, two horn players, and violinist\/keyboardist Padma Newsome sauntered onto the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=633"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/633\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}