The National is a band that typically plays to massive crowds. In Chicago alone, they have graced the stages of such legendary venues as the Civic Opera House, Chicago Theatre and UIC Pavilion, not to mention the fact that they are headliners at Lollapalooza 2018 which boasts a crowd of 100,000 festival-goers.
That being said, the most memorable concerts often unfold at intimate venues and when The National unleashed almost two-hours of live music at Chicago’s Metro – a 1,100 capacity club – for a special sold-out Lollapalooza Aftershow on Thursday, Aug. 2, the experience was nothing short of monumental.
The National
New(ish) material dominated the first portion of the performance – which began shortly after midnight – as The National kicked things off with the 2018 track “Light Years” before dipping into Sleep Well Beast‘s deep tracklist. Fan anticipation continued to build with the somber tones of “Nobody Else Will Be There” and “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness” gave the first of many opportunities for the crowd to show appreciation for the band by passionately singing out each and every verse.
Mischievous banter and melancholy vocals poured from frontman Matt Berninger throughout the night. With each sip of his self-described cocktail of vodka, white wine and chewing gum the spotlight on his humor grew. Joking that the reason he isn’t a guitarist is because he hasn’t yet found the right pick (and because the strings hurt your fingers), sarcastically dedicating a song to Mark Zuckerberg and sneakily sticking a setlist to the back of bandmate Aaron Dessner were just a few moments that provoked laughter from the crowd.
The National
As with any National show, the line between audience and artist was virtually eliminated. The brothers Dessner and Devendorf created a complex ocean of interweaving compositions blanketing each attendee in rich sounds that were at once familiar and otherworldly. “I Need My Girl” alone featured an abundance of sonic wizardry. From Aaron Dessner’s patient guitar intro to the devastating blows orchestrated by Bryce Dessner pounding a second guitar on the stage to the understated interplay of Bryan Devendorf’s drums complimented by the basslines of Scott Devendorf – that seamlessly bled into the first notes of “This Is The Last Time” – the heartbreaking performance was perfection.
Fans in the front row – some of whom waited outside Metro for over eight hours to secure a spot on the rail – were rewarded with a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Berninger repeatedly zeroed in on individual members of the audience to share a special moment. Holding hands with loyal disciples while singing “I’m exactly like you Valentine/Just come outside and leave with me” during “Day I Die” and engaging in impromptu Q&As were just the tip of the iceberg when it came to Berninger’s interest in the crowd. Case in point, “Graceless” forever bonded the vocalist with the masses as he hopped over the barrier literally getting face-to-face with fans while singing the Trouble Will Find Me hit.
The NationalThe most cathartic moment of the night came in the encore as “Mr. November” zeroed in on universal feelings of hope, anxiety, desperation, regret and optimism uniting all in attendance with a shared desire to work towards moving further away from insecurity and more in the direction of trust. Trust in oneself – trust in each other – and trust that music can move mountains.
Check out photos from The National’s sold-out Lollapalooza aftershow at Metro in Chicago – also featuring opener Alex Lahey – and head over to www.americanmary.com for more information about The National.
(Photos by Laurie Fanelli)