The National & Daughter, Chicago Theater, Chicago, Illinois

I’m probably a bit behind the curve, but I really only started getting into The National within the last year, around the time of the release of their most recent album, Trouble Will Find Me (2013). This was also in the months when I was preparing for my most recent trip to Bonnaroo, where more on a whim than anything else I caught their late Sunday afternoon set. Though I loved what I saw, I left early to see David Byrne and St. Vincent. I figured that I would soon have a second chance to see The National again, but seeing David Byrne and St. Vincent paired together would be a unique experience. Afterwards, I began listening to The National’s music much more regularly.

Our seats were dead center on the aisle about 15 rows back from the stage, pretty good seats actually, especially considering that we bought them on the secondary market for just a bit over face value. As Chicago Theatre is a seated venue, we arrived just a bit before the start of the opening act, Daughter. As a fan of their debut album, If I Leave (2013), I was also quite excited to see them as well. Daughter’s sound is a bit of a cross between The xx and Explosions in the Sky. They consisted of a male/female duo, both on guitars and vocals, and an additional drummer and bassist/keyboardist. Though I enjoyed their forty minute performance, they were a bit too reserved in the large venue and it seemed like they need to gain a little more confidence. Of course, it must always be hard to be an opening act. Still, Daughter’s set was an excellent bonus for the evening.

Daughter Setlist:

Still
Love
Winter
Amsterdam
Smother
Tomorrow
Youth
Home

By the end of Daughter’s set, we noticed that no one was sitting in the entire row in front of us. I figured that all the seats were picked up by some ticket broker who was unable to sell them. However, shortly before The National took the stage, a well-dressed older couple was led to the pair of seats directly in front of us. The woman turned around to ask if we were big fans of the band and introduced her and her husband as lead singer Matt Berninger’s parents, Nancy and Paul Berninger. I had actually just been “introduced” to them the previous day in the movie, Mistake for Strangers, directed by Matt’s younger brother Tom about the band, Tom’s time on tour with them, his relationship with his brother, and his personal struggles. Both Nancy and Paul were featured briefly in the movie, interviewed in their home about the boys. Nancy remarked that I probably didn’t recognize this glamorous woman out on the town from the housewife in sweatpants and without make up that I saw in the film. She explained that Tom took just a single take which she never thought would end up in whatever Tom stitched together, let alone in a film that was getting quite a bit of acclaim.

We chatted with them briefly about Matt and the band. Throughout the show, they turned around to share comments. After one of Matt’s particularly loud screaming spectacles, Frank turned around and remarked, “He used to be such a quiet little boy.” When Nancy was snapping photos on her iPhone, Frank also sarcastically remarked, “Like she doesn’t already have a million.” Nancy really seemed to enjoy cashing in on her minor celebrity status, as evidenced by the fact that she introduced herself to us. Frankly, the only part of the show that I didn’t enjoy was her and a nearby young man that recognized her loudly swapping stories that I didn’t care to hear.  Also sitting to the far side of Frank was drummer Bryan Devendorf’s wife, who introduced herself but was not chatty. All were extremely nice people and it was another memorable bonus to sit behind them as it added an extra intimate element to the show.

Anyway, the actual show: The National took the stage by about 8:30. There are five of them, including lead singer Matt Berninger and two pairs of brothers , Aaron and Bryce Dessner on a pair of guitars, and Scott and Bryan Devendorf on bass and drums, respectively. The band also had a trumpeter and trombonist on stage with them. In seated venues, it’s often a bit of a tossup if the majority of the audience will stand at their seats or not. I generally prefer to stand but also recognize that I can’t be the one guy standing up in front of everyone. I was glad to find that everyone stood up for the entire show.

Matt Berniger didn’t say much through most of the set, only taking a moment to introduce the horn section and a handful of other comments. As it was their third night in Chicago of a four night run, he also mentioned how the band enjoys playing several nights in the same place because it gives them a chance to switch up the setlist and spend time with their families. Being only a vocalist and without an instrument, he reminded me a bit of Shane McGowan and Eddie Vedder, in that he was kind of a separate entity from the rest of the band. He sometimes wandered around the stage looking a bit manic. He also had some drinks on stage with him. Fortunately, it was just a bottle of wine like Eddie and not many tall glasses of whiskey like Shane. While not a showman like Chris Martin or Bono showman, he is blessed with an amazing set of pipes. His voice can be soft, deep, and beautiful or a harsh scream. Even though not speaking much, he interacted quite a bit with the audience, especially during the encore. He shared his wine with folks in the front row, then signed and handed out the bottle when it was empty. During the encore, he then walked amongst the crowd, moving up the aisles and across the seats. I think he would have gone the whole way up the aisle if mobs of people didn’t gather in his way and slow him down.

The setlist was great even if there were a handful of songs I wished they would have played. Over half the songs were from their two most recent albums, but they pulled at least a song from all of their earlier albums except for their debut eponymous album (2001). The visual elements of the show were nothing out of the ordinary, though they certainly accented the mood of the evening even if they weren’t the focal point of the show. They also included a few unique video elements. Though probably not because of anything they did but rather just because I love the band and the songs, it was my favorite show of the year thus far.

Setlist:
Secret Meeting
Don't Swallow the Cap
I Should Live in Salt
Bloodbuzz Ohio
Demons
Sea of Love
Slipped
Afraid of Everyone
Conversation 16
Lit Up

I Need My Girl
This Is the Last Time
The Geese of Beverly Road
Available
Cardinal Song
Slow Show
Pink Rabbits
England
Graceless
About Today
Fake Empire
Encore:
Lean
Mr. November
Terrible Love
Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks