the national...WOW

bambers-back

I'm sure there are some threads about these guys and probably everybody here knows about them but I thought I would start a thread as they are literally the only band since PJ that has actually felt like their music has hit me straight to my soul. Not sure I explained that right but I'm sure most people know what I mean. Been going through a really crap time recently, probably got something to do with how much I'm connecting with their songs, just thought I would share as music can really help and now I have 2 bands I really feel connected with (disclaimer: I do like loads of music just mean the band's where their music truly touches something inside)

Only listened to 'sad songs...' and the cherry tree EP but like seriously wow, every song is amazing and can't wait to gradually listen to their other stuff

lando

One of the best bands out there. Wait until you hear Boxer

Tim Simmons

I'd give anything for it to be 2005 again so I could experience Alligator again.

Really envious you get so much of their catalog to get into.

foodboy

great band saw them at twice at massey hall in toronto with niko case and the other time with the antlers and at the air canada sears theater with wye oak and niko case. very underrated still.

jjflash

Heading to ATL tomorrow to see them play. First time seeing em live

chitty

Pearl Jam will always be my favourite band ever, but these guys are hands down the best band out there right now (pj's last albums have been good, just not amazing like the national). No other band I know has put out four (even five if you count Sad Songs) straight mind blowing albums. If you've only listened to Sad Songs and cherry tree, which has my two favourite National songs called All the Wine and About Today, you are in for an amazing discovery with the next four albums.

The albums take more listens then the average band to hit you, but when they do, it's like you finally "get it."

Many will argue this, but Boxer is by far the best album to be put out in the 2000's.

Enjoy further discovery of the National!

jjflash

Saw them play the Cobb Energy Center last night in Atlanta. Like the OP states....WOW. It was my first time to see them live and they knocked it out of the park . It took a few songs to settle into their world and, once there, their subtle rock played out like a good book. It was all at once unpredictable, sensitive, gorgeous, plaintive and mesmerizing. Was hoping to hear 'Bloodbuzz Ohio' and 'Humiliation' and they played both. Matt looked like he may come unglued at any moment and strangle the microphone. Without missing a note he walked thru the audience along the tops of the seatbacks which reminded me a bit of eV circa early/mid-90's. It was one of those shows where the experience left me buzzing .

DewieCox

Been really digging their latest and coming around to them.

chitty wrote:

Pearl Jam will always be my favourite band ever, but these guys are hands down the best band out there right now (pj's last albums have been good, just not amazing like the national). No other band I know has put out four (even five if you count Sad Songs) straight mind blowing albums. If you've only listened to Sad Songs and cherry tree, which has my two favourite National songs called All the Wine and About Today, you are in for an amazing discovery with the next four albums.

The albums take more listens then the average band to hit you, but when they do, it's like you finally "get it."

Many will argue this, but Boxer is by far the best album to be put out in the 2000's.

Enjoy further discovery of the National!

I find it hard to believe you've never heard of Led Zeppelin or The Beatles.

intodeep

jjflash wrote:

Heading to ATL tomorrow to see them play. First time seeing em live

I was at this show. I enjoyed it. I thought they sucked the momentium out of the crowd sometimes by their song selection but closing the first set with Fake Empire and The encore was great.

Him coming into the crowd to sing Mr. November then killing Terrible Love, then the completly acoustic no mics a cepella like last song (last song on high violet i forget its name) was AWESOME. Cobb energy has such good acoustics for that too.

Oh and OP Holy Crap Alligator-Boxer-High Violet one of the best 3 album runs recently, and the new one although i don't love it like those is quite good.

chitty

Haha, of course I know the beatles and led zeppelin. I find it harder to get into to bands not currently making music so that is why I don't put them up there as one of my favourites.

I found the newest National album took even longer then previous three to "get" but I'd now put it right up there with any of those! Can't wait for their show in a week or so.

jjflash

intodeep wrote:

jjflash wrote:

Heading to ATL tomorrow to see them play. First time seeing em live

I was at this show. I enjoyed it. I thought they sucked the momentium out of the crowd sometimes by their song selection but closing the first set with Fake Empire and The encore was great.

Him coming into the crowd to sing Mr. November then killing Terrible Love, then the completly acoustic no mics a cepella like last song (last song on high violet i forget its name) was AWESOME. Cobb energy has such good acoustics for that too.

Oh and OP Holy Crap Alligator-Boxer-High Violet one of the best 3 album runs recently, and the new one although i don't love it like those is quite good.

Wish I'd had the chance to meet you and buy you a beer

intodeep

jjflash wrote:

intodeep wrote:

jjflash wrote:

Heading to ATL tomorrow to see them play. First time seeing em live

I was at this show. I enjoyed it. I thought they sucked the momentium out of the crowd sometimes by their song selection but closing the first set with Fake Empire and The encore was great.

Him coming into the crowd to sing Mr. November then killing Terrible Love, then the completly acoustic no mics a cepella like last song (last song on high violet i forget its name) was AWESOME. Cobb energy has such good acoustics for that too.

Oh and OP Holy Crap Alligator-Boxer-High Violet one of the best 3 album runs recently, and the new one although i don't love it like those is quite good.

Wish I'd had the chance to meet you and buy you a beer

Anyone that wants to buy me a beer i wish i had a chance to meet them too

Did you enjoy the show was it your first one at Cobb? I've seen about 6 shows there and love that place.

jjflash

intodeep wrote:

jjflash wrote:

intodeep wrote:

I was at this show. I enjoyed it. I thought they sucked the momentium out of the crowd sometimes by their song selection but closing the first set with Fake Empire and The encore was great.

Him coming into the crowd to sing Mr. November then killing Terrible Love, then the completly acoustic no mics a cepella like last song (last song on high violet i forget its name) was AWESOME. Cobb energy has such good acoustics for that too.

Oh and OP Holy Crap Alligator-Boxer-High Violet one of the best 3 album runs recently, and the new one although i don't love it like those is quite good.

Wish I'd had the chance to meet you and buy you a beer

Anyone that wants to buy me a beer i wish i had a chance to meet them too

Did you enjoy the show was it your first one at Cobb? I've seen about 6 shows there and love that place.

Enjoyed the heck of it. Took a few songs to enter their world but once in that headspace it was on cruise control. Saw Ed play there night 2 a few years back. Top notch venue, super classy. The balconies remind me of the Senate seats from Star Wars

PJ_Soul

I'm seeing them for the first time a week from tomorrow - can't wait!!

cifrancgx

I was at The National's Louisville, KY show on Friday night at Iroquois Amphitheater. It was the 4th show for "The National" that I have seen this tour (and 6 overall since 2010). I also saw them in Pittsburgh and Columbus, OH in June and Indianapolis in August. All the shows were great. The National is my 2nd favorite band behind Pearl Jam and I have to say my absolute favorite band at the moment.

I also went down to Cincinnati last week to catch the documentary "Mistaken for Strangers" at the Cinci Film Festival which was shot by Tom Berninger (the lead singer Matt's younger brother). It was primarily about Tom's experience as a roadie on tour with The National and his relationship with his brother (not really a documentary about the band as you would think although they are of course in it). I got to meet Tom as well as Tom and Matt's parents and family friends at a little after movie screening after party at a local bar/restaurant which was very cool.

I also sat in the 2nd row center section at the Louisville show and Matt's parents were there as well sitting 5 or 6 rows behind me. When Matt climbed through the audience like he always does during "Mr. November," he climbed over the seats where his parents were sitting and he said "thanks dad!" since his dad helped him over the seat.

"Frightened Rabbit" opened for them in Louisville and they were really good as well. One of the reasons I made the trip down was not only to see The National again, but to see "Frightened Rabbit". "Frightened Rabbit" is also headlining a show next month in Columbus at the Newport Music Hall (where PJ played in March 1992).

I was wearing my black Pearl Jam 2010 Crow Tour hoodie by Crashious Roadshow and after the show a fellow 10C member (I think he said his number was in the 55,000 range saw my hoodie and asked me if I was a fan and we talked for a bit. I also saw a guy who stood or sat in the front row in front of me wearing a Wrigley PJ hoodie.

I only wish I had discovered The National much earlier. I only became aware of them around the time High Violet came out. Bloodbuzz Ohio was one of the first songs I listened to, although a couple of their songs like "Fake Empire" I believe I heard on the TV show "Chuck". I love "High Violet" and then started listening to Boxer and Alligator. Their past 4 albums including their latest "Trouble Will Find Me" are really outstanding. Anyway, I looked at their tour history on their website http://www.americanmary.com and I see that they had been to Columbus at least 7 times before I had seen and discovered them in 2010 (not even counting the places within driving distance to Columbus). It just kills me that I couldn't have seen them during the Alligator and Boxer tours.

Here is a video I recorded this past Friday in Louisville, KY of "The National" performing a cover of the Perfume Genius song "Learning"...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70pUSBQZJ1k

bambers-back

You guys weren't joking...boxer is unbelievably good, not sure if it's a correct comparison but the only thing I can think to compare it to is hearing No Code for the first time. For me that's where PJ moved from incredible rock band to just out of this world brilliance (I was not old enough when it came out but listened to the PJ albums in order when I started listening to them).

Going to try to get to Dublin in November to see them as the UK dates are sold out, can't wait

bootlegger10

Was at the Louisville show on Friday night as well. Was amazing. Second time seeing them live (1st time back in August in Indy). Just started listening to them in April this year and quickly purchased all of their albums.

I wish they would change up their setlist more, but the bands that do are the exception and I won't fault The National for it (just won't going to 5-6 shows a tour like for PJ).

Easily my favorite band right now unless Lightning Bolt lives up to its title.

Tim Simmons

While they have the catalog to do, they don't switch it up wildly. Once they've done the once over album support, they start to play with their sets more. if you go to see them in the Spring or summer of next year, I'd expect a little more variety. It will always be current album heavy though.

djklambake

I'm still quite partial to Alligator

Boxer is solid

I constantly put Trouble Will Find Me on while I drive to and from work. I think I'm wearing the disc out (yes, I still buy CDs). TWFM is probably in my top 3 favorite albums of the year (so far).

cifrancgx

I discovered them around when "High Violet" came out. I think "Bloodbuzz Ohio" was the song that made me take notice. I love "High Violet" from start to finish. I then started listening to Boxer and Alligator which are both great albums. By the way, "The Thrilling of Claire" which is only available on the limited edition bonus disc for Alligator is a great song and I really wonder why they didn't include it on the album. I also thing Trouble Will Find Me is a really great album. I didn't really care for their first album and Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers has some good songs like "90 Mile Water Wall". The Cherry Tree EP is good as well and I think they said is where they found their sound.

They played "Green Gloves" from Boxer in Pittsburgh which was cool.

bambers-back

thought i would see if anybody else here managed to catch the national in dublin on sunday?

it was one of the greatest gigs iv ever been to, only had seats but the music made up for it, and has pushed the national upto a previously unthinkable position, joint-top-band with PJ in my eyes

the setist was great, alot of the new album which i dont rate as much due to the too-clean production but they made alot more sense live, and got most of my favourites (slow show, mr november, terrible love, available, the list goes on and on...). iv had a really shit year and was just overwhelmed during About Today and couldnt hold back tears. and the unplugged Vanderlyle to finish was beautiful!

as it was my first time seeing them and only the tickets i could get for this tour im not going to torture myself by studying the other setlists but will definately be seeing them every euro tour in the future

jjflash

PopMarket has up today for $71.99 National bundle that includes Alligator, The Boxer, High Violet and Trouble Will Find Me

PJ_Soul

jjflash wrote:

PopMarket has up today for $71.99 National bundle that includes Alligator, The Boxer, High Violet and Trouble Will Find Me

Nice! .... I already have 3 of those, but I do really want Alligator. I now wish I didn't own the other 3 already, because that's a good deal. :P

JK_Livin

I finally listened to these guys. The new album, Boxer and High Violet. It's a different sound for me but I liked them. The lead singer sounds like he's bored though.