The National + Colin Stetson - House of Blues (Boston, MA; May 23, 2009)

[The National band member Colin Stetson opened the evening with a four-song set of what he describes as “challenging” saxophone music. Melophobe sat down with him before his performance. Read the interview here.]

I showed up at the House of Blues Boston as a novice, both to the newly minted venue (formerly The Avalon) and to the main act that night, The National. For all intents and purposes, I was a clean slate, wanting to be a believer. I had heard the Brooklyn-based band’s music but had never seen them live. Was I converted? As I walked out into the night among the Red Sox fans pouring out of Fenway under the glowing stadium lights, I decided that yes, I was.

The House of Blues staff runs a tight ship. For example, when they reach capacity on the standing-room-only first floor, they don’t let anybody else on it even if you are already in the building. But the strict security didn’t damper the spirits of the large crowd. When Matt Berninger and company stepped onto the stage, the audience was eager to hear some dark, angst-ridden indie rock. Blue lights and the calm strains of the guitar introduced “Runaway,” followed by the gentleness of the horns, keyboard, and percussion. Then Berninger started to sing in his unmistakable baritone. The National knows how to control their sound; whether soothing us with intimate tones or overwhelming us with intense, dissonant rock-out sessions, they could pretty much do whatever they wanted on stage without losing their audience. As soon as they moved into the second song of the night, “Start a War,” fans around me were hugging each other out of sheer elation. Indeed, some bands don’t have a clue how to put on a live show, but the National is not one of them.

The show was heavy with songs from the critically acclaimed Boxer, with some good tracks from their 2005 album Alligator. The musicians moved seamlessly from “Mistaken for Strangers” to “Brainy” to “Secret Meeting,” all the way to the popular “Fake Empire” at the end of the set (my favorite part of the night). The team of Berninger, brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner and Scott and Bryan Devendorf, along with a trio of horns (trumpet, trombone, and bass/tenor sax) filled out the hall with a wall of sound. I’m always impressed by how the keyboard and a set of horns can complete the musicality of what could just as easily be another guitar-heavy band, and here I was not disappointed. The National writes songs to give various instruments their times to shine, most impressively Bryan Devendorf’s drums. All the while Berninger’s gravelly vocals along with the chorus of brothers singing harmony gave the tunes both their solid foundation and their smooth finish.

While Berninger is a far cry from a cut-up on stage (see Colin Meloy for some good laughs), he was able to connect well with the audience. With no guitar or other instrument to hinder him, he flailed his arms wildly as if he wanted us to see how much he felt the songs. He dedicated “Bloodbuzz” to a fan who had recently been dumped by his girlfriend (to whom said fan had planned to propose at one of their concerts), generating wild sympathetic cheers from the crowd. As he sang “Raise our heavenly glass to the heavens” from “Squalor Victoria,” many dutifully raised their PBRs. He wore a suit and tie, but for the encore removed the jacket and rolled up his sleeves. He even managed to get some artifacts tossed to the front line of people, over the heads of the menacing bouncers. I was grateful that the entire band was good at engaging the audience without spending too much time talking.

My one complaint was with Berninger’s vocals. His deep voice is appealing in that it’s unique, but toward the end of the night I found myself longing to hear someone soar to a higher pitch. A low, limited range may work for Stephin Merritt and his whimsical pieces, but when Berninger sings “How close am I to losing you?” I want to hear his voice go to the rafters. But he was able to scream into the microphone to good effect.

The National’s versatility proves that they are capable of filling a large stadium, but also they could play in the intimacy of a small club. I recommend hearing them wherever they show up, though, as long as it has good acoustics. You’ll want to hear every sound they make. The National has proved that, in this age of iTunes, the live show is still where it’s at.

DOWNLOAD: The National - So Far Around the Bend (MP3) or Follow us for more The National MP3s (Twitter)

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