SOUNDTRACK: THE NATIONAL-First Listen Live: The National, ‘Sleep Well Beast’ (September 5, 2017).
On August 17, Union Transfer sent out a message that World Café and NPR Music present a First Listen Live with The National on September 5 at that very club. I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant–was the audience going to sit there and listen to the record together? Was the band going to be there? I assumed they would play it live, but who knew. I also didn’t really love The National enough to find out. I like them sure, but I don’t know that I would have gone to see them anyhow.
I have since grown to really love “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness,” and while I probably couldn’t have gone to the show anyway (busy night) and it sold out pretty quickly anyhow, I was pretty glad that NPR has the show available for stream (right here). The album sounds great and I was really delighted with how lighthearted singer Matt Berninger was and how good the band sounds.
I was also surprised by how piano-based these songs are. Not that the band doesn’t have pianos in their songs, but I think of them as more guitar driven, while nearly every one of these songs is led by piano. Since I don’t know all that much about the band, I also didn’t realize that in addition to Berninger, the rest of the band is two sets of brothers: guitar dueling by twins Aaron and Bryce Dessner and brothers Scott and Bryan Devendorf on bass and drums.
Since I wasn’t there, I’ll reply on Bob Boilen’s description of the show:
The concert began with a sharply dressed Matt Berninger comically mixing up his own lyrics as he sang, “You said we’re not so tied together, what did you mean? Meet me in the bathroom in a second, for a glass of gin,” instead of “meet me in the stairwell.” It foreshadowed Matt’s frenetic performance throughout the night as he cast off that sport coat, rolled up his sleeves and led the band in a fun and inspired performance of these new songs. The show ended with Matt pitching his plastic cup full of clear liquid into the crowd in a frenzy of strobe light mania.
The group was joined throughout the night by Arone Dyer of Buke and Gase (who also sings on the new record), along with Ben Lanz on trombone and keyboard (and everything else), Kyle Resnick on trumpet, keys and backing vocals (and everything else).
Unlike recent record release parties that didn’t really feel like record release parties, this show was what I expected the other ones to be like–a band playing their new album front to back (in fairness the other three shows of this ilk were more indie in nature (and weren’t on the radio) so they could do what they wanted). So indeed, the band played the album front to back (and went on around 8PM, sop they were done by 9:30, I’d guess).
As the show began, Berninger came out and in his deep voice said, “Hows it going, hello.” Someone shouted, “Play ‘Karen.'” Berninger laughed and said, “it’s pronounced Kuh-RIN, come on. How many time do I have to…” (“Karen” is a song on their earlier album Alligator and “Carin at the Liquor Store” is a new song).
The album feels quite spare with minimal instrumentation, but the spaces are full of interesting music. There’s a lot of piano on “Nobody Else Will Be There.” At the end, as it says above he says, “I screwed up the first verse. The first verse was wrong. [mock angry] Do it again. [Laughs and says in a mock pissy voice] “We’re going to do everything again until it’s right.”
“Day I Die” has squeaky guitars and a funky bass. Berninger after the song: Oops can I get a towel [pronounced towl]. Thanks a lot. Next is ‘Walk It Back.’ Is there a towel anywhere? I kind of walked it back into my drink. Thanks, Ev. Evan Middlesworth! [cheers] That’s all he does. [singsong] Evan, you missed a spot. [chuckles]. The song is spare with piano and a rather complex drum pattern. The l vocals are almost recited.
Arone Dyer from Buke and Gass helped a lot on this record. This is the person you hear at the beginning of this song. This is “The System Only Dreams [cheers] Wait! I’m not done with the title yet [laughs]. This may be one of my favorite songs this year. It sounds a bit different here–not bad, just live. But by the end it totally rocks out.
“Born to Beg” is a slow ballad with some lovely backing vocals from Dyer. After the song Berninger announces “Johnny Brenda’s tonight at 11: Buke and Gass.” Now that;s a show I would have really liked to see. Had I gotten tickets to The National, I would have hung around town and gone to Buke and Gass for sure. Berninger mentions their symbiotic partnership: “punch the glove, touch the glove, you know what that means? hand in glove? Nevermind.”
“Turtleneck” roars out with 2 scorching guitars. Berninger is practically screaming (as are the backing singers). he is normally such a sedate singer that this comes across really powerfully.
“Empire Line” returns to that more moody style. The song kind of smooths along on a rumbling guitar line.”
Berninger introduces the next song: “This is called ‘I’ll Still Destroy You’ … Did somebody boo? The record’s not even out yet. Someone went ‘oooo.'” The song has a cool, complex drum rhythm with some nifty quiet parts and buzzy keys. But the end gets bigger and louder with really powerful drums.
I love the glitchy opening sounds of “Guilty Party.” The rest of the song is gentle piano and e-bow but the end builds with different instruments playing different spare sections around each other. There’s also a cool guitar solo at the end.
One of the other guys in the band says “Thanks to NPR for doing this and thank you guys for coming out. This is a good way for us to learn these songs… live on the radio.” Berninger dedicates “Carin at the Liquor Store”: “This is for Yoko.” I wonder of that has to do with the chorus: “blame it on me. I really don’t care. It’s a foregone conclusion.”
After the song he says: “Sorry, Scott, I fucked up your mic. Hold on I gotta fix Scott’s microphone. This is called ‘Dark Side of the Gym.’ A gymnasium in America is a multipurpose room where proms take place. In Europe they keep thinking it’s the dark side of the fitness club. Some corner of the locker room Dark side of Equinox or something.” This is a slower song with more piano. “Arone Dyer is back. Buke and Gass tonight, 11, Johnny Brenda’s.” He sings the line “Hand in Glove” then says “Uh, never mind I almost told a story.”
The final song is “Sleep Well Beast” with more interesting electronic percussion and wavery synths.
The whole album sounds really good. Mostly spare, but a few really rocking songs. I’m now curious to hear if the album sounds like it.
It sounds like there’s an encore break.
When they come back: “Were going to play a few songs that are ten years old. This is from Boxer.” Introducing “Green Gloves” whoever is talking says “this is kind of a creepy song.” Berninger agrees: “Don’t do any of the stuff in this song.” There’s much more guitar. It’s quite moody and sounds great.
“Apartment Story” is a bit more upbeat with fuzzy guitars that build and build over staccato drums.
Presumably that same guy from the beginning shouts, “Play Karen, please.” But no, they play “Fake Empire” instead (I don’t think they heard him). This is a piano-based song, but it builds and build and builds to a rocking climax.
The final song comes from High Violet. “Terrible Love” totally rocks with big noisy guitars and drums crashing to an ending. They practically scream “It takes an ocean not to… BREAK!” and the show ends with a crazy and wonderfully chaotic conclusion.
There audio just ends–no goodbyes or anything. I assume the band didn’t hang around afterwards–there wer 1200 people there, after all .
On WXPN after the show, they played an interview: World Cafe host Talia Schlanger and I recently talked with Matt Berninger about how he and the band created their new album. Listen to that full interview here.
[READ: June 25, 2017] “Beneficence”
I am quite saddened to read that this is the final Lucky Peach issue that will see the light of day. The magazine is going to retain an online presence, but there will be no more oversized, thick-papered profanely delicious quarterlies. [Technically not true, there was one more final issue after this].
I am equally disappointed that the final story printed in this final issue is so irritating.
This story seems like it is a take on John Cheever’s “The Swimmer.” That’s the overall vibe I get from the story. If you don’t know that terrific story, a man drinks alcohol and swims through neighborhood backyard pools–and learns something along the way.
This had that same backyard neighborhood drinking feel to it. But it was so overwhelmed by the phrase “A white person” that I was totally lost and distracted from any actually story. (more…)
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SOUNDTRACK: CHRISTMAS REMIXED 2 (2005).
I Just Read About That... 