Finishing a three-night stint at ACL Live, last night The
National delivered a nearly two-hour set, backed by a screen that projected
pulsing recorded images layered with an oscillating live video feed. For a band whose sound is often sullen
and whose lyrics are often double-edged, a pulsating screen and rotating light
show could be seen as an encumbered distraction – but it could also serve as
evidence of further evolution. The
band is okay with heightening its production value.
After all, the true focus could not be kept from Matt
Berninger, who prowled the stage relentlessly between songs and in pockets of
instrumental interludes.
The Brooklyn-by-way-of-Ohio band drew much of their set from
their latest, Trouble Will Find Me, and previous, High Violet, with
Berninger frequently hitting his microphone against his side or his head or
throwing it in a burst against the stage.
Throughout the set he exploded with a sort of bottled rage buried
beneath that steadily sonorous and melancholy voice. The peak came just past three-quarters of the way into the
show, with Berninger giving such a high-powered performance on “Graceless” that
he’d pushed himself off stage and all the way into the back of the audience on
the first floor, causing the techs to scurry to retrieve the microphone cord.
Other audience-interaction attempts were less successful –
try as he might, Berninger didn’t quite crowdsurf as much as he did just lay on
people. If you’re a 40-something
man in a nice suit with an unmistakable baritone, there’s really no need to
crowdsurf. Give us “Afraid Of
Everyone” and “I Should Live In Salt” and let us sing along unplugged to
“Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks” and we’ll be happy.
