It's been a while since I've been to a show this good. I didn't want it to end. The video and the pictures don't do it justice. The National has been gaining fans at a steady pace and for good reason. In May 2013 I saw them play their song "Sorrow" for 6 hour straight on repeat and they made it sound new each time. This band takes music to the next level in a way that bands don't often do these days.
I went on Wednesday June 18th to the Prospect Park Bandshell where the opening band was Lord Huron. Their music is a mix of bluegrass, folk, and indie. Because I knew they were opening for The National, I spent a week journeying through their album and familiarized myself with some of their songs. Hands down, "She Lit a Fire" is a favorite (maybe because it stirred some personal emotions for me).
The night before that, Phosphorescent opened for them and I wish I could've seen that show as well. I saw Phosphorescent play at an old theater in the middle of a small town in Connecticut about a year ago and it was amazing. The National picked some great opening acts that are up-and-coming in indie music and enough can't be said for both these bands.
But nothing compares to the show that Matt Berninger put on. He was a mix of rock star gone mad to emotionally connecting to each song he sang. Having seen his brother's documentary Mistaken for Strangers, I immediately saw the struggle for Berninger when he messed up lyrics or something went wrong. He acted out his frustration a bit and threw beer into the crowd, dropped his mic, hit himself with his mic stand to the point of bleeding, and even tossed a fan's phone. But it was totally worth getting punched in the throat (yes, this happened) to see this show. Especially when Sufjan Stevens showed up.
