Even a cursory glance at what I’ve written on this blog would show that the National have a special place in mine and Carla's relationship. We would probably have gone to any other show they put on but to see them at the Bowl would even more special. It was also since we knew we were going to go to that show, and since there were so many other great shows that summer at the Bowl, that I got the five-show ticket deal, though this one was the main one, and one we certainly would have gotten tickets for even if it wasn't part of a package. To say nothing of the fact that the bill also featured Neko Case and Sharon Van Etten, the latter being one of the first, new musicians that Carla got me into, as well as also having music that became a special connection for us. And even if we didn’t have a personal connection to those artists, that’s still an astounding, near-unbeliveable pairing and array of amazing music, for anyone. It was also impressive to see the National going from playing the Wiltern (or, where we both (individually) saw them, in Pomona) and making it to headlining the Hollywood Bowl at the other side of the tour, though it was quite a while that they were on the road and a whole lot of appearances they made at a lot of cities and festivals; it’s good that they could break through and rise to an impressive height, as ubiquitous as they seemed to be for a while. (And even more that they made it that far on the back of an album that I still hadn’t come to love as much as their other stuff by the time we saw them then.) It was a very similar show to what they had played numerous times before, but it seemed to fit so much better at the Bowl, in that expanse of space open to the sky on a calm, California night, and it was so practiced that it was so polished and slick and easy that it could flow and be graceful and beautiful and intense, maybe even all of those at the same time. They might have had a (relative) hit about a zombie eating your brains but the music and the way they perform it turn it into a shimmering, wondrous tune, something you could slow-dance to. St. Vincent came to sing back-up on a few tunes, a great surprise but a bit out of place. She was on the cover of Spin that week, not the National. And it’s not like the band needed any help. The band might have been worn-out from being on the road for forever but they carried it well, and pulled off probably the biggest headlining show of their career, unless they come back next time with something to top it, which, considering their trajectory, could happen (especially if they can survive being on tour again, maybe for even longer). Neko Case was splendid and gorgeous as usual, but her voice and her grace are one of the most reliable things in all of current music. She probably could have done just fine headlining the Bowl herself but as it was, with her being an addition, it was just a killer bill. She performed a suitable range of her music, never having to pander and play a crowd-pleaser (not even that song in the credit card commercial), just everyone there knowing that she would knock everyone out with the sound of her voice, which she did. She wasn't as intense as the National and she didn't need the pop sounds of the New Pornographers, she didn't even require special-guest T-Bone Burnett (an interesting choice, with the modern-legend producer coming out of the studio but only being buried under Case's performance so hopefully the drinks backstage were good), but she proved that she could stand on her own on that stage, as if there was ever any doubt. Sharon Van Etten fared as well, even in the opening slot, but in a show like that, being any part of it was significant. She fought being swallowed by the place, as it was only her out there with a very minimal stage set-up, but she did just fine, seducing the folks shuffling in as the sun set over the Bowl and the show began. At the time she fit best in a smaller venue just for the intimate and fragile beauty of her voice and songs, so to fill a space like that will take some experience, which just might come in time. As it was, it was the most beautiful evening we've had at the Bowl, a perfectly fitting night to close out the summer season for us. Every day and every show with Carla is a special thing, but there are a few that will last in our memories well beyond a small space in time.
The National's set-list:
"Runaway"
"Anyone's Ghost"
"Bloodbuzz Ohio"
"Slow Show"
"Squalor Victoria"
"Afraid Of Everyone" (with St. Vincent)
"Conversation 16"
"Available"
"Cardinal Song"
"Sorrow" (with St. Vincent)
"Abel"
"England"
"Thirsty" (with St. Vincent)
"Fake Empire"
"Think You Can Wait" (with Sharon Van Etten)
"Mr. November"
"Terrible Love" (with St. Vincent)
"About Today"
(Apparently "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks" was supposed to close the show but was cut due to time.)
Neko Case's set-list:
"That Teenage Feeling"
"Maybe Sparrow"
"Margaret vs. Pauline"
"Hold On, Hold On"
"City Swans"
"Magpie to the Morning"
"Calling Cards"
"Bracing for Sunday"
"Don't Forget Me" (Harry Nilsson cover)
"Vengeance is Sleeping"
"Star Witness"
Sharon Van Etten's set-list:
"Peace Signs"
"Save Yourself"
"One Day"
"Don't Do It"
"All I Can"
"Love Me"
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