The National/Local Natives, October 11, 2017 at the Hollywood Bowl

The National aren’t the draw for us that they used to be, only because we’ve seen them so much, and most of those shows have been the most special we’ve shared, but it still can just take a nudge to get us to go out and see them again. We had even already seen them play the Hollywood Bowl already, another one of the best shows, and going out on a weekday night is usually a challenge. But we also wanted something to commemorate our anniversary, and we could make a National show into a special night (with the bit of relationship trivia that we could have met the night before we did at a National show we both went to). I got the tickets on Seatgeek (for probably around the base price, which might have been more about the lateness of the event and some poor soul having to drop their price just to get rid of them). It should have been a draw on its own to have openers Local Natives -- one of Carla’s bands before we met (and who had been at my bachelor party in Austin) -- but we were still good enough with them to only get there halfway through the set (and missing Daughter before them). The National did the usual show, mature: moody music dialed down to not too excitable but comfortable and occasionally more than a little demure, but it was also when I realized I wasn't as excited about them as I once was. I hadn’t kept up with the new stuff, maybe even two albums back, and they leaned harder on what they could assume an audience newer to them could expect. My hope is always for anything from Boxer, and while this set had a couple from that, this was about the last time they’d play anything as old, or anything before High Violet (which also at the time was a bit of a disappointment, if only because it wasn't Boxer). It’s not fair to judge them on their reticence for their former selves, but the difference between old vs. new stuff was stark, especially when they were what they were building was weaker than the foundation that enabled them to keep it going. If bands aren’t over the trend of playing whole albums and The National need a new shtick to mount another tour by playing Boxer in its entirety, you know I’d be there. In the meantime I'd acquaint myself with new efforts in the hopes that an old tune will pop up or that an album will do well overall.  For this they still had plenty of good tunes, ideally the best plucked from the scattering of material they’d done since last time, but it was all a bit too cold to not be warmed by familiarity. Downer music can take a bit to get into, and it can be worth it, but the first time can start at a distance. Though the other side to it is that we still love them and it’s plenty to discover progressively later, and enough to get ready for the inevitable next show, even without being a landmark in our relationship, though there’s no reason to not make it a new one. (And a shout-out to Chris who we ran into there and marked the occasion by remembering it was our anniversary.)

The National’s set-list:
"Nobody Else Will Be There"
"The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness"
"Walk It Back"
"Guilty Party"
"Don't Swallow the Cap"
"Afraid of Everyone"
"Born to Beg"
"I'll Still Destroy You"
"Turtleneck"

"I Need My Girl"

"Secret Meeting"

"Conversation 16"
"Slow Show"
"England"
"Bloodbuzz Ohio"
"Carin at the Liquor Store"
"Day I Die"
"Fake Empire"
"About Today"

"Pink Rabbits"
"Mr. November"
"Terrible Love"

Local Natives' set-list:

"Past Lives"

"Wide Eyes"

"You & I"

"Dark Days"

"Who Knows, Who Cares"

"Coins"

"Ceilings" (with Aaron Dessner)

"Fountain of Youth"

"Sun Hands"