The National
After encountering a few annoying problems during hotel and media check-in, I arrived at Golden Gate Park a little later than I had originally anticipated. Part of the delay can be contributed to the beauty within the park itself, as it is very easy to spend upwards of an hour wandering around from one piece of epic scenery to another - from waterfalls and rolling hills to towering redwoods and Japanese Tea Gardens, there are few festivals settings matching the aural awe procured by the park. Making the transition from excited tourist to giddy festival goer was easy, especially with The National set to kickstart Friday evening.
It was a real treat seeing The National because I had only seen them once before and had to leave their set early. This time, however, I took in (almost) the entire set with a swelling crowd in front of Sutro Stage. Actually, super large and super loud should be used interchangeably for their set as each song received cheers louder than the track before.
For a band like The National, who sport trademark baritone vocals from Matt Berninger, to bring as much energy to an outdoor festival setting like they did was more than impressive. One would think Berninger’s strong vocals may have lost some of their luster amongst the field of fans, yet it was almost as if they were amplified. His voice was as strong as ever and still as smooth as velvet, darkly driving progression in their songs to the same effect of a bass player.
After kicking off with “Start A War” they segued perfectly into one of my favorites “Mistaken For Strangers”, with the lines “showered and blue-blazered, fill yourself with quarters” resonating amongst the crowd before kicking into a chorus that had everyone hopping up in down - including lead singer Berninger.
They blazed through a beautiful setlist that altered both in tempo and energy, showcasing their live flexibility and deft ability in mastering a crowd’s mood. Of all Outside Lands sets littered with photographers, who typically vanish after the third song and move on to the next “assignment”, The National retained hoards of them. Their Outside Lands set - including a stellar rendition of “All The Wine” - had a certain hypnotic pull that even the most jaded journalist couldn’t refuse.
Below is footage of The National singing their contribution “So Far Around the Bend” for the Dark Was the Night compilation album.
