On September 30th They played for two and a half hours in the Max Schmeling Hall, and we were there. Here photos & report.
It was a big surprise when The National released their tenth studio album LAUGH TRACK in September 2023 – just five months after its predecessor FIRST TWO PAGES OF FRANKENSTEIN. Now the indie greats are on tour with both albums and are stopping for two shows in Germany. We were there in Berlin on September 30th.
The National have gained an ever-increasing audience over the past few decades with their captivating melodies and soulful lyrics. They were never an insider tip, but the super hit is still missing today. Nevertheless, the halls are getting bigger and bigger and so crowds of fans make their way through Prenzlauer Berg early on because it promises to be a long evening.
When it comes to self-reflection and target group definition, The National cannot be accused of glorification. An above-average number of men who suffer from sleepless nights, whether due to newborns or divorce, are present today. There is also matching “Sad Dad” merchandise, including a Berlin-friendly jute bag.
Advance praise in the sold-out hall
The National’s live shows usually receive a lot of advance praise, as singer Matt Berninger is known for his charismatic and excessive stage presence. Recently, however, the musician suffered from severe depression, and the pandemic did the rest. A fortunate circumstance that he is once again facing a stage and his demons. This is one of the reasons why the audience in the sold-out Max Schmeling Hall is even more excited to see what is to come.
The two-and-a-half-hour set begins with the new song “Once upon a poolside,” a pleasant ballad, and Berninger’s stage presence emerges in the first few minutes. By the second track “Eucalyptus”, a heartbreaking reckoning with relationships, the distance from the crowd is no longer present, as he jumps onto the bass speakers and screams his pain at the spellbound listeners: “You should take it, ’cause I’m not gonna take it // You should take it, I’m only going to break it // You should take it, ’cause I’m not gonna take it // You should take it, you should take it”. The mantric repetition of text passages is a distinctive feature of the band’s songwriting and Berninger’s implementation further enhances the effect. Gesturing wildly, the big man stands in front of the hall with his eyes wide open, collapses and shortly afterwards gets up again and runs across the stage, always firmly in his grip on the microphone with the infinitely long cable. The following title, “Tropic Morning News” is also from one of the two long-players FIRST TWO PAGES OF FRANKENSTEIN published in 2023.
Carpets of sound and a divine baritone
His fellow musicians, producer Aaron Dessner and his twin brother Bryce Dressner as well as the brothers Bryan and Scott Devendorf, remain in the background, but play no less important roles in this firework of melodies. The twins lay their guitar sound carpets comfortably across the stage, while the Devendorfs provide the rhythm and beat with drums and bass. The singer’s God-sent baritone dominates everything.
He, always with a cup of white wine in his hand, sings himself in ecstasy as the concert progresses. It was rumored in advance that he doesn’t drink as much on stage anymore, but Matt Berninger probably doesn’t like to go without it. Maybe he won’t be able to bear the world’s pain otherwise. And he has plenty of this! His voice breaks often, he is hoarse from all the wailing and he seems even more vulnerable, even more fragile than he already is. Nobody suffers as beautifully as Berninger. Although completely in his own world, he always seeks contact with the audience, jumps over the barrier, is very close to them – and perhaps to himself.
A few times he disappears between the audience and makes his way through the hall. Only the seemingly endless microphone cable shows where he is. As if he was seeking absolution for his strong emotions and thoughts from his followers. “I was afraid I’d eat your brains // cause I’m evil,” he confesses in “Conversation No. 16” and comes across as a broken man fighting his way back to life.
The fight against the lamp
In the background of the spartan stage, harmonious videos and abstract silhouettes are playing. At the edge of the stage there are square lamps that twist and turn. Berninger has been fooled by these, so he tries to tame the light bodies, become master of them and serve them according to his will. As he sits on one of the headlights, the engine gives out and Matt Berninger falls down. He takes it sportily, but not the lamp.
When he receives two vinyls from fans to sign, he places them on the moving spotlight and both records promptly fall off the stage. At this point a murmur goes through the ranks of observers. Even a record destroyed by Berninger only has ideal value. But it’s exactly these little outbursts of melancholy that make the evening so interesting. A bit of happiness despite all the melancholy. There’s still plenty of that, especially in the best-known pieces like “Bloodbuzz Ohio” early in the set, “Fake Empire”, a moving version of “England” and of course the touching declaration of love “I need my girl”.
The encore block includes another three titles, and at the end The National will present 28 pieces. In the last piece, “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks”, there is only the acoustic guitar and the audience, who take over the singing with lyrical confidence and also melodically, led by Matt Berninger as an expressionistic conductor. Captivating, just like the whole evening.
The band has reached a new zenith, has found itself again and presented itself in a new way. The National live are always great tennis, but on Saturday evening they are in a league of their own.