Following in the footsteps of giants such as R.E.M. and Radiohead, The National have carved for themselves that most elusive and exclusive of niche: artistically credible, politically virtuous, socially conscious, critically lauded, musically literate, and yet massively popular. And while the band may lack immediate pop nous of Peter Buck and Mike Mills and the reluctant-superstar posturing of Michael Stipe – ingredients which made R.E.M. not just a superior chart band, but cultural figureheads – witnessing The National live is to observe reverence normally reserved for more institutional forms of religion.
Granting Hot Press exclusive access in advance of Sunday’s sold out Vicar Street show – the first of two full house shows at the Thomas Street venue – we were given a glimpse of what goes into putting on one of the most hotly anticipated gigs of the year.
While a good majority of the country was celebrating Dublin’s victory at Croke Park, Matt Berringer and the brothers Dessner and Devendorf were taking to the stage to soundcheck for the evening’s proceedings. Hot Press witnessed the band rehearsing and re-familiarising themselves with material that hadn’t been played in some years. It was a thrilling sight to be granted a glimpse into the mechanics of a touring rock behemoth and the sheer effort that goes into putting on a show that will be talked about long after the lights go down. Guitarist Aaron Dessner was overheard to remark of the band’s intention on this tour, where some cities are afforded several nights of concerts, to offer a more interesting experience by expanding upon their repertoire and alternating the setlist each evening. The band gives ‘Lucky You’ several run-throughs during soundcheck, as fans will be treated to the Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers tune for the first time since 2014 and which duly receives a rapturous response.
As the sun went down on Dublin and the Sammy celebrations soared, Vicar Street was alive with anticipation, excitement, and the feeling that something great was about to occur. With current long player ‘Sleep Well Beast’ riding high at the top of the Irish charts, expectations for a historic gig are already uttered. Tour manager Brandon Reid remarked to Hot Press that these gigs could be as legendary as the band’s much-feted 2005 Whelans gig. Aaron Dessner recalls the Wexford Street show from the stage during the concert, asking the audience, “so how many of you guys here tonight were at the Whelans show?” and is slightly disappointed to see a mere handful of paws raised, “Only four?! Oh wait, no, eight!”
Indeed, the venue buzzes with the feeling that something special is unfolding; with the audience intoxicated with joy from the beginning by virtue of the band merely being present, the gig truly kicks into gear four songs in with ‘Don’t Swallow the Cap’ from the band’s 2013 masterpiece, Trouble Will Find Me. Followed intermittently are bursts of short, sharp harder edged material such as ‘Turtleneck’ which tempers the early predilection for stately mid-tempo pieces. A call for hushed reverence is deployed from respectful audience members for ‘I Need My Girl’, as a few excited (nay, inebriated) fans continue to chat loudly and irreverently over the intricate intro for the gorgeous, haunting ballad. There is a kind of awe which marks the fierce veneration for this band, a kind of worship usually designated for Morrissey events.
In the fifteen years since The National made their live Dublin debut at The Cobblestone, the band has built a reputation as a stellar live act on Irish stages big and small; tonight, with local hero Lisa Hannigan accompanying the band onstage for much of the night’s revelry, there is a sense of adopted hometown appeal to the show that makes the atmosphere that bit more electric. While they have occasionally been thought of somewhat reductively as the musician’s musicians, in evidence at Vicar Street is a group that have crossed the indie icon threshold and into their mainstream moment while maintaining every ounce of artistic integrity and sincerity. For those in attendance, this was less a show and more a consecrated happening.