The National Tour
Shortcuts: Frequently Asked Questions | The National News | Concert Reviews | Tour Archive
The National 2017 Sleep Well Beast Tour Opening Bands: To Be Determined
Narrow Events by City
Frequently Asked Questions
What songs will The National play in concert?
The National has a pretty thick catalog of material to pull from, especially for a pseudo-indie act. They have been around since 2002 performing small clubs, big arenas, and headlining some of the most forward thinking and progressive festivals in the world. Now with 2013’s Trouble Will Find Me, the group again finds themselves reorganizing their unusually lengthy setlist to accompany a collection of 12 new tracks.
The National is not one of those bands tied to a past fan favorite release, and the group does not have big singles that remain on every setlist. The group is in a position where they change the setlist dramatically from one night to the next.
The National’s latest album is really the spotlight in 2014, making up between 6-10 songs from the setlist. This comes to just over half, which is a pretty sizable spread considering the group has six records to their name.
Some of these new cuts include “Demons,” “Sea of Love,” and “Pink Rabbits.” “Sea of Love” is moved around often, many times as the show opener or sometimes towards the middle of the set.
“Squalor Victoria” appears on a few of the setlists, but sometimes is ignored completely, being replaced by the absolutely stunning “Slipped.” Only two or three songs appear on every set. The group’s biggest fan song is “Mr. Novembermber,” which often opens the encore, or the group’s 2013 album opener “I Should Live in Salt” which surprisingly does not open the show but is actually present somewhere in the first half.
The aforementioned “Sea of Love” is perhaps the highlight of the evening, and one of the only songs you can expect to hear every time out.
Secret Meeting
Don’t Swallow the Cap
I Should Live in Salt
Bloodbuzz Ohio
Demons
Sea of Love
Slipped
Afraid of Everyone
Conversation 16
Lit Up
I Need My Girl
This Is the Last Time
The Geese of Beverly Road
Available
Cardinal Song
Slow Show
Pink Rabbits
England
Graceless
About Today
Fake Empire
Lean
Mr. Novembermber
Terrible Love
Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks
Does the National play any of their older material?
A band with a 15 year history and six albums will often limit the amount of old material they play. The band may play “Son” from their debut album, but it is not common and only appears here and there. The group’s second album is completely omitted, and they only dip back into 2005 for a reimagined version of “Mr. Novembermber” from their phenomenal album, Alligator.
Who is The National’s publicist and press contact?
The group is in collaboration with Dawn Barger of Post Hoc Management. She has been the active manager since the group’s 2010 breakthrough, High Violet. Contact Dawn at dawn@posthocmanagement.com.
You may be able to reach US publicist Kate Jackson from Grand Stand Publicity at katej@grandstandhq.com. US booking can be directed at Kevin French at kfrench@paradigmagency.com, and UK publicity is sent to Sarah Lower of Fifth Avenue PR at fifthavenuepr@googlemail.com.
You can contact The National’s entire business team by visiting American Mary website and sifting through the short directory.
How do I get access to presale tickets for The National’s tour?
Presale tickets for The National are not very easy to obtain. You may have a solid chance grabbing one through Citi cardmember offerings. Of course, a Citi card is mandatory for the presale.
American Express offers presale tickets for some shows through their platform. You must have an American Express Card and be a member of Ticketmaster.
The group’s official website is American Mary. Presales are infrequently offered here, but they are not available for every single show. Stay close to the band’s website and Facebook page for announcements. The passwords provided through the website are made public and do not require fan club membership.
The most recent password for 2014 is TROUBLE.
Concert Reviews
“All National fans know what to expect when spinning one of their records—excellent musicianship accompanied by natural warm tones and a somber but sweet vocal delivery. The majority of these songs provide mellow-rock moodiness that begs for a beer and a listening party with friends. While all of that held true for this live show, it was also amped up a significant notch.” – James Layne of the Indianapolis Monthly
“The band’s stage patter was, as usual, witty. And there were moments Wednesday night when The National’s new live show was not just arena-ready but arena-tailored. The band’s had a fascinating transformation similar to that of Bright Eyes and fellow New York outfit Interpol. Now, it seems, it’s The National’s turn to be arena headliners.” – Paul De Revere of Consequence of Sound
“Berninger began feeling his way around the stage, stopping when he found what he was looking for: a bottle of wine located near the drum set. He bent down, opened it, tossed the cork in the air, and poured himself a glass. Standing once again in front of the mike, he heard the opening chords of “Bloodbuzz Ohio,” smiled, and readied himself again. He was exactly where he was supposed to be.” – Jesse David Fox of Vulture
Tour Archive
Trouble Will Find Me 2013
Tour Opening Acts: The Barr Brothers, Tall Ships, People Get Ready,
Started May 26, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts | Ended July 1, 2013 in Milan, Italy
The National 2012
Tour Opening Acts: New Trombone Collective, Sufjan Stevens, The Antlers
Started February 4, 2012 in London, England | Ended December 14, 2012 in Copenhagen, Denmark
High Violet Tour 2011
Tour Opening Acts: Wye Oak, Local Natives, Yo La Tengo
Started January 14, 2011 in Auckland, New Zealand | Ended December 1, 2011 in Seattle, Washington
The National 2010
Tour Opening Acts: Midlake, Menomena, Owen Pallett
Started March 28, 2010 in Knoxville, Tennessee | Ended December 1, 2010 in London, England
The National 2009
Tour Opening Acts: Sam Amidon, Buke and Gass, Colin Stetson
Started May 29, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Ended October 28, 2009 in Brooklyn, New York
The National Accelerate Tour 2008
Tour Opening Acts: Grizzly Bear, Yeasayer, Train
Started January 23, 2008 in Syndey, Australia | Ended November 8, 2008 in Austin, Texas
Boxer Tour 2007
Tour Opening Acts: The Broken Family Band, St. Vincent, Doveman, Marla Hansen
Started May 31, 2007 in New York City, New York | Ended December 1, 2007 in Stockholm, Sweden
The National 2006
Tour Opening Acts: Mobius Band, Baby Dayliner, Editors
Started March 30, 2006 in San Francisco, California | Ended October 5, 2006 in Vancouver, Canada
Touring with Alligator 2005
Tour Opening Acts: We Are Scientists, Portastatic, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Started January 14, 2005 in New York City, New York | Ended December 1, 2005 in Berlin, Germany
The National 2004
Tour Opening Acts: Longwave, Pernice Brothers
Started January 3, 2004 in New York City, New York | Ended October 3, 2004 in New York City, New York
The National 2003
Tour Opening Acts: Temper, The Standard, Baby Teeth
Started January 4, 2003 in New York City, New York | Ended December 1, 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland
The National 2002
Tour Opening Acts: Gallon Drunk, Low, Dan Bern
Started January 26, 2002 in Brooklyn, New York | Ended December 2, 2002 in Oxford, England
The National 2001
Tour Opening Acts: Elk City, Readymaid
Started June 30, 2001 in Buffalo, New York | Ended November 3, 2001 in Raleigh, North Carolina