Soooo....Matt was pretty tanked tonight....
When ever I think something's awkward I'll just remember the time I saw someone forget the lyrics to their hit song, twice, and made the band stop playing it....
Very disappointing show. I've been a fan of The National since seeing them at the Black Cat in March 2006, and this was the ninth time I've seen them in concert. This was easily the worse show of theirs that I've seen. Matt has never had the best vocal range, but he's apparently given up any pretext of even
trying to hit the right notes. Which is unfortunate because the rest of the band was on point. Anyway, I'll be thinking twice about seeing them live again, and, if I do, it would have to be a seated venue. Their music is too slow at this point for standing/dancing.
Also, this was my first show at the Anthem. Too big for me. The venue loses all of the intimacy of the Club. It felt like an arena show, and I usually avoid those. I took the Metro to the Waterfront and walked from there. The line to get in wasn't too bad, although I was initially put off because it felt as though we were being herded like cattle, but it was well organized and the staph was pleasant enough. The beer list didn't have anything that I particularly enjoyed, unfortunately, so I skipped drinks. I didn't use the restroom, so I have no idea what the soap dispenser situation is currently. I did appreciate the water fountains and the air conditioning though. It never felt stuffy.
