Wednesday, September 11, 2013

The National & Frightened Rabbit @ The Fillmore



Tonight I am ticking off a bucketlist band.  I own 2 National albums and think they are great and have always wanted to see them live.  As far as I'm aware they never came to Vegas whilst I lived there.

I walked into a relatively full Fillmore in the middle of the Frightened Rabbit set.  I found a spot on the 2nd tier in the middle.  Great view but the sound was terrible (this is where we were for Gaslight Anthem as well).  I hear great things about this band, but tonight I fail to see it.

The National come out after showing their backstage warm-up live on a screen behind the band.  An interesting concept.  The National play a very moody, atmospheric rock - a lot mellower than I usually listen to - but I think they are great.  Even the songs I don't know.  It took 3 songs for recognition with Bloodbuzz Ohio.  Again the sound is not great.  Is it where I'm standing?  This is where I stood for Gaslight Anthem, and Rancid down the front last night was great.  There is not much interaction between band and the audience - it almost feels like the band is going through the motions.  Great renditions of Abel & Squalor Victoria (the other 2 songs I knew) and after 20 songs the band left the stage.

To me it feels like a completely different band came back for the encore.  Singer Matt Berninger came out into the crowd and covered the entire Fillmore for Mr November and was briefly back on stage before get back in the crowd and out the exits to to sing Terrible Love.  The group then finished with an awesome acoustic / accapella version of Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks.  And then it was over.  It seemed that the crowd and band were just starting to ramp up for the evening, and then they left.

The National Setlist The Fillmore, Charlotte, NC, USA 2013, Trouble Will Find Me

The Crap Facts:
This is my 362nd concert.
This is my 3rd concert at The Fillmore.
This is my 13th concert in Charlotte.
This is my 14th concert in North Carolina.
This is my 170th concert in the USA.
Frightened Rabbit are the 431stband I've seen.
The National are the 432nd band I've seen.

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