Against a beautiful backdrop and amongst a capacity crowd at the Pabst Theater, St. Vincent quietly took the stage last night opening for The National. We’ve seen Annie Clark before as part of the Polyphonic Spree and with Sufjan Stevens, but last night was her night to shine. Saying we were impressed by her set would be an understatement, which showcased the wonderful tracks that make up her Tuesday’s Gold album Marry Me.

Watching, almost transfixed, as she set up loops and beats before ultimately tearing into her vintage Fender, you get to see first hand her musical genius – anchored by her beautiful and captivating voice. A St. Vincent show takes you on somewhat of an emotional roller coaster with songs ranging from the delicate “Now Now” to the more frantic “Paris Is Burning,” the latter being the most widely recognized and adored by the much won over crowd.

Evident by the large amounts of “St. Vincent Says Jesus Saves I Spend” t-shirts now donned over dresses and collared shirts, Annie Clark gained herself a slew of new fans after her performance, and I have no doubt that the next time she passes through Milwaukee it will in a headlining capacity.

This was our fourth time seeing The National this year behind their critically acclaimed album Boxer. In the short four months it’s been since we caught them open for Arcade Fire at Radio City Music Hall the band has easily become one of the best live bands touring these days. They continue to enjoy the strong familiarity of their previous album Alligator, which made up about half of last night’s set including the final song of the evening, “Mr. November,” during which Matt Berninger broke his mike stand then held the remaining fragment in the air while reassuring, “I won’t fuck us over.” Pretty powerful, a rock and roll moment that everyone was talking about afterwards, and won’t be forgotten for some time. Prior to that, the band brought out opener St. Vincent for lovely backing vocals on “Green Gloves” off Boxer.

Obviously, the main set was Boxer heavy. “Fake Empire” has become a crowd favorite and the band continues to expand and tinker with song arrangements in their live setting, especially evident during the end of “Squalor Victoria.” The band have about two weeks remaining here in the states before they head overseas to bring their music to the masses, winning over fans all over the globe.

Once again Muzzle of Bees friend and photographer Daniel Brielmaier was along to capture some stellar shots…

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Myspace: St. Vincent
Myspace: The National
MP3: The National – Fake Empire
Video: The National – Mistaken For Strangers
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