The Arcade Fire and The National pair up for one amazing night of live music at the UIC in Chicago on Monday, April 25th. Tickets are $51 (plus fees) go on sale Saturday, January 22nd at 11am. More details available here.

Alternative version of The National’s “Terrible Love” featuring lots of footage from the band’s recent stop Madison for performances at the Orpheum Theatre and Obama rally.

Previously: My 15 Favorites Songs From The National

Buy: The National – High Violet

[Drive-By Truckers play the Pabst Theater tonight for a special Farm Aid Eve performance]

By Jeff Kollath

While The National received their well-deserved accolades for playing at the Obama rally on campus and near-sold out show at the Orpheum Theater on Tuesday, another band also played two shows in Madison. Flying under the radar was Drive-By Truckers, who snuck into town on Monday afternoon, allowing band members to visit family and friends, and relax on a rare day off on this jam-packed four week tour. For a band as well-received and well-liked as DBT, there was very little buzz about the band’s first trip to Madison since 2007, their show at the Majestic Theater subsumed by The National and Obama, and devastating one-two punch for other goings on if there ever was one.

Taking on two shows in one day is not easy, but DBT front man Patterson Hood proved up to the task, honored to perform a short, but incredibly heartfelt and genuine acoustic show at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. Joining Hood were keyboardist Jay Gonzalez (on accordion, no less), and special guest Kelly Hogan, played six songs in “Faces in the Sand,” the museum’s Iraq/Afghanistan exhibit, to a crowd of nearly 100. The crowd spanned from babies to senior citizens, Vietnam Veterans to Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans, and all were moved by the songs and the stories behind them. Much of the show revolved around the memory of Sgt. Mark Maida, a Madison native killed in Iraq in May 2005, and the inspiration for “The Home Front.” Mark’s memory continues to live on through the philanthropy of his family and their willingness to share their story of loss. The power of the event did not pass by Hood and Company as they too had to choke back emotion on several occasions. The show ended with Hood and Hogan’s beautiful harmonies on “Angels & Fuselage,” requested by Chris Maida, a Marine veteran, who, along with his brother, found a special, shared meaning to the song while the mobilized for the war in Iraq. It was clear that as the crowd filed out, they all felt they had seen something special.

The evening show at the Majestic  built upon the afternoon’s proceedings, opening with an intense “That Man I Shot.” Moving through a setlist covering songs from the previous two records, Brighter Than Creation’s Dark and The Big To-Do, the early part of the show culminated in Eddie Hinton’s “Everybody Needs Love” and a sparkling version of “Delta Dawn,” a cover of Tanya Tucker/Helen Reddy’s early 70s homage to an aged, jilted southern belle. Kelly Hogan’s vocals and John Neff’s pedal steel work sparkled as the rest of the band filled in admirably behind this country classic. After Hogan left the stage, Hood introduced “The Sands of Iwo Jima,” which was part of the set at the Veterans Museum. Hood forgot a verse during the early set, but he headed back to the bus, figured it out, and delivered a fantastic version that he again dedicated to his Great Uncle George, a WWII veteran. The remainder of the set was standard Rock Show material, ending with a driving and exceedingly crunchy version of “Hell No, I Ain’t Happy.” Following the usual encore suspects “Marry Me,” “Let There Be Rock,” and “Shut Up and Get on the Plane”, Kelly Hogan again hit the stage to sing backup on “Angels & Fuselage,” another holdover from the afternoon set. Dedicated to Mark and Chris Maida, and “the late, great Otis Redding,” this full band version was a sonic coup de gras, with feedback-drenched guitars and spacy keyboard loops. The band left the stage one-by-one without a word, just a wave goodbye, leaving drummer Brad Morgan by himself, pounding on a giant bass drum and the sound swirled around him.

AFTERNOON SET: The Home Front / That Man I Shot / Old Timer’s Disease / The Sands of Iwo Jima / Ray’s Automatic Weapon / Angels & Fuselage

EVENING SET: That Man I Shot / Three Dimes Down / The Fourth Night of Drinking / Get Downtown / (It’s Gonna Be) I Told You So / This Fucking Job / Birthday Day / Daddy Needs A Drink / A Ghost to Most / Everybody Needs Love / Delta Dawn (with Kelly Hogan) / The Sands of Iwo Jima /  Panties in Your Purse / Santa Fe / Women Without Whiskey / Lookout Mountain / Zip City / Sink Hole / Self-Destructive Zones / Hell No, I Ain’t Happy; ENCORE: Marry Me / Let There Be Rock / Shut Up and Get on the Plane / Angels & Fuselage (with Kelly Hogan)

Download: Drive-By Truckers, September 28, 2010 – Madison
Previously: Drive-By Truckers – 9:30 Club, Washington DC
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Buy: Drive-By Truckers – Big To-Do

The National play the Orpheum Theatre tonight in Madison (tickets still available). They’re also in playing a short set at the Obama rally taking place later today at the Library Mall on the UW campus. I saw the band on Sunday night in Chicago catching them tear up the Riviera. The night ended with a blistering version of “Terrible Love,” concluding with Matt Berninger circling atop the back bar on the main floor. Unforgettable.

Below, I’ve listed my favorite songs by the National in no particular order. In doing so, I completely realize this is a list that is ever changing. That being said, I thought it would be a fun discussion to have so please feel free to share your favorites in the comments.

Terrible Love (listen)
Mr. November (listen)
Squalor Victoria (listen)
Conversation 16 (listen)
Fake Empire (listen)
Slow Show (listen)
Secret Meeting (listen)
Looking For Astronauts (listen)
Lemonworld (listen)
Murder Me Rachel (listen)
Lucky You (listen)
Bloodbuzz Ohio (listen)
Pretty In Pink (Psychedelic Furs Cover) (listen)
Daughters Of The Soho Riots (listen)
Abel (listen)

The National will release an expanded edition of High Violet on November 22nd that includes a bonus disc featuring unreleased material and live songs. Details here.

MP3: The National – “Bloodbuzz Ohio”
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Buy: The National – High Violet

By Jon Stone | @jwstone

Last Saturday night, after a long day in the sun at Lollapalooza, I walked the six or so city blocks from where I was staying in Chicago to the House of Blues for the pre-Lolla appearance of The Antlers and The National. The House of Blues, notorious for its Vegas-esque swank and commercialized kitsch is situated on one of the prettiest corners of Chicago, right across the river from Dearborn and Wacker and at the foot of the Wilco-famous Marina Towers. It’s quite a beautiful place to be out walking especially on a clear summer night.

The show didn’t start until 11pm, and after being deer-tagged incorrectly, they wouldn’t let me up to my balcony seat until I went back (twice) to get the right wristband on. The main room at the House of Blues (there is a “back porch” room too) has a mid-sized foor area with two balconies that are mostly standing room only. I wasn’t down in the pit, but from my position on the first balcony, I seemed to be looking directly down on the stage. So, for all its over-the-top “we-are-the-rock-&-roll venue” posturing, I have to say that there isn’t really a bad seat in the house (of blues).

The venue sounds really great too, so they myst be doing something right. It was the first thing I noticed when The Antlers took the stage and fired into “Kettering” from last years’ Hospice. I saw them in the Spring and was still pretty on the fence then about whether or not I thought they have the staying-power they are going to need to last. After Saturday’s performance, I’m beginning to think that, indeed, they do.

Maybe it’s been touring with the National that has launched these guys into a new level, but something felt different on Saturday than it had earlier in the year. It wasn’t that the quality of their sound had improved, necessarily. In fact, lead-man Peter Silberman had a rasp in voice when he shot for some of his stratospheric high notes that can only be the indication of touring nearly incessantly for the last two years. Rather, there was certain confidence in their performance. Hospice is a thematically heavy record – one that might lend it self to timidity, or airlessness after so many nightly performed repetitions. Saturday night, though, the music seemed fresh. The highs and lows of “Sylvia” and the story of “Two” both made the goose bumps rise and when that kind of internalization occurs, I know that (at least for me) a band is onto something special.

Again, I can’t help but think about this band’s future. Albums like Hospice are brilliant but risky because of their cohesive “concept.” The songs hang together so well; they pick up on one another’s lyrics and emotion and in a lot of ways rely on each other for the full emotional impact. But this can be frustrating for some folks. The girl I stood next to said she had seen The Antlers play several times, but the songs all kind of blurred together. I can empathize with this sentiment. I think what needs to follow for this band – to push things to the next level, so to speak – is a record that packs the same kind of emotional impact as Hospice, but does so in a way that single songs can stand on their own and survive in the wild as distinct entities. The National’s “Mr. November,” for example, is a brilliant closer for the band’s record Alligator, but it also works anthemically for the band’s diverse live sets which contain songs across the National’s catalog. Pull that off, Antlers, and I think you’re here to stay.

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A few brief words about the National’s set that followed. I’ve seen them play now four times and save for that first performance – which initiated me into complete and utter fandom — the House of Blues was the best I’ve ever seen them. Matt Barninger seemed in an especially good mood and the band joked their way through most of the set announcing several songs by saying, “Alright, this is our party song.” Like he would the next day at Lolla, Richard Reed Parry joined them onstage for all of the songs from High Violet. He was barefoot and all smiles and very different than the crazed, costume-wearing member of Arcade Fire that I would see the next night.

The song that stuck out for me at both this show and the one that would follow the next day was “Apartment Story” from Boxer. It’s a simple tune but has that great, classic-U2ish chorus (“Tired and wired we ruin too easy” and the line “we’ll stay inside till somebody finds us, do whatever the TV tells us… so worry not, all things are well, we’ll be alright, we have our looks and perfume on..” I love the imagery here and the rare positivity followed immediately with irony.” This is why The National is an amazing band. Four times isn’t enough. I can’t wait to see them again.

Here’s the setlist for the evening:

Runaway / Afraid of Everyone / Brainy / Mistaken for Strangers / Anyone’s Ghost / Bloodbuzz Ohio / Squalor Victoria / Available / Conversation 16 / Sorrow / Apartment Story / Abel / England / Fake Empire / (encore) Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks / Secret Meeting / Mr. November / Terrible Love

Buy: The Antlers – Hospice
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Buy: The National — High Violet

By Jon Stone | @jwstone

Lollapalooza 2010 is in the bag. I’m a tired man, but had a blast. The festival is a strange musical animal—so much to do and see, it almost starts to feel like a banquet with way more great food than you could/should safely consume in one setting. Yet we munch on.

Sunday rounded out my Lolla experience nicely, with a couple of surprises, several music legend/celebrity sightings, and three performances so good that it seems almost criminal that they happened within several hours of each other.

Here’s my final recap and then I go into music festival remission . . . until September:

I rolled into the fest pretty late – not until around 2 pm – and missed my chance to see the Dodos again. I wasn’t super impressed by their set at Bonnaroo and hoped to give them a second go. I love their records. I heard Neko Case showed during their set making me all the more regretful. I was up most of the night before, though, so it just wasn’t in the cards. Next time, Dodos.

Band of Heathens: These guys play Champaign frequently and I’ve been meaning to check them out. I loved their set – more than the Truckers from Friday, actually, with whom they share a similar vibe. Great songwriting, amazing guitar work, tight vocal harmonies with lead responsibilities passed between songs. I won’t pass up another chance to support these guys when they come through town again. You shouldn’t either.

The Cribs: So Johnny Marr is currently playing with UK band The Cribs and I couldn’t pass up the chance to see him in the flesh. I’m a big Smiths fan, but haven’t really been into anything he’s done since (though the band name The The is about as cool as they come). I walked way over the (the) south end of the park and caught a few songs by the Cribs and watched Marr play a bit. Still not really a fan, but it was cool to see one of my guitar heroes. I know they’ve said they will never reunite, but can you imagine a Smiths reunion show at one of these festivals? Man oh man.

Mumford & Sons: Here’s a UK band worth getting excited about. Mumford & Sons started their set with this question: “Shall we have a dance together in the sun?” They played the hottest hour of the day to one of the most devoted crowds and we all sweat, clapped, danced, and sang along. They plowed through the best songs on this year’s Sigh No More, adding a hired Chicago horn section mid way through the set. There’s nothing like a band in the first year or so of its success: they seem so honest and so genuinely grateful for the audiences support and love. The road hasn’t left them jaded and weary quite yet. Marcus Mumford and his “sons” fit that space well. They play like they are at the beginning of something great, and in their case, they are.

Thenewno2/Perry Farrell: It’s Lollapalooza, so I thought it would be cool to see Mr. Lolla himself who was scheduled to make an appearance at the kids’ stage. I showed up on time, but the band scheduled before Farrell hadn’t yet taken the stage. Thenewno2… I recognized the name but couldn’t remember from where. They started playing, and again, the lead singer looked eerily familiar but it wasn’t until last night as I was laying in bed that I remembered who they were. Thenewno2 is Dhani Harrison’s band – as in George Harrison’s son Dhani. Wished I would have remembered when I was there.

Thenewno2 acted as Farrell’s backup band when he finally came out. His two song set was far and away the weirdest moment of the weekend. Recall that we are at the kids’ stage and there are several of them right up front. I don’t know what your real or imagined parenting philosophy is or will be, but the first song that Perry Farrell sang at the kids stage was his Porno For Pyro’s song “Pets” which happens to have two F-bombs in the first verse. Tacky. I’m not super anal about that kind of stuff, but I also don’t want it to be my kids who teach the bad words to the other kids on the playground. It was just plain bad form from a really weird dude. Oh, he also played the Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane.” That seemed a tiny bit more appropriate.

Erykah Badu: Her blonde mo-hawk matched up nicely with the Lolla vibe, but her lateness to the stage was 20 minutes longer than most of us had patience for. I caught the first two songs from Badu and wished immediately that I could see her in a more conducive atmosphere. I guess that’s all I’ve got here.

The National: I’m waxing a bit long in this here update (trying to relive the glory, I suppose). But The National’s set is worth more words than I can here provide. In the last year, Matt Berninger and his band of brothers have risen to the top of my list of favorite bands. I am completely taken by them and their dark candor and humor. The show the night before at the House of Blues was the best I’d ever heard, and the set at Lolla was darn near that. The set was toploaded with tunes from High Violet all of which Richie Reed Parry from Arcade Fire joined them on. Also of note, Matt announced that this would be the last show the band would play with long-time contributor Padma Newsome who would be settling in San Francisco. “He’s saved our asses more times than we can count and we don’t know what we’re going to do without him.” We’ll all miss you too, Padma.

Arcade Fire: I thought going into the weekend that I was going to see Soundgarden, but had the opportunity to see them on Thursday night at the Vic (you can read my review of the show over at American Songwriter in all of its grammatically unsound glory). The Arcade Fire show was absolutely insane, and SO much better than the Vic show was (and it was really good, too), so I’m glad that conflict was resolved. Music writers often get guff for their excessive adjective use, so here’s a few for you to chew on: revelry, jubilation, abandon, and all other adjectives related to the pending hipster apocalypse. Arcade Fire remind me of the band you might come across if you lived in one of Shakespeare’s tragedies and happened to be out walking in the woods. They’d be the ones dancing around the fire in the woods, beating drums.

I haven’t seen the New York videocast yet, but I heard it was a bit lacking for good sound. This was not the case at Lolla. The band sounded incredible and played a mixture of songs from all three of their albums. Highlights included, of course, “Neighborhood #3” and “Crown of Love” which they dedicated to the National, but the Suburbs tunes might have been the best songs of the night. They opened with “Ready to Start” (what an opener!) and by the time they hit “Month of May” late in the set, things on stage and in the crowd had become complete and utter mayhem. Evidence of the celebratory chaos was all around me. I’m surprised the couple to my left could even breathe for all their making out and, well, I was having a hard time breathing myself through the cloud of smoke that hung over us. Revelry, I tell you.

Seeing Arcade Fire live rounds out the most amazing year of music I’ve ever had, largely due to my association with Ryan and Muzzle of Bees. Thanks again Ryan, and congratulations on your wedding!