Concert #1:
September 6th, 2011
The National w/ Yo La Tengo & Wye Oak.
@ Merriweather Post Pavillion, Columbia, MD:
I went to this concert with my mom and my sister. My mom is entirely accountable for my love of The National because she has loved them since probably the release of their first album. I wouldn't have wanted to go with anyone else. Concerts (In my opinion) are best attended with those that are just excited about them as you are.
Unfortunately with the time of year that it is, and having to be a million places at once, I could not get to Merriweather in time to see Wye Oak. This breaks my heart because I love Wye Oak however I'm sure I'll find a way to see them in the near future. I did make it in time to see Yo La Tengo. They were really good. They had a good stage presence but I thought that they went into a few too many long guitar tangents. One of the guys from Yo La Tengo, James McNew, said during the concert that he lives around where I do and around Merriweather and remembers seeing The Cure there a few years back. I like it when musicians bring themselves to your level or give you something to relate to.
Finally The National came on stage after a few clips from backstage of Matt Berninger beckoning for someone to feed him what looked to me like pringles. If you get a chance to see The National, take it. They are just as good live as in studio, if not better. They also have really cool graphics and pictures playing in the background of the stage. All of the guys individually are so funny as well.
My only dismay with this concert was that I was seated maybe 2 rows up from the back row and my seats were pretty good but, for one I had to watch all of the people in the front row scream with glee as Matt jumped into the crowd with them (from afar with my mouth gaping wide in a mixture of bitter emotions) and for two, I'm not tall. No. In fact I'm around 5'4 and the man seated, well standing in front of me was about 6'2. Not only was he seriously obscuring my vision but he was also dancing like an epileptic tree in a hurricane the entire time. We all know it. That dancing that looks kind of like a combination of swimming, awkward swaying and head bobbing. Yeah. But all and all I had a seriously satisfying evening full of appreciation for the music that was literally right there in front of me. picture of the stage by me.
