THE NATIONAL, NEKO CASE and WYE OAK at The Air Canada Centre, Thursday, December 8. Rating: NNNNN
From their entrance to their unplugged performance of Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks with openers Wye Oak at the end of their encore, Brooklyn indie rockers the National had the theatre-mode ACC in the palm of their hands.
The starkness of the spread out stage only became apparent in brief moments between video projections (an inventive mix of live streaming, they were followed around their dressing room and onto the stage by a cameraman, spliced with other footage), dramatic lighting and crazy light shows, creating an imaginative blank slate effect.
The band focused on material from their recent album, High Violet, but also played new songs they had debuted earlier in the day on CBC’s Q – I Need My Girl and Rylan – as well as earlier crowd favourites Fake Empire and Mistaken For Strangers and Mr. November. They recruited local Owen Pallett to guest star on a couple songs too, accompanying a two-person horn section with violin.
This was the best I’ve heard the ACC sound – Matt Berninger’s baritone vocals were clear, the Dessner brothers’ guitar tones were warm and just distorted enough, and Bryan Devendorf’s drum parts felt like they were grabbing my heartbeat.
Berninger refused to stay put, eventually walking into the audience and inviting people to bypass security and come onto the floor, which finally made the show feel like a real rock concert. He must have the longest mic cable in the world, judging by the distance he covered.
Ever-casual alt-country queen Neko Case seemed comfortable on opener duty, and somehow made the arena feel like it wasn’t far from her kitchen (at one point she even told a story of a phone conversation with guitarist Paul Rigby that took place – you guessed it – in her kitchen). Backed by pedal steel player Jon Rauhouse, Calexico’s John Convertino, and backup vocalist Kelly Hogan, Case’s voice, charm and hair were in top form.
