As I mentioned just recently, we’ve been waiting since October 2005 for The National to return to Arizona. But our long, agonizing wait is nearly over.
Almost exactly five years after the band played the humble Modified as a relative unknown, The National will play Marquee Theatre in Tempe on Oct. 14, riding the rush of popularity and press that has come with the new excellent album, High Violet, which opened at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 after selling 51,000 copies in its first week.
Tickets are $30, and Owen Pallett is opening. The tour also stops in Tucson at Rialto Theatre on Oct. 13. Tickets for the Tucson show go on sale this Friday (June 4), so I assume the same holds true for the Tempe concert.
Having seen The National three times in two cities – March ’06 in Los Angeles, July ’06 at Pitchfork Festival in Chicago and September ’07 in L.A. – I’m obviously thrilled that I can see my favorite band without crossing state lines. We’ve waited five years in Arizona … what’s another four months?
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i’ll never forget that mod arts show. first, 75% of the audience (a very young audience i might add) left the show after clap your hands say yeah opened. apparently, “yellow teeth” was on a soundtrack/tv show or something and the kids were there to hear it…
the crowd exodus left an uneasy vibe in the room. as a remaining crowd member, i was embarrassed (when mod arts is empty there’s nowhere to hide), the cyhsy guys at the merch table looked uneasy and the guys in the national were none too pleased…they proceeded to play one of the most emotionally charged sets i’ve ever seen almost in spite of the small crowed. they absolutely melted the place…
on the drive home, i called a buddy in la and told him about the amazing show i’d just seen…and told him, i don’t think they’ll be playing az for awhile. i’m really glad they’ve decided to come back!
Azecho – I remember that show oh too well. I was a volunteer @ Modified that night (in fact I still have a silk screened poster from that show at my house) I felt horrible for the band, but after talking to them at the end of the night they informed me that’s how that whole tour went almost every night! Five years later and look who’s still around…
yeah, i was there, too. (this is like everyone claiming to have been at a no-hitter when the stadium was half-full.) i remember being a little scared by mr. november.
anyway, even the epic shitshow that is the marquee can’t ruin it…. right?
pres g-no kidding…after that show it was pretty clear (to me at least) who would be the band on the rise…
i remember talking to one of the dessner’s after the show at the merch table and he told me that the bands had been taking turns headlining on the tour and that the crowds had been showing up for cyhsy… but he failed to mention folks leaving en masse.
Best news of the week! Thank you Kevin for being the bearer of such awesomeness.
You saw them in San Diego as well in 2008 I think, or did you forget because that dude kept jumping into Annie?
azecho and pres. gator — that show remains a great regret for me. I had to work that night.
Angel: How the hell did I forget that? Maybe I was busy mixing drinks in a port-a-potty.
I went to that show specifically to see The National in ’05 and was turned away because it was sold out. I was always bummed out that I showed up a little late. Especially since just 5 years ago sold out shows were pretty uncommon. I always knew it was my fault for missing them because CYHSY were all the rage that year. It just pisses me off to hear The National played to hardly anyone and if I stuck around I probably could have got in. I’ve been waiting since “Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers” to see them. I’m finally going to see them in Oct. at ACL and then a few days later here in town at Marquee. I can’t wait till Oct.