THE NATIONAL @ Bowery Ballroom- 5/28 - 6/1

Touring in support of their latest release, The Boxer, The National hit Bowery Ballroom for a run of shows this week (May 28- June 1). While they’re all technically sold out, keep an eye out for last-minute ticket releases from the box office-- as always, these guys are bound to put on a great show. Had the chance to see them open up for Arcade Fire a few weeks ago, and while I can’t say they stole the show (I mean, it was Arcade Fire), they definitely held their own to say the least and played a great set for those of us who arrived before the suits rolled in -- playing a lot of their new material but also peppering in some cuts from earlier albums The Alligator, etc.

If you haven’t seen or heard of the National yet, give these guys a listen. I hear them compared to U2 from time to time, which really isn’t a fair comparison because really the only things about The National that are actually similar to U2 can be probably summed up in two words: “epic” and, well “reverb.” Even so, one of my favorite rainy day bands, and another New York band done good. Check ‘em out. website | myspace