We wondered how The National would be received at Osheaga, a festival attended by a very young audience. “It’s really grown-up music,” a festival-goer in his twenties told his friends during the show.
While we believe Montreal’s favorite band has the potential to appeal to music lovers of all ages, their presence at Osheaga showed that the bulk of their audience is not Gen Z. (the target audience of the festival), but that even they could benefit from it.
Of course, the crowd in front of the River Stage on Saturday night wasn’t quite what we’re used to seeing at the province’s most Instagrammable festival.
The rise on stage of The National just after Sofi Tukker and before Baby Keem and then Billie Eilish was a thematic and generational shock in itself. While some left after Sofi Tukker’s performance, many showed up expressly to hear the Cincinnati quintet.
The atmosphere became much more planing and calm when Matt Berninger presented himself at the microphone. There is a whole other intensity to The National than the electronic and pop music of Tukker and the rap of Baby Keem. It is not transmitted by a frenetic tempo or 808 which makes the eardrums vibrate. Rather, it is the melodies and the way they are delivered that hook us, from start to finish.
All very close to melancholy, but all the same. He could hardly be one of those artists who jumps and wanders around on stage. But his energy is completely captivating. His charisma too. He had to be seen crossing the crowd, just before the end of the performance, during Terrible Love, before a thrilling finale.
“The guy’s in a suit, that’s a big contrast to Baby Keem, let’s say,” a capped young man said to his capped friend, laughing during the performance, talking about Berninger. “It’s really grown-up music,” Cap #2 chimed in later. Of course, not everyone will be convinced by The National’s proposal. It should be noted that the young people in caps seated near us still nodded in rhythm with enthusiasm at several points during the performance.
Around Berninger, the Dessner twins and the Devendorf brothers were impeccable, behind their instruments and on the harmonies. The National is far from its first performance in front of a crowd where many are only half listening. This maturity and accuracy in their work gives them a special aura.
For this festival show, the band re-released some old hits and played many of their new ones: I Need My Girl, Day I Die, Graceless…
Brass joined for the superb England. Later came Fake Empire, also embellished with trumpets.
Even far back from the crowd, on the hill, the festival-goers seemed to pay particular attention to what the group was giving them.
Yes, we wondered a few times if Osheaga (as it is now) was the best place to host The National. Surprisingly, we came to the conclusion that it was quite ideal. All those who wanted to see it and those who discovered it were treated to a precious moment.
Does everyone like The National? Probably not. But we are convinced that the group was able to convince several festival-goers who were waiting for Billie Eilish and to delight those who had come for him.
