In the 25 years since their formation, Ohio’s The National has become one of the most recognisable faces on the Indie/Alternative scene with a string of acclaimed albums including Boxer, Alligator, Sleep Well Beast and two in 2023. Fresh off an exhilarating set headlining The Other Stage at Glastonbury and with a string of shows across the UK, the group graced a wet and gloomy Friday evening in Crystal Palace Park delivering a knockout two and a half hour set that encompassed tracks from across their 10 albums. The band themselves remarked that the ominous weather suited, their trademark gloomy ‘sad dad’ brand of rock.
The day saw an eclectic mix of acts before The National , with Kate Stables’ This Is The Kit delivering her unique blend of folk / indie to a warm response on one of the sunnier parts of the day, having opened for The National on their other UK dates. Stables also joined The National for a rousing rendition of ‘Rylan’, to a warm response. Unknown Mortal Orchestra was a perfect warmup for the main event, as with other acts battling with the rain that came and went throughout the afternoon/evening but never dampened the crowd’s spirits.
They raced through tracks like ‘Necessary Evil’, ‘So Good At Being In Trouble’, ‘Hunnybee’ and ‘Can’t Keep Checking My Phone’, to a warm response bringing a psychedelic flavour to the diverse set of music. — — From the opener ‘Runaway’, it was clear The National’s set would be something sp.
