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The National & Owen Pallett played Wellmont Theatre in NJ (pics & setlists)

words & photos by David Andrako

The National

The National kicked off the third leg of their North American tour supporting High Violet on Friday night at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ. The band is playing theaters and auditoriums until Mid-October along with two festivals, Austin City Limits on October 10th and the Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco on October 17th. Then comes a two-week break before playing 21 gigs across Europe from mid-November through the first week of December. As if that isn’t enough travel, the band is playing a string of shows in Australia and New Zealand around New Year’s Eve.

Friday night’s opening act, Owen Pallett, who recently opened up for the Dirty Projectors at Terminal 5, was accompanied by Thomas Gill for a brief 40 minute set which was comprised mostly of songs off his latest album, Heartland. The duo were able to layer harmonies, Owen’s violin, and Thomas’s guitar into a mix that sounded as clean and good as the album. After opening for the The National on this leg of their tour, Owen returns to Canada for several shows through the end of October.

The National’s set opened with “Runaway”, the slow building track from High Violet. They performed it on a barely light stage, and proceeded to run through a 19 song set that featured songs from the band’s 5-album catalog. Highlights of the set included a particularly energetic version of “Squalor Victoria” and show closer “Terrible Love”. The latter featured lead singer Matt Berninger’s only attempt of the evening to wade out into the crowd.

More pictures and the setlists from the NJ show, below…

The National

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Owen Pallett

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Owen Pallett setlist
That’s When the Audience Died
This is the Dream of Win and Regine
Scandal at the Parkade
Keep the Dog Quiet
The Great Elsewhere
Lewis Takes Action
A Man with no Ankles
Lewis Takes Off his Shirt


National setlist
Runaway
Anyone’s Ghost
Mistaken For Strangers
Bloodbuzz Ohio
Slow Show
Squalor Victoria
Afraid of Everyone
Available
Conversation 16
Apartment Story
Sorrow
Abel
Daughters of the SoHo Riots
England
Fake Empire
Encore:
Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks
Secret Meeting
Mr November
Terrible Love