The National Announce Royal Albert Hall Concert

Posted on Jan 26th 2010 4:24AM by Barnaby Smith
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Brooklyn indie favourites the National have announced their return to the spotlight with a one-off show at London's Royal Albert Hall on May 6. Both European and US tour dates are also scheduled, and a new album is expected to be confirmed soon.

The National will play in Paris with Pavement on May 7, while the tour wraps up with a show at New York's prestigious Radio City Music Hall on Jun. 16.

Prior to the tour, the band also have a couple of US festival dates up their sleeves. They play the Big Ears festival in Knoxville, TN on Mar. 26-28 and then the MusicNow festival in Cincinnatti, OH. on Mar. 30 and Apr. 1, both events curated by the band's guitarist Bryce Dessner.

The National's as-yet-untitled fifth LP is floated for a May release. It is the band's first album since 2007's 'Boxer', with 'The Virginia EP' released in 2008. The National's members have kept themselves busy with other projects, with the Dessner twins producing the much-lauded 'Dark Was The Night' compilation, and Bryce working with Sufjan Stevens on his 'Run Rabbit Run' album.

The tour dates in full are:

The National Theater, Richmond, VA. (Apr. 22 and 23)
London Royal Albert Hall, England, (May 6)
Paris Le Zenith, France (May 7 - with Pavement)
Berlin Astra, Germany (May 9)
The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA. (May 22)
Spreckels Theatre, San Diego, CA. (May 23)
Fox Theater, Oakland, CA. (May 27)
House of Blues, Boston, MA. (Jun. 2)
Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA. (Jun. 5)
DAR Constitution Hall, Washington (Jun. 6)
Massey Hall, Toronto, Canada (Jun. 8)
Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY. (Jun. 16)