The National Dedicate Songs to Cincinnati Reds, the Eagles at Austin City Limits

Posted on Oct 11th 2010 11:30AM by Mike Ayers
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Tim Mosenfelder, Getty Images

Rarely do the National send out specific song dedications, but chose to send out two during their Austin City Limits set. First up, they dedicated their single 'Bloodbuzz Ohio' to the Cincinnati Reds. Then, as they wound down their set, they dedicated 'Terrible Love' to the Eagles, who were tuning up across Zilker Park. There lied the only conundrum of their set: did they think the Eagles were terrible or were they finally declaring a love for the classic rock band?

Heading into classic indie rock territory themselves, the National turned in one of the weekend's best sets, a mix of the best sound system and a sloping field that yielded near perfect sight lines for everyone. As expected, their set drew mainly from 2010's 'High Violet,' another record of gloomy orchestral rock, but lead singer Matt Berninger tried to lighten the mood a bit, explaining that 'Conversation 16,' with its line "I was afraid I'd eat your brains," is a song "about marriage and cannibalism. Mostly about marriage. Some cannibalism."

The slow, gradual builds of 'England' and 'Fake Empire' balanced out the upbeat moments of older tunes like 'Mr. November' and 'Squalor Victoria.' it's one of the National's secret weapons: slip in tender, poignant moments to a large group of people, all the while making sure the tempos don't drive folks to other stages. Earlier in the weekend, band's like the Mountain Goats and the XX struggled with that same issue, but unfortunately don't have those balancing moments in their catalog.

The National are currently winding down the North American portion of the 'High Violet' tour, with a few theater shows left. They'll spend the rest of the year in Europe with Phosphorescent.

Watch the National Perform 'Terrible Love'