Leaner and meaner, The National returns with “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness” and a Verizon Hall gig
Welp, last night’s alerts were true — arty ensemble The National are indeed returning this September with Sleep Well Beast, their mew LP out September 8 via 4AD. Their website has been updated to include a full roster of tour dates that — wowzers! — includes a stop at the Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall on December 4th. And the band has a new single called “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness,” which you can hear below.
The song doesn’t stray from the haunting tones and existential murmurs of The National we know and love, but it is punchy and poppy, lean and mean, clocking in under four minutes with one of the hookiest refrains we’ve heard from Matt Berninger since the High Violet days; take a listen below, and expect to have “I can’t explain it / any other, any other way” stuck in your cranium for a while. More information on The National’s Verizon Hall show can be found at the XPN Concert Calendar.
TOUR DATES IN ALL CAPS YES
JUN 21 2017 GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL JUN 21-25* GLASTONBURY, UK
AUG 12 2017 HAVEN FESTIVAL* COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
SEP 16 2017 CORK OPERA HOUSE – SOUNDS FROM A SAFE HARBOUR~ CORK, IRELAND
SEP 17 2017 VICAR STREET~ DUBLIN, IRELAND
SEP 18 2017 VICAR STREET~ DUBLIN, IRELAND
SEP 20 2017 USHER HALL~ EDINBURGH, UK
SEP 21 2017 USHER HALL~ EDINBURGH, UK
SEP 22 2017 O2 APOLLO MANCHESTER~ MANCHESTER, UK
SEP 23 2017 O2 APOLLO MANCHESTER~ MANCHESTER, UK
SEP 25 2017 EVENTIM APOLLO~ LONDON, UK
SEP 26 2017 EVENTIM APOLLO~ LONDON, UK
SEP 27 2017 EVENTIM APOLLO~ LONDON, UK
SEP 28 2017 EVENTIM APOLLO~ LONDON, UK
OCT 05 2017 WANG THEATRE^ BOSTON, MA
OCT 06 2017 FOREST HILLS STADIUM WITH DAUGHTER^ NEW YORK, NY
OCT 11 2017 HOLLYWOOD BOWL WITH LOCAL NATIVES & DAUGHTER^ LOS ANGELES, CA
OCT 12 2017 CALCOAST CREDIT UNION OPEN AIR THEATRE WITH DAUGHTER^ SAN DIEGO, CA
OCT 14 2017 GREEK THEATRE WITH DAUGHTER^ BERKELEY, CA
OCT 21 2017 ELBPHILHARMONIE**~ HAMBURG, GERMANY
OCT 23 2017 TEMPODROM~ BERLIN, GERMANY
OCT 24 2017 TEMPODROM~ BERLIN, GERMANY
OCT 25 2017 AFAS LIVE~ AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
OCT 28 2017 COLISEU DOS RECREIOS~ LISBON, PORTUGAL
OCT 30 2017 PALAIS DES BEAUX-ARTS~ BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
OCT 31 2017 PALAIS DES BEAUX-ARTS~ BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
NOV 02 2017 PITCHFORK PARIS NOV 2-4* PARIS, FRANCE
NOV 04 2017 ANNEXET~ STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
NOV 05 2017 ANNEXET~ STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
NOV 06 2017 SENTRUM SCENE~ OSLO, NORWAY
NOV 07 2017 SENTRUM SCENE~ OSLO, NORWAY
NOV 27 2017 ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL^ PORTLAND, OR
NOV 28 2017 PARAMOUNT THEATRE^ SEATTLE, WA
NOV 29 2017 PARAMOUNT THEATRE^ SEATTLE, WA
DEC 01 2017 QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE^ VANCOUVER, BC
DEC 02 2017 QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE^ VANCOUVER, BC
DEC 04 2017 VERIZON HALL^ PHILADELPHIA, PA
DEC 07 2017 METROPOLIS^ MONTREAL, QC
DEC 08 2017 METROPOLIS^ MONTREAL, QC
DEC 09 2017 SONY CENTRE^ TORONTO, ON
DEC 10 2017 HAMILTON PLACE THEATRE^ HAMILTON, ON
DEC 12 2017 CIVIC OPERA HOUSE^ CHICAGO, IL
DEC 13 2017 CIVIC OPERA HOUSE^ CHICAGO, IL