The National at the Music Hall of Williamsburg

OK, so Friday night's The National show is officially the best concert of the year. Seriously, what an amazing show. I danced, I sang, I bounced, I geeked out, I got chills and goosebumps, I was so happy for the entire 19-song, 80-minute set. Matt Berninger and his mates were in top form—confident, tight, ready to rip it up—and had the crowd eating out of their hand. And the spanking-new venue, the Music Hall of Williamsburg, is terrific... like the Bowery Ballroom in size and quality of sound (that is to say: small, and high), but in Brooklyn, and smelling still of fresh paint, and with these two great "viewing platforms" on either side of the floor, and with what looked like bleachers in the balcony (possibly a lame spot, actually), and even sold out, not horribly, greedily over-packed.

I arrived at around 10:30, got a perfect spot on one of the platforms, and The National went on about an hour later, ending a little after 1:00. Here's the complete set list:

1. Brainy
2. Secret Meeting
3. Mistaken For Strangers
4. Baby We'll Be Fine
5. Slow Show
6. Squalor Victoria
7. Murder Me Rachel
8. City Middle
9. Ada
10 Racing Like a Pro
11. Apartment Story
12. Daughters of the Soho Riots
13. Fake Empire
14. Abel
15. About Today
16. Start a War
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17. Cold Girl Fever
18. Green Gloves
19. Mr. November

So great. I'm tempted to head out there again tonight and see if I can scalp, but I don't think these old-man bones could take it. If you're going, you're lucky.