The National Announce One Auckland Show 12/01/11

The National Announce One Auckland Show 12/01/11

The National are L-R: Aaron Dessner (guitar, bass, piano), Bryan Devendorf (drums), Matt Berninger (vocals), Scott Devendorf (bass, guitar) and Bryce Dessner (guitar)

"one of the most important bands of their generation" NME

We are thrilled to announce Ohio-bred & Brooklyn-based band, The National, are travelling to New Zealand to play in Auckland on 12th January, 2011. Having recently released their 5th full length album, 'High Violet', creating a sonic boom of critical acclaim and Top 5 chart success in New Zealand, the UK, Europe and the U.S., The National return to New Zealand with their now extended catalogue of brilliant and shadowy songs.

Since The National's last visit to New Zealand in 2007, the band have been very busy. Aaron and Bryce Dessner produced 'Dark Was The Night', a 31-track album to benefit the Red Hot Organization. The album featured contributions from Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear, Yeasayer, and many others. It has so far raised close to $1,000,000 USD. This allowed Red Hot to make donations to many AIDS charities, including an emergency grant of $150,000USD to Partners In Health in Haiti, right after the earthquake.

The National also supported Barack Obama's presidential candidacy in 2008. In July of that year, the band designed and sold a t-shirt featuring Obama's image above the words "Mr. November," a reference to both their song from Alligator and the month of the U.S. presidential election. Their song "Fake Empire" was used by the Obama campaign at many high-profile events during the election including as part of a video shown in Grant Park prior to Barack Obama's victory speech on election night.

And following the endless months of touring time came to look at doing some new recordings. Seeing potential in a decrepit 1920's garage that lay behind Aaron Dessner's old Victorian house the band set about building their own studio. "Aaron's Garage" providing the perfect space for capturing all the spontaneity and roughness with the freedom to tinker until they were satisfied. And hence the latest album 'High Violet' was born.

Their 2007 performance was mesmerising and one of the most talked about shows of the year. Secure your spot by signing up for presales at www.powerstation.net.nz asap!

THE NATIONAL Wed 12th January, 2011 - The Powerstation, Auckland Sign up for presales at www.powerstation.net.nz Tickets on sale 30th September from Ticketmaster http://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/The-National-tickets/artist/959669 & Real Groovy unless sold out via presale.

Dominion Post - 5/5 star review "packed with the usual late-night subtle charms and raw reflective beauty that fans have come to expect" NZ Herald- album review 4/5 stars "this, their fifth album might just be their best"" Groove Guide 4/5 stars "High Violet is desolately beautiful and compulsively listenable" Prefix Magazine "From its painstaking production to its dense lyrical constructs to its mammoth choruses, High Violet is likely to be one of the year's best." The Guardian (UK) "Crafted from humming guitars, tinkling pianos, militaristic drumming and occasional orchestration, their fifth album is beautifully subtle and grows in power with each listen." New Musical Express (NME) "with 'High Violet' The National's slow and steady evolution can no longer be ignored. This lot are fully grown-up, coloured in and going overground."

www.americanmary.com www.myspace.com/thenational http://www.4ad.com/thenational

'HIGH VIOLET' is out now in New Zealand through 4ad/ Rhythmethod on CD and delicious vinyl LP.

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