The painted portrait of Matt Berninger on the cover of his new solo album seems straightforward and on-brand enough for The National’s frontman. The image of him sitting quietly and alone in the corner of a gray room could easily pass for what one might imagine he does for…

The National performs at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley on Sept. 25, 2018. Photos: Jane Hu. BERKELEY — The National frontman Matt Berninger used to be nervous on stage. He’s even talked about the awkwardness of not knowing what to do with his hands. But Tuesday at the Greek Theatre,…

I often wonder if beautiful and depressing can co-exist; then I listen to one of The National’s albums and realize there is a place for both, and when put together, they can be amazing. This is the case on the group’s latest album, Sleep Well Beast. Sleep Well Beast The National…

Photos: Nick DeCicco and Roman Gokhman BERKELEY — Brooklyn rock group The National performed six new songs Friday night during a stop at Berkeley’s Greek Theatre, but the show wasn’t without its rough spots. While the new material, presumably for an in-progress seventh full-length album, often hit somber notes,…

Photos: Roman Gokhman While you’re here, check out my previous coverage of the band, which includes two interviews each with Matt Berninger and Scott Devondorf, as well as more photos and videos. The National performs at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley on April 26, 2014. The National performs at…

Don’t hate on me, but I’m into the whole “Hunger Games” thing. A friend dragged me to the first movie, and I thought it was all right; enough to get me to read the first book, and then over the course of a week, the second and third. Hopefully…

Two weeks ago I spoke to Matt Berninger, lead singer for The National, who perform just prior to Sir Paul McCartney next Friday at the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival. In fact, I have twice before interviewed the band’s bassist, Scott Devendorf. You can read a story here and…