The National - "Afraid Of Everyone" 5/13 Letterman (TheAudioPerv.com)

[deedrabbit]

Is that john lennon

[caballitamarina1]

SO awesome. Matt looks so dapper in this video. :)

[19amf95]

john lennon on drums

[drumguy4life]

When did backup singers become lowest band member on the totem pole? To anybody who feels that Sufjan got slighted here, go back and watch Feist's Letterman performance of "1 2 3 4" and notice the members of the National who are singing backup with her. It's called helping out your friends, and getting a chance to play on Letterman.

[MrHellothisisme]

It's like the lyrics are hiding his tears. Such an amazing preformance, it makes me cry.

[hobojungle1]

I'd say this is Letterman's best performance that he's had.

[detectiveyoshi]

how i wish i could hear this live

[YugiohMaster199]

No one is "too good" to be backing vocals for anyone. He's obviously doing this out of respect for a great band. I'm sure he feels honored to share the stage with them and they're all probably really good friends.

[sumosanta55]

If anyone's seen a better performance on Letterman, please let me know, because this is unreal

[svenjamin28]

To all of you who think "Sufjan Stevens is too good to be backing vocals for The National," let me offer a loose quoting of Top Gun as rebuttal:

Sufjan Stevens: "Hey, Matt. You can be my backup vocals anytime."

Matt Berninger: "Bullshit. You can be mine!"

I like Sufjan. I really do. However, no one is "too good" to back up Mr. Berninger.

[vinicioFS]

Sufjan is too good to be backing vocal.

[Gaff5Or1gam1]

They didnt do the playout,the playout is awesome!!!!

[radiohead3mits]

i am afraid of the resurrection of john lennon 1:32

[72caferacer]

what is that accordian style keyboard they are using? what is it called?

[aseemmhaske]

@72caferacer that's an indian harmonium.. 

[twillaleebone]

@72caferacer clavio;in

[twinoak170]

1:33 its John Lennon!

[TheSimonNightingale]

Your soul is swallowing my voice...

[angerysig1]

I really wanted to love this song, but it just never got off the ground. This song is like a rocket countdown, anticipation building, but nothing happens as it gets closer to zero.

[kenny8689]

@angerysig1 I disagree. The ending with the passionate vocals is amazing imo

[gogolplex74]

Is it just me or does Letterman describe everything as "rock and roll band"

[donsamji]

Wow... that's a Harmonium. Never expected to see one of that here.

[SiriusAl]

1:25 -> that guitar ...umm I don't even have words to describe what I'd like to describe...my goodness

[ItchyKneeSon]

I watched this when it aired on tv and thought, "that back up vocalist REALLY looks like Sufjan Stevens." Turns out I was right!

[15Thetiger]

How fucking good are "the national" .....Love love love ....

[atomizer05]

this is better than most things in existence.

[repathon]

SUUUUUFJAN!!!!!!

[emintham]

incredible..

[AndrewD923]

This band is NOT from Brooklyn. Does Cincinnati not matter?

[ascdeac]

and your voice is swallowing my soul soul soul soul....

just so much emotion behind these words, wish i could see them live :/

[Jungletroll01]

Mr Weasley u ROCK!!

[muckandfun]

Perfection LIVE not much better than that since Joy Division first played she lost control live on tele .

[mzex]

Lennon is alive. he is playing drums in The National :-)

[mzex]

I've seen the live twice in Croatia. they were amazing. especially first time 2007 in Pauk.

[Stijntjee9]

I've see them live, they're awesome !

[wtfarockfish]

wow, why's everyone trashing Letterman? He gave them props, but he's not a very outwardly emotive person. What more do you people want from him? Anyway, great performance of a great song.

[CowardsBendTheKnee]

Me wants an harmonium! NOW!

[Orbelain92]

2:44 Sufjan!

[muzboz]

Fantastic drums. Beautiful backing vox. Love that guitarist's tone. Wow. Epic.

[iluvhockey9]

All-time favourite performance by The National.

[Wirld]

@KittyKranker It's in reference to yellow journalism, which in its own context would be to ignore legitimate well-researched news and instead use eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers. Taking that into consideration, I believe it's in reference to yellow media just eating him alive.

[frankywdmn]

What a great performance. I just wish Letterman wasn't such a weener.

[naseoj]

Sufjan!

[mikelinho7]

With my kid on my shoulders I try, not to hurt anybody I like, but I don't have the drugs to sort, I don't have the drugs to sort it out.

Love this song. Having worked with paranoid schizophrenics, this song really resonates with the struggles they go through daily.

[mickycee64]

What a performance.....

[lucasouza]

This performance reminds me Ian's performance. Surreal!

[cenotaphofmist]

sufjan stevens!

[cenotaphofmist]

can anyone post a link to the letterman show feat. the national and sufjan stevens?

[Haplerima]

@cenotaphofmist This is it mayn. :p Sufjan is standing on the left side (your right) of the lead singer.

[tominrochester]

@cenotaphofmist Woops, sorry- i didn't realize someone had already told you... That was redundant. Great song!

[sonic777111]

Lead bass ftw!

[CowardsBendTheKnee]

They got an harmonium (00:18), sweet!

[frontiercity321]

This performance is out of this world, simply amazing<3

[xoxjenaxox]

I bought one of The National's c.d's as well as a Sufjan Stevens one, had no idea they even collaborate together :/

[823south]

sufjan!!

[BloodlightObsidian]

Sufjan looks kinda awkward here but it doesn't detract from the awesomeness of this performance. A collaboration of absolute genius! me likey

[yellowshirting]

they're too good for letterman. too marvelously unique of creatures.

[Hopesfallout]

this was the most intense live video I've ever seen, stunned!!!

[cellokit]

sufjan stevens on backing vocals....?

[SgtDoakesMusic]

@cellokit Damn right. He's on the album, too.

[xsquid99]

Really digging this tune, just discovered these guys a few months ago and I'm very impressed!

[colm147]

Yellow voices swallowing my SOUL SOUL SOUL!!

[ZShel33]

@colm147 "Your the voice thats swallowing my soul soul soul"....come one now

[CKnightsofni]

why the fuck are these shit indie bands everywhere!?

[JoshHunter1999]

@CKnightsofni

1/10

[augib]

@JoshHunter1999

lol

[nickfromCO]

@CKnightsofni i don't think anyone held a gun to your head telling you to watch the video...if you don't like it, don't watch. pretty much all there is to it.

[mwells219]

@CKnightsofni NO SOUP FOR YOU!

[1roback]

his voice sounds perfect here!

[The517105]

Very nice I must say!

[SorenKennedy]

holy shit I love this 

[cussingboy]

incredibly lame to point out but it's kinda of funny 513 is in the title and that's the area code for Cincinnati, where the band is from haha

[gogolplex74]

The National + Sufjan = life complete

[823south]

Sufjan! The National! incredible

[823south]

Sufjan!

[masterexploder112255]

you know your doing well when you can get sufjan stevens to sing back up vocals and play tambourine for a gig on letterman lol

[nickfromCO]

it's not often you get eric clapton on the harmonium and john lennon on the drums...that should equal one HELL of a performance.

[jcblrogers]

so they had sufjan this time, and came back later with richard reed perry. how god-like must they be to have those guys play backup with them?

[nickfromCO]

probably the most powerful performance i've ever seen on letterman

[therewerewolves]

I love how Matt unintentionally claps his own band at the start...

[coreboy7]

This is one band that I'll accept live music recordings from because they're so good at replicating/improving the studio recording. They're probably my favorite right now. So unique and brilliantly creative. Such a retreat from most of today's music.

And they've got so much emotion behind their performances. They mean what they're singing and it's something that's very deep. Nothing Lady Gaga or Ke$ha could ever replicate.

[josieradomski81]

Great distraction and great vide0!! thank u downloadmusic .im

[ouissam5210]

thumbs down for the 14 who doesn't like it

[ChrisLeWhite]

love the national hate letterman.

[blackfrancis55]

@ChrisLeWhite love the national, hate leno.

[Thefirstfisherman]

just amazing

[1991stacy]

Guy at 3:28 looks a little afraid and out of place.

[Herdevwijk]

@1991stacy That's Sufjan Stevens, the brain behind the arrangement of this song...

[1991stacy]

@Herdevwijk Oh wow, it is. How embarrassing!

[Olithar]

@Herdevwijk Saying this song is the brainchild of Sufjan is like saying Age of Adz is a great album.

They're both lies.

[masterexploder112255]

@Olithar your opinion on music is a lie...........

[Olithar]

@masterexploder112255 Good one.

[masterexploder112255]

@Olithar thanks, i appreciate it :)

[starlight68100]

in Rotterdam they played this song with two bass guitars. Absolute magic...

[tjjshtjjsh]

'rock n roll band'

[turnpike88]

Anyone else think Letterman is the most insincere guy on the planet? "Wow... that was beautiful... what is that thing? Wow..."

[buffyrich]

@turnpike88

Is he supposed to tell them that he thinks they suck?

[extremelybusy123]

@turnpike88 no he's just ironically funny. He then said " it's very effective." He's not Oprah dude. He's not there to be sincere, he's there to make people laugh. Although, I guess he kinda looks like Oprah.

[Mthooz]

@turnpike88 I don't think he was insincere at all. He was genuinely appreciative!

Here is what he ACTUALLY SAID:

"Man! Wow!! Wonderful... I don't know what to say... that was beautiful! Beautiful!... Lovely! Thank you everybody! Great job! Nice to have you here! Lovely!... What is that thing? You made that right? Yeah it's very effective! Nice job!"

If he didn't appreciate the music he would have cracked some lame joke about that weird instrument. But instead he was genuinely curious.

[ImDavidBizar]

@turnpike88 Letterman didnt sound insincere to me. He was wondering about the thing the guy was playing with, is a thing is not a known musical instrument.

[tominrochester]

@turnpike88 Here's a vote for him actually being sincere... He welcomed them back to the show. Why would he have them on again if he didn't like them? Just to make fun of them in an extremely subtle manner? It really doesn't add up. I think he was genuinely positive about the performance.

[Wirld]

@tominrochester It's not necessarily that he thinks they're bad, but he just sounds somewhat disinterested when speaking to them, which seems to just be the typical way he speaks. In Turnpike's defense, he didn't say he was doing it spitefully, just that he doesn't sound particularly enthralled through his tone of voice and phrasing.

[tominrochester]

@Wirld makes sense. "Typical way he speaks" I guess I could go along with that. His personality is "talking ironically with teeth clenched" to Leno's "affable, goofy lap dog" approach to hosting. I could see why Letterman's original show didn't fit with the middle America morning show crowd it was marketed to.

[IStehSHIT]

@turnpike88 OR MAYBE HE JUST DIDNT CARE ABOUT THEM?

[JurgenBM]

@turnpike88 Yeah, I bet at the last second he thinks the band's name is High Violet and the album is titled The National.

[hobeybennett]

@turnpike88 Sorry man, I guess him giving the band a slot on primetime late night tv, one of the highest watched late shows of all time wasn't good enough for you.

[terriblelove1]

@turnpike88 Letterman is a worthless sack of shit. The National are awesome though. He should be lucky that they graced him with their presence.

[tarifulfries]

@terriblelove1 Dont hate. Letterman has done ALOT for Indie bands

[rdc123]

@terriblelove1 letterman has put some great bands on and he sounded way sincere to me, he usually just shakes hands and says goodbye.

[JonnyRocketfingers7]

@turnpike88 Its literally his job to constantly make jokes, I'm sure its become more than a habit.

[nickfromCO]

didn't know john lennon was such a damn good drummer!

[willzer808]

@nickfromCO Dead men don't drum

[pwolf82]

@nickfromCO He's hands down the best drummer going right now. It's been empirically backed by scientists

[foxxsharkable1]

so  touching that i could cry

[vanillaskynet]

this performance is perfect, sufjan bored much? lol

[johnielsen08]

Dude, bands sounds like crap on these shows a lot of time but this is super awesome.

[FahdA32]

matt's so fuckin cool

[TheMarioblue]

@Olithar hee hee "since when did facts get us anywhere?" Good point there, and about "awesomeness" as a unit of measurement. Also, about the civility... I agree! Leave the idiotic comments to Gaga lovers!

I would say that AoA does have good composition because dissonance/complexity is not necessarily bad. Listen to Bartok's 5th string quartet. It's not easy listening by any means, but he is a master of composition. Then again, I don't even own the album, so I haven't studied it that much.

[TheMarioblue]

@Olithar hehe, sure, opinions are always open (although how can you have a "correct" opinion, implying that somehow another person's opinion is invalid? There's truth and there's opinion, two different things). I just happen to have a different opinion apparently! =o

[Olithar]

@TheMarioblue The OPINION in my comment was the value of awesome. We all know "awesome" isn't something that can be used as a unit of measurement! How ridiculous would that be?

However, the FACT is that Age of Adz is a bad album, and that the orchestration and composition of High Violet is better. But since when do facts get us anywhere?

On another note, that was one of the most polite "I disagree with you" comments I have ever received on the internet. So thank you.

[top20modernrock]

@Olithar i measure everything, including my belly, in spoonlengths

[TheMarioblue]

@Olithar What about the October 2010 album Age of Adz? As great as this song is, an album filled with spectacular composition and intense musical experience is greater than backup vocals for one song, IMO.

At the same time, I love The National's simplicity, they somehow have huge emotional power in their music even though they aren't trendsetters.

[Olithar]

@TheMarioblue I'm sorry, man. Age of Adz was a terrible album. I don't want to start this fight here, because the Sufjan hipster-fanboys will come to get me if I do, but this ONE song packs 100 times more awesome into it than the entire Adz album. Just my (correct) opinion. ;-)

[Cbrods43]

can anyone help me out with the bass model Aaron Dessner on the right is playing i'm aware its some kind of P-Bass or Telecaster Bass? but im having trouble finding that specific one with the big humbucker and that gnarly pickguard, thanks

[theallegory]

soof unfunf!

[cogswell23]

The blew Dave's fucking mind!!

[Olithar]

Thumbs up for the best thing Sufjan's done in the last three years!

[matmoo30]

superb

[spitonstranger]

breathtakingly beautiful.

[matfenix]

I like when letterman likes

[Danzig6718]

David Letterman is pleased. And he is a lord seldom pleased by the music of the surfs.

[GoldAndAPager]

@Danzig6718 or serfs.

[luckyfletch]

14 people are afraid of good music.

[imilchil]

@luckyfletch yes true

[Xaeraz]

Oddly, I like this version much more than the studio version

[domproc]

Berringer does a little of his raw shit here...which I love. Him at Bonnaroo this year was the most unbridled gritty frontman stuff I ever saw.

[linnharjo]

@domproc Hehehe..I know..At Roskilde 2010 he jumped into the crowd and ran around, and at the end of the show he broke the microphone stand and threw it around before he went off the stage..I was not at all prepared!!

But I love his voice and the band is one of my favourites :)

[linnharjo]

@domproc

Hehehe..I know..At Roskilde 2010 he jumped into the crowd and ran around, and at the end of the show he broke the microphone stand and threw it around before he went off the stage..I was not at all prepared!!

But I love his voice and the band is one of my favourites :)

[umaburk]

Really, really like this song. It has staying power, digs deep.

[jingglejanggle]

sufjan stevens on backing vocals wow.

[tresawesomeness]

matt looks the best in a suit. such a badass, hairline and all.

[leifEvil]

me encanta lo que hacen estos tipos! puro post punk parecido al rock de interpol!

[IndieFolkRocker]

lets not forget to give props to eric clapton on the accordion

[gossamersound]

Love Dave: "What is that thing? You made that thing right? It's very effective. Nice job."

[LouReedsBooks]

Wow! they got the late John Lennon to play drums!

[bbeaup]

@LouReedsBooks that guy needs his own identity. one person can only look that much like john lennon intentionally 

[zuki2love]

whats the name of that brown instrument on the left that the keyboardist plays?

[JonnyCashmore]

@zuki2love Isn't it a harmonium?

[shahed99]

@JonnyCashmore It is definitely a harmonium.

[tmmomaln]

@zuki2love

I think it's a orgel, but it's not regular. You have to press the air out of it yourself. Hmm, did any this make sense?:/

[Badnah05]

/watch?v=2ubA9vWFSxM

[jcozza92]

you're voice is swallowing my soul...great song

[papernicolas3]

@jcozza92 it''s "yellow voices swallowing my soul"

[jcozza92]

@papernicolas3 o well haha

[maniolo1977]

I was waiting long time for the album like this. make play, and going to the another world . last time Kid A Radiohead or Amnesiac reset my brain like this album!!!!

[madkaye]

Is it sad that all I care about is Sufjan? I would venture to say that it is not.

[crabsake44]

@madkaye I love The National but that's all I care about too.

[AnyScar]

great voice!

[administramation]

This is an entire different entity live... :) And to love it, being my least favourite from High Violet, really says something.

[GOOBERZ11]

Haunting...

[helenadv]

love it!

btw, does anyone know anything about the guys who play the trombone/trumpet? :)