Nestled among the trees of The Greek Theatre, Brooklyn based The National played the first of two sold-out Los Angeles shows. It’s been nearly two years since the band last performed in L.A. and with the release of their highly regarded sixth studio album, Trouble Will Find Me, Angelenos have been anxiously awaiting their return.

The quintet opened with two new songs, “I Should Live In Salt” and “Don’t Swallow The Cap.” Berninger’s vocals hummed through the hills, declaring “Everything I love is on the table” as the crowd sang along.  The band shuffled between High Violet and Trouble Will Find Me before delving deeper into their catalog as the night progressed. The crowd’s energy soared during the second song of their four song encore. A raucous “Mr. November,” off their 2005 release Alligator, brought people out of their seats and Berninger into the audience as far as his mic cord allowed. The encore concluded with an acoustic rendition of “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks.”

Photos by Owen Ela