THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The National’s Rome is a 21-track set recorded live (without overdubs) on June 3, 2024 at the title Italian city’s Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone. Mixed by longtime collaborator Peter Katis, the album spans the band’s 20-plus years of songwriting and reveals how each song has taken on a new life in its live performance.
“You have to see this band live” is often said about The National, and now, Rome is the next best thing to actually being there. It is the definitive live document of The National, showcasing scintillating versions of beloved songs like Bloodbuzz Ohio, Don’t Swallow the Cap, I Need My Girl, The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness, England and Fake Empire; plus sharpened readings of recent tracks Eucalyptus, New Order T-Shirt, Tropic Morning News and the boundary-pushing Smoke Detector.
Reflecting how the band changes setlists significantly from night to night to cast fresh light on hidden gems from the catalog, Rome is marked by rarities such as show opener Runaway, Lemonworld, The Geese of Beverly Road, Lit Up and a tour de force pairing of Humiliation (from the critically acclaimed album Trouble Will Find Me) into Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers’ Murder Me Rachael. The Rome encore features the election anthem Mr. November, High Violet’s, Terrible Love and the show-closing fan singalong Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks.”
