_Photo by Keith Klenowski, via The National’s Instagram Page_

The National returned to their hometown of Cincinnati over the weekend of April 28-29, for the appropriately titled Homecoming Festival.

The event offered music fans “a weekend celebration of music, art and cultural connections” with performances by The National,

As the host band of the festival, The National served up two headlining sets. The first was a grab bag of songs old and new bookended by “Nobody Else Will Be There” (off their most recent record Sleep Well Beast) and an acoustic singalong of “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks” (off 2010’s High Violent). The band also welcomed artist-at-large Ben Sloan of Percussion Park and Lisa Hannigan of Mouse on Mars to sit-in on a number of tracks; both musicians would later reappear for The National’s Sunday night.

April 29 saw The National perform their entire fourth studio LP Boxer, marking the second time they’ve done such a recreation (the first was in 2017 during a show in Brussels).

Hannigan contributed to mid-set numbers “Green Gloves” and “Slow Show” (the latter also featured Sloan, who returned several more times for tracks like “Start A War” and “Guest Room”). Hannigan’s Mouse on Mars bandmate and fellow Aaron Dessner collaborator Jan St. Werner joined The National for “Walk It Back” and “I’ll Still Destory You,” both featuring Sloan as well.

The band opened their final encore with a brand new track entitled “Light Years,” and closed things out with “Born To Beg” – featuring Hannigan – “Terrible Love,” and “About Today” – both featuring Sloan.

Check out setlists from both nights, and a fan-shot video of “Light Years” below:

The National
April 28
Homecoming Festival
Smale Park, Cincinnati, Ohio

Nobody Else Will Be There%, Don’t Swallow the Cap, Guilty Party, I Should Live in Salt, Sea of Love, Afraid of Everyone%, Dark Side of the Gym%, I Need My Girl%, This is the Last Time%, Wasp Nest, Abel, All the Wine, Secret Meeting, Empire Line, Turtleneck, Carin at the Liquor Store, England, Day I Die&

Enc: Rylan&, Bloodbuzz Ohio&, Mr. November&, Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks^

Notes:
^: Acoustic
%: with Lisa Hannigan
&: with Ben Sloan

The National
April 28
Homecoming Festival
Smale Park, Cincinnati, Ohio

Fake Empire, Mistaken for Strangers, Brainy, Squalor Victoria, Green Gloves%, Slow Show%&, Apartment Story, Start a War&, Guest Room&, Racing Like a Pro, Ada, Gospel, The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness, Walk it Back$&, I’ll Still Destroy You$&, The Geese of Beverly Road, Conversation 16, Pink Rabbits, Graceless

Enc: Light Years^, Born to Beg%, Terrible Love&, About Today&

Notes:
^: Live debut
$: with Jan St. Werner
%: with Lisa Hannigan
&: with Ben Sloan