Bind. - The Queue ~ Entertainment lineup for Sept 16" — 19" The Reckoners By Cody Klyne, Arts Editor Thursday, September 16 For an afternoon music fix, pop by the Laura C. Muir Performing Arts Theatre for the second performance in the College’s Arts at One series entitled “Trumpet Fanfare”. For you night owls out there, head on down to the Agro Café (Granville Island) and lap up the sugary sweetness of local indie folk duo, The Reckoners (www.thereckoners.ca) who are performing as part of the Vancouver Fringe Festival. Friday, September 17" Oh Friday, why do you always have to make things so hard on everyone? Whether it’s the SSRIS and a gaggle of others (including GO GHETTO TIGER, The STRANGE MAGIC, and D.B. Buxton) at The Railway Club, or The Greff Band at the Agro Café (Granville Island), the night’s going to be a blast. My pick: I’ll be the guy chasing the train with a beer in each hand. Saturday, September 18" Saturday brings a change of pace with the return of SPIKE & MIKE at the Rio Theatre. Dubbed the “NEW GENERATION OF ANIMATION!!!” these folks bring with them a cavalcade of new, cutting edge animations to knock your socks off. With showings throughout the day, from the 17° — 23", and again from the 26"— 30", you’ve got no excuse to miss out on the chance to witness this top quality line-up of international animated shorts. Sunday, September 19 The last day and night of Fringe Festival events! Tons of stuff is happening all day long. From Raccoonery! to The Harbingers, to The Fringe Awards and Closing Dance Party and more! If you’re looking for something a little more low-key and traditional, make a stop by the Dr. Sun Yat-San Gardens between 10A.M.—4 P.M., to take in and celebrate the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Ke J Baritone and in the zone Concert Review: The National By Jacey Gibb sk yourself: where were you A« Thursday night? If your answer isn’t ‘I was at Malkin Bowl’, then you sorely missed out. The first of The National’s two concerts in Vancouver took place at this venue in Stanley Park and the highly acclaimed performers made sure to live up to every expectation. Unfortunately, I arrived late and missed the opening band The Walkmen, but from what I could gather from fellow concert goers, they put on a solid show. Not long after I wormed my way through the crowd, the lights on stage dimmed and the show began. Setting the pace for the majority of the evening, the opening number “The Runaway” drew the audience in and took them on a journey that can only be described as a surreal experience. Despite the attendance numbers being well into the hundreds, a feeling of intimacy came with the performance as the sharply dressed ensemble of eight serenaded on. They wasted no time in expelling “Mistaken for Strangers”, making it the third track of the evening. Crowd activity was minimal as most onlookers found themselves standing still for the majority of the concert. Usually this would be an issue, it even has the potential to ruin a show, but this was exactly the atmosphere needed to be paired with the melodramatic sound of The National. Other highlights from the first set list include, but are certainly not limited to: “Slow Show” a song whose thematic focus is on the lead singer’s genitals, “Abel” where the crowd probably peaked in their physical movement, and “Daughters of the Soho Riots” which was dedicated to a family member that was in the audience that evening. For the final number, the familiar piano opening let everyone know that “Fake Empire” was upon them. It ended up being the perfect closer, as the song has a rising action to it. The lights faded and the members left the stage as a sea of hands applauding filled the air. This surely wasn’t the end of the evening, and the audience knew it. After a minute’s worth of praise, The National returned to the stage and jumped right into “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks”, continuing the momentum that the rest of the show had already set in motion. Only a handful of numbers remained and they sped past, and, before you knew it, they were thanking Vancouver and saying goodnight. A feeling of satisfaction came over me, having finally experienced the joys of seeing this band in person. Lead singer Matt Berninger did a respectable job as our host, although sometimes appearing awkward on stage, as if unsure of how he should be performing. The band’s backdrop was a simple white that throughout the show played host to a revolving door of solid colours (purple, red, blue, green) which was a refreshing change from the usual in-your-face endorsement of a band’s latest album. As I left the concert, I found myself mentally going over whether or not I could afford to go out and buy tickets for their second show the following night (not very likely, unfortunately). Hopefully The National will return sooner rather than later though, and if they do, I'll make sure I’m there to experience them again. Overall, I give the concert eight baritone voices out of ten.