Taylor Swift’s working relationship with Aaron Dessner has not only generated some of the most celebrated pop music of modern times, but it’s also brought Swifties’ attention to something they otherwise might not care about: Dessner’s band, The National. Now, according to frontman Matt Berninger, Swifties are coming to their shows, and some seem a bit “bewildered” by the band.
Speaking about it in a new interview with NME, Berninger explained that Dessner’s collaboration with Swift has been “a really, really fruitful thing for our whole band, not just Aaron.” Continuing, he denied a suggestion that the band would ever be brought out as special guests at a Swift concert, but revealed that he’s noticed Swifties in the crowds at The National gigs.
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“We see a lot of Taylor Swift fans coming to shows and being bewildered by the first 25 minutes or so,” he said, before celebrating the wider audience their music has reached. “We’ve been blessed with demographics that are across the spectrum. Then 10 or 15 years ago, a lot of younger people started coming [to our shows] – more and more women. The first 10 years was kind of a dude-fest at most of our shows, but that’s changed a lot.”
If you’d like to go get a vibe on The National’s concert-going audience yourself, there are still plenty of chances to catch them live this year. After finishing up some European dates this month, the band will return stateside for the “Zen Diagram Tour” with The War on Drugs, kicking off this September. Grab tickets here.
As for Swift, her historic “Eras Tour” will come to a close this December, after making its final stops in cities like Miami, New Orleans, and Vancouver. Check out the full list of her upcoming dates, and get tickets here. This past April, she shared her latest studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, which features significant contributions from Dessner.
The National and The War on Drugs’ “Zen Diagram Tour” Dates:
09/12 — Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
09/13 — New York, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium
09/14 — Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
09/16 — Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
09/17 — Philadelphia, PA @ TD Pavilion at the Mann Center for Performing Arts
09/19 — Laval, QC @ Place Bell
09/20 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
09/21 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
09/24 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/25 — Sterling Heights, MI @ Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
09/26 — Madison, WI @ Breese Stevens Field
09/28 — Englewood, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
09/29 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Granary Live
10/01 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
10/02 — Vancouver, BC @ Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
10/03 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
10/06 — Berkeley, CA @ The Greek Theatre
10/07 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
10/10 — Mexico City, MX @ Palacio De Los Deportes
