Photo Credit: John Patrick Gatta

The Zen Diagram Tour featuring The National, The War On Drugs and special guest Lucius arrived at Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio’s bucolic Blossom Music Center with Ohio connections coming up during the evening as well as a major reference to the Grateful Dead. 

During band introductions, leader Adam Granduciel introduced guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Anthony LaMarca last in order to highlight that he is from nearby Youngstown, Ohio. The National also made sure to mention the band’s Ohio roots, particularly during the introduction to “Bloodbuzz Ohio.”

As WOD performed the title track from “I Don’t Live Here Anymore” with Lucius joining, Adam Granduciel tapped a small wrench on the microphone when he sang the lines “When we went to see Bob Dylan/ We danced to ‘Desolation Row’” in honor of Bob Dylan who did that very thing at a performance on Sept. 17 at Darien Lake Amphitheater near Buffalo.

Lucius later joined The National on “Rylan” during the night’s final set. Prior to that, Granduciel joined The National for a loose, loving cover of Echo & the Bunnymen’s “Bring On the Dancing Horses.”

The National features two sets of brothers – Aaron and Bryce Dessner, Bryan and Scott Devendorf – both of whom have been major Grateful Dead fans since their teens. In 2016, the band curated “Day of the Dead,” a five-cd compilation featuring 59 covers of material played by the iconic San Francisco act. On its current tour, The National offers a nod to the Dead at the merch booth with a t-shirt design that’s reminiscent of “The Closing of Winterland” DVD and original 12/31/78 design. It also shows up on Dead & Company Final Tour shirt design.

The tour plays this Wednesday at Chicago’s United Center. Scroll down to view setlists.

The National

Blossom Music Center – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 

Sept. 21, 2024 

Set: Once Upon a Poolside, Eucalyptus, Tropic Morning News, Don’t Swallow the Cap, Bloodbuzz Ohio, The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness, I Need My Girl, Apartment Story, Conversation 16, Mr. November, Bring On the Dancing Horses (Echo & the Bunnymen cover with Adam Granduciel), Alien, Pink Rabbits, Rylan (with Lucius), England, Graceless, Fake Empire

Enc.: Abel, Terrible Love, About Today

The War On Drugs

Blossom Music Center – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 

Sept. 21, 2024 

Set: Oceans of Darkness, Pain, An Ocean in Between the Waves, I Don’t Wanna Wait, Harmonia’s Dream, Strangest Thing, Come to the City, In Reverse (Tour debut), Under the Pressure, I Don’t Live Here Anymore, (with Lucius) (band intros; Adam plays harmonica on mic during “Desolatin Row” line because Bob Dylan played wrench on that number), Red Eyes (skipped the Bridge due to time)