For those who need their live-music fix and are
looking for a little more than Bogart’s Back Room to
whet their musical appetite, help is on the way-in
fact, it’s already here.
The National, which now calls 708 E. Broad St.
its home, is Downtown Richmond’s latest mid-size
music venue since the Carpenter Center for the
Performing Arts, scheduled to reopen next year
under the new moniker “Richmond CenterStage,”
closed for expansion.
The National’s edifice was formerly known as
Virginia’s National Theater, which opened in November
of 1923 and was popular in its heyday. The
theater hosted throngs of showings for live theater,
silent films – which proved an adequate source of
entertainment for the influx of non-English speaking
immigrants into the city – and vaudeville acts.
Today, after undergoing a complete makeover,
The National is striving to put its best face forward.
Tuesday night’s 311 show helped this process along.
The 300 stadium seats inside the structure are filled
on a “first-come, first-serve” basis. The building has
a maximum capacity of 1,500 people and boasts a
state-of-the-art sound system. The V-DOSC system
is one of three in use on the East Coast and the
sixth installed in the country, according to the
venue’s Web site.
The system more than validated its claims to
fame throughout 311’s entire show. The vocal
stylings of Nick Hexum and Douglas Martinez
– “SA” as he’s commonly known – were consistently
clear, permeating above the powerful roar of the
crowd.
Although there is an understood rapport associated
with venue attitudes and crowd control, I
found – in my attempts to solicit help from a few
staff members – I was met occasionally with an
unfriendly attitude and an inadequate ability to assist
me. There were, however, a few knowledgeable staff
members who, with refreshing wit and amicable
dispositions, made my initial encounter pleasant.
The general-admission section of the sold-out 311
show only provided standing room. The graduated
floor in front of the stage allowed for visibility from
virtually all parts of the area.
If a low-key concert experience is more your
style and you can swing it, the most advantageous
vantage point is on the second-floor balcony. The
only caveat is that the section is VIP-accessible only.
The bi-level, roped-off segment contains a row of
padded stadium seats along with an area of tables
and chairs and has an excellent view of the stage.
The National possesses an inherent intimacy,
allowing each attendee – whether he or she prefers
to be in the mosh pit at the feet of the performers
or in the farthest section of the second floor – to
have an optimal experience.
The alternative-rap fusion of the opening act,
Primo Gomez, was upbeat with an air of positivity. Later
conversations with members of the band exemplified an
unaffected optimism throughout; each person in the ensemble
– down to the backup singers – seemed to have an air of what
could only be described as laid-back cheer.
The headliner for the night, 311, began in the early ’90s
and is showing no signs of slowing down. With a sampling
of songs from the entire scope of the band’s prolific career,
the night’s show could be enjoyed by the recently acquired
fan or the die-hard fan who listened to “Down” on his or
her Walkman in middle school.
The energy of the five-piece group was phenomenal. The
liveliness of each song passed from performer to audience and
back again, creating a sense of infectious elation. Electricity
seemed to saturate the air.
The highlight of the show was 311’s mid-set percussion
interlude. The lights dimmed as all members of the band
exited the stage, save drummer Chad Sexton, who remained
illuminated on center stage. Sexton then proceeded to perform
a five-minute, virtuosic drum solo, which concluded with
a well-choreographed percussive quintet-each member
of the band armed with a drum and cymbal, proving their
multifaceted musical talent.
The entire experience was enjoyable. As spring approaches
and The National makes its finishing touches, this venue
undoubtedly will prove to be a major player in the Richmond
music scene.