Matt Berninger’s return to Paris at the Élysée-Montmartre on September 2 carried the intimacy of a personal confession staged with the grandeur of a chamber orchestra. Compared with the brooding force of The National, his solo project felt slightly less bombastic yet perhaps even more emotional, as if stripped of armor. The new album Get Sunk provided the backbone of the evening, its songs unfolding like miniature dramas, but Serpentine Prison also surfaced with its reflective weight. There were nods to his past, too: fragments of The National’s canon, an organic New Order cover, and glimpses of fresh material not yet committed to record.
Berninger cut a compelling figure, the archetype of the earnest adult-rock frontman, debonair yet carrying something unsettled beneath the surface. He never resorts to posturing; his charisma is rooted in presence rather than affectation. At times he resembled an American Jarvis Cocker, sly in gesture, amused by the edges of absurdity, yet grounded in emotional clarity. The show was punctuated by sudden bursts of sonic fury that cracked through the reflective mood, reminding the audience that madness lurks just beneath his poised exterior. These eruptions gave the performance its tension, making the quieter passages feel more fragile, even dangerous.
The band around him was equally vital. Julia Laws, who opened the night under her Ronboy moniker, added depth on keys and vocals, her harmonies shadowing Berninger’s baritone with warmth. Sean O’Brien, guitarist and co-producer of the album, contributed a detailed architecture both melodic and textural. Sterling Laws on drums anchored the set with supple force, his rhythms giving weight and momentum to the crescendos while leaving space for Berninger’s voice to breathe.Together they allowed Berninger’s voice to inhabit both intimacy and grandeur, leading the audience into crescendos that felt cinematic in scope yet personal in reach. This was a night where connection mattered more than spectacle, and Berninger made certain everyone felt it.
