CINCINNATI, OH – Cincinnati’s favorite sons, The National, are poised to return to their hometown with the Homecoming Festival the weekend of September 15-16. This year’s multi-band, multi-day event will be held at the ICON Festival Stage at Smale Park and features performances from a host of acclaimed acts, including Patti Smith & Her Band, Pavement, Weyes Blood, and The Walkmen.
The National, headlining both Friday and Saturday, have announced today that they’ll be performing two critically acclaimed albums from start to finish for the first time, beginning with High Violet on September 15th, followed by Trouble Will Find Me on the 16th. Along with these two beloved works, the band will treat fans to a wide breadth of music from across their catalog.
In recognition of its then tenth anniversary, High Violet was meant to be the centerpiece of the band’s Homecoming 2020 performance before the festival was canceled due to the COVID pandemic. This year, Trouble Will Find Me also turns ten, allowing Homecoming 2023 to serve as both a belated and timely anniversary celebration of the two.
Band member Aaron Dessner had a more recent return to Cincinnati, taking the stage with Taylor Swift during her July 1st Eras tour stop in the city. Dessner co-produced Swift’s folkloreand evermore albums and remains her frequent collaborator. Earlier this year, Swift returned the favor by appearing as a featured artist on The National’s song “The Alcott” from their critically acclaimed new album First Two Pages of Frankenstein.
Along with this being The National’s only area appearance in 2023, the Homecoming festival will be the only chance for those in Greater Cincinnati to catch some of their other favorite bands in the lineup, including Pavement, Patti Smith & Her Band, as well as The Walkmen, with Homecoming being the only Cincy stop on the latter’s hotly anticipated reunion tour, marking their first together since 2013.
Homecoming 2023 is the long-awaited return of a two-day event described by Billboard in 2018 as a, “ritual of renewal, discovery and surprises in the place that’s still home in their hearts.” Located at ICON Festival Stage at Smale Park, adjacent to the site of the original Homecoming, the festival will also showcase local delights of Cincinnati, including food by some of the city’s culinary heroes, local artists, and much, much more.
“When we launched Homecoming in 2018, we were overwhelmed by the response from the community and by our renewed sense of connection to our hometown. It was such an exciting, memorable weekend and we’ve long hoped to bring it back,” says The National. “We’re honored to return to Cincinnati five years later and be joined by so many of our favorite musicians and friends.”
Single-day, weekend and VIP passes are on sale now. A preferred viewing and concessions area, as well as special Homecoming fanzine produced by longtime National collaborator Graham MacIndoe, are included with the VIP option. Members of The National’s Cherry Tree fan club will receive early entry to the venue as well as the fanzine.
The National’s new album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein, was released on April 28 and debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Alternative and Top Rock charts. Their appearance at Homecoming is part of an extensive 2023 tour, which begins May 18 in Chicago. The itinerary includes the band’s debut performance at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Aug. 18, which will also feature special guest Patti Smith & Her Band.
The lineup for Homecoming 2023 is as follows:
Friday
The National (playing High Violet in full)
Patti Smith & Her Band
The Walkmen
Arooj Aftab
Bartees Strange
Carriers
Ballard
Saturday
The National (playing Trouble Will Find Me in full)
Pavement
Weyes Blood
Snail Mail
Julia Jacklin
The Drin
Leo Pastel
For more information on Homecoming, visit ntlhomecoming.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
