The National performed at Newport Folk Festival yesterday, where they debuted a new song called “Space Invader (Threaded Gold).” This comes a couple of months after the band, whose mainstream presence has grown considerably given Aaron Dessner’s work on Taylor Swift’s folklore and evermore, debuted three other new songs in Paris. In May, they performed “Tropic Morning News (Haversham),” “Grease In Your Hair (Birdie),” and “Bathwater (Mount Auburn).” Those songs and “Space Invader (Threaded Gold)” will no doubt appear on the follow-up to 2019’s I Am Easy To Find.

During the National’s set, the band also brought out some special guests: Anaïs Mitchell on “Rylan,” Hannah Georgas on “I Am Easy To Find,” Cassandra Jenkins on “I Need My Girl,”
and Adia Victoria on “Fake Empire.” They later brought Jenkins, Mitchell, Georgas, and Victoria back out for set closer “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks.”

Watch some fan-shot footage of the National playing “Space Invader (Threaded Gold)” at Newport below.

SETLIST:
01 “Space Invader (Threaded Gold)” (Live premiere)
02 “This Isn’t Helping”
03 “Bloodbuzz Ohio”
04 “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness”
05 “I Need My Girl” (with Cassandra Jenkins)
06 “Wasp Nest”
07 “Slow Show”
08 “Rylan” (with Anaïs Mitchell)
09 “Tropic Morning News (Haversham)”
10 “Light Years”
11 “I Am Easy to Find” (with Hannah Georgas)
12 “Pink Rabbits”
13 “Fake Empire” (with Adia Victoria)
14 “Mr. November”
15 “Terrible Love”
16 “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks” (with Cassandra Jenkins) (also with Anaïs Mitchell, Hannah Georgas, and Adia Victoria)