The National’s Matt Berninger has confirmed that he is still working on a long-gestating sitcom with his director/actor brother, Tom Berninger. In an interview with NME, he spilled details about the semi-autobiographical series, including the reveal of its working title: Dos Apes.
According to Berninger, he tabled the project while dealing with writer’s block and depression during lockdown, but now it’s back on. “Not unlike Frankenstein, a lightning bolt has started its heart again!” he said. “It’s called Dos Apes, and with the pandemic, we had to put it down. Dos Apes is alive, and that’s all I can say. There was nothing happening because of the writers strikes and stuff like that, but we’ll see. I’m not going to drown in projects like I was before, but that it is one of them that I really want to do and it might happen.”
Berninger continued by giving some insight into the show, in which he and Tom will play themselves. “There’s a lot of detail from autobiographical things, but not just mine — also Walt Martin and Matt Barrick from The Walkmen have all kinds of stories,” he said. “Tom, my brother, is essentially the hero of everything. Tom and I play ourselves, my wife isn’t in it, but the whole chemistry and DNA of the show is very different than anything I think that exists.”
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He added, “It’s really cool, joyful, and funny. The Mistaken for Strangers doc that Tom, Carin [Besser, wife and collaborator] and I made captures the spirit of this television show, but it’s not going to be a fake doc or anything like that. But who knows? It might not be anything. It might just be on our laptops forever.”
This year, Berninger has stayed busy with his day job in The National. After releasing their ninth studio album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein, in April, the band dropped a surprise follow-up, Laugh Track, last month. The National also embarked on a US tour with Soccer Mommy and The Beths that included a special Madison Square Garden show with Patti Smith.
Right now, the group is on a European leg with Bartees Strange, which will be followed by another US run in November. In early 2024, The National will play New Zealand and Australia. See the dates below, and grab tickets to the US shows here and overseas dates here.
The National 2023-2024 Tour Dates:
10/04 – Madrid, ES @ WiZink Center ^
10/05 – Porto, PT @ Super Bock Arena ^
10/06 – Lisbon, PT @ Campo Pequeno ^
10/07 – Lisbon, PT @ Campo Pequeno ^
11/10 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium *
11/11 – San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre *
11/13 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre *
11/14 – Albuquerque, NM @ Kiva Auditorium *
11/16 – Tulsa, OK @ Tulsa Theater *
11/17 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center *
11/18 – Houston, TX @ Lawn at White Oak *
11/19 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory *
02/24 – Auckland, NZ @ Spark Arena
02/25 – Wellington, NZ @ TSB Arena
02/28 – Brisbane, AU @ Riverstage #
03/01 – Sydney, AU @ Aware Super Theatre #
03/05 – Melbourne, AU @ Sidney Myer Music Bowl #
03/09 – Perth, AU @ Kings Park & Botanic Garden #
^ = w/ Bartees Strange
* = w/ Hand Habits
# = w/ Fleet Foxes and Annie Hamilton