By the end of the night, the Shrine was ringing with the sounds of fans singing along to "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks." (Lilian Min/Neon Tommy)

But to dismiss the band's music as the exclusive domain of middle-aged men, and to attribute to the Cincinnati-born five-piece an easy success, is to gloss over their rocky, and rocking, history, which is on full display in their documentary "Mistaken For Strangers."

Though the instrumental base of The National is composed of the brothers Dessner and Devendorf, Berninger is the unsteady but commanding voice/face of the band. His brother, Tom, went on tour with the band during their "High Violet" touring cycle, when the band's indie critical success finally began bleeding into the mainstream. 

The film itself is a part performance/tour life showcase, part tender look into the Berninger brothers' relationship. While the clips of The National playing for President Obama (during the 2010 election's series of "get out the vote!" concert rallies) and the little humdrum but humorous snippets of tour bus life are compelling, and certainly pull back the curtain on the band's carefully choreographed, meticulously presented musical product, it's the film's exploration of family expectations, within the context of the band's finally blossoming fame, that gets to the viewer. 

Tom's directing eye is all over the place, but within the emotional core of his relationship with his brother, the film finds its grounding. This isn't just a film about The National -- "Mistaken For Strangers" is a quest for recognition, and what it's like to find a spotlight in someone else's shadow.

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The National took the stage at the Shrine to an audience already amped up from the screening, and true to form, their performance was a sometimes raucous, sometimes painfully earnest rendition of songs from 2005's "Alligator" through 2013's "Trouble Will Find Me." 

As beams of colored lights streamed from the ceiling while Photobooth-esque filters of the band's performance filled the backdrop on stage, it was easy to hear how it is that The National has become so famous; their live sound has evolved into a crackling, heavy swell, anchored by that baritone lead.

Though Berninger sometimes appeared to be feeling the effects of his oft-documented on-stage alcohol swillings, such as when he failed to connect with his band members during a song in the middle of the set ("Slipped," perhaps?), by the time the band wrapped up their encore set with a theater-wide singalong of "High Violet" closer "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks," it was clear that despite peoples' best efforts, it was, and is, impossible to contain The National to just him. "Mistaken For Strangers" may be an attempt by his brother to come to terms with his success, but Matt Berninger is not a solo star. When the band's sound hits you, it's his voice that sets it apart, but it's far from the only thing that stays.

Setlist:

1. "Don't Swallow The Cap"
2. "I Am Made Of Salt"
3. "Mistaken For Strangers"
4. "Bloodbuzz Ohio"
5. "Sea of Love"
6. "Hard to Find"
7. "Afraid of Everyone"
8. "Squalor Victoria"
9. "I Need My Girl"
10. "This Is The Last Time"
11. "Abel"
12. "Slow Show"
13. "Pink Rabbits"
14. "England"
15. "Graceless"
16. "Fake Empire"
17. "Humiliation"
18. "Mr. November"
19. "Terrible Love"
20. "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks"

"Mistaken For Strangers" is available for pre-order here. The film will be playing in select theaters starting March 28.

Read more of NT's show reviews here.

Reach Music Editor Lilian Min here; follow her on Twitter and Google+.