Oct

20

Sunny Day Real Estate Live

Filed Under Updates 

MP3: “Guitar and Video Games” by Sunny Day Real Estate
MP3: “Seven” by Sunny Day Real Estate

Sunny Day Real Estate Live
10/15/09
The Knitting Factory
Spokane, WA

This will be the farthest thing from any sort of objective review. I assume that most critical reviews at least feign some objectivity or apply some sort of blanket standard for what makes a good live show. I even have that standard, and, by all accounts, I can easily and without question say that Sunny Day Real Estate is the best live band I have ever seen.

I feel I should probably list some of the concerts I’ve been just to try and validate my opinion in your eyes, but I don’t know that it would matter. “Oh, but Radiohead and Bob Dylan and David Byrne are so much better!” you’d say. You wouldn’t be incorrect. There’s no doubt that those artists have had a greater impact on the cultural and musical landscape, but, for whatever reason, the gods of rock, or muses of… music conspired and blessed me with the best performance by a rock band I have ever witnessed.

The venue was half empty in Spokane, WA for SDRE. I was shocked at first, but as I thought about it, it waned. SDRE are a band with fervent listeners and given nods by the critical establishment for their contributions to popular music, but they’re an acquired taste. The sprawling arrangements, Enigk’s gritty wail, the obtuse-yet-emotionally raw lyrics. SDRE attracts an odd crowd: those daring enough for their musical stretches, but comfortable enough for Enigk’s soul-baring.

Now for the semi-objective bit: SDRE are tight. Very, very tight. And all four members clearly believed every single note they played, whether Dan Hoerner’s head bang, to Nate Mendel’s body groove, to William Goldman’s shirtless pounding, not an inauthentic beat or note was intoned. And the guys were grateful. They’re either the best liars I’ve ever seen, or they truly appreciated the enthusiasm from the crowd.

The set list was entirely comprised of songs from the recently reissued Diary and LP2 (or Pink Album). Only two tracks weren’t form those discs, one being “Guitar and Video Games” from How It Feels to Be Something On, an album that Mendel didn’t play on since leaving SDRE for the Foo Fighters. While Diary and LP2 are fine albums and define what most folks think of as Sunny Day Real Estate, for my money, they didn’t really reach greatness until their final two albums. Diary showcases a band defining themselves; while LP2 feels like more of a jam session. How It Feels showcases an Enigk who starts to structure those dynamic jams into brooding, quasi-Middle Eastern meditations. The Rising Tide found Enigk at his most accessible, at the height of his craft, creating songs highlighting the stylistic dark, as well as light. While it’s understandable that the recently reunited original lineup of the first two albums would play nearly only songs from those albums, it’s a shame they didn’t delve further into the catalog. I’d have gladly paid double the ticket price to hear “Every Shining Time You Arrive” and “Killed By an Angel”.

After the Diary standout, Enigk addressed the crowd, stating that it was normally the point int he show where they’d leave the stage and come back for the encore, that the band would just play straight through, and that their next song would be “In Circles”. It was both bittersweet and tremendous. The band’s set would soon be finished, but here was the moment we’d all been waiting for. Here, again, my objectivity as a reviewer drops out. To say that song was the highlight of the evening would seem to discredit the other great numbers they played, but it should serve to express how fantastic the rest of the set was. A song with as much emotional and sonic impact as “In Circles” could only be saved for the encore and it was well-placed. To leave the stage after it would have been too great a loss; creating the musical equivalent of post-partum depression. Thankfully, they cushioned us with a stellar version of “J’nuh”.

And the lights coming on and the end of the show was sad. What if we never get to see them again? What if the new song just exists in this live space and we never hear it again?

And did I mention the guys played a new song! Were I a lesser man, I’d… oh, who am I kidding? OMG! That’s right. OMG! I’m not only remarking on the quality of the song here, I’m commenting on the fact that these guys very well make music again together and, dare I say it, tour again?!

How do I recuperate from the best show I have ever seen and that I was acutely aware of at the time? I didn’t. While many shows have often left a feeling of loss due to the temporal nature of live music and that shared intense experience between audience and artist, this show was ultimately satisfying. I was there. And that was enough. But i sure hope they hit the road again.

Setlist:
1. Friday
2. Seven
3. Shadows
4.Song About an Angel
5. Grendel
6. Guitar and Video Games
7. Iscarabaid
8. Theo B
9. 5/4
10. (new song)
11. 48
12. Sometimes
(Pseudo-Encore)
13. In Circles
14. J’nuh

Will Thompson really, really likes Sunny Day Real Estate and enjoys putting somewhat carefully chosen words in relatively meaningful order.

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Comments

One Response to “Sunny Day Real Estate Live”

  1. Ryan on October 20th, 2009 6:08 pm

    Nice review. One correction…William Goldsmith did play (and tour) on How It Feels and The Rising Tide. He was only in the Foos for a very brief time.

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