The storied Sunny Day Real Estate, a band considered by some
to be a contributor to the development of emo music, triumphantly
returned to its hometown Friday and it felt like they had never
left. Given the group’s association with the heart-on-your-sleeve
punk subgenre it was appropriate that it was pouring rain outside
of the Paramount Theatre when SDRE took the stage for the last show
of their brief reunion tour.
Sunny Day has reunited before and even toured but this
incarnation of the band included all four original members – Jeremy
Enigk, Nate Mendell, William Goldsmith and Dan Hoerner – and you
really couldn’t tell the four men on stage hadn’t played in a
touring band together for 15 years. It was great to finally hear
songs like “Iscarabaid,” “Guitars & Video Games” and “Seven,” which
was the second song of the set, performed live.
For the most part the bandmembers were quiet and didn’t
have much banter between songs. But it was apparent they all
enjoyed being on stage together given the massive smiles they
flashed between songs, and when Hoerner told the crowd he had been
waiting the entire tour for the homecoming show you could tell he
meant it. The love in the room from the crowd was nearly palpable
too and the band reciprocated by playing favorites like “In
Circles,” “48” and “J’Nuh,” and that was just the encore.
The only knock on the show (and this is a knock on the show
itself, not the band) was that at times it was difficult to hear
Enigk’s whispery vocals. The band rectified the situation when it
cranked up the volume and rocked out during the louder parts of
their dynamic quiet-loud-quiet-loud songs. Speaking of dynamic, the
rhythm section of Goldsmith and Mendell was very impressive.
Goldsmith is a beast behind the kit and he hit the drums with,
ahem, Grohl-ian force. I hope your tenure in Foo Fighters is not a
sore subject William.
As good as it was to finally hear the songs from Diary
and the rest of Sunny Day’s catalog live, it was even better to
hear them break out a new song. Tentatively titled “10,” the song
still has the feel of old SDRE but updates it with a bit of a
harder edge. It shows progressive growth from their older material
and what sounds like a renewed interest in making music together.
Hopefully this means there is a new Sunny Day Real Estate record on
the horizon considering Mendell’s band Foo Fighters are on hiatus
and Enigk looks to be finished with his touring obligation behind
his latest solo effort OK Bear. Welcome back guys, you were
missed but not forgotten.
