SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE CASTS BEAUTIFUL NOSTALGIA ON BROOKLYN STEEL IN NYC

The industrial majesty of Brooklyn Steel is the perfect setting for a Sunny Day Real Estate concert, with its exposed ducting and riveted steel girders. The venue echoes the music with its stripped-down glory and its lack of ornamentation.

Sunny Day Real Estate walked out onto a barren stage, with only their instruments and the blue glow of the lights to announce their arrival. The band was there to exhibit their music, and nothing else. The lack of a backdrop or staging forced the audience to laser focus on the music. And damn, did they deliver!

The haunting dissonant chords of “Pillars” caused the audience to roar with approval. The haunting lyrics swimming above the swirling noise of the music. Jeremy Enigk’s voice has not changed a bit in the 29 years since the release of Diary in 1994. Age often elongates vocal chords causing singers to sing in deeper registers, but Enigk is still capable of the keening highs that made his voice so distinctive.

“Song About An Angel” starts with earnest vocals that whip the crowd into a frenzy. Everyone mouthing the words as the song builds into plaintive wails. Sunny Day even played their latest song, 2014’s “Lipton Witch.”

The band brought the room down with the beautiful harmonies of “The Ocean.” Before causing an absolute riot on the floor with the quiet loud quiet dynamism of “Seven.”

The main set was a short, but impactful 12 songs before Sunny Day took a brief respite. They return to an epic three-song encore, including crowd favorite “In Circles.” This song produced the biggest pop of the night, with everyone in the audience singing along. The set ended with the absolutely perfect cool-down song “Days Were Golden.”

The impact of the music was palpable. No showmanship, just great musicianship. You have to experience Sunny Day Real Estate live to really understand why they are such an influential band.

SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE