The last time I saw Real Estate was the middle of summer and they were eating chicken fingers and palling with loved ones before getting on stage at an outdoor Bier Keller in Queens an hour ab a half after their allocated start time. I caught the first two songs and hit the road.
Months later and Real Estate are still a boring band to watch but at least there's more of it. They remind of Phish. They just stand their like a lump of coal looking all nerdy, like a 25 year old worrying about what happens after he graduates college.
We're not talking the music here. Either you like their music or pass. I like their music,it's like the Byrds on ambient, or Best Coast's back up band. Or maybe early R.E.M. transferred to New Jersey. It is layered, highly melodic, guitar textures. If the melodies were better, Real Estate would be as great as people say they are.
And tonight, on occasion they are as good as you tsay they are. They always PLAY as good as we think they do. These are guys who have spent warm summer days in doors rehearsing endlessly. They are a well oiled machine, a folk-rock integrated sound with self-confidence to burn. Despite each song lending itself to extended jams, until the last song they are all self-restraint. The songs make their point and move on.
But man is it a slog. Real Estates idea of talking to the audience is Martin Courtney, who looks like a guy you met at your least interesting Luau, saying "This is the first time we've played here."
Word.
It isn't until a masterful cover of Felt's "Sunlight Bathed The Golden Glow", with Matthew Mondanile III (aka Ducktails) taking over lead , that the set begins to fall together. They follow it with "Easy" and then it is smooth sailing till an excellent "All The Same" closes the set with an ending that is pure melody jamming into indie rock heaven. It made up for a lot of shrugging.
But really, Real estate are what they are. And I like what they are. And while I have no idea who would consider them their fave band in the world, I can't imagine anybody disliking them. Not even me.
Grade: B+