For the first time in over a decade, Sunny Day Real Estate graced the stage for a homecoming show just days before they kicked off their reunion tour. The tour is still set to kick off on September 13 at The Mammoth in Lawrence, Kansas but this weekend (September 10) the unsung heroes of grunge rose their power chords from the ashes as they graced the stage for the first time since 2010 for a surprise show at the Big Dipper in Spokane, Washington.
Since their seminal debut album on the legendary Sub Pop label, 1994’s Diary, the Seattle-breed band has been growing their cult fanbase through fuzzy chord progressions and over-the-top vocal performances. Sunny Day Real Estate has had a diverse career with multiple splits and side-projects, including lead singer Jeremy Enigk’s acclaimed solo album from 1996 Return of the Frog Queen, the band always finds themselves back under the Sunny Day Real Estate banner. The progression of their artistry is proven as each release from the band becomes more complex and polished, although last night’s reunion show focused mostly on their 1998 album How It Feels to Be Something On.
Saturday nights’s show was short and straightforward, the 110-capacity venue allowed for an intimate set from the band. The night was full of nostalgia for the band as they dusted off songs like “One”, “Pillars”, “Every Shining Time You Arrive”, “Killed By An Angel”, and “The Rising Tide”, none of which had been performed since the band’s 2000 tour. The band also pulled out some deep cuts including “Lipton Witch” from a split single released in 2014, this was the first time this song had been played live since its release. Songs like “Roses In Water” and the night’s closer “Days Were Golden” had not been performed live since 1999. The rest of the night was filled with Sunny Day Real Estate’s greatest hits including Diary cuts like “Seven” and “48”.
The band embarks on their first tour in over 12 years on Tuesday, September 13 in Kansas before they tour the rest of the states. The band has stops in all major cities including Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Orlando.
Checkout the full setlist, tour dates, and footage from last night’s show below:
Setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/sunny-day-real-estate/2022/big-dipper-spokane-wa-53b0c339.html
Dates: http://sunnydayreal.estate/tour/
