BrightestYoungThings: LiveDC: Sunny Day Real Estate @ 930 Club

all words: Erik Anderson
all photos: Mike Danko

Wednesday night at 9:30 Club, 1000 other people and I were transported back in time to High School, standing awkwardly, wondering if we would have dates for prom and why she/ he broke up with us after 2 whole months of going out... Not really, but together we witnessed emo’s triumphant return to the district. The Sunny Day Real Estate show was one part brooding angst-ridden vent session and one part campfire sing along... The deafening cacophony of distorted guitars, deep drums, and thumping bass were evenly matched by the choir of voices, emanating from the crowd, singing along to every word.

While the nostalgic trip was a blast, Sunny Day maintained their credibility by playing an unbelievably tight set. Dueling guitars (from Enigk and Hoerner), were backed by a booming rhythm section, and Enigk transitioned from angst-filled screams to melodic angelic highs without missing a note.

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The Jealous Sound were also recently reunited... making the night an emo reunion double feature of sorts. If one were to find a flaw with the night it would be the underlying monotony of both bands material. The Jealous Sound peaked early, and while playing well, essentially played the same song for the majority of the set, with the exceptions of their opening track Hope for Us and the ever-so-catchy Anxious Arms. Sunny Day brought a little more to the table sonically and dynamically, but after playing through the majority of Diary and numerous other favorites, it began to feel as if the set was going In Circles...

That being said, it was a good solid show, and a great night for emo fans in DC. Sunny Day did play one new song, which lay somewhere between Diary and Rising Tide, giving hope for a fantastic follow-up to their previous 2001 release.

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It was a night for reliving memories, and while it may not have been the greatest show, it was certainly a nice diversion from the endless number of dance parties here in the city... and hopefully a return to when emo was not only tolerable, but actually enjoyable. We all just need a little wistful emotional rock in our lives sometimes.
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