Monday, June 29, 2009
Cream Calendar Road Trip to Atlanta: Sunny Day Real Estate Reunite, Play CW Center Stage Oct. 3
Posted by Adam Gold on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 3:50 PM
I know the feeling. When I was 16, before "emo" became a dirty word--and boy has it become dirty--if you'd asked me to recommend the record that best exemplifies the term I would have held up a copy of the band's Diary or LP2 (aka "the pink album"). And yes I'm aware that the genesis of the term starts with bands like Rites of Spring and Embrace, but it was SDRE who really codified the elements of post-grunge bloodletting, octave chords and Jesus that would leave a lasting impact on the now-maligned subgenre.
As a first generation fan of the band I was enraptured with excitement when they first reunited in 1998 with the solid offering How It feels to Be Something On. So excited, in fact, that I managed to see them seven times on the tours that followed over the next few years. I fondly remember attending the band's first proper show in California--a state that they had famously avoided for reasons that are a mystery to this day--I remember a dude who cried when Jeremy Enigk signed his bible, I remember meeting the band and having them tell me that their only musical influences were The Beatles, U2 and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, I even remember seeing a few different people who had tattoos of the cover art from Diary and HIFTBSO. I remember learning their first two records beat for beat on the drums. The point is that people lost their fucking shit over this band. I once lost my shit to this band when I was listening to them on headphones while on a plane that briefly fell from the sky and nearly crashed, for years making me sick to my stomach on any time I tried to listen to HIFTBSO.
Unfortunately, things got grim when the band released the metatrocious (meaning atrociously atrocious) The Rising Tide, a record--with lyrics like, "Though its only a clever game / Running from our lives / And we linger on / But if we try to lift up our eyes / Replacing the lies / We own this moment"--that even Chris Martin & Co. would have been embarrassed to call their own. Another tour followed before the band broke up a second time, citing what is perhaps the worst break up excuse of all time: label difficulties.
The break-up came only a year or two before the grand misappropriation of emo. I'm sure bands of the shotgun-headed cultural juggernaut from Hawthorne Heights to My Chemical Romance to Taking Back Sunday to any seven word-titled band on RCKTWN's current calendar cite SDRE as an influence, endearing them to a new audience who are probably salivating for a reunion in the way that I was when I was a wee teenager.
Judging from from this news item, those kids are about to get their wish as it was reported that the band will reunite for a North American tour that will bring them to Atlanta's CW Center Stage on Oct. 3. Tickets are $27.50 and can be purchased here.
Unlike the band's first reunion this one will include original bassist Nate Mendel (most well-known for his 14-year tenure as a member of the Foo Fighters). In fact, according to singer Jeremy Enigk, the reunion was instigated by Mendel, who is probably in desperate need of a viable musical outlet after playing "Times Like These" and the cringe-worthy "Best of You" in stadiums for the past few years. In statement released by Sub Pop. he had this to say:
I wasn't around for the second version of the band that recorded the third and fourth albums, so I've always had a feeling of unfinished business there. We had all these outsized ideas back then, 'Everyone's going to learn a new instrument,' and 'Let's do a rock opera,' but before we could get anywhere with them, the band broke up. We left behind all these weird and beautiful songs, though, and they've stuck with me all this time. I'm really happy that we get a chance to play them together again.
In addition to the tour the band will also be reissuing both Diary and LP2 with bonus tracks and liner notes. While a Nashville date has yet to be announced, it's worth noting that the band has a night off between their Atlanta and Dallas shows, so keep your emo fingers crossed that they're still adding dates.
Comments (27)
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Yes. D:
I'm sure there was a point in time in all (or at least several) of our lives when we would've bought an album of Enigk reading excerpts from The Screwtape Letters while strumming a two-stringed guitar.
I took some mercy on these guys and decided to leave out a mention of the Fire Theft, but I did see them once and the show made me decide against hearing their record as to avoid further sullying my mental image of the band. I do recall Dale Earnhardt Jr. being a fan though. http://www.listafterlist.com/tabid/57/listid/9194/Music/Dale+Earnhardt+Jrs+iPod+Playlist.aspx
You are incorrect. Chris Martin would embrace those lyrics whole-heartedly. With a grand flourish, even.
I was complaining about them not stopping here over a week ago. Get with it Gold.
Slowpoke.jpg
To be fair, Tobin, Gold totally started on this post at least a week ago. That's not to say he isn't a Slowpoke.tiff.
Patrick, that is a baseless claim that you know to be flat out untrue. I WILL NOT stand idly by and let you make such erroneous assertions. And Tobin, I'm not complaining about them not stopping here, just letting the kids know that they're stopping elsewhere. I'm sure we could go on "In Circles" about this all day.
ps. Could someone from the Nashville booking community please comment on why SDRE was passed over/not pursued? I'm sure they'd sell out Cannery or War Memorial in 3 seconds. No Sunny Day + No Dino Jr = pissed off gnome.
I was exaggerating. But it totally did take you 12 minutes to compose that comment just now.
Patrick, to assume I stopped everything I was doing to respond immediately to your comment only proves your solipsistic blog etiquette. The fucking world wide web doesn't revolve around you.
listen to the rising tide again, but attempt to throw out whatever expectations you have related to the past albums... (i realize this is near impossible.) frreal, it's a good, good atmospheric pop album.
So, when I read that SDRE are likely not playing songs off of "How It Feels..." on this tour, I became incredibly disinterested. If the show were JUST that album, then I'd likely pay twice as much to see it. And for the record, the SONG "the rising tide" is actually pretty awesome in a late 80's/early-90's 4AD shoegazey kinda way.
did anyone else see them on their last tour stop in Nashville before the breakup? it was a 328 and they played every song that you would want to hear them play and left most of "the rising tide" out of the set. it was incredible!
Also, Dan is the happiest guy i have ever seen play guitar. i am going to Atlanta for sure
Tobin,
If you look at the band's tour dates, they play Philly on Oct. 1, Atlanta on Oct. 3, and then Houston on Oct. 6. That allows about two days of travel time between each date. A map of that makes it pretty clear why Nashville isn't one of those dates in between.
It's highly unlikely that they were "passed over" or "not pursued," but rather that, like most tours, a tour manager sat down and devised a tour for the band taking them through major cities in major markets and called promoters in those cities to book the dates. Even if some Nashville promoter noticed they were on tour and got on the phone to the booking agent to try to entice the band to Nashville, there's no logical date in between the already-booked dates to go four hours out of the way to get Nashville. Especially for probably less money, to play a smaller club to fewer folks. They may easily sell out the 1,200 capacity Trocodero in Philly. As well as the 1,100 capacity Center Stage Theater in Atlanta. And the 1,500 cap Warehouse Live in Houston. But all those cities have a bigger population than us. So you do the math.
I mean, Katy Perry can sell out the Cannery and so can the White Stripes. Could SDRE? Beats me.
It's also worth mentioning that there will probably be more dates or legs of the tour to come. Like eveybody else in America, Enigk & co. probably need some dough. Like any reunion though, you want the band to come through your town before they make a shitty new record and tour behind that.
I'm in a band that tours. You should hear other bands talk about this city. Everyone hates it. I love living here, but even I hate playing here. They talk about everything from the venues to the press. It's just a rough city. Which kills me now, because I sure as hell would of loved to have seen some SDRE.
You know, being passed over again and again wouldn't be so painful if there were good local acts to go see. But in the eight years I've lived here I've managed to find 2 that I like. Two.
So much for being 'Music City USA'
"even I hate playing here" ........
Other cities are way more responsive and less jaded. I really can't figure it out, it just feels really different playing this city. Maybe the cliques are stronger here because we're a smaller city ? I don't know. I wish I knew. Other bands have told me they've played here once and wont ever come back. It's just a shame.
I'm curious Tobin, what 2 groups did you like ?
what 2 groups did you like
84001 & Courtney Tidwell.
I didn't include Lambchop, because I was already a fan when I moved here.
Autovaughn = meh. Slick & conventional.
The thing that sucks about Nashville a lot of times is people who don't even go to shows that often complaining about how there's no good bands to go see.
Tobin, since it seems like your teeth have to be pulled to get you out of the house, I'll do the work for you. Here's a few bands I've seen recently that were great:
Cannomen
Bad Cop
Eyeball
Aether Jag
Double Dragon
Frosty
And if you like 84001 (probably 1 of your 2, right?), you might want to check out Black Static (Cole from Hollow Ox's solo project), Paper Hats, Reid & Wright, and also Mindwave, which had their debut show last weekend and should be playing soon.
I don't mean to jump on your case, but you shouldn't complain about bands around here when you have admitted that you work a lot and don't get to go out that much. Just sayin'.
No How It Feels? What the hell? At any rate I was at that 328 show and the last ATL show they played. I got my ticket for this one too....they're a damn fine band. Worth the drive. I feel like I see more shows in ATL than here at home. But whatever. At least Andrew Bird is playing a suitable venue here.
Maybe Tobin isn't trying hard enough to fine good local music. Or maybe I'm too easy to please because after about 7 years following local music casually, I can rattle off dozens of middle TN bands that I like enough to see them over and over plus buy their records. I don't think it's fair to dismiss the entire city's musical worth. I guess that pervasive jaded attitude is why bands don't like Nashville.
I would have to agree with you Lance. My feelings aren't hurt that the band I play in isn't in Tobin's list. But that whole attitude in general is exactly why Nashville is avoided. Even seeing some of our cities bands getting more press outside of their hometown. Or playing more shows outside of Nashville. It should be kind of obvious that the problem is us. Trust me, I lived in NYC for some time as well, they don't hold a candle to the vibe this city has. Which again, is a shame. Because I love living here so much more. But we're getting off subject. Sorry my fault. SDRE for life !!! :)
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