Sunny Day Real Estate Debut New Song at Musicfest NW

At the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Ore. last night, the freshly reunited Sunny Day Real Estate played their third show together on their current revival tour. Not only has the long overdue reunion – it's been eight years since the split -- sparked reissues of 'Diary' and 'LP 2' with bonus tracks, it's also inspired the band to write a new song.

Near the end of their crackling 90-minute set at Musicfest NW, Sunny Day lead singer Jeremy Enigk prefaced the next song as being an untitled new one that was still being tinkered with. It sounded akin to their older ones -- enraged and guitar driven -- but there was an inkling of pop tendencies indicating maybe with age, the band has become less cynical. But remaining true to form, Sunny Day's propulsive drums, sawing guitars and bass, and abrasive yet mellow melodies remained unadulterated.

The most surprising aspect of the night was after all of these years, the band still has such a strong, dedicated following. The youthful crowd effusively responded to the band with incessant head nodding, foot stomping and shouting out lyrics like "You taste it" on 'Seven.' "Finally, we feel we are back," Enigk stated to his ardent fans. Before the band played their final song "Sometimes," an overwhelmed Enigk told the crowd, "I hope you had as much fun as I did." The guys came back for a three-song encore and played the dynamic 'In Circles' and 'Diary' bonus 'Spade and Parade,' which enabled the band to jam.

After the show ended, Enigk shook the hands of fans in the front row and kept the convivial spirit alive a little longer. It's unclear what direction SDRE will take in the future, but their reunion last night was like reigniting an old flame of making beautiful music together.