Real Estate “In Mind” tour
The Brooklyn-based band continues their tour, playing downtown at Music Box venue
Fans ran from the bars and lounges after Real Estate finished setting up and were about to start their set. They filled the balconies and rushed back to the center-floor as Real Estate’s amplifiers turned on, and the lights powered on. “San Diego!” Martin Courtney, the band’s lead singer yelled to the crowd, “Cheers.” Jackson Pollis, Real Estate’s drummer, kicked off their set as vibrant green lights scattered the venue while he scanned the mezzanines to wake up any fans not on their feet yet.
Real Estate, a rock band whose sound a mix of Weezer, The Lumineers, and Radiohead, packed the house Feb. 27. Their Downtown San Diego show at Music Box was the second-to-last stop for their tour, before closing out in Los Angeles the following night. Their latest album, “In Mind,” was released nearly a full year ago, but Real Estate delayed their tour due to “unforeseen reasons,” according to the band’s Facebook page.
“As Real Estate, we always strive to bring you the best possible live show,” their official Facebook page stated as an explanation for postponing their tour. “And for a mix of unforeseen reasons both personal and professional, we’ve realized that we weren’t going to be able to do that on this upcoming run.”
The band brought in an ecstatic crowd despite cold weather and rain. Later on, the enthusiasm for Real Estate’s return to the stage was shown by the swarms of San Diegans who poured into Music Box to witness a show that would exceed the fans’ expectations.
Before Real Estate took the stage and performed their set, female artist Bedouine opened the show with songs from her self-titled debut album.
Azniv Korkejian, whose stage name is Bedouine, is an Echo Park native, but does justice to the moniker she took from the nomadic Arab Bedouin peoples. Korkejian was born in Aleppo, Syria, and moved to the United States at a young age. Her longing for far-away places and her perpetually traveling soul shows vividly through her music. The awkward, angsty crowd on the main floor quickly changed gears once Korkejian began singing her rich, melancholic song “You Kill Me.”
The venue turned into a jazz house reminiscent of the 60s Beatnik or 70s hippie eras. Smoke peered through the colored lights being used by the performers, and glasses rang against each other as new friends made a toast to one another.
Junior Bailey Blanton, who attended the performance, said that she enjoyed the show.
“Though I was feeling under the weather, I couldn’t miss Real Estate,” Blanton said. “The opener was straight out of the ‘70s and a refreshing authentic act. I absolutely loved the show.”
By the time Real Estate went onstage, the fans forgot about the bad weather and low temperature outside the venue after Bedouine warmed up the crowd. Additionally, Blanton stated that she hadn’t heard of Bedouine before going to the show and went to the Music Box exclusively to watch Real Estate perform, but gave props to Bedouine as the opening act.
The Music Box set the scene for the rich musical experience displayed there with mounted portraits of Amy Winehouse, Tupac, and a wallpaper of David Bowie. There were sounds of glassware clinking from the bartenders reracking bottles, and music-related memorabilia hung on the walls throughout the venue.
She began to sing after setting up her modest stage — a single candle lit atop a stool with a water glass — as she stood comfortably in front of it with a large acoustic guitar slung around her body. Her calmingly sweet and rich voice resembled the sound of bossa nova, a popular Brazilian genre of music, luring fans closer to the stage in awe and surprise. The fans’ attention remained fixed to the stage, hanging onto every word delivered within her lyrics.
Photographer Kevin Fabrizi attended the show to see Real Estate perform. Similar to Blanton, he also hadn’t heard of Bedouine before seeing her performance.
“Bedouine was an unexpected star of an opener that really accented Real Estate,” Fabrizi said. “I never knew of her before this show but I think she did a great job with not only her music, but her allowing of her personality to drive the show and engage with us in a very subliminal way.”
All throughout her set, the center-floor grew larger and larger in anticipation of Real Estate’s performance. Korkejian announced she would play one more song when she was joined by the members of headliner Real Estate. She blew out her candle, took her guitar, and thanked the crowd before she left the stage, handing it off to the headliner.
“The band came in and immediately captured everyone’s attention,” Blanton said. “They started off the show with ‘Saturday’ which is my favorite song off of their new album. The melodies, along with Martin Courtney’s sweet voice left me in a daze… where you forget about all the responsibilities you have and just vibe.”
Music Box patrons and fans were seen taking pictures with the venue’s professional photographers, and also starting live Instagram stories showing the world how much fun they were having at the show. There were fewer than 30 fans who entered upon the doors opening at 8 p.m. But by the time Real Estate was halfway through their set, fans seemed unable to find an empty inch when putting their phones back into their pockets, trying to move closer to the stage to get a better look.
“My favorite part about the show was that I did not see one phone in the air, which is very rare these days.” Blanton said. “The lights (on stage) were deep blue so all the focus was on the authentic hazy sound. Alex Bleeker (Real Estate’s bassist) also held my attention (throughout) the set (which was) carried by his bass riffs and he left no room for disappointment.”
Before Real Estate sang their encore, they performed their song “Serve the Song” off their newest album“In Mind.” Courtney sang the lyrics, “I woke up Sunday morning, back where I belong.” The crowd listened more closely, drawn to the simple and subtle lyric.
From Bedouine’s lyrics of “Some nights I get into the car and drive nowhere quickly” and “but nowhere may keep me alive” from her song “You Kill Me,” and the simply powerful lyrics of “Serve the Song,” last Tuesday’s show displayed to San Diego that rock, and all of its roots, are alive and well in both artists’ folky and well-written music.
As the night grew longer and crept further into Real Estate’s set, the fans there got looser and began dancing to the music. From the beginning of the show, the fans were tense and unmoving despite the quality Music Box speakers and brilliant lighting. After the show ended, Pollis mentioned outside the venue in a brief interview that their simple lyrics and Bedouine’s performance made for an incredible show.
“I remember talking to bandmates (about writing “Serve the Song”) and telling them not to overcomplicate it,” Pollis said. “(Also) Bedouine did a really great job of making the room feel comfortable.”
Pollis put out his cigarette and rushed back inside to load the band’s gear into their van, ending the interview abruptly after he received a high volume of questions from Real Estate fans.
On his way back into the venue, Pollis mentioned that playing smaller venues, as compared to Coachella or SXSW where they performed in 2017, doesn’t bother him.
“America is a large place,” he said. “Playing different venues gives us the chance to explore the country and see all our fans.”
Fans poured out of the venue and congratulated Pollis on Real Estate’s performance before the individual fans in the crowd ran to their cars to escape the rain and cold weather. Pollis opened the venue doors and wished everyone a good night but had one more thing to say as he waved his hand and snuck back inside.
“Catch us in LA tomorrow!” Pollis said. Blanton added the Music box is one her favorite venues.
“I would suggest Real Estate as well as the Music Box to any concert-goer for a genuine music experience,” Blanton said.
Real Estate has additional shows starting in April as apart of thier tour, but their Feb. 28 Los Angeles show marked the end of their tour.