Real Estate Altar Bar Recap

Real Estate is the kind of band you’d be comfortable taking home to your parents. A soft-spoken and charming group that’s nice to listen to, very reserved in demeanor, and in general just pleasant.  That’s the kind of show they put on at the Altar Bar on Wednesday, October 1st: a pleasant one.  Being quite familiar with many of the songs Real Estate played Wednesday, such as the crowd-pleasers, “Talking Backwards” and “It’s Real,” I had a smile on my face as I enjoyed the tender electric guitar plucking and simultaneous oooohh-ing that Real Estate tends to play.  The band was not incredibly interactive with the crowd, only briefly taking a break in between songs to deliver an “It’s good to be back in Pittsburgh!” to the foot-tapping, lightly swaying audience.  The show was tame, but the group played their popular songs, their not so popular ones, and some hot off their new record Atlas, and played them well.

I have to give praise to the crew behind the lighting at the Altar Bar as well, the spinning background lights and moody colored lights set Real Estate’s lighthearted, but heartfelt tone quite effectively.

Opener Regal Degal’s act was a fun indie rock romp, and I hope to see them in Pittsburgh again.  Real Estate puts on a good show, a happy and uplifting concert that I’d be happy to take home to mom and dad any day.

– – Grant Birdsong | Host of The Spice of Life Saturday 11 am – 1 pm