I was pleasantly surprised by the welcoming aroma of popcorn, as I walked into the Neptune Theatre for my first time. Watching from the back in the bar area, the stage was illuminated by the logo of Seattle's notorious coffee company, "Starbucks" as special guests Poor Moon played. The theatre was the perfect setting for the second "Little Big Show," a concert series created so that all ticket sales benefit Seattle's art organizations.
As Poor Moon finished, I scrambled my way up in front to witness the much anticipated Real Estate. Their performance, humble, intimate, and exceeding all expectations.
As they played an incredible set, the audience was standing in awe before the musicians. Real Estate performed widely acclaimed songs as well as one unreleased track.
As the crowd dispersed after the last song, I met up with guitarist Matthew Mondanile as he made his way through the people outside. Pulling out a pack of Camels, audience members came up to praise his band's performance. One girl, eager and asking, "Hey, I'm sorry.. but does the lead singer have a girlfriend?" Mondanile responded, "He's actually engaged."
The scene was humorous, watching this seemingly normal man encounter some version of a rockstar lifestyle.
"Seattle's alright," Mondanile said. My favorite city is probably L.A., he said. Preparing for a plane ride to Coachella tomorrow, their stay here was brief. Last weekend, he witnessed the resurrection of Tupac at the festival. "It's kind of creepy that they can do that with holograms," he laughed. With musical influences such as Fleetwood Mac, he recommended attending their upcoming show in Seattle. We parted ways as I made him promise to play at my funeral.
Real Estate at the Neptune, one of the best shows I've undoubtedly seen in awhile.





Real Estate - Suburban Dogs from RichsLaw on Vimeo.