Real Ones
Live @ Sin-E, 09/06/06 + The Living Room, 09/07/06, NYC

To see a great band from Norway once when you live in the USA is a treat, but tto see them twice (and on consecutive nights) is just lucky (but moreso the benefit of living in a big city). The first night at Sin-E, Real Ones put on a very energetic set, which pleased the crowd a great deal. Although the sound was a bit muddy at times, I believe this was more a result of the venue's acoustics than the band. After playing their set which included such songs as the opener "Oh my", "Orlando", and the purely brilliant "Ballad of an old man", the band found themselves in the midst of accolading fans, with many lining up to buy their newest album "Home with the girls in the morning". Since I was going to review the Real Ones live set and had the chance to see them a second time, I surely took it. I had thought it would help me write a better review, to see the band in a different setting, to just get a better feel of their sound and was I glad to have done so. At the Living Room the next night, the band sounded even better. Each instrument was much more pronounced (and I must say I was expecting it, as the venue is better suited for more "acoustic" based bands). The band played the same songs mentioned above, plus "She's got me good" and my since-then-live-favourite "Bratislava". If I had to gauge how their stay in New York went, I'd say "very well."
- Matt Giordano