It’s hard to know who was more excited about Boat playing in Brooklyn, the crowd or the band. On a fittingly rainy, chilly night, the Seattle band played the first of two Brooklyn shows in the intimate downstairs of Union Hall. And if anyone in the audience doubted the sincerity of the band’s many mentions of how excited they were to be back in New York, the cardboard replica of the Mets’ home run apple set aside any doubts (unless of course they use that prop at every show, which would be just weird. Or perhaps they use cardboard replicas of iconic sports stadium features as the new “Hello Cleveland!” shout out -  a replica Green Monster in Boston and a Liberty Bell in Philly).

Handing out torn up newspaper “confetti” and whistles before and during the show, the band were gregarious and engaging throughout their hour-long set, which comprised mostly of songs from their new album Setting the Paces, as well as some old songs, a Dear Nora cover, and even a verse of Guided by Voices’ “Motor Away.” The quartet’s live show will never blow you away, but like their records, they’re just solid from start to finish.