The first emotion upon seeing Tegan and Sara take the stage
for maybe the seventh or eight time throughout their lengthy career – clad in
white skinny jeans, baggy t-shirts and Geisha-like hairstyles – was a flash of
disappointment noticing that there were no guitars in sight. There were
instead Macbook Pros and synthesizers firing from every corner and a band
unrecognizable from the backing musicians that had accompanied the sisters over
the previous decade. Kicking off with “Back in Your Head,” from 2007’s earth-shattering
The Con, the already keyboard-heavy
verses were amplified by smooth, commercial-style electronics. But the choice
of opening number was promising for those of us hoping, in spite of the more
recent sound and style overhaul, for classic T & S.
The announcement that they would play “a lot of older songs”
offered further assurance, although they then launched into a tour through their
newer pop sound, highlighting the two most recent releases (I Love You to Death and Heartthrob) with a couple of reminders
– “Alligator” and a delightfully lightening-paced version of “North Shore” -- of
Sainthood, the 2009 record that marked the duo’s not-so-gradual
circumnavigation into the world of synthpop. Then came an EDMed-up version of
“Walking with a Ghost” and the unequivocal highlight of the evening … an
acoustic, almost tribute-style side set from The Con during which the rest of the band exited the stage and the
twins belted out single acoustic guitar renditions of the “The Con,” “Call it
Off” and “Nineteen" before the band re-entered for an amped up delivery of
“I was Married.”
Tegan, who has historically been the more extroverted member
of the duo, made constant eye contact with the audience and generally MCed the
whole performance, stepping onto the front ledge of the stage to touch hands with
the reaching and trembling front three rows.
At one point, after an obtuse reference to stripping, the crowd
began throwing cash. Although the twins played along gracefully, promising to
match the earnings with a donation to a local LGBT organization, it felt more
than a little awkward as the two collected crumpled bills from around the stage.
Happily, the banter between them, as always, was amusing and fresh and although
Tegan carried most of the commentary while Sara bashfully turned her head into
the mic and avoided any semblance of a full face down with the crowd even while
taking front stage during her songs, made her input count as the set neared its
close. She expressed gratitude to the Denver audience – to those who threw cash
as well as those who shared “joy” (and also cash for buying a ticket), but also
acknowledged, in an ever-so-amiable manner, that “it’s possible that a lot of
you are gigantic dicks.” Honestly, how can you not love them?
Any long-time fan has got to admit that although Tegan and
Sara have undergone what they themselves refer to as a “wardrobe change,” they
are still amazingly talented. This was proven in the vulnerably acoustic
rendering of “Now I’m All Messed Up” and in their inaugural performance of “I’m
Dying to Know.” It’s easy to speculate that an artist, not just Tegan and Sara,
produces their best work while in the throes of emotional turmoil. T & S
introduced The Con, which certainly fits
into this category, by explaining that the songs never get tiresome to play
even while dredging up painful memories. They then dedicated these tunes to
everyone in the audience who “has had your heart trampled on.”
One gets the impression with the pop makeover that perhaps
the twins are aiming for a stadium level of stardom. As much as they deserve
every ounce of popularity and success that comes their way, we selfish long-time
fans can only hope that they remain who they are, that they continue to close
their live sets with classic (albeit in this case completely digitized) tunes
like “Living Room.” We’ll cross our fingers that we can always get close enough
to the stage to maybe not throw dollar bills, but at least make out the pair’s
sincere expressions of gratitude and banter. They may be more content than they
have been in the past, make more polished pop that doesn’t abound from stinging
breakups or loss. They may have ended up with someone who is everything they
wanted. But they still know how to make us all happy, old and new fans alike.
