So much to appreciate about Tegan and Sara … As evidenced by people awkwardly throwing money at them in Denver

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.