Tegan and Sara

Let’s get the obvious out of the way to begin with: Tegan and Sara are Canadian twins who have been making music for over a decade. Their latest album The Con was released in 2007 and their January 8th show at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney sold out completely. Oh, and they happen to be completely adorable. Supported by Sydney band The Jezabels and the twins’ friends An Horse, a Brisbane duo, the Thursday night show was a stellar display of established and new talent, wit and wonderful haircuts.

The support acts were well-chosen musically, both delivering sets of bittersweet pop songs with just enough moodiness and heartache to capture the audience’s attention. The Jezabels’ front-woman seemed a little awkward on stage but this was balanced out by the power of her voice, just as the stage presence of two-piece An Horse overpowered any awkwardness of the shy banter of singer Kate about her equipment being sent to Melbourne instead of Sydney. Setting the scene perfectly for the irresistible moody heartfelt music of Tegan and Sara, the support acts attracted a very large crowd. It was great to see such interest and so many people inside the venue for lesser-known bands hours before the headlining act was due to hit the stage.

And just after 9.30 when Tegan and Sara stepped onto the stage, the very crowded Enmore Theatre seemed to explode with excitement. The (ridiculously good looking) crowd was overjoyed, singing along word for word from the very first song. The addition of three fellow musicians as a back-up band appeared a little too messy at first, almost detracting from the twins’ presence, but Tegan and Sara’s interaction with the crowd and the story-telling (mostly by Tegan) re-established their authority of the stage quickly. The audience response was staggering. It seemed as though every fan was singing along to every single word, with the crowd almost louder than Sara on the closing song Back In Your Head. The audience favourites were undoubtedly Walking With a Ghost and Back In Your Head but musically, So Jealous was the best display of their talent and the raw honesty and unpretentious vibe that their music offers.

The older track Superstar was a nice inclusion, with Sara questioning whether the lyrics of the song, “hardcore superstar”, had perhaps some added meaning…just as a bra landed on stage, launching the first of many hilarious moments on stage in between songs. Tegan remarked on the cost of bras and so sent it back to the thrower, but not before rubbing it on herself for added value and making a “two girls, one bra” remark. Despite how angst-ridded their lyrics can be, Tegan and Sara are witty women and in between the displays of musical talent and a penchant for lyrics that sound like the pages of a private journal, they showed their funny side, sharing embarrassing stories from their junior high years (someone once spread a rumour that “Sara smelled like pee”) and making “who’s laughing now, motherfuckers?” comments to the people who didn’t treat them so well in the past. There was also a Happy Birthday sing-along for Kate from An Horse, and she was brought up on stage to translate a story of Tegan’s into ‘Australian’.

Aside from one story that just went on and on, which even seemed to bother Sara a tiny bit, and some strange strobe light action that was rather painful to look at, there is very little to criticise about this concert. The crowd was extremely enthusiastic and uplifting to be a part of and the music was wonderful, with Tegan and Sara’s interaction with the crowd (and photo taking of the crowd!) providing an added feeling of closeness with the musicians everyone was there to see. A fantastic night.

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