02 May 2013 (gig)
05 May 2013
Canadian twins Tegan and Sara Quin have returned to Australia. They opened with Drove Me Wild at the Palais Theatre in St Kilda to over 2,000 cheering fans.
Admittedly, I didn't know a lot about the girls prior to the concert but after spending almost two hours watching them on stage, I had a newfound appreciation and desire to learn about their journey.
In 1995, Tegan and Sara formed their rock indie band at the age of 15. After a rollercoaster ride, they are going strong today with a fan base of over 800,000 on Facebook alone. To date, they have released seven studio albums, including their most recent, Heartthrob.
It's evident the duo appreciate their fans and jokingly thanked them for sticking with them throughout their various haircuts. I’ve been to many stadium concerts before and considering this was a much smaller venue, the crowd’s energy was palpable.
The girls are known for their playful banter and continually interacted with the audience between songs. At one point, Tegan interrupted Sara's meandering dialogue, stating she could foresee what reviewers would say: “These bitches don't shut up.” Tegan's words were met with laughter. As much as I enjoyed the girl’s flawless music, I found them to be cleverly comedic. Even when a slight mishap occurred with the drums, Tegan and Sara kept the audience entertained with their witty repartee.
Humour aside, highlights of the night included Relief Next To Me, Walking With A Ghost, The Con, Back In Your Head, and Hop A Plane. The duo are multi-talented and can play both guitar and keyboards. As songwriters their lyrics are honest and catchy and when they perform live, they harmonize impeccably.
The siblings comfort with the band was clearly visible and they took time out to introduce each member and share personal memories, even claiming they raised their guitarist, Ted, as he has been with them since he was a teen. This playfulness is what makes them so endearing.
The show closed with an acoustic encore of Call It Off and Nineteen followed by medley of songs including My Number, Superstar, Monday, Monday, Monday and I Was Married. The medley was Tegan and Sara's way of keeping all the fans happy as they realize they cant always play everyone's favourite song.
Overall, a rather impressive performance. If Tegan and Sara ever decide to leave the music industry behind, I'm certain a career as comedians awaits them.
