Tegan & Sara Are No Con
Considering that the show sold-out in the blink of an eye, the crowd at Webster Hall for the [Tegan and Sara] concert on Monday night was surprisingly stoic as opening act Northern State took the stage. With weeks of touring already under their belts, the Long Island natives, brandishing hip-hop and rap infused teen grrrl party rock, must have felt something like a weary army trying to fell an enormous wall as their first few songs failed to dent the crowd. But as they entered a self-proclaimed Greys Anatomy Rock Block the infectious nature of the three female MCs slowly began to warm people up. After a brief roll over, Tegan and Saras appearance immediately kicked the energy in the room up a notch, although the crowd was still thick with a classic NYC show me something vibe.
In fact, an early highlight of the set didnt involve music at all as Tegan deftly shamed a heckler who was inexplicably yelling, Soccer Mom Philadelphia! from the bar. The duo was backed by a skilled band introduced by Sara as, three attractive guys in their mid-to-late twenties that are all in relationships, so it doesnt matter anyway. All of the material off their most recent album received the live treatment along with a healthy dose of older gems, including a floor-pounding rendition of So Jealous.
The Canadian twins put on an inspired, raw and gratifyingly lengthy show and by the time they reached the title track from [The Con], the packed house was bouncing in waves and screaming like schoolgirls. The duo closed with a version of Call It Off sung by Tegan, Sara and all of Webster Hall. During the encore, the audience finally reached a fever pitch that was the high point of the evening. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you own a room.
Photo by Autumn De Wilde