Tennis brought beautiful, dreamy indie pop to a sold out show.
Arriving to the show, I was very eager to hear Hoops play as the opening act. However, a quarter before the showtime, singer Alaina Moore from Tennis came up to the stage. There was a brief moment of applause for her unexpected appearance, but soon turned silent when she announced that Hoops had to cancel due to a personal emergency. Nonetheless, she welcomed Christian Wargo from Fleet Foxes, who performed a last minute set. Flashing his fancy Rickenbacker guitar, he played softly to the crowd that was still shuffling in, strategically implementing dynamics by alternating between his fingers and guitar pick. It was an intimate set with everyone silent in the audience, despite sounds of soda cans being opened and one iPhone going off. After a couple of songs, he brought a friend upstage to perform keys and drums as he switched to bass. The duo continued playing stripped down folk-pop songs. The whole set was very interesting, especially how Wargo’s friend played keys and an electric drum pad at the same time!
After Christian Wargo’s short set, the venue was fully packed. All the members of Tennis proceeded to walk on stage, with Moore returning with a Canadian tuxedo as her outfit. Right away they played their signature slow-tempo, dreamy music. The foggy stage and lighting set the mood for wishing to be in bed under the sheets, cuddling with the one you love. Throughout their songs, their hazy sound was mixed together with different genres of music, ranging from subtle undertones of jazz to funk. Guitarist Patrick Riley complimented the music well, playing jangly leads and trebly major chords. They performed newer songs from the soon-to-be-released album Yours Conditionally and some hits from 2011’s Cape Dory. After what it seemed like they were ending with “It All Feels the Same,” they came back for an encore with just the husband-and-wife duo on stage. Moving away from her synth, Alaina Moore gracefully swayed towards Riley, singing to him with passion while he picked the guitar chords of “Bad Girls.” It was a sweet ending for sweet band<3