Tegan and Sara Live Up to the Hype.
by: Catherine Hollifield
superdyke.com

Richard's on Richards radiated an atmosphere of hype last Saturday with the return of Tegan and Sara to their adopted hometown. Tegan and Sara showed that they can fill the house to capacity with people and powerful grrrl music. Their folk-punk acoustic style has evolved into a full-bodied post-pop rock more than worthy of the precocious 22 year olds that they are. They have managed to mature musically and professionally while still maintaining a raw edge and originality that makes them exciting to listen to.

This may be the last time that all the beautiful dykes in attendance get to see Tegan and Sara at such a quaint venue as Richard's on Richard's. With the recent release of 'If It Was You' Tegan and Sara's music has gained widespread appeal without buying into the bubblegum pop set of fake produced pop. They are moving beyond the second stage folk fest and coffee house circuit.

Although their stage presence has grown, Tegan and Sara still showed some growing pains. They had to restart a powerful version of 'City Girl' after Tegan (I think) forgot the lyrics. As well, Tegan and Sara's between song banter seems to have a ways to go beyond only being endearing to their barely legal grrrl fans. Their cynical sisterly love act has the potential to be a great complement to their music if they can just keep it short and sweet, like most of their songs.

Tegan and Sara mixed their set with a combination of their musical styles from their powerful acoustic roots to the passionate fullness of their electric rock sound. New electric versions of old songs such as 'Frozen' and 'Hype" showcased the new Tegan and Sara sound. They managed to be loud without being noisy and created a rock band edge that drew the crowd in. 'Underwater', 'City Girl' and 'I Hear Noises' gave the crowd a real taste of rockrrr grrrl anthems.

The only time Tegan and Sara seemed to falter musically was with their attempts at 'out of tune' pop as with 'Not Tonight' and a new version of 'My Number'. These grrrls have already proven that they really can sing so it just seems pointless to compromise their musical expression with these awkward sounding attempts at alternative pop.

Overall, Tegan and Sara demonstrated Saturday night that they could please both old and new fans alike. They inspired the crowd with a renewed freshness and vigor for genuine pop music. Tegan and Sara can no longer be described as up and coming. They are well on their way to becoming the 'superstars' they sing about.