Read previous – Tegan and Sara at The Mann w/ fun.
Photos and words by Taylor Shields
Iconic indie pop twins Tegan and Sara played their first show in three years on Wednesday night at Union Transfer in Philly, on the tail of the release of their tenth studio album, Crybaby. Supporting the duo was Tomberlin, fronted by Brooklyn singer-songwriter Sarah Beth Tomberlin. With a stage presence that feels naturally relaxed and calm, Tomberlin’s easy-listening indie folk sounds soothes the crowd before the sheer power of Sarah Beth’s voice sneaks up and pierces through the room to snap you out of your trance and smack you across the face with a wave of emotion built into the lyrics of the songs. Tomberlin performed tracks off their sophomore album i don’t know who needs to hear this… and their 2018 debut LP, At Weddings.
By the time Tegan and Sara took the stage at 9pm, the crowd was packed in and ready for what promised to be a nostalgic night, celebrating the humble beginnings of early low-fi acoustic bedroom indie music the duo is known for and the more polished mainstream pop into which their sound has naturally and seamlessly evolved over the past nearly 30 years. The audience appeared to be the same audience that the band has always had, a devout following of fans, now in their mid 30s, that likely first heard the sounds of Tegan and Sara in high school. The fans who initially connected with their catchy melodies and lyrics about growing up queer and figuring out who you are have kept Tegan and Sara’s music close to them all these years, as the sisters have grown into fully formed adults who finally feel grounded in their voices and identities.
Tegan and Sara were very much a coming-of-age band in their early days, with each album in their body of work feeling like another stepping stone in the journey to becoming who they are today as artists and individuals. Although they’ve grown, their natural chemistry and quippy banter remains the same as it always has; their intertwining lyrical patterns and vocal trade-offs remain as sharp as ever. Performing songs they haven’t played live in over a decade, the crowd was treated to one surprise after another with a perfect career-spanning setlist that included sound-defining old favorites such as “The Con”, “Nineteen”, and “Back in Your Head”, newer anthems like “Closer”, “Boyfriend”, and their latest Crybaby singles, “F*cking Up What Matters” and “Smoking Weed Alone”.
The tour kicked off in Philly and will continue across North America this fall (tour dates here), as Tegan and Sara promote Crybaby, as well as their new television show High School (an adaptation of their memoir of the same name), which they produce alongside close friend and writer/director Clea DuVall. Check out the brand new music video for “Smoking Weed Alone” below and keep scrolling to see more photos from the show.
