Tegan and Sara Perform at the Pabst Theater: Concert Review

Notes from a Tegan and Sara Show…. A review on why I won’t be attending their show again. 

Tegan and Sara, identical twins formed to create a Canadian indie pop singing duo, performed at the Pabst Theater last night, Thursday Oct. 10.

The Quinn sisters have been performing together since 1995 with now eight studio albums and many EPs. They’re now on tour promoting their eighth album Love You to Death, which released in June of this summer. After being invited to review their show, I went in only aware of one song by them, “Closer” from their 2012 album Heartthrob which ranked at number three on the top 200 Billboard songs. Besides that, I knew absolutely nothing about the duo.

Below is the chicken scratch I wrote during my first Tegan and Sara experience.

• Opener: Torres
  • Singer: Mackenzie Scott
  • Blond, tall girl dressed in all black with very immense heels
  • indie rock, folk, alternative rock
  • sounds metal at some points
  • all members are in black, heads down the entire time performing
  • Music sounds angry sometimes, Scott is screaming into microphone
  • Interesting music though, very captivating
  • Music allows you to get lost
• Torres now finished and is off stage
• Taking a long time after Torres for Tegan and Sara to come out
• Lights go dark, room is black now
• Purple lights now flashing with a song that is not theirs. Pretty sure this is a way to distract us from how long they are taking. This goes on for about two to three minutes.
• Stage is now lit up. It is a cube design with flashing lights in the background. Everything is dark blue.
• Tegan and Sara enter the stage, they begin performing.
• Opening song is “Back In Your Head”
  • extremely catchy tune
  • Tiësto remix
• Everyone in the band is wearing all white including Tegan and Sara. However, Tegan has a jean vest on and Sara, a black vest.
• Next song is “I Couldn’t Be Your Friend”
• Lights are now bright blue and black flashing lights with one single purple light on Sara as she sings
• I’m sitting on the second level and everyone is sitting down. Few people are standing and dancing. Very chill show.
• Now performing “How Come You Don’t Want Me?”
  • I really like this song
• Realizing how extremely gifted they are. Rare sounding voices.
• Now talking to the crowd. Lights are bright. Asking how the crowd is doing. Tegan says this is one of her favorite venues. Sara is quiet. Tegan asks why she is so silent. Sara replies with dry humor on how she doesn’t want to spoil the show before they even get started. Evident they are sisters.
• The lights are now purple, pink, and red. Looks like a cotton candy sky.
• Their music reminds me of the ’80’s
• Next song is “Drove Me Wild”
• I’m beginning to notice all their songs seem to start with the same noise / tune
• The lights are now a mix of green and blue
• Performing “Goodbye, Goodbye”
  • Started getting annoying after awhile
• Mix of purple and pink lights now
• Performing “Love They Say”
• Orange lights now and then bright darker red lights flashing in the background
  • very impressive light show
• Now performing “White Knuckles”
• Sara repulsively walks back and forth as she sings
• Good music, but boring choreography
• They begin to talk to the crowd again after only four songs. The lights are bright again.
• Of course politics are brought up. Sara is passionately talking about voting. I’m very irritated. She includes bad humor about the presidency and how she supports Hillary Clinton because she is a “bad-ass.” Note: they are Canadians.
• Tegan is awkwardly standing in the background, not talking.
• A guy in the crowd yells “(bleep) 2016!”
• Sara responds to the man by saying they are from Canada…almost as if to say not their problem – so why are you bringing this up? People come to concerts to escape from reality and have fun for a few hours. Stop talking about politics!
• Sara now brings up Obama and asks if we support Obama then we need to support Hillary. Please stop pushing your political beliefs on us at a concert!
• Sara killed the entire vibe of the show. She lost me after her rant.
• Now Sara brings up how Tegan doesn’t like when she talks politics during their shows. Tegan says she can do it at the end of the show, not in the middle of it because she doesn’t want the mood to be brought down.
• Sara made the crowd promise to not be a fool and repeat after her about how we will all go vote. Extremely lame. I think voting is extremely important as well, but I do not want to even think about the elections at a concert.  Something about politics and trying to get down and have a fun night doesn’t seem to mix so well.
• Red lights now to perform “Don’t Be A Fool”
• Orange lights with flashes of purple and pink
• Now performing “Shock To Your System”
  • Note made after show: sounds much better live than over audio (more intense and fun)
• Purple lights now flashing white in the background
• Now performing “Alligator”
  • Absolutely loved this song. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if the mood wasn’t killed earlier.
• I’m now debating on leaving the show early with my “plus one”
• White lights very bright and flashing quickly
• Tegan now has a guitar. Earlier she was behind a keyboard the entire time.
• Now performing “NorthShore”
  • Super cool song
  • Spitting lyrics extremely quick
  • Sounds old school punk rock
  • Tegan is singing mostly
• Crowd is clapping now
• Tegan on front mic now
• Now performing “Living Room”
  • Sweet transitions in the song
  • Love the guitars
  • I think this is my favorite song of the night
• Their lyrics are hard to understand (for someone who doesn’t listen to their music) but they have amazing voices.
• The stage is black now.
• And now they are talking to the crowd for a third time….in less than an hour. Their talks are not short side comments. They are stopping the show and chatting it up. Many people like this, I personally don’t.
• Tegan is talking about how everyone she talks to who knows Milwaukee thinks of Wayne’s World and how The Rave is haunted.
• She is telling a story about doing her laundry at the Rave and how she was so scared she made someone else do it.
• Loves the venues but very terrifying
• She lost me because they talk so much.
• Random conversation talking about her grandparents bar where they would do their homework as a child. So random.
• I notice the band is off stage now and it is just Tegan and Sara.
• Now she is talking about ghosts and the Rave again.
• Now she is discussing their 2007 album “The Con” which Tegan wrote in a house she moved to after getting out a long-term relationship. She was very depressed and in a dark place. Grateful for that stage.
• It is the ten year anniversary of “The Con”
• Now performing the acoustic version of the song “The Con”
• Me and my “plus one” decided to leave

Although we left early and didn’t get to see the rest of the show, I don’t doubt they impressed the crowd with their musical talents. They are impressive and extremely talented. They had a fun stage set up and trippy light show. Honestly, I probably would’ve stayed if the mood wasn’t completely murdered by their continuous talking especially Sara’s long rant on the elections and voting. I know I wasn’t the only person in the room bugged out of my mind by that because Sara (in hopes of humor) pointed out the grumpy faces while she was talking. Perhaps she didn’t take the hint?

Needless to say, I will add a few of their songs to my playlists because I really did enjoy their music, but if they find themselves in Milwaukee again, I won’t be attending.