Though
I've mentioned Tegan & Sara many times in this blog, this
is my first time I get to write about seeing them in concert! Oh how I love my
Tegan & Sara. The first time I saw them at the Grog Shop (12/04/04), it was
almost by accident. I had heard about them before, I even had a bootleg that i
acquired somewhere but never really listened to. I guess all I remember is that
they were recommended by Amazon, which didn't weigh much on my respect list. A
couple days before they came, I listened to some tracks from their new "So
Jealous" album and thought it was worth
going.
Since that point, seeing them in
concert has positioned them in my top 20 (maybe top 10) favorite artists. I had
since tried getting everyone I could to listen to them, and did so with great
success. Finally, nearly 8 months later they were coming to the Newport in
Columbus. DeVane was going with me, so we drove down and stayed with his
friend Lori. We got there early, expecting to grab a bite and hang around the
area for a bit, before we realized just how long the line was getting to get
into the show! We hadn't gotten tickets yet, and I was quite fearful that the
show would be sold out. So we secured our place in line and waited it
out.
The crowd was definitely
interesting. It really made me question how much longer I would be doing
"young" shows like this. The crowd being so hip and alternative (is hip even
accurate anymore?), and here I am, a nearly 30 yr old gay male. But usually
those thoughts brush by me quickly, and then are forgotten. I hope I will
always be going to shows that I enjoy, regardless of who else they may
attract.
Once we were inside, I realized
that I had forgotten my little book and pen to write about the show! Luckily I
had my camera. And damn if the Newport wasn't so clean that I couldn't find a
scrap piece of paper or pen ANYWHERE.
So
now that I'm looking to write about the show far after the date, I don't have
record of who opened. I guess neither band made a huge impression on me (though
I have pics from both opening bands). After some research, I do know that one
of the bands is Communique. But since none of the opening band
pictures came out to well, I'll leave them off this post (sorry
guys).
Tegan & Sara was good, playing
to a much larger audience, in a much larger venue than the Grog Shop show I saw
them previously. I was happy for them drawing such a large crowd, but it did
lose something that the previous show had. I felt like at the Grog, they were
a bit more relaxed. Tegan & Sara, being the twin sisters they are, are
known for their inter-song banter which can be downright evil and entertaining!
This show at the Newport was missing a lot of that. Still, the music was
amazing and I will see them any chance I can
get.
Click here to see my Flickr Photoset of this
show. Also, check out my new Flickr Photos link
on the right for access to all my music
photos!
Here's a clip of "Walking with
the Ghost" from the show: