Tennis Headlines The Sinclair
Adam Reynoso ’15 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
Coming off their tour opening for HAIM earlier this year, Tennis made their way back to the area, this time headlining their own tour. The band came back and owned the stage at the Sinclair in Cambridge and had the crowd singing along with each track. Lead singer, Alaina Moore, soothed the audience with her calming, smooth voice, while also creating an energetic vibe with her keyboard skills.
Pure Bathing Culture opened for the band and complimented the band’s style. They started the show off with more mellow, chill sounds mixed with an electronic touch. It set the vibe of the show in a good way and gave a peek into what the audience should expect. They had fans in the crowd who made it a point to cheer them on the stage and even ask them questions about the band. It’s rare to see a band who’s open in to that kind of interaction with fans and audiences, so it was a refreshing sight.
After their set, Tennis finally made their way out and opened with “Solar on the Rise.” They started off strong and maintained the same energy throughout the rest of their set. The next song elicited an even greater response, performing their popular track, “Mean Streets.” And while the band wasn’t the type to really move around the stage much, mainly due to the lead singer playing the keyboards, they still managed to have a clear and entertaining stage presence. Even on the keyboards, Moore managed to inject her on attitude to the songs, usually using hand gestures.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2WPgImmCWs
But when they performed “Origins,” she did leave the keyboards and took center stage, much to the crowds delight. The lighting at the venue also worked with the band, usually lit by either green and yellow or pink and blue spotlights. It added to the mood and the music itself. Singing on stage, it was clear Moore owned the room and the band had really earned their headlining tour. The rest of the band played together perfectly and really synced up with each other.
The band’s set consisted of a mix of their current and older hits, giving it a good flow. They played one of their newer songs, “Never Work For Free,” “Petition,” and closed with the older “Marathon.” Before they performed “I’m Callin’,” Moore admitted to the difficulties she had about writing that song in particular. It was a moment of honesty that was nice to hear and it made the final product even better. The song itself was catchy and had the audience dancing along with it.
Tennis has proven they can carry their own tour and put on a hell of a show. They also make sure they put everything into their performance and make sure the heart is always in there as well. They’re a band that’s sure to keep putting out more hits that will continue to find their audience and pack their shows as they did with the Sinclair.