Last night's Tegan and Sara show was an absolute blast. The identical twin sisters from Canada were witty and energized, ripping through dozens of their punk-infused power poppy songs, mostly from their latest recording, "The Con."
Highlights of the evening included "Walking with a Ghost," "Like O, Like H," "I Bet It Stung," "So Jealous," "Back In Your Head" and a rippin' version of "Nineteen" that had fans spilling into the aisles only to be scolded by the super stern security. (The only song on my mental list but not on the set list was the melancholy "Soil, Soil.")
The sisters were backed by a trio of male musicians, all of who faded into the backdrop -- a massive line drawing of three tree stumps -- because of the girls' all-encompassing presence.
Both Tegan and Sara dressed in black, with similar a-symmetrical, quasi-mullet haircuts, and both took turns singing and playing keyboards. Even though they were born only eight minutes apart, Tegan has the air of a "big sister" whereas Sara is the slightly more lighthearted little sis. Together, they create a complex dynamic that's rooted in love and rivalry.
I thought a lot about my sister during this show, mostly wondering why the hell we spent so much time hacking the hair off our Barbies and fighting over sweaters instead of jamming out with guitars.
Known for their witty banter, the sisters Quin dished up cute quips for Milwaukee fans. "I would like to address how adorable it is when you talk," said Sara. "But I have a really hard time impersonating it -- not to your faces of course, that would be rude -- but your accent is really cute."
Later, she promised to return to Milwaukee someday, and when she did, to give everyone in attendance a unicorn.
Also, they addressed a longstanding issue about whether or not it's OK to stand during a concert. Particularly at The Pabst, concertgoers quibble over this because some like to watch the show as if it were a movie whereas others want to shake it.
Tegan and Sara were clearly in favor of letting people stand and / or dance. Tegan talked about attending a Bruce Springsteen show recently and being asked to sit down. "This man is 58 years old, and he's running back forth on the stage, and I have waited to see him since I was 12 years old, and I'm not going to sit down," she said.
They went on to suggest that fans should switch seats to accommodate the sitters and the standers, but eventually settled on dictating when fans should sit and stand -- kind of like church.
"We're superdelegates," said Sara. "We'll tell you when you can sit and stand."
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.