Austin – It was a chilly and wet night in Austin, TX when the husband and wife duo of Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley (a.k.a. Tennis) took the stage at the Parish. Already having been an unremarkable day in an unremarkable week, I was hoping that this particular night would break the pattern of monotony that I felt myself being flattened into. I needed a vacation.
Not quite a trip to the beach, but about as close as I could get on a weekday evening, Tennis came on stage and swept me away. The second Moore’s sparkling voice filled the airwaves, and the light-hearted riffs and chords circulated through the crowd, I was having a hard time remembering what my weekly stresses had been.
Kicking off their set with the popular single off of their new Small Sound EP, “Mean Streets”, the band was an instant delight. Moore’s flowery voice colored this song beautifully, as the catchy melodies held your attention until the end. There was something so effortlessly enchanting about Moore. With her subtle movements and long curly blond hair, she was able to maintain a very feminine and mesmerizing aura without being overtly seductive or sexual. This in conjunction with her effervescent voice made Moore a thoroughly refreshing centerpiece to this live outfit.
With the performance of “South Carolina”, I found myself drifting off, picturing sun and sand on a relaxing outing to the beach. There is something to be said for a song that has the capacity to transport the listener to a completely new setting. Some tracks will trigger critical thinking or distract you, but it takes a truly remarkable song to paint such a vivid and alluring landscape that all it takes is the simple act of shutting your eyes for you to find yourself completely absorbed in it.
Another interesting element of the band’s live presence was that they didn’t behave like they were the main attraction of the evening, even though a sold out crowd would certainly prove that they were. Maintaining a presence without dominating, Tennis creates an atmosphere that feels more like a casual get together with friends rather than a performance for a paying audience.
One of the highlights of the evening came when the band played the old favorite “Marathon” off of their debut album Cape Dory. As everyone basked in the flowery hooks and breezy vocals, it may as well have been New Year’s Eve in the Bahamas, rather than the ordinary mid-January Wednesday evening that it actually was.
The final minutes of the pre-encore set brought the bands live rendition of “Origins”, conjuring more of an attitude from the otherwise calm singer. With angrier guitars and a more emphatic vocal articulation, this pseudo-finale saw the crowd at its most clamorous. As the chorus hit, Moore’s easy vocals were transformed into chants of protest, revealing the young singer as more than just a pretty voice.
After reentering for the inevitable encore, the band ended the show with the classic “Seafarer”. Classic Tennis, this song painted visions of gentle waves and a bright blue sky, allowing the crowd one last three minute escape into paradise. But the colors and peacefulness of the songs hung in the air even after the band left the stage, and I felt cozy and relaxed amidst this haze.
The next day, I came to realize how important it is to appreciate this quality of escapism in a band or a musician; because on a cold and cloudy morning drive to work, sometimes a daydream and a song are all you’ve got to make it to the end of the week.
Photo By Scott Dye – Thumbnail Photo By Sara Swaty
Ruth Griffin
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