Tennis was great
by Char04 on 3/5/12Bowery Ballroom - NEW YORKSuch a fun band with a chill attitude. Bowery was the perfect place to see them, good view and good crowd.
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Tennis on Tour
There's no doubt that Tennis have real chemistry onstage — singer Alaina Moore and guitarist Patrick Riley are married and have been since they started this sweetly hooky indie pop outfit back in 2010. In person, they often take turns on keyboards while backed by drums and bass. This configuration lets the pair lean into their modern, lightly psychedelic side, joining dreamy atmosphere with driving rhythm. But the moments when the backing band steps away are all the more compelling, highlighting the depth of Moore's voice and the sparkle of Riley's chords, not to mention their mutual love for vintage ‘50s pop. The Denver-based couple tours nearly nonstop, supporting indie rock giants like HAIM, the Shins and Spoon, as well as headlining their own shows. For their 2020 run behind their fifth album Swimmer, they tapped the beguiling and breathy Austin retro-pop queen Molly Burch. If Tennis' music often feels beamed in from another era, they typically have the look to match — '70s hair, flared pants, sequins, turtlenecks — all of which adds to their out-of-time appeal.
Tennis in Concert
Tennis' origin story is truly one of one. Sure, Moore and Riley met in a philosophy class while studying at the University of Colorado in Denver — fairly standard. But upon graduation, the couple spent eight months at sea in their boat, The Swift Ranger, touring the East Coast while discussing music. Their 2011 debut album, Cape Dory, in fact documents that experience. Though it was intended as a personal project, the record wooed audiences with its lovely "sha-na-nas" and sparkling lo-fi indie pop, paving the way for a second LP the very next year. 2012's Young & Old was produced by the Black Keys' Patrick Carney. That one found Tennis loosening up after months of touring, letting the drums and keys speak even as Moore's vocals became clearer and more emotionally evocative. In between major releases, the duo solidified their malt-shop, dream-pop sound covering the likes of the Zombies, Brenda Lee, Broadcast and Television. They graduated from Fat Possum Records to Communion (founded by Mumford & Sons' Ben Lovett) for 2014's delightfully dialed-in Ritual in Repeat, which featured production by Carney, Richard Swift (the Shins) and Jim Eno (Spoon). Despite that one's success, Moore and Riley felt creatively blocked, so they again took to the water, sailing from San Diego to the Sea of Cortez to write 2017's Yours Conditionally, which they released on their own label, Mutually Detrimental. Tennis returned in 2020 with the comparatively hi-fi sounding Swimmer.
Such a fun band with a chill attitude. Bowery was the perfect place to see them, good view and good crowd.
Great live show, as per usual. This is my second time seeing Tennis. The first was from before they were popular and I had them all to myself. Not much has changed, except the size of their fan base, which is growing, and that's a good thing, because they deserve success. Great band, great show, great time.
Great venue, great sound, great bar, Tennis was amazing
I was sooo happy to finally be seeing Tennis perform! I would have preferred for them to just have one band before them instead of two, and see them go on at 10pm instead of 11pm.
Had not been to Bowery Ballroom in a while and had forgotten how much I love this venue. Tennis put on a fantastic show, and thought they were better live than on the album. Really enjoyed Hospitality as well.
Tennis puts on a great show. While they do lack a little bit of chatter on stage, they make up for banter with a full and rich sound. Their set included some tracks off their first album and all the gems off their current release. They also played a new unreleased song which was awesome.
Tennis' concert began a few minutes after nine pm, as the opening act --Hospitality-- took the stage. Hospitality is a great band, a great compliment to Tennis: alternative rock, but without the surfer-vibe. With strong drumbeats and deftly skilled use of their three guitars, Hospitality has the beat, but their vocals need work. The lyrics are fun and light, but also hard to hear over the instruments; the microphone was not the best and the lead singer's words took on a sharp whistle anytime the word included the letter "s." Tennis came on stage by ten fifteen pm. They were very gracious, warm, and excited to be performing for the crowd. If I remember correctly, the first song was "Deep in the Woods" from their new album "Young and Old" as well as their single EP "Origins." The band sounded great, and their style translated well to live performance. I had a great time listening to the music and I felt satisfied to experience their talent live on stage. I really admire Tennis, and I feel that they are truly talented performers--truly happy to share their music with their fans. I would recommend Tennis in Concert to any of their fans. The show is enjoyable and well done. That said, the performance --like any live perfomance-- was not perfect; their sound as a band is singular and I don't feel that this show would win over someone who isn't already a fan of their music.
Tennis was absolutely amazing. They sound great live. Can't wait to see them again next time they're in Boston!
tennis, just launching their first tour only 8 MONTHS after "becoming" a band, sure hit the nail on the head. there was some questionably gratuitous (and clearly last minute addition) back up cameo vocalizing by katy goodman of la sera and molly hamilton of widowspeak, but it ultimately didn't diminish the utterly charming and fresh energy of the show. the perplexing thing about the show was the lack of encore -- confounding, considering how excellent it was!
Holiday Shores = high school band La Sera = adorable and nice Tennis = surprisingly charming, fresh versions of songs, sweet endearing and fun Nothing revolutionary, but totally enjoyable Good venue!