Some artists have an uncanny propensity for developing the sort of fan base that borders on cultic in its dedication. While the fans of singer/songwriter/twin sister duo Tegan and Sara have not crossed the threshold of sanity like the adoring flocks of Kiss and Jimmy Buffett, there is a very peculiar energy that the group shares with those super fans.
That energy, a warmth or empathy of sorts, radiated from the stage of Fort Lauderdale's Revolution Live last night and was channeled through the capacity crowd which swarmed the venue. Desperate shout-a-longs were the order of the evening and, despite the fact that the duo's lyrical calling card is the unfiltered emotional distress of relationships, there were nothing but smiles from the crowd.
See also: Full Slideshow from Tegan and Sara at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale
The show opened with local experimental trip-hop collective the Astrea Corporation. Though we had the misfortune of missing the set, there was plenty of buzz around the venue about the local's performance. We must mention how refreshing it is to see a native opening a major show -- something that has become a rarity in the area.
Tegan and Sara, fresh from their performance on the Parahoy Cruise, were greeted by an uproar from the crowd that shook the venue. Finding their land legs quickly, the duo wasted little time getting emotional with the crowd and digging into a set that ranged from the dance-inducing synth churn of new material to crowd pleasing favorites from deep in the duo's past.
The title track from 2007's The Con had the audience drowning out the performers with its own raucous singing, however, the mid tempo trot of "I Was A Fool" off of last year's polished and poppy Heartthrob garnered a surprisingly similar response, once again displaying the dedication of Tegan and Sara fans.
Though the duo spent much of the night strumming on various guitars, the performance of "Alligator" brought a bit of understated rockstar charm from duo -- a virtual sigh during the high energy set. Tegan traded her guitar for some sundry percussion toy and shimmied in front of the mic while Sara propped herself up with her own mic stand, portraying the emotional exhaustion of the song with a touch of greaser cool in a leather jacket.
The tail end of the set brought the audience back to a fever pitch, once again fighting for supremacy with the club's formidable sound system through the choruses of "Nineteen" and a few more newer numbers. The twins themselves were even surprised by the crowd's reaction, as Tegan claimed she, "Did not expect it to be this fun." She described the energy of the show as, "Fucking awesome!"
An encore featuring a pair of fan favorites, "Call it Off" and "Living Room," had couples in the sweat-logged and grinning crowd embracing each other and singing away the last of their voices. The twins sent much of the audience home to spend Thursday in the mute.
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