There is nothing like spending a night in New Haven, CT over Halloween weekend. The streets were buzzing with energy, filled with people of all ages dressed up and ready to have some fun, along with a healthy dose of horrific traffic; truly the scariest part of my Halloweekend. Getting in and out of the Crown Street parking garage plagues my nightmares.
In the center of all the chaos sits College Street Music Hall, which was my desired destination. Amidst the noise and chatter across the city, the indie pop duo Tennis offered a bubble of peace, void of any Halloween mayhem.
Originating out of Denver, Colorado, Tennis is made up of husband-and-wife Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley. The band released their debut album “Cape Dory” over a decade ago in 2011, putting out six more albums since then. The duo is currently on tour with Sam Evian for their most recent album, “Pollen.”
One of the things I admire most about Tennis is its gorgeous aesthetic. The band’s photoshoots, album and tour promos, and tour photography feel very reminiscent of the 80’s, while also visualizing its dream-pop / lo-fi / surf-pop / indie-pop aesthetics beautifully. Tennis’s visual presence sets them apart from other mainstream pop and indie artists, who I feel as all sort of blend together after a while.
The band’s calm and peaceful stage presence complimented its sonic style and background visuals; it was almost mesmerizing, watching Moore and Riley completely lose themselves in the music, with colorful lighting shining softly upon them.
Featuring the most songs from “Pollen,” the setlist did have a few songs from each of the duo’s eras; including six tracks from “Pollen,” four from “Swimmer,” four from “Yours Conditionally,” two from “We Can Die Happy,” one from “Young & Old,” along with some singles. I always appreciate when an artist stays true to the album that they are touring for, instead of playing a “greatest hits” set, and Tennis did just that.
It turns out that I was not the only one who appreciated the bubble of calm away from New Haven’s Halloween festivities, as Moore commented at the beginning of their set, “I didn’t realize this was such a big day in New Haven,” saying that she appreciated the peaceful environment that we created.
As a casual listener, I had a wonderful time, it felt so good to just sit back and enjoy the atmosphere and the lovely people around me, who radiated appreciation for the band.
Tennis will be on tour through the end of November, and if you can catch them at one of their last shows, you absolutely should! Regardless if you are an avid fan, a casual fan, or if you have never listened to them before, the experience is well worth it.
