Tegan & Sara Banter in B-Town
Last Thursday, Canadian superduo/world's chattiest identical twins Tegan and Sara fluttered into town for their first show in Burlington since Higher Ground was in Winooski about nine years ago. All I have to say about that is, it's about flipping time.
Ok, I have a few other things to say about their descent on our micropolis. But first, I want you to watch this little video of the sibs bantering during the show about tiny staircases, being rich and gratitude. (Please keep in mind that I am not Eva Sollberger and thus the quality of my videography is somewhere between drunken frat party footage and that home video of your ninth birthday.)
For those unfamiliar with the band, Tegan and Sara are an indie pop group from Vancouver/Montreal who have been performing blustery, confident music since they were teenagers. They are also both queer and out, making them Canada's best gay twin pop musicians. Ever. Thus their show in Burlington was like a who's who of the region's homo rainbow. Lesbian haircuts abounded.
Earlier on Thursday, the pair were scheduled to do a radio interview with DJ Llu at WRUV 90.1. Lucky for me, DJ Llu is a F.O.L.O (Friend of Lauren Ober) and invited me over to the studio to watch the magic happen. And by watch the magic happen, I mean sit outside the studio like a completely fawning sketchball while the palm-sized twins traded witty barbs. Whatever, I'll take it.
After the interview, which you can and should listen to here, I got to meet the group. Tingggg! That was the sound of a tiny dream coming true. We chatted about how Burlington is like Victoria, B.C. (and every other small town), our lack of non-white people here and Tegan and Sara's love of regional trivia quizzes. Tegan shook my hand twice. Had I actually shaken back, I would have crushed her tiny bird mitt, effectively bringing their return to Burlington to a tragic, screeching end.
Anyway, this has nothing to do with the actual concert and everything to do with the fact that meeting them made my day and I wanted to share that with you, my three friends. In some small way, I get now how rapturous fans become oozing puddles when Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga's spittle lands on their cheeks. There's an illusion of connection that is completely intoxicating.
The show was great, despite the fact that they did not invite me onstage for a dance party or a guest spot playing the shaker. Perhaps that's because I accidentally wore a black and white striped shirt that looked vaguely like the shirts they were wearing on the cover of their new album Sainthood. I didn't realize my fashion misstep until someone asked me if I had purposely dressed like them. No, I did not, thank you.
So thanks Tegan and Sara for spreading good cheer in Burlington. I hope you think of us often and pine for the day you can return. Don't be strangers.
I can't believe you got to meet them! Jealous.
That show was the best (minus the d-bag who threw the glow stick and told Tegan to take her pants off. And also the stinky, tiny, "we don't dance we flail and are also stinky" girls in front of me.)
Posted by: Leila | August 03, 2010 at 01:24 PM