Photos by Justin Yee & Marc Fong // Written by Justin Yee //
Tennis with The Shilohs //
The Independent – San Francisco
April 30th, 2015 //
Summer came early in SF!
Well, maybe it doesn’t feel like it today, but it did last Thursday as Denver indie-pop duo Tennis took the stage at The Independent. The band, which is made up of husband and wife Patrick Riley (guitar, keyboards, production) and Alaina Moore (vocals, keyboards), performed as a five-piece band under draped string lights that stretched over the crowd, reminiscent of a sunny backyard BBQ.
Perhaps this was the type of vibe they were going for with their nostalgic pop sounds and vintage inspired hairstyles. Moore jokingly admitted to the sold-out room that she recently got a mom cut, “the same exact haircut my mom had in 1991.” Nevertheless, she pulled it off with style and grace as they jumped into tracks off their latest album Ritual in Repeat, which was released last September on Communion Records. The crowd danced and sang along to new album favorites “Never Work for Free” and “Needle and a Knife,” as the band transitioned rather effortlessly between cuts from its earlier releases Cape Dory, Young & Old and Small Sound (EP).
Tennis provided a fitting soundtrack on a warm San Francisco night and expressed their appreciation to the crowd by stating, “you spoil us every time we play here.” SF was just the third stop on the band’s short 18-show run across North America.
To open the night, Vancouver outfit The Shilohs brought their own style of easy rock. Their catchy hooks and harmony-laced pop has already seen them open for such indie rockers as Real Estate. The quartet is currently on tour in support of their sophomore self-titled album via Light Organ Records.
Leave a Reply