Tennis
23 November 2018
Central Presbyterian Church, Denver, CO
Ten days ago I had never heard of this indie pop band, that is until I stumbled upon some online videos that showcased not only an eclectic mix of techno, garage, and classic soft rock, but also an infectious retro visual vibe.
For this season's tour, founders (and spouses) Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley chose to strip their songs down to their roots, limiting the onstage musicians to just themselves, relying on primarily keyboards, guitars, and sequencers. Alaina handled the sit-down piano and most of the stand-up synthesizer workload; Patrick handled all of the Fender electric guitars as well as a couple performances on a small drum set (snare, tom tom, high hat, and electronic bass drum). Despite the very spares arrangements, the as-billed "Tennis: Solo In Stereo" show sounded surprisingly full.
Alaina's voice, despite a self-admitted cold, sounded flawless, powerful, and youthfully undamaged, reflecting her practice/development in church choir growing up, and sounding remarkably similar to, of all people, Wendy Wilson (of Wilson Phillips). Most of Alaina's keyboard performance involved a simple, miniature upright piano, that she proudly claimed she found on Craigslist for $40!
The a-little-over-a-dozen song setlist included favorites "My Emotions Are Blinding", "My Better Self", my personal favorite "A Needle And A Knife", and "I Miss That Feeling" featuring the sweet Carole King-esque ending piano riff.
In the middle of the set list, Alaina opened up a free-form Q&A session, answering, among others, the question about how the duo choose their name -- turns out that Patrick Riley was, in high school, a gifted tennis player seriously contemplating an alternative professional career!
The headline act ended the main set list with "Timothy", which Alaina wrote about a Washington Post writer who had composed a negative review about her and Timothy, going so far as to say, "I hate [this band]." She described the song as therapeutic, teaching the wisdom of following her own heart, as opposed to those of strangers.
Tennis fulfilled the obligatory encore with "Please Don't Ruin This For Me", allowing the drum machine to sonically persevere as Alaina and Patrick delicately walked off the set at 9:45 P.M.
A major factor in I enjoy this band's music is the bluesy, rhythm and lead guitar work by Patrick Riley, performed in almost humble, understated fashion, to great effect.
The show opened with a singer/songwriter friend of Tennis, Esme Patterson, whose voice somewhat resembles a cross between Carole King and Shawn Colvin, and whose songwriting is musically simple but somewhat lyrically intricate, followed by a brief routine by a local comedian friend of the band. The Denver Central Presbyterian Church afforded brilliant acoustics in a spacious yet intimate setting for the 3/4 capacity crowd.
As I was leaving the venue, I ran into a workplace colleague, shook his hand, and of course asked, "What brings you here?" He quickly pointed over to a gentlemen about eight feet away and said, "That's my son, Steve!" Steve Voss managed the brilliant, 1970s lighting for this show (and tour), and had also played drums for Tennis on tour and on their most recent LP Yours Conditionally. How's that for a small planet!
I was fortunate to attend what turned out to be the last gig of a 200-show tour, originally planned as their last tour prior to what will not be their first sailing expedition. However, based on the turnout and response from the audience, I would expect a new record and many more performance dates, to larger audiences, by the end of next year. I believe that the most substantial factor in this duo's growing following is how Alaina and Patrick have pursued their passion without caring whether or not they happen to fit the mold.
[****] - Steven T.