By Erica Eades, Staff Contributor
Grade: A
In the past month, Tegan and Sara Quin have put on 19 concerts in eight provinces. But as they played the final show of their Canadian tour at the Halifax Metro Centre on Jan. 27, they showed no signs of exhaustion.
The duo offered a long, high-energy set that combined some older hits with songs from their latest album, Sainthood. They even threw in some rarities and B-sides for the die-hard fans. Although their newly released songs were well-received by the audience, it was not until they played their 2007 hit “Walking With a Ghost” that the audience really went wild.
The goal for Sainthood was to create a record that was playable live, and this was certainly evident from their performance. In a previous interview with The Gazette, Tegan said, “The songs are getting really great responses and I think it’s because they sound like the record. They’re recognizable, and there is no excess. It really was a streamlined record and I think our live show has that vibe to it. It’s kind of no-nonsense.”
Tegan and Sara played non-stop for an hour and a half, pausing only to switch instruments and to share the occasional story with the audience. They also took some time to promote their poster sale, from which they are donating all proceeds to Doctors Without Borders and Partners in Health. To date, they have raised $20,000 for relief efforts in Haiti.
The concert closed with “Someday”, the final track on their latest album. Tegan made a slight slip in the opening lyrics, but quickly brushed it off and started again. The audience gave an enthusiastic and sincere round of applause, to which Tegan responded with a quiet, yet genuine, “Thanks, Halifax.”
Upon finishing, Tegan and Sara promptly left the stage. Their finale was met with roaring cheers that continued until they walked back on stage a few moments later. With nothing but guitars and a xylophone, they entertained the audience for another 30 minutes. They brought out some of their most popular songs at this point, such as “Call It Off”, “My Number” and “Back In Your Head”.
Tegan and Sara have a solid fan base in most major Canadian cities. This was demonstrated on their recent tour, in which they sold out shows in nearly every city they played. After moving their Halifax concert from the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium to the Metro Centre, they played to an almost packed stadium.
“It seems like every year, the audience grows,” said Sara. “So thank you. This show is for you guys.”
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