LIVE REVIEW: Tennis + J. Thoven @ The Constellation Room, Santa Ana 8/13/12

Denver, CO indie-pop band Tennis came to Orange County on a very warm summer night. The heat didn’t stop the band or the crowd from grooving out in a room where the majority of the audience was covered in sweat from not only the heat, but just being a standing spectator. The best part of watching Tennis live has to be the flawless way they perform their songs. The sound was crisp and the music was perfect, almost sounding identical to the original recordings.

To anyone who’s heard Tennis before, it’s very apparent that Alana Moore’s gorgeous soaring vocals are what stand out the most. That and her hubby Patrick Riley’s guitar and bass playing. Drummer James Barone is what solidifies this band. His drumming is very impressive, never really recycling drum patterns. It was very inspiring to witness Patrick play guitar on some songs, then switching to bass on others without missing a beat.

The setlist was compiled mostly of songs from their sophomore album Young & Old which was released earlier this year via Fat Possum Records. Songs like “Petitions” and “Origins” had everyone dancing around while songs like “My Better Self” and “Deep In The Woods” had the crowd (both male and female) singing passionately along as if they were in the shower. “My Better Self” was mixed into “Waterbirds” following a brief jam session. Alana acknowledged the rising temperature in between songs saying “Its really hot in here, but it feels good.”

The best way to describe Tennis’ sound and live performance is like riding a cloud on a warm day. Being at the perfect altitude where the sun is slightly burning your skin, but the cool breeze coming in soothes it at the same time. You can catch Tennis live on the remainder of their tour which will make various stops in the U.S. throughout September and October.

Check out more photos of Tennis with J. Thoven here.