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Alaina Moore is the cutest thing on Planet Earth.
Screw those silly cat memes and babies being licked by dogs. I'll take the Tennis lead singer, wrapped in a big floral bow of a dress, with her ringlets all over the place, cooing about her sea voyages with her man when I'm in need of a bit of sunshine. She even makes sadness sound like something you'd willingly buy at vintage shop curated by Zooey Deschanel (the ultra super mega queen of cute).
Alaina and her twee-ness led the band through a short set of songs from their two LPs at Union Transfer, and it was quite the all ages event. Tennis' fuzzed out, girl-group harmonies are a great middle ground for all music fans — hip enough to make you feel cool, but tuneful enough for a casual music fan to show up and get in on the groove.
The beginning of the show was a bit shaky, simply because the sound balance was off. Throughout older tracks "Deep in the Woods" and "Baltimore," Alaina's mic was too hot, and the bass pounded to the front of the mix, burying anything in its path. But once it got figured out, it was quite the bit of fun to watch and listen. The 60s surfer melody of "Robin" was a trip to American Bandstand in the best way possible — swingin', sassy, sexy. Same goes for the Motown throwback "Petition," when Alaina stepped from behind her keyboard and danced a little for the crowd.
Speaking of Motown, the new song they played had a more R&B feel in the vein of "Petition." It'll be interesting to see if they continue down that path – it really suits Alaina's vocals and the overall tight, precise playing of the band. I wish the set had closed on the rocking, high energy step of "It All Stays the Same" instead of "Origin" (that song has such an incredible bite live), but that's forgivable.
Once Tennis left the stage, a considerable amount of space cleared out in front of the stage at Union Transfer – the teeny boppers and kids on a curfew left, and it was quite noticeable. Once White Rabbit took the stage, it was practically tangible — ADULTS ONLY.
Blue backlights shrouded lead singer Stephen Patterson as he took to the mic to sing the opening lyrics of "Heavy Metal". The lights, aside from the color, were a little reminiscent of the "Percussion Gun" video, and it was beautiful. Interesting move to open with a lead single, which is also the first track on the new album — but I'll be damned if it didn't work. A bit smug, and sexy as all get out, it was the right tone to set for the rest of the evening.
If you were at all weary of the electronic flourishes that color Milk Famous, this set seemed intent on making you a convert. The electronic sounds were pushed forward, as they are on the album. But with the added weight of live percussion to fill out these new, sonically-adventurous arrangements, a real spark went off to show you how masterfully Milk Famous is constructed.
The mix of eerie keyboards and reverb was hypnotic on "Hold It to the Fire." It left me spellbound and rushing to get to iTunes to go buy the LP. Same with "Danny Come Inside" — the insistent base and percussion made you move without even thinking about it. Popular single "Percussion Gun" came late in the set and it was a smart move. Let the new tracks do the talking before sealing the deal with a sure-fire hit, which it was. Stephen's snarl and falsetto are just like spiked metal and velvet respectively – you're afraid to touch, but once you do, its pretty sweet.
The two acts couldn't have been more different, but what a way to experience light and dark, innocence and sex. In an effort to not get super meta, ill make it plain – what a fucking fantastic night. — Darren White
Below, check out each band's setlist from the show. Find Tennis' upcoming tour dates here; White Rabbtis' here.
Tennis @ Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA – Tuesday, March 6, 2012
01 Deep in the Woods
02 Baltimore
03 Robin
04 Pigeon
05 Petition
06 South Carolina
07 Marathon
08 New Song (You're the One)
09 My Better Self
10 It All Stays the Same
11 Waterbirds
12 Origin
White Rabbits @ Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA – Tuesday, March 6, 2012
01 Heavy Metal
02 I'm Not Me
03 Salesman
04 Dancing (Nord)
05 Temporary
06 Are You Free
07 Hold It to the Fire
08 They Done Wrong
09 Plot
10 Day You Won the War
11 Rudie Fails
12 Back 4 More
13 Percussion Gun
14 Danny Come Inside
——encore break——
15 Kid on My Shoulders
16 Had It Coming
