On April 24th, at The Joint, Tegan and Sara played an opening set at Hard Rock’s The Joint in Las Vegas. The critically acclaimed indie rock duo came out with powerful vocals and a comfortable appearance. The crowd, who was primarily there to see the headlining act, Death Cab for Cutie, seemed enamored by the twin sisters. Tegan, sporting all black and an asymmetrical haircut, started strong with their opening track “Dark Comes Soon.” Sara looked every bit the part in her striped shirt, black skinny jeans and high-tops, as she played guitar.

The girls took turns with the lead vocals as they belted out material from their two most recent albums including, “The Con”, “Walkin with the Ghost” and “Back in Your Head”. I observed a unique range of emotion and attachment coming from the crowd. Their most loyal fans held up homemade posters while they were anxiously focused on Sara’s touching vocals and Tegan’s every move. Throughout the 13 song set, I turned and looked at the audience and saw fans, singing along to every lyric, with unmatched enthusiasm.

Both girls demonstrated their Canadian wit, throughout the set. They shared funny stories about their tour with the audience, in between instrument changes. Their demeanor was both unassuming and gracious, as they answered “cat calls” coming from the audience. Their music was relevant and moving; I was pleasantly surprised to see that their sound is captured very realistically in their recordings. Overall, I found myself thinking how fortunate I was to catch them at such an exemplary venue. Once Tegan and Sara receive the notoriety they deserve, one will be hard pressed to get such an intimate experience.