Live Music: Tennis

Jan 31

Brooklyn Steel in New York, NY

By Gabby Cabacab

The lights go dark and a drum begins to play softly in the background. Two women walk towards center stage, their silhouettes illuminated. The bass begins to grow in volume and engulf you as the two women sing along mesmerizing harmony. Soon the lights pulse with a sudden upbeat, electronic rhythm, and the women break out into dance allowing the music to fill the venue. These women are Overcoats. The New York-based duo released their debut album YOUNG early 2017, and are definitely here to show the world that women are coming and are here to stay in the music industry. With incredible songs such as Hold Me Close and The Fog, Overcoats showcase their talents as lyricists, vocalists, and musicians. Ending their set with their song, Leave The Light On, Overcoats set a powerful tone for the night to come.

Now, close your eyes and imagine you’re in a time machine that’s set to transport you to the 1970s. At least, that’s how I feel when I listen to Tennis. When Tennis came on stage and opened with No Exit, off of their most recent EP We Can Die Happy, you knew you were in for a night to remember. This husband and wife duo has a very powerful stage presence. You feel sunlight and positivity radiate from Alaina Moore, and the moment she begins to sing, her voice puts you in a trance-like state. Their set continued, playing songs off of their new album Conditionally Yours alongside favorites from their older albums Ritual In Repeat, Cape Dory, and Young & Old. A notable moment from this show was Alaina’s introduction to my personal favorite song off of the new record, Ladies Don’t Play Guitar. This song, as she stated, was written as a response to gender roles she has faced. She in particular, was brought to learn how to play the piano, simply because she is a woman. Moore then went on to mention Bono’s (U2) recent comment on how “music has gotten very girly”. In an industry that has and is still male dominated, Moore dedicated this performance to the “Feminization of rock and roll” and continued to bring the venue down.

This particular show in Brooklyn Steel was very special for both artists. Overcoats played to their biggest crowd so far in a hometown show. Alaina Moore from Tennis contracted a severe case of the flu (let’s just say that she fainted in the kombucha aisle of Whole Foods and woke up in the hospital screaming) and had to cancel a few tour dates before this show. However, she was determined to play at Brooklyn Steel, and with doing so, Tennis has played their biggest show to date. This is just one of the many examples of powerful, talented women persevering through hardships and succeeding. So, if you need more incredible women in your lives, check out Overcoats and Tennis. You won’t regret it.

Tennis: