First Avenue (Minneapolis, MN)
09/12/23
Legendary indie icons Tegan and Sara brought the “Crybaby” tour to the quintessential Minneapolis concert venue, First Avenue. The tour, named after Tegan and Sara’s tenth full-length album has been making its rounds across America, with the final stretch on the horizon. Unfortunately, Tegan and Sara had to cancel the Minneapolis show in the fall of 2022 due to illness; however, the duo came back this year in full force and ready to go, even receiving a coveted First Avenue star of their own on the outside of the venue. The sole opener on this leg of the “Crybaby” tour was Carlie Hanson.
Carlie Hanson took the stage with a radiant acoustic set. The native Midwesterner (Wisconsin to be precise) was back in familiar territory and even had family and friends in the audience showing their support. Hanson included a handful of self-proclaimed rarities and deep cuts in her set – each song emotive, captivating, and moving in their own way. Even though this was a completely acoustic set, Hanson gave it the energy and urgency of a full band cathartic performance. It was easy to get lost in the power and emotion behind Hanson’s performance and vocal performance, making her time on stage feel all too short. The only missing piece of their set was a full band experience, something that Hanson will surely be incorporating into future performances.
After a brief set change, Tegan and Sara graced the stage to the nearly sold-out crowd gathered at First Avenue. From the start, the duo commanded the stage with ease and had the crowd hooked all the way to the end of the set. Tegan and Sara played a self-proclaimed eras tour of their own, effortlessly weaving in songs from their beginnings – including the deep cut “My Number” – spanning all the way through their 10-album career into hits off of Crybaby. Even with a lengthy twenty-two song setlist to get through, the duo kept it interesting, mixing in humorous banter between songs, playing a couple of songs as just a duo, all the while truly highlighting the impact of their career. While some of the hits from “The Con” and “Heartthrob” leaned more in the direction of the crowd favorites, Tegan and Sara truly put on a captivating set from start to finish, showcasing their incredible musicianship, talent, and comedic relief, leaving the Minneapolis crowd hoping it would not be a long wait before they return.
