Tennis bring their Pollen Tour to Seattle

We had the opportunity to spend the night with the magical Tennis on a Friday night and it was unforgettable. We’ve been fans for a while and for some reason we just never seen them before tonight. With the release of their sixth record, Pollen, we were excited to see Seattle on their list of cities. The indie pop duo formed in Denver back in 2010 consisting of Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley.

The band took the stage around nine with Moore and Riley on keyboards and guitar as their drummer and bassist were elevated in mini risers behind them. The show felt very 70s inspired filled with themes, visuals, and backgrounds that set the mood. It seemed simple when looking at it but their design was beautifully paired with their songs. There was a half disco ball on the middle of the floor reflecting the lights at times along with backgrounds that reminded us of a Mark Rothko canvas.

Tennis started their set with new single, “One Night with the Valet,” “My Emotions Are Blinding,” “Ladies Don’t Play Guitar,” followed by favorite, “Runner.” The duo rotated between keyboards and guitar as they engaged with their adoring fans. A few songs in someone near the front fainted and Moore stopped the show and came over to see what happened. After confirming everything was fine, she shared that hey if anyone needs anything to just let her know. She kindly said that she’s our hostess for the night and there to help make sure everyone had a good time.

We heard favorites, “No Exit,” “In the Morning I’ll Be Better,” and “Needle And A Knife,” as people stood mesmerized by Moore’s voice and ethereal sound. She shared that she used to be a waitress and when she left to pursue music her boss told her ‘please don’t come back you are a horrible waitress’ and now that’s funny because they play their music at that place.  They ended their main set with “Pollen Song,” and “Need Your Love.”

Moore and Riley returned for their encore with “I’ll Haunt You,” “My Better Self,” and “Glorietta.” It was a great show from start to finish and a truly captivating set. We heard all our favorites and stood in awe of the band’s presence. We will for sure be returning to see them play when they make it back to Seattle.

Words and photographs: Sophia Barkalakis @s.barkalakis