Fisackerly: More Tegan and Sara, please

Alternative rockers Tegan and Sara played a packed house at the Tipitina's music club in uptown New Orleans Wednesday.

The duo played a tight set list, packing 25 songs and several minutes of onstage banter into just under 90 minutes.

Tegan and Sara, perhaps the most popular lesbian Canadian identical twin alternative-rock band of all time, began playing together in their teens, releasing their first album, "Under Feet Like Ours," at 19. Now 29, Tegan and Sara are on tour to promote their most recent album, "Sainthood."

The last time the duo performed in New Orleans was in 2007 to promote their last album, "The Con." Apart from a less elaborate stage setup and the inclusion of several new songs from "Sainthood," the Tegan and Sara concert experience has stayed very much the same.

One major difference between the two shows was the caliber of opening acts. The all-Caucasian, all-girl rap group Northern State toured with Tegan and Sara in 2007 and 2008, and brought a great energy and sense of humor to the proceedings, often seeming to inspire Tegan and Sara to keep up with their witty remarks from offstage.

During this tour, two bands are supporting Tegan and Sara. The first, Steel Train, was a fun, albeit generic, indie rock band with several catchy tunes. The other, Holly Miranda, was a female singer-songwriter type whose low-key stage performance made her seem almost as bored as I was listening to her. It is not that she and her band were without talent, but after an electric performance by Steel Train, the last thing we wanted to hear was a second-rate Ani DiFranco sing about her sad life.

Tegan and Sara, however, did not disappoint. While the beginning of their set was a little "Sainthood"-heavy, the duo quickly began playing songs that spanned the last
12 years of their career, including some they admit to not having played in years.

Apart from the obligatory drunk New Orleans bead-thrower (every New Orleans show must have one, as a rule), the crowd was your expected mix of lesbians and hipsters (and, of course, lesbian hipsters).

It becomes quickly apparent that there is an incredible unity among Tegan and Sara fans. You're unlikely to find any new to fandom – they all seem to have been singing these songs and going to these concerts for years, and for good reason. Tegan and Sara, while measuring at just over 5 feet tall, have an astounding stage presence for their limited stature. Their songs are energetic and fun, and their banter has become that of legend. A quick search on YouTube will provide countless videos of the sisters joking with each other at concerts. Die-hard Tegan and Sara fans trade these stories like baseball cards, each waiting for the moment to boast, "I was there when she said that! Front row! Waited in line all day!"

This is third time I have seen Tegan and Sara perform, and I continue to be impressed. While this wasn't my favorite performance of the three (that honor goes to their Paris show in 2008), it was still a tremendous experience.