Maybe Love is Real: Mr. and Mrs. Tennis at the Fox

In tennis (the sport), love means zero. In Tennis (the band), that is hardly the case. Husband-and-wife duo Alaina and Patrick Riley have been spreading their love through music since 2010. They met as philosophy majors in Colorado, bought a sailboat post-grad, and then spent seven months at sea. Thirteen years of marriage and six albums later, they have certainly mastered the balance between a healthy relationship and successful career. 

Before taking the stage at the Fox Wednesday night, Mr. and Mrs. Riley were preceded by Loving. Known for their sun-flecked take on indie folk, this trio hails from British Columbia, opening the night with a pleasant combination of twang, slide guitar, and harmonica. Mellow but sweet, their set got the crowd up and swaying, but a lot of their songs sounded the same and most people just wanted to see the happy couple take center stage. 

Loving by Dorothy Eck

Loving by Dorothy Eck

Loving by Dorothy Eck

Tennis opened with “One Night with the Valet,” the first single off their latest record Pollen (2023). Like so much of their discography, this tells a part of their love story which the rest of the set further explores. To that end, “Matrimony,” quite literally details “the sweet summer morning early in July” when Patrick made Alaina his wife (2017). As someone who finds commitment daunting and love even more so, this marriage comes off pure in stage presence and lyrics alike. 

In fact, Alaina paused halfway through the show to open the floor to Q&A, regarding how she and Patrick make their relationship work alongside the production of six full-length albums. “I’ve seen you every night the last six shows,’ she said to one of the girls in the pit, ‘You’ve become a talisman for good luck.” Alaina went on to say how the energy is so specific in the greater Bay area, yet the mic never got passed over to Patrick, and his thoughts on loving his wife remain congealed to the music. Even so, the energy in the room was certainly hyper-specific: even singles like myself feeling awestruck and hopeful rather than jealous. 

Tennis by Dorothy Eck

Tennis by Dorothy Eck

We also got to hear “Needle And A Knife,” from their 2014 album Ritual In Repeat. Although reasonable to assume that it’s just another love song, this one actually pays homage to Alaina’s mother. Alaina has been quoted to explain how fans will come up to her, enthralled by how many songs she’s written about Patrick, yet she’s actually worked very hard to weave themes about femininity and religion throughout her body of work. It’s hard to pick up on these deeper meanings when so much of their discography has the reputation of documenting their relationship and nothing more. I, for one, wasn’t reading too far into lyrics during the show, especially when it came to the whimsical performance of “Need Your Love,” all the way down to the end of the encore (2020).

Tour continues through May for the Colorado natives, and more coverage of their night at the Fox can be found at KALX!

Articlen by Nico Chodor

Photos by Dorothy Eck