Tennis at Malkin Bowl

When husband-and-wife duo Alaina Moore, Patrick Riley and their touring band entered the stage of the outdoor Malkin Bowl, the crowd erupted in cheers and rattled the fences. Everyone knew full well this may be the last time they would be able to witness the electric indie pop sensation, Tennis perform.

Having met at the University of Colorado Denver in 2008, they formed the band after an eight-month sailing expedition, which inspired their first studio album, Cape Dory, released in 2011. Their music is entirely self-funded and released, being true to the indie name (and not just sound). Fast forward to 2025, they announced they would be going on an indefinite hiatus and released their seventh and final studio album, Face Down in the Garden.

During a recent interview for Exclaim about their hiatus, Moore stated, “I just kept telling Pat, 'I feel like I've said everything I want to say in a Tennis song. We felt like we couldn't keep raising that bar indefinitely, forever, without making ourselves insane. This just felt like a good point to stop."

Over the years, Tennis has created a bright, cheerful, indie sound accompanied by Moore's distinct ’50s style voice, but on this “Farewell Tour”, the cheerfulness was bittersweet. A layer of emotion was added to each of their songs, yet they still maintained that summery, carefree vibe that takes listeners back to the days of old.

Overcome with emotion, fans screamed out, “We love you!” where Moore responded cheekily, “Yeah, but what do you love about me, specifically?” which broke the sombre emotions with laughter.

Showing off their musical prowess, Moore and Riley often switched instruments, using keyboards, guitars and tambourines, playing their well-known hits like “Runner”, “How to Forgive” and Need Your Love” from 2020’s Swimmer. With other danceable and introspective numbers like “No Exit” off We Can Die Happy, and “Pollen” off the album of the same name.

Opening up to the audience, Moore said she had just had her 40th birthday, which resulted in a minor freak-out, “so I thought I would go out and get a haircut like a porcelain doll”, which added to the laughter and cheers from the crowd.

Midway through the set, Moore introduced her roadie/assistant lighting director, Katie, who, as Moore stated, “moonlights as her backup singer” to sing in “In the Morning I’ll Be Better” off Yours Conditionally and “Diamond Rings” off We Can Die Happy. This resulted in fans chanting “Katie!” after each track.

As the band exited the stage, a projection of an “Applause-O-Meter” was displayed on stage, encouraging fans to scream even louder. Their fans did not need any encouragement to show their appreciation, and the well-deserved cheers were deafening.

For their final song, Moore and Riley were the only ones on stage. Moore broke out her acoustic guitar for “Late Night” from Swimmer. The slow and emotional ballad was a fitting farewell to Tennis, thank you for everything, Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley.