The second night of the two-day concert in Austin began with a warning from Tegan & Sara: “we do use a lot of swear words and talk about existentialism.”

By Megan Mayer

Tegan & Sara concluded their two-month acoustic tour following the release of “The Con X,” a covers album celebrating the 10th anniversary of their infamous album, “The Con.” Tegan & Sara said that in addition to being the first of their albums to hit the Billboard 200, “The Con” felt like their first fully realized album as artists and was an integral chapter in their musical progression. The album consisted of 14 songs surrounding their personal heartbreaks and life struggles, and they wanted a way to memorialize the album they considered to be their most raw and intimate artistic creation. The album and acoustic tour combo was the perfect solution.

Austin was lucky enough to have the musical duo stay for a second performance due to high demand, but unfortunately, this came with a small hiccup. After singing her heart and soul out for two months, Tegan lost her voice for the second concert in Austin and the last performance of the tour. Despite a seemingly hopeless situation, the sisters worked tirelessly for a solution to avoid disappointing fans and settled on creating a sing-along with the audience acting as Tegan’s vocals, resulting in a unique, participatory experience. As the night went on, the event became less of a concert and more of an interactive musical experience, creating an inclusive ambiance with off-key vocals sung passionately and loudly.

A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales and merchandise benefited the Tegan & Sara Foundation, which utilizes popularity and fame to promote social change. This newly formed organization fights for social representation, economic justice and better health initiatives for girls and women in the LGBTQ community by funding under-appreciated programs focused on conducting research or providing services. During the concert, Tegan & Sara accentuated the importance of an engaged community and the resistance of inequalities, also speaking about their future plans to take time off from touring and concentrate on their foundation.

Tegan & Sara have continued to be positive forces within the music industry since the beginning of their career in 1998, their influence reaching millions and creating a fanbase full of advocates of the LGBTQ community. As musicians, Tegan & Sara have paved an unparalleled path of indie rock and pop musical prowess, but as social influencers, they have done so much more. They represent the best of community by taking advantage of their art to promote positive change though the power of music.