When I was in high school, I wanted to be like Peyton Sawyer on One Tree Hill. Peyton loved listening to music and working with artists. Peyton was a fan of Tegan and Sara and so was I. 10 years later, my dreams came true. I met Tegan and Sara in person! In the last month, I went to their book signing, read their memoir and attended their concert.
Tegan And Sara Meet And Greet
On a Saturday afternoon in September, I went to Indigo at Bay and Bloor where Tegan and Sara were promoting their new book, High School. Indigo renovated the whole store since the last time I visited and there’s something about the new design that makes you want to shop, so consider yourself warned!
The event was set up similar to how I met Caitlyn Jenner at Barnes and Noble in New York – buy a wristband to get an autographed book and photo op after the talk. This is preferable because you get a chance to talk to the author(s) and pose for a picture in which no one is awkwardly hunched over a table. A personalized autograph is not that important.
Anne T. Donahue interviewed Tegan and Sara. I like how they said “we’re businesspeople first and foremost,” constantly communicating with their team. They also discussed how writing a book came naturally because they’re already songwriters. It was hard to see them from the back, but it was worth the wait!
Meeting Tegan and Sara was exciting, but also a bit awkward, which is unusual for me. First, we bonded over Shania Twain. I said how I met her in the same store, but wasn’t allowed a photo with her. Then they fast forwarded to posing for a picture and I forgot to hug them, which I regret. On my way out, I said I would post about this on my blog and then they said they hoped I like the book. Well, of course I would like it, it’s by Tegan and Sara!
High School
When Tegan and Sara announced they’re releasing a memoir, I realized I knew nothing about them. Even though they’re famous Canadian twins whose music tops the charts, I barely knew anything about their career or personal life before I read High School.
Each chapter, which they alternated writing, illustrates how their friendships and relationships shaped their childhoods. While they admit to taking a lot of drugs when they were young, their story focuses on who they spent time with growing up. They don’t talk about playing guitar and writing songs until halfway through the book.
When Tegan and Sara look back, they have fond memories of music. For example, one of the cool guys at school introduced Sara to the Smashing Pumpkins. Then she recalls how when the Smashing Pumpkins released a new album, their mom surprised them with a copy, even though it was sold out. Like me, they have vivid memories of watching MuchMusic, including specific shows and who they watched with. It was also fun to hear about their first Green Day concert.
Tegan and Sara wore used clothing from Value Village long before that became cool. With so many intimate details about life in Calgary, this book lets you understand their backstory, while the internet fills in the blanks of what happened next. The only thing missing from the book’s ending is the person who encouraged them to change their band name from Sara and Tegan to Tegan and Sara.
Hey, I’m Just Like You Tour
Seeing Tegan and Sara perform at Massey Hall feels like ages ago, so buying tickets to their Hey, I’m Just Like You tour was a no brainer. This was the third show I saw this year where stars reflected on their lives onstage with visual aids. For example, Margaret Trudeau did that at Just for Laughs, but she was not explicitly promoting anything. Michelle Obama’s Becoming tour served more effectively as a teaser for her book. In her live interview, she didn’t read any excerpts from her book. She shared her story in such a way that made the audience want to know more about her.
The home videos Tegan and Sara shared were complementary to the book and truly a highlight of the show. I read about how they shaved their heads when they signed a record deal and then I saw real footage from that day. However, as a fan who read their memoir shortly after its release, their show was repetitive. I enjoyed their acoustic performances and improvised banter, but I would’ve preferred to hear more songs and anecdotes that aren’t in the book.
The tour ultimately brought my Tegan and Sara experience full circle. I even saw their tour manager who I met at the book signing before I sat down. At Indigo, she talked about how she goes offline when she’s off duty. Between reading the book and seeing the show, so did I.