(Review and interview by DCist contributor Justin Kielsgard)

Tegan and Sara are water bubbling in a pot. Blending tender, sometimes raucous harmonies with pop and punk sensibility, these 20-something twin sisters from Canada are not simply the fresh-faced darlings of the indie scene, but seasoned rock musicians (having toured with Ryan Adams, Hot Hot Heat and The Killers).

In a Monday night performance at the 9:30 Club in support of their latest release, “So Jealous” (Vapor/Sanctuary), Tegan and Sara played to a full house their poignant take on love and loss. With only a fabric heart turned sideways and four shimmering globes as their background, they moved through songs including “I Know I Know I Know,” “I Hear Noises,” “Walking With A Ghost” and “Time Running” with humor and ease, proving yet again that they are more than the “lipstick lesbian,” “grrl-rock” labels that get thrust upon them. Tegan and
Sara are not merely lesbian twin sisters with guitars, but creative and intelligent rock and roll musicians. Reminiscent of Liz Phair’s “Exile in Guyville,” Weezer’s “Pinkerton” and Pavement’s “Slanted and Enchanted,” their sound is more infectious than small pox.

Engaging, anecdotal, and utterly beautiful throughout the hour they played, Tegan and Sara left the crowd with a soundtrack to jump out the highs and lows of love on their beds.

Before the show, this DCist took off his shoes, per Tegan and Sara’s request, to discuss their sound, purpose and perceived place in 21st century society.