Stars played to an enthusiastic and warm crowd on Saturday, Sept. 20, prompting frontman Torquil Campbell to profess his love for New York City. After all, the Montreal-based band did start off recording and experimenting on West 58th Street and 10th Avenue, just a few blocks away from Terminal 5, where the twenty-somethings and Campbell’s parents (apparently it was their birthdays) gathered Saturday night.
The night kicked off with Bellx1, consiting of five Irish boys from Dublin, led by vocalist Paul Noonan. Unfortunately, their set was lackluster, due in most part for their song choices, all slow to mid-tempo and lacking variety. The crowd bided their time and before long, Stars came around, not forgetting the champagne, onto an embellished stage, complete with roses and extra stage lighting. The perfect opening song set the tone and mood with lyrics that went “the night starts here/the night starts here/forget your name/forget your fear.”
Torquil Campbell scattered his liberal politicisms in between crowd-rousing rendtions of Stars’ classics, everything from “Heart” to “Soft Revolution.” Amy Millan, Stars’ female vocalist and guitarist stole the show with her serene and bright vocals, which complemented Campbell’s crooning and contrasted perfectly with the touching, if a bit melodramatic, lyrics.
Stars is essentially known for their soft independent rock/electronica pop smoothly matched by their “One more night, the end should be a good one” outlook, for tragedy isn’t the only song worth singing about without your loved ones in tow. Chris Seligman, Evan Cranley, Patrick McGee rounded out the two star leads, with their stirring piano keys, drums, and bass. The entire gig would end too quickly, completing a set full of newer songs and the early mixings but thankfully, the encore shone even more. “Calendar Girl” was a balanced blend with its positive outlook rising above the sad undertones. Millan was steady — “I ran to the window, threw my head to the sky/And said whoever is up there, please don’t let me die,” while Campbell was her neverending backup, on trumpet, on vocals, and forever, the leading man — “Calendar Girl who is lost to the world/Stay alive”.
Stars’ latest is their “Sad Robots” EP, just released on their home label, Arts and Crafts. The live version of “Going, Going, Gone,” which first appeared on their debut “Nightsongs” album in 2001, is currently available for download at the official EP website at http://sadrobots.ca/.
