We are Stars and so are you

The band Stars have this ability to reach beyond the limits of the stage and connect with the audience. It's almost tangible the way they seem like they're singing to each person in the room as an individual, as if to say "we know your joy, we know your sadness, we know the life that beats within you and yearns to burst from your chest". They connect with the collective emotional narrative within their audience and unite us.

One of the best bands going in Canada's indie music scene, Stars delivered a show that felt like a gift to their fans. I caught them last Thursday on the 1st of a 3 night stand. Toronto loves Stars, and Stars love us in return. It's a homecoming for this band, formed in Toronto. It seems like every time they're here they play multiple nights at mid-size venues. They could sell-out larger venues, but that would remove them farther from their audience. This is the 3rd time I've seen them this year, and Stars played their hearts out just like every other time.

Opener Gentleman Reg warmed up the crowd with his sweet soaring vocals and charming the audience with laments like "no one should be broke and alone during the holidays." Here he is covering Wicked Game, originally by Chris Isaak. Or at least, that's what I always thought until Reg informed us with tongue firmly planted in cheek that he wrote it for Chris, you know, to help him out. He may have sent an email or something. I saw Reg play this version in the Dakota Tavern days earlier, and it was just as sparse and haunting there as it was in that theater. It's like Chris Isaak by way of Massive Attack:

Stars took to the stage strewn with flowers, launching into the opening declaration The Night Starts Here, with Amy and Torq's vocals playing off each other perfectly, Chris Seligman on keyboards providing the twinkling pulse. As they tore into the rallying Take Me To The Riot Torq motioned for everyone in the seated theatre to come forward and get up close to the band.

That whole night, it seemed like every song they played was someone's favourite. My friend was dancing to Elevator Love Letter, the happiness so apparent as she sang along that the girl standing next to her asked her later "That song, the one you looked like you loved? Which album is that on?" (The answer is "Heart".) Every once in a while I'd look back into the audience watching the band, their faces captured in "beautifully frozen intensity", all of us connecting in shared experience of the love of the music.

For me it's two ends of the spectrum. I never get tired of the wild youthful abandon that comes with the anthemic guitar chords of Ageless Beauty, with Amy Millan's voice leading you through the ups and downs of the song.

And at the other end, there's the indomitable emotional resolve of Your Ex-Lover is Dead declaring softly "live through this, and you won't look back...", then the punch of last words picking up speed:

there's one thing i want to say, so i'll be brave
you were what i wanted
i gave what i gave
i'm not sorry i met you
i'm not sorry it's over
i'm not sorry there's nothing to say

...leading into the final refrain as you rise up, the music beating like your heart when you have to walk away and never look back.

Stars performing Your Ex-Lover is Dead at Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto

At times, the bands gets caught up in the emotion of their songs. There was an intensity to the closing of Calendar Girl as Torquil Campbell poured everything into the ending refrain of "I'm alive!" shouting it over and over and over into the night, even after the music stopped, until Amy tapped him on the shoulder to snap him out of it so they could do the next number.

You'd think a band like Stars could take themselves too seriously with so many songs seeming to be born straight from their own hearts, but I point to this photo of Torq, Amy and Evan having a laugh:

The show ended with their heartfelt gratitude to us, as we walked into the chilled night, and it sounded like everyone was singing or humming their favourite Stars tune. Stars look to be heading back to the studio to follow-up on the critical success of their last full album In Our Bedrooms After The War, leaving us to go back to our albums and CDs, to listen to the songs we love, and to go out into the world feeling that much more alive.


Do yourself a favour and watch the band's video for Your Ex-Lover Is Dead, a favourite of mine that reminds me of the movie Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind.