Seeing STARS

I have finally seen my favourite band (as of right now) LIVE! I waited three years for last night's show. Stars was spectacular and they definitely lived up to my expectations. Let me just say that they are phenomenal live. I mean, they were literally and perfectly in-tune ALL night! Their harmonies were purely joyous (I gave shouts of excitement every time I felt their soothing, harmonious vibes). It's a great feeling to experience musicians who give their all during their performances and who really care about the music that they produce. Torquil Campbell's (the co-lead singer of the band) face was strained with passion the WHOLE night; it was quite incredible. I'm so glad that I hyped them up as much as I did because I knew it was going to be such a solid concert. Wow... seriously, my description does not do it justice.

The show started about two hours late, and as a result there was no opening performance from Colpitts (whoever they/he/she might be). Stars kindly apologized later on and made up for it by playing an hour and forty-five minutes straight without taking a break before their encore!

Side note: I can't believe how down to earth they were. Torq, while waiting for everybody to get into the venue, actually DJ'd for the crowd and interacted with us, playing some random but awesome tunes from his Macbook (with an apple bong snack on the side). He most likely played the songs that truly inspire his musical writing talents; he was defs focused and in the zone prior to the show!

They first played through their new album The Five Ghosts, entirely from start to finish. It is set to be released on June 22nd. Trust me, get the album!! There is nothing better than hearing a band's new album live first before it hits the shelves. I had the same privilege with Metric's Fantasies. You just appreciate the album SO MUCH MORE! I cannot wait to purchase (yes, purchase) The Five Ghosts, it was truly UNREAL! For Stars' encore, they actually had us fans vote online for the set list! They dished out an unbelievable combo of faves; here's the incredible list: "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead", "The Night Starts Here" (we were apparently the only city to vote for this one, they seemed to enjoy that), "Take Me To The Riot", "Elevator Love Letter" (I went nuts), "Heart", "One More Night (Your Ex-Lover Remains Dead)", "Ageless Beauty", "Calender Girl", and a performance of "Tonight" by Torq and Chris (the keyboardist) for their unplanned second encore!

Side note: Throughout the show they mentioned that they were in Earls watching the Habs game earlier (they're from Montreal... it's a fair excuse). My concert crew and I were in Earls before the show as well! Though, I don't really know if they were there at the same time as us. Ha, they probably went in as we left to go to the show! We went for eight:fifteen (we thought we were late) and the concert didn't start until around ten!

They also shouted out to Neil Young, the Winnipeg Jets (stupid Glendale City Council), and The Weakerthans. They were also very appreciative, thanking Winnipeg for being an amazing fan base, and thanking us for supporting them throughout their ten years. As Reims' said, they are completely genuine and humble musicians, making a living from what they love to do! Thank YOU, Stars! Check out their revamped website: youarestars.com!!!

(from left to right: Pat McGee, Chris Seligman, Amy Millan, Evan Cranley, and Torquil Campbell)

p.s. Got a shirt... LOVE IT! Also, I wish I had pictures from the concert, but at the same time, I'm happy that I could solely focus on enjoying the music and the experience!



Cheers!