Cherished by lovers of literate, emotionally complex indie pop the world over, Montreal’s Stars have carved themselves a distinct niche after six records of introspective, character-driven melodramas.

Despite their often downbeat music they’re anything but mopey as a live band, favouring energy, anecdotes of life on the road and free-ranging philosophy over the mumbled greetings and banal platitudes favoured by many of their peers.

It’s no surprise then to see them beginning the show by bounding on stage and asking for the house music to be turned up so they can dance around the stage to Aretha Franklin’s cheesy 80s hit ‘Who’s Zooming Who’.

When they get around to playing, ‘The Theory of Relativity’ is up first, a typically wordy look at growing pains before the infectious pop rush of ‘Fixed’ and ‘The North’ – described as “a fairy tale about where we’re from.”

It’s a wintry affair, an understated portrait of missed opportunities and lingering regret: “And when it came time to leave / It was never the right day.”

In a set heavy on most recent record The North, something of a return to form after the up and down The Five Ghosts, the gathered also get ‘Progress’, the funky retro stylings of  ‘Backlines’, and ‘A Song Is A Weapon’, one of many Stars’ tunes to reflect on the emotional power of music.

While the first half of the set is stacked with the more danceable, upbeat synth-pop songs, the latter section settles into a more mellow rhythm with ballads like the glorious late night feel of ‘Lights Changing Colour’ and the gentle duet ‘Dead Hearts’.

The beautiful, stately ‘Midnight Coward’ and the melancholy ‘Soft Revolution’, both staples of their live shows, continues the downbeat mood before they reach all the way back to their 2003 record Heart, still considered their best by many, for the lovely ‘Look Up’.

‘We Don’t Want Your Body’ is a rare misstep and a song that could have been better replaced here by ‘I Died So I Could Haunt You’ for instance. But it’s otherwise difficult to find fault in a committed, engaging and entertaining performance that seems to be equally enjoyed by the six people on stage and a mid-sized but knowledgeable audience.

Working himself into a sweat-soaked mess by the set’s end, Torquil Campbell proves an entertaining figure throughout whether looking like he wants to dive into the crowd, threatening to talk in an Australian accent, or thanking the fans for paying his bills and helping avoid real jobs.

There’s also a bit of a nod to some obvious heroes with the opening lines of The Smiths’ deathless ‘Reel Around the Fountain’ leading seamlessly into the classic ‘Take Me To The Riot’.

It’s perhaps the best example of the interplay between their two equally compelling vocalists, with Amy Millan’s breathy coo alternating with Campbell’s more straightforward but urgent delivery and coming together to soaring effect on the chorus.

The pop manifesto of  ‘Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It’ and the gentle, tugging drone of ‘Walls’ close the set proper,

They keep it spare and simple for the elegant ‘My Favourite Book’, with just touring guitarist Chris McCarron and Millan onstage as the others watch from the edges.

It’s perhaps the most straightforwardly romantic song in their repertoire and one that’s apparently soundtracked more than one walk down the aisle.

The emotionally wrenching ‘One More Night’ follows, one of the really elite indie pop anthems of the past ten years, before a song that one day may rival their most beloved works, the epic ‘The 400’ puts a punctuation mark on a warmly appreciated show.

“Thank you so much for turning up,” Campbell tells the gathered devotees at one point. “We don’t know why you did, really. You could be out in a park somewhere, fucking another one of the beautiful people.”

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine