She & Him  | |
| Leonard Cohen | |
| Gary Louris | |
 | STARS & MIRACLE FORTRESS |
| Josh Rouse | |
| Born Ruffians & Caribou | |
| Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band | |
| The Bicycles | |
| The Police | |
| Edwin McCain & Low Stars |
STARS & MIRACLE FORTRESS November 27, 2007 Reviewed by Kristin Foster  Bottles of Labatt 50 and indie rock go together like a wink and a smile. Good thing, too, because it's not like this crowd could afford much else. Braving the cold with their cutely patterned hipster hoodies, indie kids lined up around the block at the Phoenix Concert Theatre recently to see Stars and special guests Miracle Fortress during their 4-night fling with Toronto. Packed mostly with teens and early-twenty-somethings, this all-ages show felt a bit more like a high school dance than a concert.Miracle Fortress played a fairly strong 45-minute set that started out ok and ended quite well. In a time when the two drumkit schtick is beyond overused, it was refreshing to hear their sound boosted by the use of a kit (played standing up by Jordan Robson-Cramer) as well as another percussionist (here for the tour) on a smattering of instruments. Jesse Stein was charming and talented on her guitar and bass throughout the show, while Adam Waito filled out the sound on keys. Frontman Graham Van Pelt took a moment to get his vocals warmed up but his stage presence has improved dramatically during this tour with Stars. Nominated for the 2007 Polaris Prize, they are definitely an act to watch. And then, with some pomp and circumstance that had the young crowd a-twitter, Stars emerged onto the hazy cobalt blue stage. If there was ever going to be a Degrassi movie, Stars would have to be on the soundtrack. They energetically pump out a sound that blends 80s pop with today's indie rock, which is no surprise given that they make up a good wedge of Broken Social Scene (I mean, who hasn't played with BSS?). With a love affair for synths and cute lyrics and riffs that appeal to wistful hipsters, young and old, their appeal is no mystery. They practically define "infectious." Amy Millan and frontman Torquil Campbell took turns serenading the audience, Campbell never losing his enthusiasm and Millan never sounding less than sweetly genuine. The setlist spanned all four albums, including their latest, In Our Bedroom After The War. Throughout the night Stars pulled little tricks from up their sleeves. Campbell emerged from offstage wearing a Lite Brite-esque jacket, and occasionally a Star would grab a flower from the many bunches strung across the stage and toss it at the swooning audience. "All week long I'm saying 'Fuck you' to my least favourite teachers!" Campbell declared at one point, sending a roar from the audience when he made a shout-out to his old Toronto high school. After another song, Torquin asked "Are you ok?" like a concerned lover. The audience ate it up, even though the act felt sort of old and gimmicky. With such a fun performance, it is hard to knock these indie darlings. That might be the problem for some, though; they're like the really, really nice girl who is so nice that you wonder if she even has bowel movements. "This is where the story gets dark," said Campbell before launching into the minor key, enunciating every lyric so that the audience wouldn't miss a beat. Alas, the minor key does not a dark story make, and the final impression of Stars' performance left me wondering if they could do anything but be really, really nice. Photo by Hanson. |  |
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