Author: Riley Kimball
Last Wednesday Hollywood had a few more stars than usual. Stars, the Canadian indie-pop band known for its lyricism and the harmonies of its male and female lead singers, came to the Avalon. Although it was their final Los Angeles show before beginning work on their next album, they did not disappoint.
Two openers set a tone of simplicity and artistic passion for the night. First was Pepi Ginsberg, a lone guitarist who introduced herself timidly. Despite the absence of her band, she filled the theater with her vocal and guitar melodies. She kept her set short, though the audience would have readily granted her more time.
Next up came Think About Life, a trio of exuberant musicians performing a bizarre but engaging marriage of dance music and rock. The lead singer danced wildly and even leapt into the audience while screaming a song that nonetheless sounded harmonic and pleasant.
Stars took the stage after it had been properly bedecked with roses. They began with great theatrics, climaxing in “Soft Revolution.” They played the song normally until the chorus, at which point all ambient lights extinguished, and a wall illuminated behind the band to the heavy bass, blasting forth the silhouettes of the band members.
After this song, however, Stars turned to the more stripped-down affair that is the usual fare of indie concerts. The transition was not perfectly smooth, with some awkward use of the lights that could not rival the extravagance of “Soft Revolution.” The bassist, who threw roses into the audience far too frequently, did not help, but this amused more than annoyed.
However, the band quickly got back on track, bringing the performance down to a smaller, more personal scale. With a catalogue as large as theirs, they played all their most popular songs, with a few new ones from their recent EP Sad Robot. The set list left most audience members satisfied, and it piqued interest in their recent work.
Throughout their performance, band members demonstrated their passion for music. Lead male singer Torquil Campbell said it best when he declared of their newest CD, “Buy it here, order it online, or steal it from your friends, we don’t give a fuck, we just want you to hear our music.” These musicians shared their art, and in doing so, gave a performance for the ages.
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