Stars
Melkweg
Amsterdam, Netherlands
9/5/10
Montreal band Stars are touring in support of their new self-released album The Five Ghosts, which is pretty rock-solid. In brief, it seems that they’re now attempting to take over The Cardigans’ idea (circa 1998 – Gran Turismo-era) to process their their analog instruments so they sound electronic…and (also just like The Cardigans) I like it.
I caught Stars in Amsterdam last week, at the famous venue known as Melkweg. This place started in the late ’60’s as a squat in a former dairy (hence the name, which means “Milky Way”). It now includes two separate music venues, a cafe, and art exhibition space. It’s also surrounded on three sides by canals, which I thought was pretty neat. I had read that the venue was renovated in 2007; it is spectacular. Terrific acoustics, and the layout is such that it was hard to find a bad place to stand. Also: the shortest wait to get a drink at the bar that I’ve ever experienced at a rock show.
This show came at the end of a week in which the Dutch weather was truly sublime — temperatures in the mid-60’s and abundant sunshine. Amy Millan memorably dedicated one song (“Wasted Daylight”) to those who spent the day in bed anyway.
Track listing:
1. He Dreams He’s Awake
2. Set Yourself on Fire
3. The Passenger
4. One More Night (Your Ex-Lover Remains Dead)
5. How Much More
6. Time Can Never Kill the True Heart
7. Undertow
8. Fixed
9. We Don’t Want Your Body
10. Going, Going, Gone
11. Take Me to the Riot
12. I Died So I Could Haunt You
13. Wasted Daylight
14. Heart
15. Elevator Love Letter
16. Your Ex-Lover Is Dead
17. Encore banter
18. Dead Hearts
19. Ageless Beauty
20. Calendar Girl
Sample: [audio: http://www.thesoundofindie.com/archive/2010/20100913/Stars-Wasted-Daylight-Live.mp3|titles=Wasted Daylight (Live)|artists=Stars]
Download: Stars – Amsterdam – 9/5/10 – 394 MB
