Show Review: Williamsburg Hall of Music, June 4th, 2010

I went to my second New York show on Friday night at the Williamsburg Hall of Music.

The venue itself puts you in the mood for music immediately upon entering. Dim lights and a nice intimate setting really set a great tone to listen.

I decided that for this show I was not going to make the mistake again of showing up too early. I ended up getting to the show an hour and a half "late".

One hour later...the show started.

Stars are trying something very experimental for their current tour. They are playing two sets. The first set contained songs off of their upcoming album and a few rare b-sides and things that they've never played live but have maybe wanted to.

I refuse to cast judgement on any of the songs off of their new album as a live environment is never a good place to hear a song for the very first time. There are intricacies that are difficult for the ear to pick up when the bass and the drums are cranked the way they are in the live shows. Not to mention that the band isn't quite used to a new song when they first perform it live and usually the song will change a lot as it's played more.

I will say this, Stars have a remarkable understanding of their vision and of how they think a band should be. There is no "pomp" with Stars. What you see is what you get. They have, since the beginning, been all about their fans. It's the second time I've seen this band do something completely unorthodox as a part of their tour.

No build up music. No false tension. They simply just walked out onto the stage, said hello and started playing songs none of us had ever heard live before.

That's just how they do things. And I love it.

For their second set, they played what some would call a "hit set". A collection of recognizable songs running the gamut of their history, from their first album to their latest EP...with a twist!

The second set was compiled completely of songs that ticket buyers voted for online (a twist that I was completely unaware of, unfortunately).

This was an extraordinary idea. Letting the audience become the DJ. Letting us choose how we wanted the show to go and then willingly playing the requested set. The lack of pretension and the intimacy of that idea go a long way to a group of people showing up specifically to see you. Stars is here for us. Only for us.

They opened with a particular favorite of mine (Your Ex-lover is Dead, off of their first full length) and played about eight or nine songs total before the encore. Lead singer Torquil Cambell joked prior to the encore, announcing the final song and with a smile on his face hinting that they might play more. They didn't even wait a full minute backstage before they came back for the encore.

According to Cambell, the Brooklyn crowd was the only crowd that picked a song off of the Sad Robot ep. A fact that caused me to fall even more in love with Brooklyn than I already am.

The performance as a whole was just what I come to expect from Stars. They pay attention to the details and focus on delivering a musically sound performance rather than thrashing around and trying to distract you. Not that every band that thrashes around isn't focused on detail, but from time to time that style of live performance can negatively affect the sound itself. Stars do not even toy with things that could throw off their sound.

Something about this show really stuck out to me. It's the first time that I can remember feeling like a band that I love is starting to grow old with me. The other lead singer, Amy Milan, has started to gain weight. Torquil seemed a bit tired. The other band members all seemed just a tad less energetic than I remember.

It was both comforting and strange.

I never thought I'd be in a position like I was at this show. Looking around me, I saw nothing but twenty-somethings and people in their thirties. It completely threw me when I finally realized it.

I'm getting older. Stars is like a barometer for my aging process. I first saw them when they were touring their first full length record. I haven't missed a tour since.

But this one was different.

Of particular interest to me was the interaction between the audience and the band. New Yorkers continue to impress me with their understanding and respect during a live show. There were no audibly obnoxious cat calls or drunken screaming. People were dancing and moving but not shoving one another trying to get a "better view". But most impressive of all were the moments between songs.

Silence.

But not bored science. Respectful silence. Anticipatory silence. Every audience member was drinking in the moments from the previous song and preparing for the next song. Chatter was at a low hum during its most escalated moments.

I could tell that these people had come to this show for the same reason I had. To listen to music. To support one of our favorite bands. It was the best indie-kid moment I've had in a long time.

I left the concert inspired, both as an artist and as person. Amy and Torquil reminisced frequently during the entire show about their time spent in Williamsburg. A town in which they lived during the late nineties with the originating members of the Arts & Crafts label.

Amy recalled the very moment that they were sitting together, having a drink and talking about creating a music label called "Arts & Crafts".

"Right over there," she pointed.

"Just down the street."

The connection between audience and artist at that moment was palpable. I could feel the cloud of dreams hovering above our heads. A room filled with people, many of whom who have artistic ambitions just like Stars had.

My heart skipped a beat.

I love seeing this band. I love listening to them. I always have a story to tell when I go to a Stars show and this performance was no different. I left the venue feeling energized and happy. I felt like I was finally in the right place. That maybe some day, I could be on a stage like that, telling people about the time I spent in Brooklyn.

Dreaming.