Stars Over New York

Five years ago I went to my first Stars show at the Knitting Factory as they toured in support of their first album released on Le Grand Magistry. I couldn't have known then--though their brilliance was clearly apparent--that the little band from Canada (whose NYC fans were made up of the approximately 30 people in the room with me) would be selling out Mercury Lounge and playing Bowery Ballroom 4 years later. The fact is, I fathomed it would happen much sooner. Progress amongst the "indie rock revolution" for a band like Stars is slow to be sure.

Fast forward 2005...
I walked away from the Stars sold-out Mercury Lounge show last week with a smile on my face and my "Soft Revolution" t-shirt in hand. Except for the unexpected lack of encore and the newly added guitarist (whom I found incredibly distracting), Stars once again managed not to disappoint. It's interesting though, that in reflecting back on that very first show and all of the NYC Stars shows that followed--this was one of my least favorite. Why was it? Was it the sound? The overall performance? The oversized new bandmate? Or was it simply, I wonder, the fact that my little Stars were all-grown up now and the secret was out. Maybe as much as I prayed for their successes, I secretly coddled the preciousness of their obscurity....

[mm]

np.Counting Stars On The Ceiling, Stars