Despite all growing up in Toronto, indie pop group Stars considered their Osheaga performance to be a homecoming show, rifling through their well-stocked back catalogue to put on a decent show. The band were at their best, and all eyes were on lead singers Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan, whose verse-chorus trade-off on groovy pop tune "We Don't Want Your Body" kept the upbeat song interesting, and Millan's chorus is infectious. Contributions from the other players should not go unnoticed; "Your Ex-Lover is Dead," undoubtedly the set's hit, functioned due to the skill of bassist Evan Cranley, who played the song's iconic bass intro expertly and smoothly, well-accented by Campbell's melodeon.
Campbell's unlimited supply of energy started off a nice touch to the rest of the band's comparative stoicism, but his apparent hunger for the spotlight provided one of the set's weirder moments. Campbell's mid-set attack on Prime Minster Stephen Harper came off as a bizarre attempt to channel Broken Social Scene cohort Kevin Drew, and was met with minimal applause. Sonically, the band's pop remains as sweet and fun as ever, and while occasionally traipsing into generic territory, the group is capable of crafting a nice tune as evidenced with their repartee of singles.
Campbell's unlimited supply of energy started off a nice touch to the rest of the band's comparative stoicism, but his apparent hunger for the spotlight provided one of the set's weirder moments. Campbell's mid-set attack on Prime Minster Stephen Harper came off as a bizarre attempt to channel Broken Social Scene cohort Kevin Drew, and was met with minimal applause. Sonically, the band's pop remains as sweet and fun as ever, and while occasionally traipsing into generic territory, the group is capable of crafting a nice tune as evidenced with their repartee of singles.