STARS
09/27/2012
Visulite Theatre (16+ (Must have ID) - Under 16 with Parent Only)
Doors Open: 7:30 - Headliner Begins: 10:20
New Album The North Out September 4th
Album Download Included With Ticket Purchase
Stars have announced their fall North American tour in support of their sixth full-length album, The North, which will be released on September 4th via ATO Records. Fans who purchase tickets for any of the US headlining shows will receive a digital copy of the album on release day and an instant download of “The Theory of Relativity”. A very special guest support will be joining STARS on these dates. Tickets go on sale Friday July 13 and can be purchased on www.youarestars.com.
The North was recorded in Montreal's historic RCA Victor Studios and was produced by Stars, Graham Lessard and Marcus Paquin (Arcade Fire). Stars shared the first album track “The Theory of Relativity” last month, which is still available as a free download via www.youarestars.com and can be streamed at http://soundcloud.com/youarestars/the-theory-of-relativity.
Upcoming North American Tour Dates
9/20 – Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall
9/21 – Boston, MA - Paradise
9/22 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
9/23 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
9/25 – Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater
9/26 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
9/27 – Charlotte, NC – Visulite Theatre
9/28 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
9/29 – Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge
10/2 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall
10/3 – Cincinnati, OH – 20th Century Theatre
10/4 – Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe @ Old National Centre
10/5 – St. Louis, MO – Plush
10/6 – Columbia, MO – The Blue Note
10/9 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
10/10 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
10/11 – Little Rock, AR – Revolution Music Room
10/12 – Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s Upstairs
10/13 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theatre
10/14 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits *
10/17 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
10/18 – Los Angeles, CA – Mayan Theater
10/19 – Santa Cruz, CA – Rio Theatre
10/20 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
11/7 – Portland, OR – The Aladdin Theatre
11/8 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox
11/9 – Victoria, BC – Save on Centre # *
11/10 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena # *
11/12 – Kelowna, BC – Prospera Place # *
11/14 – Calgary, AB – Stampede Corral # *
11/15 – Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place # *
11/17 – Winnipeg, MB – MTS Centre # *
11/19 - London, ON – John Labatt Centre # *
11/23 – Kingston, ON - K-Rock Centre # *
11/24 – Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre # *
• - ticket does not include album download
# - with Metric
DIAMOND RINGS
Start Time: 9:15
Diamond Rings defies laws of time and space. Electro-pop maestro John O makes music that exists outside specific eras, distilling encyclopedic knowledge and passion into laser-like beams of emotional immediacy. Physical limits don't bother him much, either. True to his D.I.Y. background, he composes highly personal songs in a tiny bedroom studio in Toronto's West End, yet is increasingly concerned with Diamond Rings reaching the widest possible audience. But don't be confused by these twists and ripples. A degree in astrophysics isn't mandatory to appreciate Free Dimensional, the second Diamond Rings full-length. A good heart and working ears are all the tools required.
The expansive and mysterious opener, "Everything Speaks," sets the stage with its jump rope rhythm, buzzing tones that sweep like searchlights, and a modest declaration: "I know when to trust my vision." The sweet, insidious grooves of "Hand Over My Heart," effervescent with handclaps and rubbery bass oscillations, are laced with existential reflections on the foibles of growing up in the public eye. Whether the words brim with confidence as the beats hit hard ("I Know What I'm Made Of"), or the arrangements are pared back to spotlight John O's charismatic, expressive baritone ("Put Me On"), there's an emotional complexity at work throughout Free Dimensional that complements and personalizes Diamond Rings focused take on modern pop.
Free Dimensional retains the melodicism, clever juxtapositions, and lyrical honesty that garnered kudos for Diamond Rings' 2010 debut, Special Affections. What's different this time around is how the songs were conceived and produced. "I wanted the first album to have that homespun quality," John O explains. Back then, he was wary of too many high-tech bells and whistles. "A big part of being afraid of something is not understanding it," he admits. "Once I became more comfortable with the medium of electronic music, it was only natural to want to improve."
The success of Special Affections had afforded Diamond Rings some amazing opportunities, like supporting Swedish pop star Robyn on her 2011 North American tour, which in turn fed John O's desire to step up his game. "Spending a month on the road with her was mind-blowing. I learned a great deal about what it takes to make music that has a lot of impact. That was a big part of this whole experience: coming to terms with the fact that I wanted to make something direct and impactful, and that I could trust other people to help me do it, but at the end of the day it would still feel like me." Hence John O's decision to enlist producer Damian Taylor (Björk, Austra, Robyn, The Prodigy) to help bring Diamond Rings out of the bedroom, both literally and figuratively, on Free Dimensional.
CALIFORNIA WIVES
Start Time: 8:30
