Tomorrow night Montreal indie pop outfit Stars kick off the Set Yourself On Fire 20th Anniversary Tour in Asbury Park. And this Saturday, September 21st, they’ll be bringing the show — which celebrates two decades of their 2004 breakthrough LP (which received a 20th anniversary vinyl reissue this July and whose official anniversary was this past Saturday), playing it in full – to Union Transfer. I’m projecting it to possibly be the best “classic album” tour we see in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection all year. I recently got a chance to catch up with Stars drummer Patty McGee, who tells me about his memories of making and touring the album, and the legacy the band has established in the twenty years since it dropped on Arts & Crafts.
Izzy Cihak: You’re gearing up to play Union Transfer, which you’ve played a few times (in 2014 and 2018 at least, and Amy was there with Broken Social Scene in 2022 on a 20th anniversary album tour of their own), but I know you haven’t played there in quite some time, and it’s actually the biggest venue you will have played here in a while, so I’m curious to hear your thoughts on the venue, if you have any memories of it?
Patty McGee: Absolutely no memory of it whatsoever. The only place I ever remember playing in Philly is Theatre of Living Arts, like 20+ years ago. It was my first time in the city, and the insane sneaker situation on South St. as well as Jim’s Philly cheesesteaks was unforgettable. Without food and shoes, I can’t remember anything. I looked up photos though and UT looks beautiful! Any good food and killer sneakers nearby?
Izzy: I know you’ll be playing Set Yourself On Fire in its entirety to celebrate the album’s 20th anniversary, so I’m curious to hear how you rank the album amongst all of your releases? You generally seem to play a handful of tracks from the album at normal shows anyway, and I know that you played the album front-to-back on its fifteenth anniversary, as well.
Patty: That record was a real turning point for us, not only because of how well it was received, but also because it cemented us as a gang, and ultimately, a family. SYOF was and is a monumental record for many fans. It defines a special time in their lives, and ours really. All our records define a time and place in my life to a certain degree, so I struggle to rank it because they are all milestones. But people seem psyched to hear it, so I’m happy to play it for them every 5 years if they want.
Izzy: Have there been any album tracks that you’ve revisited that you like more (or are more fun to play live) than you remember, or just rarely played tracks that you’ve always been an especially big fan of?
Patty: I never really loved “He Lied About Death,” but I have to admit, it’s fun to play live. We’re a bunch of delicate flowers in this band, so having an opportunity to be a bit vicious can be pretty cathartic. “The Big Fight” is also one we haven’t played often, but I get to rip it up with our sax player at the end, which is a hoot. We’ve also added an open outro “jam” section live. We’re trying to loosen up a bit.
Izzy: In addition to Set Yourself On Fire, I’m assuming you’re going to be playing some fan favorites, but any chance that we might get to hear some “deep cuts” or “rarities” from that era that you haven’t played regularly in recent years?
Patty: We always try to sneak in some weird ones, not only for the super fans, but for us as well. We’ve written a lot of music, some of which gets literally forgotten. Stumbling upon lost gems is always exciting, and a challenge for us to bring them into the light again for a show.
Izzy: You did quite a bit of touring behind Set Yourself On Fire back when it came out, including a show at Theatre of Living Arts with Ivy, a show at Electric Factory with Death Cab For Cutie, and a show at Beyond Nightclub (R.I.P.) What do you remember of touring during that album cycle? Any highlights, lowlights, particularly amusing stories, or just memories of the general vibe of being on the road in those days?
Patty: I remember endless driving and being perpetually exhausted. The highlights and lowlights were bountiful and debaucherous. We partied pretty hard. The Death Cab tour was momentous. I saw all of America through the window of a Ford Econoline and it was beautiful.
Izzy: I’m currently reading the original press release for the album, recounting you writing and recording in the cabin of Alan Nicholls while indulging in some brilliantly twee Rock N’ Roll antics (I mean that in the best possible way!!) So, I’m curious what you most remember of those days now, more than twenty years later. Is the press release fairly accurate?
Patty: You’ll have to send me the press release as I’m sure I never read it. We did indeed spend the winter writing and recording in Alan Nicholls’ cabin in North Hatley, Qc., and there were definitely some antics. I remember a lot of cooking and drinking wine and playing video games with Evan, but not much music making, oddly. Clearly, we did make music at some point… The only thing I really remember is jamming that weird outro part of “Big Fight” with Evan in the basement one night. We never really “jam out,” so that was novel.
Izzy: On a similar note, what are some of your fondest memories of your time on Arts & Crafts, where I know you were labelmates with a lot of your closest musical buddies and collaborators?
Patty: That was the beginning of the whole journey, so my memories are of being pretty green and excited, and a little overwhelmed by all the outsize personalities in the room. A&C was born out of buddies and collaborators who had a real wealth of drive and talent, and a genuine love for one another. It felt like a young family, and I remember feeling fortunate to be a part of such a popping community.
Izzy: These classic album tours have become pretty popular these days, especially for bands that Gen Xers and Millennials (I’m about to turn 40.) grew up loving. Are there any classic album tours that you would especially love to see?
Patty: I saw Botch last year at Roadrunner in Boston on their reunion tour. 20 years since they played their last show, 25 years since the release of We Are the Romans. It’s a bit nerve wracking to see a band from your youth. I’m always nervous about ruining the mystique. But thankfully Botch was insane. Blew my mind. The old guys can still giver, which is affirming. I also saw The Smashing Pumpkins recently and it was the best show I’ve ever seen them play. I’d definitely go to a Mellon Collie classic album tour.
Izzy: It’s interesting, because I generally think of you as a band that primarily spoke to Millennials, but one of my photographers (Payton) and her boyfriend are 20 and are actually huge fans of Stars and are really excited about the show. Have you noticed a lot of people of younger generations that are really into you? I’m pretty sure the last time you were here (playing a holiday show at The Foundry) I remember seeing a lot of people bringing their kids.
Patty: We’re a family band. What a blessing! For years people have been coming to see us with their kids. We’ve watched them grow up! It’s wild. Our music is for anyone who wears their heart on their sleeve. Young people have big feelings and that’s who we make music for.
Izzy: Finally, what’s next for Stars, after these dates wrap in late October? Anything you’re especially focused on or looking forward to in the last part of 2024 and maybe the first part of 2025?
Patty: Well, people seem pretty keen on reliving the glory days of 2004/2005, so hopefully we’ll play some more of these nostalgic shows through the new year and into the next. Outside of that, no big plans. I love skiing, so I’m hoping for a snowy winter. Maybe we’ll hit that cabin again and see if we can’t find some of that old school alchemy.
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