The stage was adorned with bouquets of white flowers and red roses as the Canadian indie pop band the Stars took to the stage at State Theatre on Feb. 6. The stars aligned for this embellished performance as the band opened with its hit “The Night Starts Here,” a stunning song with layered vocals.

      The band began with singer Torquil Campbell saying this was their first performance with Barack Obama as president, to which the audience screamed and cheered. The band said throughout the show it was excited to be in Ithaca, and it was its first time visiting the city. They also likened the frigid temperatures to the weather in Canada.

      The flowers, which at first seemed like just a part of the set, were soon put to use as band members threw the roses to the audience as they held their hands up in the air to try and catch the flowers. They also tossed the petals into the air and let them cascade down, creating a visually beautiful effect. Concertgoers could later be recognized as they walked through the Commons holding a fake, yet pretty, flower from the concert.

      Sometime around the middle of the show the band proclaimed that it only writes songs about sex and death, because “those are the only two things that matter”— and sometimes both at the same time, like the song “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead.” With catchy lyrics, “I’m not sorry we met / I’m not sorry it’s over / I’m not sorry there’s nothing to say,” the tune was beautifully sung by the other vocalist Amy Millan. This was Stars’ last song before the encore, for which the audience clapped for at least five minutes demanding more songs from the band. The band then came back on stage and played a few more songs, including a delightful rendition of “Set Yourself on Fire,” and a finale of “One More Night.”

      The melodic voice of Millan was just as alluring live as it is on the band’s records. The harmony of her and Campbell’s voices gives the Stars a distinctive sound. Besides “The Night Starts Here” when Campbell intentionally sounded a little off key, displeasing some, all of the songs were just as synchronized as the album. This is a difficult feat considering all the elements that lend to the Star’s sound are different — keyboard, synthesizer, trumpet and other electronic generated sounds.

      About half way through the show the audience began to shout out requests. One that caught the band’s attention was “On Peak Hill.” Band members said they would be a little rusty on the song since it was not on their set list, but they would have a go at it. They joked about how everything was pre-recorded, including the words that they were speaking at the moment, eliciting laughs from the audience. They also bashed Bruce Springsteen for playing to a tape at the Super Bowl, but later apologized to The Boss. Besides slightly forgetting one section of the song, during which some members of the audience helped them out with, the un-planned song was a hit.

      The combination of lyrics about love lost and love found and music that pulses though one’s entire body can only lend to the romantic feel of the songs. In fact, Stars’ music is so amorous that Campbell announced that a wedding proposal took place during the concert. Couples could be seen throughout the audience getting affectionate, even making out.

      Stars put on a captivating show with songs that cast a trance over the audience. There was a mutual energy that could be felt between the audience and the band that lent to a personal show. If people are looking for a show with a handful of delightful sounds, one can find it at the Stars’ next performance.