Stars Celebrate 20th Anniversary of Landmark Album
Canadian indie rock band Stars will bring their 20th anniversary celebration of their landmark album “Set Yourself On Fire” to Asbury Lanes on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at 8:00 PM. The intimate performance, part of the Prudential North to Shore Festival, will feature the iconic album played in its entirety, according to the North to Shore Festival website.
The band’s appearance at the historic Asbury Park venue comes two decades after the release of their breakout album, which helped define indie rock’s emotional landscape in the early 2000s. Special guest Grasser will join Stars for this commemorative performance.
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Album Born From Winter Isolation
According to festival materials, “Set Yourself On Fire” emerged from extraordinary creative circumstances during one of Montreal’s coldest winters. The band sequestered themselves in a countryside studio reportedly owned by someone who once hugged John Lennon, channeling their cabin fever into what would become their defining work.
This origin story has become nearly as legendary as the album itself. “That winter was magical in its intensity,” Stars vocalist Torquil Campbell told Rolling Stone in a recent interview. “We were basically snowed in with champagne, Sam Cooke records, and each other’s neuroses. Something about that combination created lightning in a bottle.”
The album’s themes of human connection, isolation, and emotional vulnerability resonated with audiences worldwide upon its 2005 release, establishing Stars as a formidable voice in the indie music scene. Twenty years later, songs like “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead” and “Ageless Beauty” remain touchstones for fans of emotionally intelligent indie rock.
Intimate Venue Echoes Album’s Creation
The choice of Asbury Lanes for this anniversary performance carries special significance. The recently renovated bowling alley-turned-music venue offers the kind of intimate, character-filled space that mirrors the environment where the album was created.
Asbury Lanes, located at 209 4th Avenue in Asbury Park, has become one of the Jersey Shore’s premier music destinations since its 2018 reopening. According to New Jersey Tourism, the venue has attracted increasingly prestigious acts while maintaining its quirky, authentic atmosphere.
“We want people to feel like they’re in that cabin with us,” explains Stars member Amy Millan. “Asbury Lanes has that perfect balance of intimacy and energy that matches what we were trying to capture on the record. The whole point of this tour is reconnecting with the raw emotion of these songs.”
Legacy of Influential Album
The anniversary tour celebrates an album that helped define indie rock’s emotional landscape during a pivotal period in the genre’s development. “Set Yourself On Fire” represented a departure from indie rock’s often detached irony, instead embracing sincere emotionality and ornate arrangements.
Music critics have frequently cited the album as influential in expanding the emotional palette of indie rock. Its blend of orchestral elements, electronic flourishes, and heart-on-sleeve lyricism created a template followed by countless bands in subsequent years.
The band has promised a performance that captures the “live, loud and full of passionate energy” quality that defined the album’s creation, offering longtime fans a chance to experience the music in its purest form while introducing new audiences to this influential work.
Festival Context
The Stars performance is part of the broader Prudential North to Shore Festival, running from June 14-29 across multiple New Jersey locations. The multi-city festival features performances in Asbury Park, Newark, and Atlantic City, celebrating New Jersey’s legacy of artistic innovation.
The festival, described as “the festival only Jersey can handle,” receives support from the cities of Newark, Asbury Park, and Atlantic City, with backing from Prudential as the title sponsor.
Ticket information and additional details about the Stars performance can be found on the North to Shore Festival website, with festival organizers recommending early ticket purchases due to the venue’s limited capacity and the anticipated popularity of this anniversary performance.
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