Saying Indie88's Power Party this past Saturday night was a hot ticket is an understatement. To celebrate the fledgling Toronto station's recent signal boost, the team at Indie88 convinced Stars to come out of the studio for a one-off show, added local rising stars July Talk, and crammed them into Lee's Palace.

While Stars could easily sellout a much larger venue, tickets for this deal went for only $8.81, with Indie88 giving the rest away on-air. Well, except the last four tickets, which were auctioned for a total of $1800(!) for the set, rounded to $2000 by the generous winner. All proceeds went to Indie88's charity of choice, SKETCH Working Arts, giving opportunities to struggling youth through the arts.

After the promise of a rowdy night, July Talk opened looking to deliver. Whether they got the response they wanted or not, front duo of Peter Dreimanis and Leah Fay still did what they do best. The very definition of chemistry, they lit up the stage making it easy to forget there are three other talented band members who help make the raucous July Talk sound.

Even if you've seen them before, the magic of what could happen on stage (Leah soaked in fake blood à la Carrie, a pillow fight, a full wedding dress... all have happened in recent past) helps mask the fact that they're still a new band with a small catalogue. You may have heard all the songs before, but there's no question you still want more.

With "The Night Starts Here," everyone knew it was Stars time. Called up from working on a new album and used to playing larger venues, the band may not have been in touring form, but true professionals don't let technical glitches and a little rust get in the way of a good show.

The depth of Stars' catalogue became immediately evident, with newer synth-heavy tracks like "Hold On While You Get Love..." still making room for hits from the decade-old Set Yourself On Fire.

Song by song the passion of frontman Torquil Campbell and tag-team partner Amy Millan went out to the crowd - and came back ten-fold. Between Stars' deep Toronto roots (despite finding their inspiration in Montreal) and July Talk's local rookie status, Indie88 couldn't have chosen two better bands to represent their boosted power in the city.

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Writing and photos by Matt Forsythe