TORONTO - After a small club show earlier this year where their new album The Five Ghosts was played front to back, Montreal rock band Stars returned to Toronto Saturday night to play at hallowed Massey Hall.

It was something not lost on the band as lead singer Torquil Campbell appeared to be entertaining not just the lively crowd the filled most of the venue but the departed souls of those who once graced the same stage. "There are a lot of beautiful ghosts in the building," Campbell quipped halfway through.

The result was a rather impressive 24-song, 100-minute set that spanned most of their catalogue of thoughtful, electro-pop jewels. Fortunately the only thing flowery about them is their affinity for roses as evidenced by the amount tossed out to fans by the group.

With two images of angelic-like statues above and the bright lights aimed at the crowd, Campbell and company began with He Dreams He's Awake as Campbell urged everyone to "get the f-k up" for what they dubbed "the biggest night of our life." From there, the smoothness of the poppy Elevator Love Letter and The Passenger had the desired effect of keeping everyone standing.

Just as animated was singer/guitarist Amy Millan who harmonized with Campbell when not taking lead on the New Order-ish How Much More, Bitches In Tokyo and the show-closer Changes. Millan - who is expecting a child next year with bassist Evan Cranley - also tossed in a few high kicks for good measure.

Although Campbell, Cranley and keyboardist Chris Seligman all had synthesizers or keyboards nearby, it was the tender two-song, "unplugged" section which might have been the highlight. The electro-fuelled Ageless Beauty was stripped down completely to just Millan's pipes and Cranley strumming an acoustic guitar on a bench beside her. Meanwhile Campbell and Millan nailed the tender The Woods from 2003's Heart album.

The second half of the show was a nice balance of songs from the new record as well as a handful from their seemingly breakthrough 2004 album Set Yourself On Fire. With plenty of what can best be described as bubble-technics floating above them thanks to a bubble-making machine, Stars earned a strong response from the title track as well as the waltz-like Your Ex-Lover Is Dead as the crowd sang a portion.

Meanwhile another waltz-tinged number I Died So I Could Haunt You mixed well with Dead Hearts and the disco-soaked We Don't Want Your Body that had most grooving along to.

Stars also mentioned Toronto's mayoral race. While not dropping names, Millan asked if the polls were fixed as a way of introducing Fixed and Campbell quipped "don't let that man win" prior to Soft Revolution. A speech by President Dwight Eisenhower regarding the military industrial complex was also played prior to the encore-opening Celebration Guns.

Generally Stars shone on what was a special night. Some more songs might have fit under the curfew but leaving the venue as Maybe Tomorrow (the theme song for The Littlest Hobo) blared over the sound system seemed a fitting way to close.