The last time New York's stellastarr * played Cleveland, it was a relatively unknown quartet, opening for the Raveonettes and on the verge of releasing its self-titled debut. Six months later, stellastarr* has become media darlings throughout both the U.S. and the U.K. Resonating with the likes of Talking Heads and the Cure, stellastarr* hasn't allowed the accolades to go to its head. Instead it continues to exceed expectations, pleasing those fans lucky enough to discover one of Gotham's newest gems.

Despite a half-full Grog Shop and lead singer Shawn Christensen's admission that he's been struggling with his voice, stellastarr* was in top form, playing its infectious blend of early '80s New Wave and art-punk to perfection. The band opened with “In the Walls” and continued by performing most of its debut. Songs such as “My Coco,” “A Million Reasons” and “No Weather,” all worthy of modern rock radio, featured Christensen and bassist Amanda Tannen's signature vocals, compelling much of the young audience to sing along.

And while a pair of new songs seemed a bit disorienting, it was encouraging to know the band is writing new material and is comfortable performing it live. The 50-minute set ended with a raucous “Pulp Song,” and as the band exited the stage, the intimate crowd let it know it approved of every minute.

Much like stellastarr* six months ago, openers the Killers seem poised for a breakout year. Utilizing heavy synthesizers amidst guitar, drum and bass and borrowing from the likes of Duran Duran and New Order, this Las Vegas four-piece commanded attention from the onset. With lead vocalist Brandon Flowers front and center, and the other three members content to let him dictate the pace, the audience was treated to a 30-minute set of updated New Wave, highlighted by the current UK single, “Somebody Told Me.” Without a major release in the States, the Killers made a lasting impression, leaving new fans asking for the release date of the debut album.

Buster Williams Quartet
Night Town
Wednesday, April 7

It's always a blast when you get a chance to see a real working band take the music through its paces. Taking nothing away from the great musicians in town who often back up the national headliners coming through, there's just something to be said for the chemistry that develops among those that play together often. 

A prime case in point would be the hook-up between the Buster Williams Quartet's pianist George Colligan and legendary drummer Lenny White who fed each other phrases back and forth with the skill and precision of trapeze artists. Of course, the two often work together, and Colligan's skills as an amateur drummer lend themselves well to his own rhythmic conception. As for Steve Nelson, who has been working quite regularly with Dave Holland's quintet, this was a rare opportunity to hear the vibist to stretch out at length, with Buster Williams' bass acting as the glue that held it all together.

Both sets included a mix of standards and Williams' own originals, and the arrangements integrated spots for the bassist to voice the melodies. With his mini keyboard and laptop computer, Colligan tastefully added lush synthesized chords to ballads like “Christina” and then rocked out with some funky solos utilizing both his B3 and Fender Rhodes patches. White often spoke his piece over repeated vamps, building the intensity with lightening-fast tom fills and cymbal splashes. Williams took the opportunity to solo at length during both sets, utilizing the more conventional “Summertime” first go around, and then offering a virtuoso performance of Rodrigo's classical opus, “Concierto de Aranjuez.”

Things really heated up over the course of the evening's second set, which kicked off with Williams' iconic blues line, “Toku-Do.” Nelson was a man in motion, working the entire range of the instrument while throwing in some obscure quotes along the way, such as a brief snippet from Hank Mobley's “Break Through.” With a standing ovation and a roaring crowd that insisted on more, Williams acquiesced and offered an encore, a brisk run through of “Firewater” which allowed White to pull out all the stops.

— C. Andrew Hovan 

Sugarcult
The Odeon
Saturday, April 10

Last month, acts ranging from the Darkness to Britney Spears called in sick for their Cleveland gigs. There must be something going around because even California pop-punkers Sugarcult have had health problems. They were forced to turn the volume down a notch and perform a semi-acoustic show on Saturday because Sugarcult singer-guitarist Tim Pagnotta has tinnitus (chronic ringing of the ears, a result of overexposure to high sound volumes), and it's reportedly been flaring up pretty bad lately. Sugarcult's previous Cleveland performance with Simple Plan was memorable; it rocked harder and with more authenticity than the massively popular band for which it opened. But unfortunately, rather than its usual Cheap Trick-meets-the Descendents rock, Sugarcult's unplugged set sounded more like the Gin Blossoms crossed with Green Day.

Though Sugarcult's set may have been a bit too mellow (were the stools really necessary?), the band garnered an enthusiastic response from start to finish. The most well-received songs included tracks from its latest LP, Palm Trees And Powerlines, such as “Crying,” “Champaign” and “Worst December,” and older Sugarcult favorites “Saying Goodbye” and “Bouncing Off The Walls.” Sugarcult seemed grateful for the fans that sang along to every song. Further, Sugarcult very sincerely tried to compensate by playing a few rare songs including “Debbie Was A Lesbian,” which only appeared on an obscure compilation CD.

Its acoustic set indicated that Sugarcult does indeed have a dedicated fanbase and is a dedicated live band. Though there are risks in playing pop-punk with restraint, it isn't necessarily fair to give Sugarcult bad marks for this particular performance — at least it's still out on tour despite having a singer who probably hears something similar to a air raid siren in his ears periodically.

Shakin' things up before Sugarcult was Motion City Soundtrack, which did not have any volume issues. Motion City Soundtrack sounded similar to Superchunk, Weezer and the Get Up Kids, but had characteristics and quirks all its own. Also, MCS seems to get tighter and more intense every time it comes through town. The New Wave-ish Letterkills started off the show and were well received.

— Chris Rager