Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Stars Turn the Aragon Ballroom Into a Celebration of Friendship
Some tours feel like a package deal. Others feel like a family reunion. The All The Feelings Tour featuring Toronto's Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Stars was definitely the latter, transforming Chicago's Aragon Ballroom into a celebration of community, collaboration, and nearly three decades of Canadian indie rock.
From the moment Stars took the stage, it became clear this wasn't going to be three isolated sets. Band members drifted on and off stage throughout the evening, joining each other's performances so frequently that it became almost impossible to predict who would appear next. Rather than carefully planned guest appearances, the collaborations felt spontaneous and joyful, reflecting musicians who genuinely enjoy making music together.
Stars opened the evening with a set that balanced heartfelt emotion with a lot of playful charm. Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan's chemistry supported songs like "Dead Hearts" and "Ageless Beauty,” reminding the audience why the band's catalog continues to resonate.
Before performing "Look Up," Campbell paused to tell the crowd, "This song is for my friends, and you are my friends, Chicago," earning one of the loudest cheers of the early evening. Throughout the set, he repeatedly expressed the band's affection for the city, praising its sense of community.
"You respect your culture, you respect your community, and you take care of each other," Campbell told the audience. "That's Midwest shit right there!"
The sentiment perfectly captured the atmosphere inside the Aragon before Stars launched into the uplifting anthem "No One Is Lost."
Stars also treated fans to an impromptu rendition of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart," singing, "Once upon a time I was falling in love..." as a tribute that had the audience smiling before seamlessly returning to Stars' own material. The emotional weight of "Dead Hearts" had the crowd swaying together, setting the tone for an evening built on nostalgia, connection, and shared experiences.
Broken Social Scene followed, and their lineup, led by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning alongside Charles Spearin, Sam Goldberg, and John Crossingham, delivered exactly the kind of controlled chaos they've become known for. The Toronto collective, affectionately described earlier in the evening by Campbell as "great kids," filled the Aragon Ballroom with layered guitars, a brass section, harmonies, and an unmistakable sense of camaraderie.
One of the night's most powerful moments came during "Wanna Be Dead?!" when Kevin Drew proclaimed, "You will rise up and take back what is yours!" It landed like a rallying cry, igniting the crowd before the band welcomed members of Stars onstage for "Sweetest Kill." Later, Metric's Emily Haines also joined Broken Social Scene, further blurring the lines between opener, support act, and headliner. When the unmistakable opening notes of "Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl" rang out, the revolving cast of musicians perfectly captured the collective spirit that has always defined Broken Social Scene.
By the time Metric took the stage, anticipation had reached its peak. Emily Haines remains one of rock's most magnetic frontwomen, commanding the room with effortless confidence while guitarist James Shaw, bassist Joshua Winstead, and drummer Joules Scott-Key delivered the band's signature blend of precision and power.
Between songs, Haines offered moments of reflection that gave extra weight to the band's material.
Introducing “Now Or Never,” she remarked, "Can't take that step but you know you've gotta do it. That's why we wrote this song."
"Are you like me and you're fixated on the crossroads... and you replay it and replay it and replay it? This song is for you. Circumstance is a bastard."
Those quiet reflections made the explosive choruses that followed feel even more cathartic.
The night's collaborative spirit reached its peak once again when members of Broken Social Scene and Stars joined Metric onstage for "Love Is a Place," turning the performance into one final celebration of the musical family assembled for the tour. It wasn't about spotlighting individual bands anymore; it was about honoring the friendships that have connected these artists for decades.
That was ultimately what made the All The Feelings Tour so memorable. Beyond the incredible performances and beloved songs, the night celebrated friendship. Every guest appearance, every shared harmony, every smile exchanged across the stage reminded the audience that these musicians genuinely like one another. It never felt like three separate bands sharing a bill; it felt like one extended musical family inviting Chicago into the celebration. By the final encore, that sense of connection had spread from the stage to every corner of the Aragon Ballroom, making the evening feel less like a concert and more like a reunion everyone was welcome to attend.
