Followers

Monday, August 5, 2013

Sparks U.S. acoustic tour continues

One of the more intriguing acts I caught at Coachella #2...

In response to the overwhelming reception of Sparks’ last North American tour — not to mention the band’s recent Coachella debut — L.A.’s pop provocateurs Sparks are excited to announce a new fall tour.

Returning to North America with The Revenge Of Two Hands, One Mouth Tour, brothers Ron and Russell Mael have crafted new sets of material drawn from the band’s extensive discography and back catalog.

With no band and no computers, Ron (two hands . . . on keyboards) and Russell (one mouth . . . on vocals) will present the very essence of Sparks and their impressive catalogue in a show of impact, energy and aggression.

For those who saw the tour in its first incarnation, we promise to keep the intensity up, the two-hands, one-mouthiness up, the no-computeriness up, and also perform a bunch of tunes not played on the original tour,” says Russell Mael. Full tour dates below.

Over the band’s four decades of existence, Sparks has consistently proved to be ten steps ahead of their peers, pioneering and transforming in ways few would’ve ever predicted. 

Enigmatic and shape-shifting, Sparks has defined numerous genres, ranging from the psychedelic rock of 1972’s A Woofer In Tweeters Clothing to 1979’s landmark Giorgio Moroder collaboration No. 1 In Heaven.

They’ve written a Swedish rock opera (The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman), synth-pop opuses (Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins), and even helped define the sound of U.K. glam (Kimono My House) — nevermind that the duo hail from Los Angeles. The band’s recent work found Sparks exploring the depths of baroque pop, a sound defined by their album trilogy of Lil Beethoven, Hello Young Lovers, and Exotic Creatures of The Deep.
 
Having inspired musicians and delighted fans throughout the years with their extraordinary songwriting and inimitable style, Sparks’ live shows have become increasingly spectacular. 

In 2008, they performed all 21 albums in 21 nights in London. In 2011, the band’s 22nd record, The Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman, was performed as a live musical at the Los Angeles Film Festival. Now, having stripped away the band, the computers and any lavish production, their whipsmart, penetrating lyrics and those incomparable melodies are once again presented in this scintillating, intimate format.

Tour Dates
 
10/23: Atlanta, GA @ The Variety Playhouse
10/25: Asheville, NC @ Mountain Oasis Festival
10/27: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
10/28: New York, NY @ Webster Hall
10/30: Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
11/1: Montreal, QC @ Le National
11/2: Toronto, ON @Lee's Palace
11/4: Detroit/Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom
11/6: Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
11/7: Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
11/8-11/10: Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Fest
11/11: Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theatre

allsparks.com
facebook.com/sparksofficial
twitter.com/sparksofficial

No comments: