W♥M

Sparks at Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles (11/11/13)

Setlist Your Call's Very Important to Us. Please Hold. How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall? B.C. Here in Heaven Academy Award Performance Those Mysteries Good Morning Falling in Love With Myself Again Big Boy What Would Katherine Hepburn Say I Am Ingmar Bergman The Studio Commissary Limo Driver (Welcome to Hollywood) Oh My God Nicotina Popularity This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing Suburban Homeboy When Do I Get to Sing "My Way" -- encore -- Tryouts for the Human Race The Number One Song in Heaven Revenge Of Two Hands One Mouth

Sparks are a new wave/glam band from Los Angeles, lead by two brothers: Ron and Russell Mael. The Los Angeles duo influenced everyone from Nirvana to New Order to They Might Be Giants.

It's pretty amazing that the band, having formed in 1968, is still around, and relatively active in their music output. Earlier this year, they released Two Hands, One Mouth: Live In Europe (released March 18, 2013) and, just recently, a box set called New Music For Amnesiacs (released October 21, 2013).

Anyway, Sparks' "Revenge of Two Hands One Mouth Tour 2013" (the followup tour to their 2012's Two Hands One Mouth tour) just wrapped up their U.S. appearance last night, November 11th, at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. According to online reports, apparently Morrissey was at this show.

Details from Morrissey-solo:

"… We sat about 8pm in second row of center... at around 8:40 with entourage of 4 comes M-- and is seated at a RESERVED section RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!!! Some fans - (maybe 4) took photos but security was letting them know M wanted to enjoy the show. He left midway during Sparks medley from "The Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman"…"

Sparks' Revenge of Two Hands One Mouth Tour 2013 continues through the UK:

11/22 Bern, Switzerland (Saint Ghetto Festival)
11/24 London, UK (Union Chapel)
11/25 Glasgow, UK (Arches)
11/27 Bristol, UK (Bristol Academy)
12/01 London, UK (Union Chapel)
12/02 London, UK (Union Chapel)
12/04 Paris, France (Alhambra)
12/06 Barcelona, Spain (Sala Razzmatazz)
12/07 Madrid, Spain (Sala Copernico)
12/12 Stockholm, Sweden (Sodra Teatern)

Special thanks to Dolly for these photographs.

Sparks at Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles (11/11/13)

dollylama + vu ♥ weheartmusic.com

Tame Impala at the Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles (11/17/12)

News: Tame Impala & Young Dreams Tame Impala's new single, "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards" has been covered by labelmates Young Dreams as "Feels Like We Only Go Bachwards" (tribute both to Tame Impala and composer Burt Bacharach!) The single package will be out on December 18th in the USA, you can stream the cover version here. Note: Tame Impala and Young Dreams were on tour together earlier this month. Read More Tame Impala Tame Impala just played a bunch of sold out shows in America. Jess loves these guys and had the opportunity to see them at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles on November 17th. ...

Crescive crowds gather in anticipation for Tame Impala, the experimental rock band who’s known for bringing back old-school illustrious studio sounds. This psychedelic five piece (onstage) emerged from Perth, Australia in a big way. Their infectious debut album Innerspeaker hitting stores in 2010. During their sojourn in the US, they have sold out numerous shows, including their last stop at the Fonda Theatre Saturday night in L.A. Pierce my heart with the juice from the music Gods, Tame Impala’s bringing the love tonight.

Opening up with “Be Above It”,  the first track on the new album Lonerism, I knew the dazed and confused feeling the album gave me lying on my bed at home was going to come back to me full-force in an even more mind-blowing way: live. Getting past the cyclical light shows and drifting smoke coming from backstage, visually this band does not meddle in a mundane setup. Frontman and the main guy who creates the tracks Kevin Parker surprises you, because although his appearance is rugged and hippie-like, his hands on that guitar and ability to wail go way beyond his frame.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, these guys, on the record and live, sound like you’re sitting amongst a Beatles-like Revolver studio session. Kevin’s vocals are as if he’s singing from a mountaintop, and the heavy guitars and organs make you feel like you can climb that mountain alongside him. Jay Watson shakes his impressive hair around as he keeps up the infectious rhythm on drums, and Dominic Simper is more than impressive on bass. They threw out drum skins to the crowd as they played their mega-solid hit and my personal favorite “Alter Ego”.

“This is the city we can’t get over.” Kevin says to the crowd right before they go into the song “Elephants”. “We just can’t believe we’re here.” The crowd roars their approval. As if I weren’t in a hazy stuper enough by now, the floored me with a lengthy guitar driven “Apocalypse Dream”. I have a feeling they will forever receive a warm welcome from any American city they chose to hypnotize from here on out.

Opening the show was Sweden’s own folk band The Amazing. Being on a similar wave length as Tame Impala, they have a collaborative mixture of Pink Floyd and Bruce Springsteen sprinkled with U2 and even a little of The Dead. Definitely a group to check out ASAP if you haven’t already.

Tame Impala at The Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles (11/17/12)

jess () ♥ tameimpala.com