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SPARKS SETLIST
So May We Start Encore: SPARKS Tour Dates
9 JULY Boulder, CO Boulder Theater
12 JULY Dallas, TX Texas Theatre 13 JULY Austin, TX ACL Live at The Moody Theater 16 JULY Hollywood, CA Hollywood Bowl 22 JULY Shibuya, Japan Duo Music Exchange 24 JULY Osaka, Japan Namba Hatch - なんばHatch 25 JULY Shibuya, Japan LINE CUBE SHIBUYA Read More
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July 4th may have been a few days prior, but for longtime loyal fans in Kansas City, the fireworks continued into the weekend with a much-anticipated return to the area of synth / new wave pioneers Sparks for a jubilant ninety-minute headlining performance downtown at The Midland Theater.
Brothers Ron Mael and Russell Mael have been musically active for over five decades (since an amazing 1966!) and are back on the road celebrating the release of their newest and 26th studio album, The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte, released May 26th, via Island Records. The album is described by the brothers as a record that is “as bold and uncompromising as anything we did back then, or for that matter, anytime throughout our career.”
The band’s exposure level has also been exponentially lifted by their career-spanning 2021 documentary film, The Sparks Brothers, directed by Edgar Wright (of Shaun Of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Baby Driver fame) and also 2021 film musical Annette, directed by Leos Carax and starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard, that received many awards. The film won three Lumières Awards and five César Awards in France. In addition, the film’s “So May We Start” was shortlisted for “Best Original Song” at the 94th Academy Awards.
The Midland’s floor was set up as all reserved seating, but that proved unnecessary as most fans stood from before the first note played, to long after the last song of the evening. It had been so long since the group had played the area, the Maels themselves had no recollection of any prior gigs (a quick look revealed the following previous- Memorial Hall,1975; Parody Hall 1982; and Starlight Theatre in August 1983 (with Rick Springfield and Quarterflash, no less!), so much so that Russell told the rabid audience to just assume it was their first time here.
Speaking of the younger Mael brother, the 74-years-young Russell jumped about in his black and red coat, moving from one stage end to the other, hardly stopping for a breath over the full ninety-minutes. By contrast (and as his persona), 77-year-old brother Ron sat near motionless at his keyboard for most of the show, eliciting wild cheering the few times he did get up to speak-sing and of course, when he briefly performed his trademark dance near the end.
“So, Kansas City, May We Start?”, Russell asked the eager crowd following the walk-on music, beginning the evening with that recent Oscar-nominated song. By the second song, the title track of the new album, the multi-generational crowd was clapping in unison and clearly happy to see the band for the first time in likely decades.
With 26 albums and over 500 songs to select from, there’s so much in their music library to choose from, and while they certainly promoted the new work, songs like the campy “Beaver O’Lindy” from the duo’s second album, satiated those veteran fans that have been followers since their beginnings.
The staging itself was fairly basic, their solid four-piece backing band dressed in all black behind the pair, and behind them, a bank of two rows of six each rectangular lights, blinking often in retro pastel blues and pinks. The songs themselves are primarily three to four minute memorable ditties with repeating choruses and verses, to make even their newest fans easily sing along.
“Nothing Is as Good as They Say It Is” is written from the perspective of a 22-hour old infant (what other band thinks of this perspective?), the only thing missing from 2000’s quirky “Balls” was maybe actual beach balls being batted about the crowd, and 1986’s “Shopping Mall of Love” got extra crowd raves as older brother Ron took center stage for the verses and interjected his deadpan “yeah.”after the choruses.
The new songs proved especially danceable as “Escalator” and “We Go Dancing” found people doing just that, grooving in their small space to the swirling synth riffs. The night turned into more of a party mode in the crowd as the older favorite songs were unearthed to end the main set -”The Number One Song in Heaven” (w/Ron’s trademark 50’s style dance shuffle); the operatic “This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us” and the oh-no-it-can’t-be-over-already “Gee, That Was Fun” from the new record.
After some chanting, foot-stomping, and continuous applause, the band re-emerged for a two-song encore beginning with 2002’s “My Baby's Taking Me Home” (which is the only actual lyric of the song, so easy to sing along) and the night would end with the perfect career-encapsulating song, 2020’s “All That” as Russell sang, “All That we've seen, we've heard, we've dreamed All That, and more.”
The applause following continued and continued, with the brothers staying on stage for an extended time at the end, honestly thanking the crowd for coming and still remaining fans, despite how few times they may have played the area.
Fireworks from July 4th are usually something to see, but for the longtime fans of Ron Mael, Russell Mael and Sparks, the real fireworks were seeing the band triumphantly return to the area after decades, so were doing the complete opposite of (insert new album-related joke here) crying in their latte.
(Arrival at KC Airport, courtesy of the band)
(Photos by Brandon Clasen unless indicated; Click on any image to enlarge and see in full)
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| john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com |
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