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Sparks
- Södra Teatern, Stockholm - March
29, 2004
By:
Johan Carlsson
| Sparks
visited my beautiful hometown Stockholm
this weekend, and played three nights
in a row at Södra Teatern. It was
only a year since they were here the
last time, and according to some friends
of mine, the show was similar. Nevertheless,
I felt compelled to check it out, even
though my knowledge of the band was
pretty sparse. And boy was I pleasantly surprised! This is a tremendously funny, offbeat and talented duo. Ron and Russell Mael have so far released a stunning 19 albums, and have spanned genres as different as glamrock, metal, synthpop, techno and lately pieces that would fit in a musical. The first half of the show consisted of the latest album "L'il Beethoven", and after the intermission they played a selection of the older material. The two brothers performed a very theatrical, funny and intelligent show, with lots of interaction with the video backdrop and they even had extra actors on stage! During “Ugly Guys with Beautiful Girls”, Ron came in with a gorgeous brunette, and trotted around looking smug. To top it off, their keyboard was named "Ronald"... Their encore was “When Do I Get to Sing My Way?” and “Amateur Hour”, prompting the entire – very enthusiastic – audience to stand up and dance. Sparks has a new fan in me, and I really think you should check them out if they play near you. |