Sparks

Sparks are bringing their MAD! Tour to the historic Golden Gate Theatre. Released in May 2025 on new label home Transgressive Records, MAD!, the duo’s 28th studio album, finds Ron and Russell examining cultural phenomena such as branded backpacks, tattoos, performative devotion (whether to a God, a lover, a celebrity or a sports team), the hegemony of banter, and the rise of influencers. ('Running Up A Tab At The Hotel For The Fab' seems to be inspired by the modern-day parable of fake German heiress Anna Delvey, or at least someone very similar: “Will you visit me in Rykers?”)

Ron Mael (keyboards, songwriting, moustache) and his younger brother Russell (singing, charisma, looks-looks-looks) were born and raised in Los Angeles, and first recorded under the name Urban Renewal Project and subsequently Halfnelson, before settling on the name Sparks in 1972. Despite being mentored and produced by Todd Rundgren and signed by Bob Dylan's manager Albert Grossman, American audiences initially proved unreceptive to Sparks' uniquely arch, ironic aesthetic, and their breakthrough came instead after they relocated to London with a new backing band, scoring a huge hit in 1974 with the cinematic, staccato single 'This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us', and unleashing full-scale Sparksmania in the UK.

In the decades since, one thing that has never faltered is their commitment to artistic innovation. They've moved through numerous genres and phases, including Art-Glam (1974's mega-selling Kimono My House), Neo-Charleston (1975's Tony Visconti-produced Indiscreet), electronic disco (1979's Giorgio Moroder collaboration No.1 In Heaven, which essentially invented the synth duo), synthpop (1994's glorious Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins) and sampler opera (2002's career-rebooting Lil' Beethoven). The only common threads, throughout each era, are the exquisite wit of Ron's lyrics and the complexity of his arrangements, and Russell's heavenly voice.

AGES & ADVISORIES: No children under 5 allowed 

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