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dinky
Sparkologist
Joined: 26 Jul 2003
Posts: 708
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 Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2023 1:08 pm Post subject: The Hollywood Bowl....It's actually happening ! |
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https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/events/performances/2312/2023-07-16/sparks
Decades and decades of being a loyal fan, I never, ever, ever thought I'd live to see this.
One of my bucket list choices was to see them play in the US. I ticked this off at the Palace in 2018
Is there such a thing as a double bucket ? |
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waterloosunset
Sparks Guru
Joined: 17 Nov 2021
Posts: 2000
Location: amongst the New England trees
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| Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2023 7:17 pm Post subject: |
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JUST DO IT!!! I didn't go to see the Kinks in 1995 for some stupid reason or other, and, well, that was that. No more Kinks gigs.
And what about their opener?!?! They Might Be Giants! It should be an amazing show.
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J. Prufrock
Sparks Guru
Joined: 12 Aug 2018
Posts: 3299
Location: Very northeastern US
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| Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2023 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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I've seen They Might Be Giants live; the only downside was the mosh pit, and I suspect that only happened because every show at that particular venue had a mosh pit in those years. (I wonder if they still do the bit where they spin a radio dial and cover the first song they land on? Grand fun, those two.)
Anyway, the venue clearly means a lot to R&R - congrats to them on headlining where their Mom took them to see the Beatles!  |
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koshka42
Newbie
Joined: 12 May 2022
Posts: 3
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2023 5:10 pm Post subject: |
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I'm seeing Sparks in Toronto less than two weeks before the Hollywood Bowl show.
I am on a budget, but this is a dream combination! I've seen TMBG live more than any other band, and I've often noticed similarities and thought wow, what a show that would be. And now it's happening!
I shouldn't go. I'm buying a new home! I have to watch every penny! But...
*le sigh*
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phdave that afternoon
Certified Fan
Joined: 01 Jul 2023
Posts: 71
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| Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2023 6:33 pm Post subject: |
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This is my first Sparks concert! I've seen TMBG many times but I didn't know who Sparks were before I saw this event advertised. I'm now obsessed with Sparks and can't believe I didn't know about them before given my TMBG fandom.
I guess it is silly but I have fantasies about TMBG and Sparks playing something together at some point during the show. I can imagine an enjoyable co-performance of "When You Leave" to transition from TMBG to Sparks. Sparks has not been playing that live so I'm guessing it would be pretty difficult to pull that off for one show.
On another note, I was surprised that TMBG never made an appearance for the Edgar Wright documentary. I know they have claimed Sparks as one of their big influences. But I guess it is less interesting to hear them say that than someone like Flea who you would not necessarily guess was a Sparks fan. |
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highersynth
Sparkologist
Joined: 23 Jun 2023
Posts: 510
Location: Devon, UK
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| Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2023 2:24 am Post subject: |
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| phdave that afternoon wrote: | This is my first Sparks concert! I've seen TMBG many times but I didn't know who Sparks were before I saw this event advertised. I'm now obsessed with Sparks and can't believe I didn't know about them before given my TMBG fandom.
I guess it is silly but I have fantasies about TMBG and Sparks playing something together at some point during the show. I can imagine an enjoyable co-performance of "When You Leave" to transition from TMBG to Sparks. Sparks has not been playing that live so I'm guessing it would be pretty difficult to pull that off for one show.
On another note, I was surprised that TMBG never made an appearance for the Edgar Wright documentary. I know they have claimed Sparks as one of their big influences. But I guess it is less interesting to hear them say that than someone like Flea who you would not necessarily guess was a Sparks fan. |
Great to hear you've come to love them! I get that you might have missed them - myself, I found them in 1979, and then got put off (as a silly teenage) by the inaccessibility (to me) of their subsequent stuff and the fact they didn't tour UK at the time. I've really only now rediscovered that initial love for the guys, and I feel I have a whole lot of catching up to do!
Enjoy the gig!
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dinky
Sparkologist
Joined: 26 Jul 2003
Posts: 708
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| Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2023 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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Sigh, bought two tickets but can't now get over to watch
Cost me £130, if you know anyone who wants them please PM. Not expecting anywhere near face value at this stage |
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PeterE
Sparks Guru
Joined: 02 Oct 2002
Posts: 1734
Location: Wiesbaden Germany
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| Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2023 8:31 am Post subject: |
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it would be wonderful if there would record a live album
there |
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waterloosunset
Sparks Guru
Joined: 17 Nov 2021
Posts: 2000
Location: amongst the New England trees
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| Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2023 11:11 pm Post subject: |
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I was hoping that someone from here would be going, but I believe that most here are in Europe and would find it difficult to rationalize the expense. I do know one Londoner who is right now in LA waiting to hear the opening to May We Start?
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phdave that afternoon
Certified Fan
Joined: 01 Jul 2023
Posts: 71
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| Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 12:52 am Post subject: |
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| waterloosunset wrote: | | I was hoping that someone from here would be going, but I believe that most here are in Europe and would find it difficult to rationalize the expense. I do know one Londoner who is right now in LA waiting to hear the opening to May We Start? |
I am going!   |
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dinky
Sparkologist
Joined: 26 Jul 2003
Posts: 708
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| Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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Incredibly jealous of those going, but please enjoy !
Would have gone to see Kool and The Gang there last night had I made it
Altogether now
'Get down on it, get down on it................' |
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DeeDee
Power Groupie
Joined: 14 Feb 2006
Posts: 273
Location: Maryland, USA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 7:10 pm Post subject: Hollywood Bowl |
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Long time absentee from forum but not Sparks. After the Albert Hall Monday concert I realized I just had to be at the Hollywood Bowl. Once in a lifetime.
So I will be there.
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waterloosunset
Sparks Guru
Joined: 17 Nov 2021
Posts: 2000
Location: amongst the New England trees
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| Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2023 9:31 pm Post subject: |
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Hurray for phdave and DeeDee!! Please tell us everything after the show. I’m sure there will be additional songs and maybe special guests.
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highersynth
Sparkologist
Joined: 23 Jun 2023
Posts: 510
Location: Devon, UK
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| Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2023 4:38 am Post subject: |
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Loved seeing all the vids and photos on the Reinforcements Facebook page. So made-up for the guys that they had such a triumphant home-town gig. <3
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waterloosunset
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Joined: 17 Nov 2021
Posts: 2000
Location: amongst the New England trees
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phdave that afternoon
Certified Fan
Joined: 01 Jul 2023
Posts: 71
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| Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2023 9:34 pm Post subject: |
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| highersynth wrote: | | Loved seeing all the vids and photos on the Reinforcements Facebook page. So made-up for the guys that they had such a triumphant home-town gig. <3 |
Thanks for making me aware of that group. I posted a video I took of the finale All That with the crowd cell phone flashlights. Russ remarked that it was beautiful.
The show was everything my wife and I hoped for (except that I hoped it would go on for a few more hours). The Bowl shows are great but always shorter than I want because they have to end at 10:15 PM.
It was my wife's birthday and we both have become obsessed with Sparks over the past few months, so she was super happy. Lots of fun Sparks fan people watching / cosplay. It was our first live concert since before the pandemic. We made the right choice for a return event.
TMBG was great and repeatedly expressed how grateful they were to open for Sparks. It was nice seeing a band I loved as the opening act before everything got dark. Perfect mash-up of fan groups with lost of overlap.
There weren't any song choice surprises for me because I was following their set lists to make sure I was familiar with which songs they were likely to play. It takes some of the spontaneity out of it but since I am still making my way through their career catalogue I'd rather hear familiar songs than hear a song for the first time live. I was trying to guess what they still had time to play as time was running out and am so happy they did My Baby's Taking Me Home during the encore. I guess that is a staple of their shows but they have so many songs it did not feel like a guarantee. That was probably the top song I wanted to see live.
I was surprised that they chose to play Shopping Mall of Love because it did not seem like it would be a great song live, but I forgot that it was a Ron vocal song and it ended up being a highlight for me with his delivery. Also the crowd was the loudest when Ron did the Ron dance. I was near the big screen and never tired of the close-ups of Ron throughout the show with his stone face.
The mxdwn review above was pretty good for the most part.
Here is the setlist.
Everything sounded great. I especially loved Bon Voyage, but really everything was great.
The only surprise guest (sort of) was Edgar Wright who came up on stage to take the band crowd shot. He flew to LA from the UK to be there for the show.
Ron and Russ looked like they never wanted to leave the stage at the end, thanking everyone and talking about how special it was for them. They reminisced about how their mom took them there to see The Beatles in '64.
I'm somewhat sad now that I don't have the Sparks concert to anticipate. :(
But I am very grateful that I got a chance to see this show and glad that TMBG were opening, otherwise I might not have looked into who Sparks were and found a new favorite band. |
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Alex Robertson
Sparks Guru
Joined: 11 Jan 2002
Posts: 41364
Location: Crawley,West Sussex
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| Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2023 4:23 am Post subject: |
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| So jealous of you witnessing this triumph for Sparks...I do hope it's a, not too distant ,future release on DVD for the rest of us. |
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dinky
Sparkologist
Joined: 26 Jul 2003
Posts: 708
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| Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2023 5:47 am Post subject: |
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Excellent summary phdave.
God bless Edgar Wright, I knew he'd be there !
Was chatting with someone last night who was absolutely gobsmacked that Sparks had virtually sold out the HB. Taking a step back, I have to agree. In 2012 I had a spare ticket to see them at the Ritz in Manchester (capacity 1500) and offered it at FV to a tout outside. He declined and said no one was interested (with a few tickets already in his possession that he couldn't shift) |
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Toughest Girl In Town
Sparks Guru
Joined: 15 Feb 2022
Posts: 4593
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phdave that afternoon
Certified Fan
Joined: 01 Jul 2023
Posts: 71
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| Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2023 12:57 pm Post subject: |
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| I re-watched the Sparks Brothers documentary. Why did someone say they were headlining the Hollywood Bowl in the 80s? I was confused when I first heard they never played there before because I initially watched the movie when I was thinking about buying tickets to the show. I assumed it was a venue they had played before based on that comment. Maybe he just confused the Bowl with the Greek? It was strange watching that again after the Bowl show knowing it was not true. |
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