Sparks: MAD! Tour
Sparks
Image courtesy of the artist
Ron Mael (keyboards, songwriting, moustache) and his younger brother Russell (singing, charisma, looks-looks-looks) were born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and first recorded under the name Urban Renewal Project and, later, 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's uniquely arch, ironic aesthetic, and their breakthrough came instead after they relocated to London with a new backing band. They scored a huge hit in 1974 with the cinematic, staccato single "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us," unleashing full-scale Sparksmania in the UK.
After all these years, they continue to break new ground. Their 2025 tour begins on June 8 in Japan and ends on July 8 in Milan.
MAD! opens with the song "Do Things My Own Way," a piece of typically forward-facing progressive pop which is the album's lead single and focus track. But it also functions as something of a manifesto for the Maels themselves. Sparks are a band who have always done things their own way.