Live Review: SPARKS - 2023 World Tour

SPARKS - Bobby Talamine (c) 2023

SPARKS - Bobby Talamine (c) 2023

Writing and Photography by Bobby Talamine
Edited by Fiza Javid
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Copernicus Center Chicago
Wed 7/5/23

Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks, currently on their 2023 World Tour, with a stop at the Copernicus Center in Chicago.
Many takeaways from their set, and mostly revolving around dancing.
Dancing in the song titles, such as "We Go Dancing", "Music That You Can Dance To" come to mind.

And they do propel to you dance, and get up out of your seat.
Speaking of that- seven songs in, with "It Doesn't Have to Be That Way", and the audience started to get in on the act- no more sitting, now it's time to dance in place, and furthermore now it's time to dance in the row, and yet again now it's time to dance in the aisles.

All in good fun, all in favor of.

All of it- the entire setlist, opening of course with "So May We Start", led by the fun, and the positive energy of Russell Mael, prancing and dancing about the stage in clever heart skip and a beat or two, infectious as all get out.

A twenty song setlist in total, including encore, all of it inspiring, backed with a band that propels the Mael Brothers into a higher plane of amplified fun and games.
Even their most latest release "The Girl is Crying in Her Latte", still has holding power equal to their back catalog- what with a downright addictive video featuring Cate Blanchett of all things dancing in place to the beat, and like most Sparks songs, what seems so simple is anything but, and so worthy of repeats.

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SPARKS - Bobby Talamine (c) 2023

SPARKS - Bobby Talamine (c) 2023

SPARKS - Bobby Talamine (c) 2023

SPARKS - Bobby Talamine (c) 2023

SPARKS - Bobby Talamine (c) 2023

SPARKS - Bobby Talamine (c) 2023

Same holds true with their latest single "Escalator", and the overall mood is transfixing, with a synth heavy melody, but the undercarriage of the song, along with the live presentation is captivating, done up Sparks style.
I bring all this up because over the lengthy length of their storied career, nothing has changed with imaginary and infectious songwriting.
These guys can write about anything, I mean anything.
Very observant and bright- that's the Mael Brothers.

Makes you look forward time and time again when they pivot to something else, and you get all giddy because through word of mouth you hear they're back in the studio yet again recording and writing new material.

But for live shows- they leave a mark- a mark in your cranium that's ever so memorable, with a huge residual smile on your face.

And of course, mister deadpan serious looking Ron Mael has a couple moments to shine, the most memorable, during the song "The Number One Song in Heaven", and he takes his turn in the "Running Man" style of dance letting his legs get all wiry and wobbly with a wicked grin across his face from stage left to stage right, the audience always eating it up with shrieks and hollers of approval, before he settles back into his deadpan serious look behind his "Ronald" keyboard.

Stuff like that with the boys in Sparks never gets old.

Again, all in good fun, all in the moment of letting loose and mugging it up, making the most of their setlist dance club worthy bangers.
And how about the loud and rapturous applause at the end given to the Mael Brothers? Long and loud, and so well deserved.
You knew before hand that they were going to deliver.

Most reassuring when they do, wishing that they won't leave the stage whatsoever.
Just stay and we'll make the most of it, camp yard by the bonfire style.
And something tells me in that dream, if that were so the case, they could make a song or two out of that as well.
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Clearly yet again, one of the best live shows of the year.
Hard to beat Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks, who have a deep appreciation of their fans, reciprocated in kind with an audience in Chicago who know a thing or two about gratitude and sincere honesty when they see it.
Long may the brothers Mael captivate.

Bobby Talamine - JBTV Music Television Chicago

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Sparks, Ron Mael, Russell Mael, Sparks World Tour 2023, JBTV Music Television, Fiza Javid, Bobby Talamine