Sparks had two of the most high-profile years of their five-decade career during the pandemic, releasing A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip in 2020 and then being a part of two acclaimed 2021 films: Edgar Wright's documentary The Sparks Brothers, and their rock opera Annette, that they made with director Leos Carax. But they hadn't played live until this tour.
Russell Mael told the audience at Monday Night's Town Hall show that he and his brother Ron weren't sure if or when they would ever be able to play live again, so it was really special for them to be back in New York. It was clearly a special, joyous night for everyone there, as Ron, Russell, and their ace live band played a crowd pleasing set of new and old songs. While "here's a new one" can be synonymous with "let's hit the bar" at a show for a band that have been around as long as they have, Sparks have fans who are just as into the new records as the old.