Concert review: Sparks at Copernicus Center, Chicago, IL (March 19, 2022)

Perhaps the dominant theme of the Edgar Wright documentary The Sparks Brothers is the importance of persistence. Ron and Russell Mael have pursued a distinct artistic sensibility for over five decades, with patches of success in various parts of the world. The Maels now find themselves on the upswing in their home country, aided a great deal by the aforementioned documentary, along with their first feature film (for which they wrote the story, and co-wrote the screenplay and songs) Annette. 

2021's so-called Summer of Sparks has helped Sparks to headline the biggest venues of their career in many parts of the country where they weren't in vogue for most of their career. Their current North American tour brought them to the Copernicus Center on a Saturday night. A converted old movie palace in the northwest Chicago neighborhood of Jefferson Park, which has one of the largest Polish populations in the city, the Copernicus Center holds roughly 1900 people, and if not all, most of those seats were filled with an enthusiastic crowd who ate up everything their longtime (or medium term or new) heroes dished up.

Unlike most recent Sparks tours, where sets have been centered on whatever recent album they're promoting, this set list was truly career spanning, with the band playing at least one song from every decade of their recorded existence. The set started where it logically had to, with the rousing opener from the movie Annette, "So May We Start".

From there, the band hopscotched through their catalog, showing off the fizzy fun of their early '80s work ("Angst in My Pants", "Tip for Teens"), the band's artier side ("Stravinsky's Latest Hit", "Get in the Swing", which they pull off in fine fashion for such a tricky song), and the more delicate side ("I Married Myself" and a truly haunting "We Love Each Other So Much", where it was great hearing Russell sing the whole thing, no offense to Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard).

The backing band was terrific, with some of the musicians veterans of prior Sparks tours, and the mainstay, drummer Stevie Nistor, who has been playing with Sparks since the 21 albums residency in London in 2008. Hearing him take on the odd drum pattern of "Wonder Girl" or drive, and add a stronger Moroder feel to "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'" was quite something. He really serves every song perfectly, but doesn't merely imitate the many terrific drummers who preceded him.

Ron got a few chances to tear away from glaring from the keyboard. Most significantly, the band dug beneath the crust of their catalog down to the mantle to resurrect deep cut "Shopping Mall of Love" from Music That You Can Dance To. Ron intoned the narrative part, while Russell and the band took care of the singing, and the elder Mael's dry vocals enhanced the song. The band also added a bit of choreography that was quite fun (and Ron also provided a vocal contribution on "Suburban Homeboy").

Russell Mael is a marvel. At age 73, he's still relatively spry, and age has taken, at best, a smidgen from his freakish vocal range. It was only four songs into the set when the younger Mael pulled off an incredible (vocal) flex, doing the (synthesized) string-laden "Under the Table With Her" off of Indiscreet. This is a song that young Russ sang right near the top of his range, sounding boyish (as in pre-teen). Last night, that exact same singer executed a perfect rendition of the song. It ain't 1918, but for a few minutes, it was 1975 again. Simply dazzling.

One thing that was notable was the crowd response. It seemed that everyone dug everything, but it was striking that some of the loudest applause came for some 21st century songs, such as the brilliant "My Baby's Taking Me Home", Lil' Beethoven's "The Rhythm Thief", which might be the only Sparks album opener that can give Propaganda's "Propaganda/At Home At Work At Play" a run for its money, and the instant classic "Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me)" from the band's Hippopotamus album. 

That being said, Sparks made sure that the songs that most folks wanted to hear the most were the songs that were still most worth hearing. "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" was as lovely as ever, and the main set closing one-two punch was spectacular. They started with the single version of "Number One Song in Heaven" (i.e., the slower first half was excised), with Ron getting a chance to do his patented shuffle (how far back does that date to -- the early '80s?) during Gabriel/Nistor's drum break, and the beloved (new) iPad air jingle "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us", a song that retains every ounce of its power 48 years after it was first released.

The band ended with one of the most simple and emotionally resonant songs in the Sparks catalog, the uplifting "All That" from A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip, which really put a capper on a wonderful night. Overall, this was a fantastic show, with the Maels showing the considerable depth of their catalog (Note: I think you could put together many equally good sets while touching on entirely different groups of songs (while leaving in the expected hits)). Moreover, when looking at the small number of legendary bands who have lasted as long as Sparks, how many could ground a third of their set with songs from the past five years, and one could say the recent material held its own with the older stuff? 

Sparks is both celebrating their history on this tour, while confirming that they are still one of the most vital creative presences in pop music in the here and now. Long live the Maels.