Texas locals and American rock band, Sparta, is coming to Austin, Texas to perform live on July 26th! The band will be at The Parish Room and GA tickets are still available for fans! Sparta just released a new album in October of 2022 and cannot wait to perform it live for fans all over the country. The tour is in celebration for 20 years since their first album and the show has special guest, Zeta!
Sparta originated in El Paso, Texas and was formed in 2001. The band was active from then until 2008, when founder, Jim Ward, decided to take a break and work on his solo career. The band then reunited in 2011 to perform more shows but took another break in 2013. 4 years later, in 2017, the band came together again and has been together ever since! The current permanent members include Ward on lead vocals, keyboard and guitar and Matt Miller on bass and backing vocals, making the band a duo currently. Neil Hennessy will be joining the duo on tour to play the drums live.
Sparta has 5 official studio albums. Their first release though, was an EP titled Austere that was released in early 2002. Their first album came out within the same year in August titled Wiretap Scars. The songs on the album can be described as splintering rock and having an addictive melody that fans could not get enough of. After the release of Wiretap Scars the band gained a niche underground following of rock fans but grew significantly after opening up for Pearl Jam at a number of their shows. Due to their amazing live performances, the band released a live album in 2004 that included two unreleased tracks. Fans were able to hear what a live performance from Sparta truly felt and sounded like. Their second album, Porcelain, hit the shelves in July of 2004. After the release of this album, they were able to plan their own headlining tour! Their third album, Threes, was released on October 24th, 2006 to the general public, but released on MySpace two days before that for their die-hard fans.
Sparta took a 3-year break after releasing 3 successful rock albums and touring the world. In November of 2011, they played a reunion show in their very own hometown, El Paso. It was their first live show since 2008 and they continued to perform live together until 2013. Fans waited patiently after this for Sparta to make their second comeback, and it finally happened in 2017! On November 13th, the band announced a brand new song, “Graveyard Luck,” and released it that day. They released a second song, “Cat Scream,” with the announcement of a brand new tour in North America. After this tour, the band decided it was time for a new album. It had been since 2006 that they had an album come out. Their 4th album, Trust The River, dropped on April 10th, 2020, 14 years after Threes. The band became a permanent duo a year after the album release and has been one ever since.
On March 18 and 19, 2022, the duo played their first live shows in 2 years at a restaurant in El Paso owned by Ward. The performances were intimate and felt so special to them because of their love for El Paso. They continued touring as a duo after these performances. On October 14th, 2022, they released their 5th and most recent studio album, Sparta. This is their first ever album created as Ward and Miller as a duo. This is a very exciting tour for the duo and this new era for the band is one that fans do not want to miss! You can get general admission tickets to this show here, but you better hurry because tickets are limited!
When? July 26th, 2023
Where? The Parish Room (501 Brushy St, Austin, TX, 78702)
Time? Doors open at 7:00 pm CT & show starts at 8:00 pm CT
Ages? All ages welcome
Photo Credit: Marv Watson
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