Rockbites: Sparta launch first major tour behind new EP

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April 2002 • Rockbites Alternative Daily

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Sparta launch first major tour behind new EP
5 April 2002

Sparta, the new four piece At-The-Drive-In spinoff—who don’t share any members with the other ATDI spinoffs, De Facto and Mars Volta—signed last year to LA indie Dreamworks Records. They’ve been recording an album in Vancouver, British Columbia with Blink 182/Green Day producer Jerry Finn. The first fruit of that labor came out 26 March, the four track Austere EP. Expect Sparta’s debut album sometime this summer.
    ATDI guitarist Omar Rodriguez, meanwhile, who with ATDI front man Cedric Bixler performed as De Facto since long before the split-up, and who recently founded the band Mars Volta, last year partnered with Sonny Kay to work on expanding the roster and the output of San Diego’s Gold Standard Laboratories records. GSL is home to, among many others, The Locust.
    Sparta (ATDI’s Paul Hinojos, Jim Ward, and Tony Hajjar along with bassist Matt Miller) launched their first major North American tour late last month, and continue through 9 May. They then trip over to Europe for three weeks of shows. Dates are

April
  5 - Chicago, IL (House of Blues)
  6 - Detroit, MI (St Andrew's Hall)
  7 - Cleveland, OH (Agora Ballroom)
  8 - Toronto, ON (Reverb)
  9 - Boston, MA (Middle East)
11 - Brooklyn, NY (Warsaw)
12 - Washington, DC (Black Cat)
13 - Philadelphia, PA (TLA)
28 - Austin, TX (Emo's)
29 - Dallas, TX (Tree's)

May
  1 - Phoenix, AZ (Nita's)
  2 - San Diego, CA (The Scene)
  3 - San Francisco, CA (Bottom of the Hill)
  4 - Santa Cruz, CA (Vet's Hall)
  6 - Seattle, WA (Graceland)
  7 - Portland, OR (Meow Meow)
  8 - Sacramento, CA (Boardwalk)
  9 - Los Angeles, CA (Troubadour)
21 - Cardiff, Wales (Coal Exchange)
22 - Dublin, Ireland (Music Centre)
23 - Belfast, Ireland (tba)
24 - Glasgow, Scotland (King Tuts)
25 - Leeds, England (The Cockpit)
26 - Manchester, England (Hop and Grape)
27 - Birmingham, England (Little Acadamy)
28 - Amsterdam, Holland (Milkweg)
29 - Munich, Germany (Backstage)
30 - Berlin, Germany (SO 36)
31 - Hamburg, Germany (Schlacthof)

June
  2 - Koln, Germany (Prime Club)
  3 - Paris, France (La Boule Noir)
  4 - Broussels, Belgium (Ancienne Belgique Club)
  6 - London, England (Mean Fiddler (LA2)
| Sparta | | EP from Amazon US | | GSL records | | top of page |

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