Home / Events / Alan Sparhawk The White Roses Tour
Thirty years into a career of music making 2024 finds Alan Sparhawk entering uncharted territory. Sparhawk co founded the band Low alongside vocalist and drummer Mimi Parker who passed away in late 2022. Their music derived elemental power from its fearless exploration of quiet gentle places. Low released thirteen albums and influenced a movement of spacious graceful intimate and ever evolving music. Over time Low s anthemic songs heightened in urgency and tone unearthing new layers of musical exploration and lyrical questioning. Their final album Grammy nominated Hey What was released in 2021 to universal acclaim and marked a high point in their musical evolution and trajectory. Although he is obviously and justifiably best known for his thirty years in Low a look at Sparhawk s many side projects across that same span of time shows him experimenting with everything from punk and funk to production work and improvisation. Low itself never settled for a set sound or approach. The band was always a collaboration a conversation a romance between Sparhawk and his wife Mimi Parker who was the band s co founder drummer co lead vocalist and its blazing irreplaceable heart. Parker passed away in 2022 after a long battle with cancer. There is no question that White Roses My God is a record borne of grief. However it would be reductive even foolish to see grief as the sole source or the final limit of this taut brilliant provocative thrilling album whose bold experimentation is powered by profound lyrics and propulsive beats. White Roses My God is an exorcism whose purpose is not to banish the spirit but to set it free. Sparhawk has recently been playing with various collaborators and projects with friends and family members including guest appearances with Yo La Tengo Trampled by Turtles Peder Mannerfelt Charlie Parr and funk band Derecho Rhythm Section. Alan Sparhawk s tour schedule in support of White Roses My God begins November 2nd 2024 in Dublin IE at Opium and currently ends January 25th 2025 in Denver at the Bluebird. This announcement features a new eight date headlining run in the US Jan. 13th 25th which includes a stop at Brooklyn s Elsewhere on April 5th. These shows will follow his previously announced 2024 dates UK EU headline dates Nov. 2nd 5th an appearance at Pitchfork Music Festival London at The Barbican with Jessica Pratt Nov. 6th and support dates with Godspeed You! Black Emperor Nov. 8th 24th . Alan Sparhawk has always been a prolific protean musician. A restless soul eager to explore unfamiliar sonic and psychic terrain. Though he s obviously and justifiably best known for his thirty years as frontman of the legendary band Low a look at Sparhawk s many side projects across that same span of time shows him experimenting with everything from punk and funk to production work and improvisation. Low itself never settled for a set sound or approach. The band was always a collaboration a conversation a romance between Sparhawk and his wife Mimi Parker who was the band s co founder drummer co lead vocalist and its blazing irreplaceable heart. To take the journey from Low s hushed early work through the tremendous melodies of their middle period all the way to the late lush chaos of their final albums is to witness heads hearts and spirits in an act of perpetual becoming. Parker passed away in 2022 after a long battle with cancer and there is no question that WHITE ROSES MY GOD is a record borne of grief. You can hear it in the title as well as tracks such as Heaven in which Sparhawk describes the afterlife wrenchingly as a lonely place if you re alone. You can sense it too in Sparhawk s decision to create this thing entirely on his own: every note every lyric every programmed beat. It would be reductive even foolish to see grief as the sole source or the final limit of this taut brilliant provocative thrilling album whose bold experimentation is powered by profound lyrics and propulsive beats.
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