Sparta Extends 'Wiretap Scars' 20th Anniversary Tour With Dates in NYC, Boston, Nashville, Chicago & More

As previously announced, Sparta, the El Paso band featuring Jim Ward, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their critically acclaimed debut album Wiretap Scars with a tour of the U.S.

Today, they announce even more dates with Geoff Rickly (Thursday) and zeta as support. See below for a full rundown of new dates (in bold) as well as the previously announced tour dates with Rickly and '68. Tickets for the first leg are on-sale now here with the additional tour dates going on sale this Friday at 10am ET.

This marks Sparta's first tour of 2023 and a follow up to their fall 2022 tour supporting The Get Up Kids.

Featuring fan-favorites "Air," and "Cut Your Ribbon," Wiretap Scars was released in August 2002. At the time Sparta was Ward, Matt Miller, Paul Hinojos, and Tony Hajjar. The 4 formed Sparta following the break of their former band, the post-hardcore At the Drive-In.

Sparta currently consists of Jim Ward and Matt Miller who are joined by drummer Neil Hennessy on tour. Last year, the band released self-titled album Sparta which followed 2020's Trust The River, both released on Dine Alone Records. Trust the River marked the first full length studio album from the band since 2006's Threes. Ward has also recently released his first solo album Daggers (Dine Alone Records).

When it comes to his long and fruitful career in music, Jim Ward is not guided by vanity or money or some grand narrative in which he's the central player. It's all about the song, the melody, the lyric. So in late-2017, when he began making heavier, more riff-laden music, he rang his Sparta bandmate of more than 20 years, bassist Matt Miller, and began work on Trust The River. Beyond Sparta, Ward has performed in various bands and under several monikers over his long and winding career- from the iconic post-hardcore band At The Drive-In, his alt-country project Sleepercar, to a slew of solo albums.

SPARTA WIRETAP SCARS TOUR DATES:

May 4: Mesa, AZ at Nine Half House *

May 5: Anaheim, CA at Chain Reaction *

May 6: San Diego, CA at Music Box *

May 7: Los Angeles, CA at Roxy *

May 9: Fresno, CA at Strummers *

May 10: San Francisco, CA at Great American Music Hall *

May 11: Sacramento, CA at Harlow's *

May 13: Portland, OR at Dante's *

May 14: Tacoma, WA at Alma *

May 15: Boise, ID at 9th St. Parallel *

May 17: Salt Lake City, UT at Metro Music Hall *

May 18: Denver, CO at Bluebird Theatre *

May 19: Albuquerque, NM at Launchpad *

June 1: Lubbock, TX at Jake's Sports ^

June 2: Oklahoma, OK at Beer City Music Hall ^

June 3: Kansas City, MO at Recordbard ^

June 4: St. Louis, MO at Red Flag ^

June 6: Minneapolis, MN at Fine Line ^

June 7: Chicago, IL at Bottom Lounge ^

June 9: Pontian, MI at Crofoot ^

June 10: Cleveland, OH at Grog Shop ^

June 11: Columbus, OH at Newport ^

June 12: Nashville, TN at Basement East ^

June 14: Little Rock, AR at The Rev Room ^

June 15: Baton Rouge, LA at Chelsea's Live ^

June 16: San Antonio, TX at The Rock Box ^

July 26: Austin, TX at The Parish #

July 27: Houston, TX at White Oak Music Room #

July 28: Pensacola, FL at Handlebar #

July 29: Atlanta, GA at Masquerade - Hell #

July 31: Baltimore, MD at Ottobar ^

August 1: Philadelphia, PA at Underground Arts ^

August 3: Boston, MA at Brighton Music Hall ^

August 4: Brooklyn, NY at Brooklyn Monarch ^

August 5: Rochester, NY at Montage Music Hall ^

August 7: Pittsburgh, PA at Thunderbird Cafe ^

August 8: Covington, KY at Madison Live ^

August 9: Louisville, KY at Headliners Music Hall ^

August 10: Memphis, TN at Growlers ^

August 12: Dallas, TX at Southside Music Hall ^

* w/ '68 and Geoffrey Rickly

^ w/ zeta and Geoffrey Rickly

# w/ zeta only

Photo Credit: Jesse DeFlorio