El Paso rock band Sparta–led by musician Jim Ward–has announced a show on November 17th in El Paso. In a post on the Tembloroso Creative Lab site–which Ward and company use to “provide a worldwide voice for El Paso’s artists and musicians,”  he wrote:

Hi everyone-
here is the official word from the sparta headquarters-

Sparta, awake!

After a three-year “nap,” Sparta will play their first show since 2008 this November in their hometown of El Paso, TX. They’re confirmed to perform on November 17th at Tricky Falls, the newly renovated venue co-owned by frontman Jim Ward. The band – Ward, drummer Tony Hajjar, bassist Matt Miller, and guitarist Keeley Davis – will also head into the studio this fall to begin work on their fourth LP, the follow-up to 2006’s Threes. More information coming soon; in the meantime, tickets for the 11/17 El Paso show are available beginning today (8/4) at 10 am MST here: http://holdmyticket.com/event/27335

We will continue to update as we go…

Thanks everyone
-jim

More Ward news after the jump…

In a new interview with El Paso’s What’s Up, Ward spouts off about what he’s been up to lately and upcoming plans (none of which involve Sleepercar, unfortunately — but there’s the Sparta show and new album, a new venue (Tricky Falls), a bar (Hope and Anchor), and more). Plus, he has a new CD out, which chronicles the three acoustic EPs he has released over the past few years (all of which are excellent listens, by the way) and includes some of the songs done electric. Here is more information:

Following the Sleepercar tours – which were a mixture of small shows (sleeping on floors and in bad hotels) and bigger tours (such as opening for Coldplay) – in 2009 Ward found additional outlets for his creativity. He opened a bar, Hope and Anchor, in El Paso with his wife and a friend. Also, he and González, realizing their daydream about opening a recording studio in their hometown, started producing records at Clap Of Thunder – working with young local bands like The Lusitania and The Royalty. The same year, he made the second EP, In the Valley, On The Shores. The final EP, The End Begins, came together quickly over late 2010, initially delayed by his busy new schedule as bar-owner.

Quiet In The Valley, On The Shores, The End Begins & The Electric Six is available now as MP3 download and CD.

Here’s a Sparta video from a few years ago:

And a video from Sleepercar:

Awesome. I’ll be at the November show if I can, but reality will likely set in between now and then…