PhilaMOCA announces SPARKStacular featuring Lushlife, Weird Hot and more on Oct. 6

They’re not exactly a household name, but for some, Sparks is not just some American synthpop band, they are THE American synthpop band. They’ve been making imaginative, danceable pop music at a steady clip for over 40 years, with 22 studio albums at last count, not to mention an array of singles. So with Sparks – as with other cult favorites from Frank Zappa to The Fall – there is ample opportunity for musicians and fans to go deep nerd out. Next month, PhilaMOCA is providing musicians with a playground to do just that with its first-ever SPARKStacular. The all-ages event takes place on Saturday, October 6, at 7 p.m., and admission is $10. Confirmed artists so far include impressionistic hip-hop guru Lushlife, avant popster Shawn Kilroy’s band Weird Hot, Boston accordion player Tom Persinos, Disco Machine Gun‘s Christen Hooks and her string quartet, along with more to be announced, “from experimental musicians to traditional singer-songwriters.” More information at the festival’s event page. Below, watch Sparks performing on American Bandstand with Dick Clark in 1982.