As you can see, I stayed in the hotel with the coca-cola couch in order to recreate this fan-favourite Ron photo..!
(Flat Ron by the river outside the hotel)
I went to both shows in Tokyo, on May 5th and 6th.
Without spoiling anything, I loved them so much.
Such incredible shows, both of them, but I think especially May 6th because that audience was Sparks-fans-only.
Set list spoilers, outfit, and staging spoilers under the cut.
My only photo from night 1 (May 5th) at SGC Hall Ariake. Obligatory pre-show keyboard image! RONALD.
Unfortunately it was a seated venue, but it's very lovely, and again nearly everyone stood up for the show.
And obligatory pre-show keyboard photo number TWO, from May 6th! This time with Flat Ron blocking the keyboard a little.
(This was the accursed venue they played in 2023 with pillars in the room blocking the view! Duo Music Exchange. Russell even specifically thanked all the people who had to stand behind the pillars, jshgdshkjshd)
Okay, real setlist spoilers ahead now.
I won't list every song, but I think my heart nearly exploded from my chest when I heard the intro to Sherlock Holmes. It's one of my all-time favourite Sparks songs... the vocal performance on both nights was just spectacular... I can't say how much I love Russell's voice on this song live. The melody and the vocals are just so perfect.
and Mickey Mouse! That is the closest I can get to feeling like I'm in the audience at the 80s SNL recording of the song, and I'll take it!!
And instead of Disneyland California Russell changed the line to Disneyland Tokyo once or twice, which was very cute :D
Finally, one of my favourite songs they played has got to be (Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country?
It's such a dynamic song, and so amusing, and so playful, and so... fun. Is there anything more fun than jumping around and singing along to this song in a room with hundreds of other Sparks fans? For me, there is not.
(My singular photo from the performance. Row 2 with direct line of sight!)
Tomoyasu Hotei came out and played guitar with them on This Town and Whippings And Apologies both nights. He was rocking out so hard, it was so great to see him up there with one of his favourite bands, all over the stage, jamming with Russell and then with Ron, and the other band members. Ugh, it was so sweet! @adreamofroses has photos of that, with this one being my favourite.
I mentioned this next thing in a previous post, but I'll retell it so I can extend it to night 2:
To introduce Hotei, Russell told a fake little story about seeing a guitarist busking in the streets of Shinjuku and inviting him to play with them onstage at their show.
And then of course one of the biggest guitar legends in Japan walks out to uproarious applause.
And on night 2, hilariously Russell told it again, and keeping in mind that many people probably heard the story the night before as well, he added,
"Then, yesterday, AGAIN, we saw the guy, and he was in SHIBUYA... and we thought, it's such a shame he's out on the street... and the guy said he just had 1 name..."
Here is Hotei with them backstage after the show, wearing the official tour merch :')
Ron was wearing a lapel pin on the second night, and it is a Godzilla footprint :D
I want to thank one of my local Sparks friends for coming with me on night 2 so we could experience this together and squeal and flail about the band we love.
I also want to thank satokina_2 on instagram for once again giving me some of their artwork as a pin badge; I know you do this all the time but it was still unexpected!
And my biggest and most heartfelt thanks to @adreamofroses, who I was so glad to meet again on night 1 and whose lovely and unbelievably generous gifts are just... incredible. I love and cherish them all.
(I haven't managed to do a writeup of the 2025 tour yet, maybe because it was so eventful for me and I have even more to say..! But I will eventually!)
At the end of the second night, Russell assured us that they would be back, and expressed how much the show had exceeded even their high expectations. It's always so heartwarming to hear that kind of thing, especially when you in the audience felt it, too. There was such energy and love and joy in that crowd.
(He also totally spilled the beans about where the bassist and drummer would be spending their respective Japan vacations now the shows were over... privacy, Russell, what's that? XD)
Thank you to anyone who read this! I didn't say very much in detail, but I had the time of my life yet again.
I hope everyone enjoys the next dates on the tour! Especially those in Aotearoa NZ, because this is the first time Sparks are going there. Aaaah :')
ăăăăšăăăăăŸăăïŒ Special thanks to corneliusofficial and hotei_official for joining Sparks on stage đžđ¶
(Uploader's note: To introduce Hotei, Russell began telling a Story, about how they arrived in Tokyo yesterday and saw a guitarist playing on the street, and how he was so good they couldn't believe he didn't have a gig and so they invited him to play two songs with them tonight... cue Hotei walking on, LOLLL.)
New Japanese interview with cute new anecdotes, published yesterday!
Rolling Stone Japan interviewed Ron, Russell, Cornelius, and their long-term friend Jin 'Zin' Yoshida of Salon Music all together. It's so sweet.
Above: Sparks with Salon Music in 1984 (photo provided by Jin Yoshida), and Russell with Yukihiro Takahashi in Tokyo circa 2016, he thinks (photo by Cornelius aka. Keigo Oyamada)
Original here (x), written by Masatoshi Arano.
It's long and wonderful :')
Please find my translation below, continued under the cut:
 [Roundtable] Sparks, Cornelius, Jin âZinâ Yoshida: Four Mutual Admirers and Their Special Bond through Japan
Itâs been a long time since the days when Sparks werenât coming to Japan, and following last yearâs visit, Sparks will be performing in Japan again this May. Moreover, this time theyâll be headlining a double-bill with Cornelius on Tuesday, May 5th, at the newly opened SGC Hall Ariake. Weâve noticed Cornelius at Sparksâ live shows for some time now, and Sparks asked him to remix the single âDo Things My Own Wayâ from their latest album. It feels like these two artists with mutual admiration have suddenly grown much closer. Since this is a special lineup you absolutely cannot miss, fans from overseas will surely be hurrying over for the show.
(continues below)
Once considered a niche group known only to Western music buffs in Japan, Sparks started appearing frequently in Japanese music media from the mid-80s onward, heavily connected with Salon Music. Salon Music have consistently listed Sparks among their favorites, and have had Ron and Russell as guests on their recordings, such is their deep friendship. After much heartfelt waiting from fans, Sparksâ first Japanese show finally took place in 2001, and Salon Music performed as the opening act for the Tokyo show.
A further connection is that Corneliusâ previous band (Flippers Guitar) was produced by Jin Yoshida of Salon Music. There was even a period when Salon Music was signed to the same label as Cornelius, and Jin Yoshida and Cornelius share a relationship that could be described as mentor and pupil. Given this rare opportunity for Cornelius to share the stage with Jinâs long-beloved Sparks, he requested an online roundtable discussion all together, and the Mael brothers immediately agreed! We proudly present the conversation between these four people who are so connected through music, resonating with each other across generations.
 Ron: Thanks, Jin, Iâm so happy to hear you say that. Naturally, our main focus is the music, but weâve also come to realize that the visual aspect isnât just for selling albums, itâs essential for conveying the bandâs sensibility. Thatâs why weâve put a lot of time and effort into our album covers as well as our performances onstage. Iâm really happy that the demand for vinyl is on the rise again. When you compare it to the CD era, the importance of the artwork is increasing.
 [Are Sparks the âmatchmakersâ for Cornelius and Jin Yoshida?]
 âEver since I saw Jin and Cornelius visiting Sparksâ dressing room at Japanâs EX Theater last year, Iâve been thinking of arranging a discussion with all four of you. Thank you for taking the time today.
 Ron: Youâre welcome. Weâre really happy to be here, too. Thank you.
 âWhen I asked Jin how he first discovered Sparks, he told me the first song he heard was This Town Ainât Big Enough For Both Of Us on the radio. He said it felt like an opera drifting in from another planet, and that the hard guitar was totally to his taste. Right after that, he went to an import record store in Shinjuku to buy Kimono My House, but found their new album Propaganda. Not only were both the front and back covers cool, but he was also blown away by the artworkâspecifically the photo on the inner sleeve showing the two of them tied up on a bed, and the sticker on the cover. He said, âI became obsessed with those songs and lyrics. They took such wild and unexpected turns, and I listened to them every day.â He became so enamoured with it that he wanted to read the liner notes and lyrics in Japanese translation, and eventually bought the Japanese edition when it came out.
 âJin, you mentioned that you were also influenced by Sparksâ fashion. You said you looked for sunglasses similar to the ones Ron was wearing on the Propaganda cover, and you copied Russellâs hairstyle at the time, and wore white baggy pants like his. I heard you also copied the riding boots Russell was wearing on the back cover of Indiscreet.
 Ron: (laughs)
Jin: After I discovered Sparks, my fashion changed drastically from what Iâd been wearing before. Iâd look at album covers and magazine photos and think, âThatâs so cool.â There was a period where I spent quite a bit of time looking for clothes like the ones they wore and dressing like them. I even happened to find a pair of sunglasses in Shibuya that looked just like the ones Ron was wearing on Propaganda, and I bought them.
 âThat just goes to show how distinctive Sparksâ personality was, not just in their music but also in their artwork and fashion sense.
 Ron: Itâs strange⊠Weâre obviously American, but our fashion back then was heavily influenced by British bands. We didnât dress like your average American band. In fact, even in America, people thought we were from abroad. But from our perspective, we just thought it looked cooler than what American bands were wearing, so thatâs why we dressed that way.
 Russell: We were just talking about album covers, but as an extension of that, fashion is so tied to the pop music we love. You canât separate fashion from music; it adds so much depth to it. Whatâs important to us is that all these elementsâthe stage production, the fashion, album art, music videosâare all what make up our bandâs identity. I think thatâs how it should be. And it still is today.
When I look at groups that came up around the same time as us, fashion and live show production should still be just as important to them today. But maybe they think that being stylish implies thereâs no substance to the music, so they end up neglecting style. But for us, how we present ourselves is still a crucial element, and we enjoy doing it. Especially when we perform live, we think itâs important to be onstage dressed differently from the audience, rather than just showing up in regular clothes. We place a lot of importance on the visual aspect when it comes to expressing our music. Weâve always been particular about that, and we seeing it as elevating the music even more. Oh, and I still have those riding boots Jin mentioned earlier (laughs).
 Ron: I think Keigo (Cornelius) would agree with that attitude. I donât mean to speak for him, but he seems to value those things too.
 âWhat first introduced you to Sparks, Cornelius?
Cornelius: At first, it was probably Kimono My House. That was around the late 90s. Iâd seen the cover a lot in record stores, but it took me quite a while to actually listen to it. I also thought Sparks were a British band at first. Since Iâm from the New Wave era, I saw Sparks as being the roots of that.
Also, I heard that someone on the Kimono My House cover spoke Japanese on a David Bowie album, so I got interested for that reason, too (Michi Hirota, who posed for the Kimono My House cover, did the narration for âItâs No Game (Part 1)â on Bowieâs Scary Monsters album).
The album covers really made an impact every time, so I was always curious about them. Then I started listening to their work from the late 70s to the early 80s. I think I started around No. 1 In Heaven.
 Russell: âBetter late than never,â as they say (laughs). You discovered and listened to our 70s stuff in the 90s, and what weâre most proud of is that our early workâI mean also including the stuff from the 90s when Keigo started listeningâis music that still holds up today. Itâs not bound to those times, and continues living on. Our music hasnât tended to have elements that pinpoint a specific era so much. Sparks have always existed in a world of our own, and we hope that the music we made in the 70s remains modern and still works even now.
Cornelius: You know, I recently listened to your song Computer Girl from 1967 on Spotify, and itâs really amazingâitâs hard to believe itâs from â67. Itâs also pretty incredible that they made a song titled âComputer Girlâ back in â67 (laughs). The arrangement is really unique, too; it surprised me.
 Russell: Even we donât know why we were already talking about computers back in the 60s (laughs). We were also surprised when we made it. I think it was one of the first things we ever recorded. Back then, there was a small studio in Los Angeles where youâd pay and theyâd let you record whatever you wanted for an hour. Thatâs where we recorded it. Theyâd give you an acetate disc so you could take the recording home. Back then, that was the only way to easily listen back to what youâd recorded. I was surprised when the âComputer Girlâ demo turned up in our archives. That was before personal computers even existed, so I donât even remember how we came up with the idea of falling in love with a computer.
 Ron: Plus, back then we didnât really know anything about how to structure a song. Listening to it after the fact, it might sound like we intentionally made it that way, but that wasnât the caseâit was just the result of us desperately trying to make something that sounded like a song.
âIn Japan, there wasnât much information available about Sparks, so from the mid-80s onward, Salon Music served as a sort of gateway to introducing them. I assumed that Jin had really pushed Cornelius to listen to Sparks, but apparently that wasnât the case, right?
Jin: Thatâs right. A long time ago, I wrote a column for a magazine recommending background music for driving, and I think Sparks were included in that list. Later, I heard from one of the original members of Flipperâs Guitar that theyâd read that column and decided to contact Salon Music.
Cornelius: That was probably me (laughs). It was in a magazine called Player, in a feature like âSalon Musicâs Picks for Driving Music,â and there was a list of cassette labels. When I saw that, I thought, âOh, these guys might have similar tastes to us.â I remember that.
 Ron: Iâm honored to have played matchmaker for the two of you (laughs). I also knew that Jin produced Flipperâs Guitar. I thought it was a perfect match in terms of musical sensibilities. Jin and I first met in 1984 when he and Hitomi (Hitomi Takenaka of Salon Music) interviewed us in Japan. That was my first trip to Japan, and it was another 17 years before we were able to play a show there for the first time. Jin and Hitomi were the first Japanese musicians I connected with. Of course, I love their music, but itâs wonderful that weâve remained friends ever since we first met.
 9
 âAnd itâs not just that youâre friends; both Ron and Russell also appeared on a Salon Music album, didnât they? Could you tell us about that?
Jin: We set up our own studio in â86 and started producing there. Thatâs when we made the album THIS IS SALON MUSIC (1987). I wanted Russell to sing on it, so I reached out to him, but Sparks were really busy in the middle of a promo tour in Europe. Still, he managed to work it out and come over. Ron was too busy to make it at the time, but Russell and I watched the new Tora-san movie and went to Shibamata (laughs) while we were recording.
 The following year, in â87, the two of them came over on vacation, so we thought, âSince theyâre here anywayâŠ,â and had them join us at the last minute for the recording of O BOY (1988). I remember having Ron listen to the song right there on the spot and recording it right away. We spent a lot of time together with the two of them during our downtime, tooâwe went to Kamakura, went to Kanda to eat soba, and went to all sorts of places.
 Ron: I still remember that, of course. Jin took me in his car to the Yokohama Ramen Museum, right? You can eat ramen in this area thatâs a recreation of old timey streets. Itâs a great memory. That was the first time I rode in a Japanese car, and I remember realizing that cars there are made for skinny people (laughs).
Russell: Iâve gotten to ride in both Jinâs car and Keigoâs car. Ron wasnât there at the time, it was just me, right? It was a real honor to have Jin and Keigo personally drive me around Japan. About that, my memoryâs a little fuzzy; did we tell Jin that we liked the Tora-san movies and thatâs why we went to Shibamata?
Jin: Oh we already knew you two liked Tora-san, so we realized we totally had to take you there (laughs).
 Ron: I forget the name of the area, but you also took us to a place where they sell lots of plastic food samples.
 âThatâs Kappabashi, right? It was during your first visit to Japan in â84, when I was doing the interview for Takarajima magazine.
 Ron: I still have all the food samples I bought back then, carefully stored away. Theyâre perfect for my art hobby (laughs).
Jin: Sparks were in town for promotion or something at the time, and after the Takarajima interview was over, a staff member was like, âThey say they want to buy some food samplesâdo you know where you can get those?â So we took them to Kappabashi. Thatâs what first brought us together.
Cornelius: Ahh (laughs).
 âIn Japan, Russellâs cover of Soft Cellâs âSay Hello, Wave Goodbye,â which he sang on Salon Musicâs O BOY, is really popular with DJs, and the price of the vinyl record has skyrocketed.
 Russell: You mean the version I sang? Aw Iâm glad. I really like that cover. Hitomi and Jin invited me for that recording, and I got to visit this wonderful place, Shimokitazawaâthat was a really special experience. It really deepened my connection with Japan and made me feel much closer to it. Thatâs all thanks to Salon Music. And that connection has never gone away. When I go to Japan, I feel so at home, and I love so many different aspects of the country. Iâm really grateful to Jin for making that possible.
[ Meeting up by way of Towa Tei and Edgar Wright]
 âI heard the reason you came to remix Sparksâ âDo Things My Own Wayâ was because of Edgar Wright, director of The Sparks Brothers. Is that right?
Cornelius: Edgar was the one who first introduced us. Weâd known each other for a while because heâd come to see me live. When Sparks came to Japan, Edgar was there tooâI think Hajime Tachibana was there as well? We had a chance to go out to dinner together then. I picked them up at the hotel in my car, and I think thatâs when I gave Russell that ride (laughs).
 But, while Edgar was the catalyst for us meeting properly, Iâd actually run into Sparks before that. I went to a party that Towa Tei was hosting in Harajuku, and Yukihiro Takahashi was there too. Then Sparks appeared! Maybe they came to see Yukihiro? I actually have a photo from that time. I think it was about 10 years ago, but I feel like that was my first encounter with Sparks.
Russell: Right, right. Itâs a little complicated but I remember it all. It was a small club in Omotesando, wasnât it? When I went back later, it was gone. Back then, I just happened to be walking by and saw a sign that said, âTowa Tei is performing tonight.â So we were like, âLetâs try and go in.â
 âSo it was a coincidence!
Russell: But yeah, I remember it being insanely hot. By the time I got inside the club, I was drenched in sweat. It was one of those humid summer days that are so common in Japan. I remember it so well. Also, speaking of Edgar Wright, who directed the documentary, he and I went to a live show where Cornelius was performing. Iâve forgotten who else was playing, but I think it was an outdoor show. A small outdoor stage.
Cornelius: Maybe Fuji Rock? Edgar came to see me at Fuji Rock, right?
 Russell: No, this time was a much smaller event. I went to see the show with Edgar, and we met you while we were there. Then I think we went to Edgarâs hotel and went out to eat.
 âRon and Russell, how do you see Jin and Keigoâs work? If you have any favorite songs, Iâd love to hear them.
Ron: Of course I do have favorite songs, but the thing I like and relate to the most is how they surprise people with each new project. For a musician, I think thatâs really important. Thinking about the context your music is used in, Iâm also drawn to the fact that Keigo makes music for installations. I feel like it requires a different way of thinking than when you make a movie soundtrack or your own albums. Even with his albums, he doesnât repeat what heâs done before; while staying true to himself he always challenges himself to try new things. Itâs interesting that he explores not just the music itself, but also how itâll be used, which is different from working on a conventional album.
Russell: Heâs found a way to merge visuals and music, taking his music to a whole other dimension. Like Ron said, that applies to his installations, but I also feel this strong attention to detail in the visual presentation of his live shows. He projects beautiful visuals that complement the music and breathe new life into it.
Whatâs striking about Cornelius is that, while obviously he has beautiful songs, the ones I really connect to are the ones that have an emphasis on concept. For example, the typewriter song (âTypewrite Lessonâ). Itâs a track that reads like a typewriter manual. I feel like there are new possibilities for music there. Of course, in a broad sense, itâs pop music, but heâs exploring the possibilities of the form itself, asking like, âWhat is pop music?â
In that song, a narrator explains typewriters in English. We have songs with a similar approach. Our song, Your Callâs Very Important To Us, Please Hold, has the kind of automated voice you hear when you call a call center. We write songs based on high-concept ideasâsimple, powerful concepts that convey the content and appeal in a single phrase. Keigo has a few songs like that too. Theyâre songs that donât quite fit within the framework of traditional pop music. Weâre drawn to artists who try to explore new forms of pop music like that.
 Ron: Corneliusâ âMic Checkâ is another example. Itâs based on the idea of taking a non-musical actâsomething you just do as part of being a bandâand deliberately turning it into a song.
 Russell: He also did a fantastic remix of âDo Things My Own Wayâ for Sparks. Itâs a real honor to have a Cornelius remix of our song.
[Looking Forward to the Double Headliner Show]
 âIâd also like to ask Jin and Cornelius for their thoughts on seeing Sparksâ live show last year.
Jin: Their live shows are always exciting to watch. Itâs like I go back to being just a fanâlike forgetting the fact that weâre friendsâI always watch them with the same excitement as a fan. Last yearâs show was amazing, again.
Cornelius: Theyâre both incredibly energetic (laughs). Iâm almost 60 now, and even though theyâve been performing since before I was born, theyâre more energetic than I am. The vocal range is also so highâI donât think there are many people at this age who can still sing in the same key they did when they were young. I thought it was a really wonderful show.
 Russell: Thank you! As an artist, I feel itâs my duty to deliver a performance that meets the audienceâs expectations. As you get older, your vocal range narrows. Itâs a physical problem, so thereâs nothing you can do about it, but I always want to fight against it as much as possible. Even with the early songs on Kimono My House, I want to use falsetto to sing them properly in their original keys. If you lower the key and rearrange them, the feeling of the song changes. Thatâs why Iâm so particular about sticking with the original keys. Maintaining my voice is a never-ending battle (laughs). But at this point, I also have a sense of prideâI donât wanna disappoint the fans.
 âWhat kind of performance can we expect at the May concert? Is there the possibility of a collaboration onstage together?
 Russell: We havenât reached that topic yet. Keigo, Iâll call you later so we can talk about it (laughs).
 Ron: I mean, weâd love to perform together. Maybe you should check with Keigo and his legal team (laughs).
 Russell: It would be cool if we could do something together. Right now, the only thing confirmed is that Cornelius and Sparks will each be doing their own shows, but if we can work out a collaboration between now and early May, weâd be absolutely thrilled.
 Ron: Since weâd be performing on the same stage, the logistics for the equipment shouldnât be too much of a hassle.
 Russell: Itâd be fun to have Keigo dance for us, right!
Cornelius: Yeah! (laughs). It would be great if we could do something together. Iâm actually thinking of doing a little tribute to Sparks during my set.
 Russell: That would be an honor. Weâre definitely gonna be watching.
 â Weâre looking forward to it! Kind of related to that, when I asked Jin, whoâs currently working as a producer, "If you had the chance to produce Sparks, what kind of work would you create?" he replied, "Itâs a hard question, but Iâd want to make the best possible workâsomething that resonates not just now, but with music lovers hundreds of years into the future."
 Russell: Wow. Tell me what that sound would be like!
 Ron: From right now weâre gonna start aiming for it.
 Yoshida: (laughs)
 Russell: Iâm so happy about that comment. Itâs also why we love Jin and Keigo⊠and this isnât just us being full of ourselvesâwe never cut corners, and weâre always aiming to create music that will still be meaningful 100 years from now. Keigo is the same way, and Jin has been active as a producer for years, always trying to do something new within the framework of pop music. You can really tell from the bands Jin produces and the music he loves that he genuinely loves pop music. And his attitude toward pioneering new forms of pop hasnât changed. Thatâs true for both us and Keigo. We always have this drive to try something experimental.
 âI completely agree. Before this interview, I reread that article from 1984 where Salon Music interviewed Sparks, and even back then, Jin wrote that you guys were âhealth consciousâ. In the â80s, the rock world was full of musicians living decadent lifestyles, but I realized once again that one of the secrets to Sparksâ longevity is that theyâve continued to stick to their own principles, regardless of that stereotype of the musician lifestyle.
 Ron: Thatâs right. Weâve always tried to express our individuality through our music, not through our lifestyle. We never realized that it would be the very reason weâd be able to make music for so long. But we try not to talk about how boringly we care about our health. If possible, Iâd like people be interested in our music rather than in our boring way of life.
 âOf course! Thank you so much for taking the time today.
 Russell: It was great to see you all. I was so happy to see you, Keigo and Jin. Iâm looking forward to seeing you again in May. Itâs coming up soonâIâm getting excited. It was a great interview. Thank you! Letâs meet again in Tokyo.
This interview's questions are asked in Japanese but you can hear all of Ron and Russell's answers in English (followed by the Japanese translation of what they said).
They talk about the upcoming tour, their songwriting process, the autograph session, and (among other topics) how the interviewer will need to pay extra if she wants to hear Ron sing, haha.
(It aired on Japanese radio on June 4th, 2025 and is hosted by Eri Fukamachi, and interpreted by Uchiyama Monika. Tumblr needed it to be split into 4 parts but you can download the unsplit version here.)
PS- when asked if there are any artists or songs they've been interested in and want to shout out, Russell chooses The Last Dinner Party, and Ron chooses Atarashii Gakko.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
Signing away the rights to my life story to a major motion-picture company for a sum that I have since been told was way below the market rate.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
People not remembering who I am.
Describe yourself in three words One handsome dude.
What would your superpower be?
The first pop singer capable of going head-to-head with Godzilla.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
Too damn muscular.
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
The 1956 Ford Thunderbird.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Cate Blanchett.
What is your most unappealing habit?
Not wanting to wear brand-new shoes outside for fear they will get dirty and wonât be brand-new any more.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A pearl diver in Japan.
What is the worst thing anyoneâs said to you?
Is that the final mix?
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Watching way too many K-dramas.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
âDichotomyâ and âratatouilleâ.
What is the worst job youâve ever done?
Shucking oysters one summer in Nice.
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
That Sparks predates the Beatles and itâs kind of all too obvious where they got a lot of their inspiration.
If not yourself, who would you most like to be?
The Japanese sumo wrestler Takayasu.
How often do you have sex?
Monday through Friday, four to six times daily. Then I spend Saturday and Sunday prepping for the next week.
What is the closest youâve come to death?
Watching Ingmar Bergmanâs The Seventh Seal.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Watching all of Felliniâs movies one summer.
What has been your closest brush with the law?
Stealing red liquorice at the local candy shop in third grade. I asked myself: âIs it worth leading a life of crime at eight years old?â I responded: âYes, itâs red liquorice, for Godâs sake.â
What keeps you awake at night?
The morality of stealing that red liquorice.
Would you rather have more sex, money or fame?
Yes.
What happens when we die?
You have to go to the end of the line.