Davis' first show with the band was at the Viper Room in Los Angeles, in July 2006. However, the band looked at the show as a "warm-up" and the show at Los Angeles' Troubadour, July 29, 2006, was referred to as their "first show to the public in 15 months" by Ward. They played three songs off the upcoming album: "Crawl", "Weather The Storm", and the single "Taking Back Control". At this show Ward also told the crowd about what happened when he left the band the previous year, saying he would rather have the crowd hear it from him, than the press in the following months. Sparta played at Chicago's Lollapalooza festival the following week. The band toured the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe heavily after the release of the album with bands such as Lola Ray, Aloha, As Tall As Lions, Sound Team, Moneen, MeWithoutYou, Lovedrug, Straylight Run, Deftones and My Chemical Romance. On February 19, 2007, the band played a free concert with Lydia Vance in Las Vegas for the XPOZ Coalition, an anti-smoking organization. While touring with Straylight Run and Lovedrug, Sparta allowed Lovedrug to continue touring by letting them use their instruments and equipment after Lovedrug's gear was stolen following a show in Detroit, Michigan.Straylight Run concert review and photos by Mark Fredrickson & BABBLE AND BEAT online music magazine
