LAKE HAVASU CITY – “Rock n’ roll for the restless hours is what I like to call it,” said frontman Sam Rohrich of rock group Sparks After Midnight. According to Rohrich, inspiration for the group’s name came from the expression that ‘No good stories happen before midnight,’ as well as the adrenaline that comes from first time experiences. In a town known for rural lifestyles and rolling prairies, Eastern Montana is where Rohrich recalls a youth where the sounds of arena bands like Boston filled the air because it was his father’s favorite group. His grandmother played the piano too, something that the lead vocalist said is still prominent to this day. In middle school rather than taking up the typical musical instrument like bass or woodwinds, Rohrich took to saxophone lessons along with a little guitar playing.
Only in eighth grade at the time, he started gravitating to more of a rock sound and listened to artists like Kiss and ACDC. Back then, the singer favored sax over the guitar. Rohrich admitted he gave up strumming for nearly a decade. However, the self-taught musician found himself picking at his strings in his mid-twenties once again.
Many of his family members currently reside in Havasu, which is why Rohrich moved here in 2023 to be closer to them. He also found himself participating in the jam sessions at Jeremy’s Juke Joint and Romano’s. It was through those meetups where the entertainer was able to network with other local musicians who welcomed him with open arms. Romanos was the spot that Rohrich met current bandmate Jonny Selbrede. It took a night of being a guest singer at Lighthouse Lounge with Selbrede’s other band, The Jonny Be Goods, that the two decided to form Sparks After Midnight.
Selbrede agreed to be the lead guitarist while his friend Mike Ikona was invited to play bass. Their drummer David Karpman was discovered through Rohrich’s connections with the local music scene and countless phone calls. Their very first gig took place during this year’s Havasu’s Desert Storm weekend this past May.
The show that took place at Lighthouse Lounge, proved that Sparks After Midnight was a hit, and the venue offered to have them perform quarterly. It was an offer that the group accepted, and the musicians will be making a comeback this month. Audience members can expect to hear songs from Bob Segar, Social Distortion, and even Paul Revere. They describe their original tunes as having a garage sound, and Rohrich had some advice for anyone interested in seeing their upcoming show,
“We’re a super energetic rock n’ roll band and we just want to see everyone dancing and singing with us and help create some awesome memories,” Rohrich said. The band’s second concert will be on Thursday, June 25 beginning at 7 p.m. at Lighthouse Lounge, 317 Lake Havasu Avenue.
