There are really only a few simple elements that make up a great band: First, a band must have a great vocalist. Someone who can not only sing on key with a tonal quality that is enjoyable to listen to, but that can convey the emotions of the song, and the overall feelings of the band they represent. Next, a band has to have good songs. A musical repertoire of well-written songs with a solid structure that keeps a listener’s interest is essential. Their set should be versatile enough to please many listeners, but also consistent enough to show a genuine style that audiences can lock into. Of course, if you’re a rock band; the harder the better.

Finally, a band has to have various "perks." Good musicians, quality equipment, a great live show, a professional attitude, longevity, and other features that make a band unique. And lets not forget that all illusive "gimmick;" that special something that sets a band apart from all other acts. The female-fronted Cedar Rapids, Iowa based hard/modern/metal band Dark Spectacle is one group that just happens to have all these elements in place and more.

Founding members Dave Paris (guitars, backup and lead vocals) and Barbe Paris (lead and backup vocals, bass, keyboards, electric rhythm guitar, and percussion) have worked together for over ten years. Having met in a music theory class, their collaboration in music has afforded them many great opportunities. They have performed throughout the Midwest from Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis, Des Moines and every place in between. They’ve shared the stage with major-label and international touring acts like Disciple, Bride, Greg Long, Bruce Carroll, Joe Club, Lowell Lundstrom and others. They’ve done dozens of radio, print, and TV interviews, and have graced the pages of HM Magazine and other regional and national publications. Their songs have been on dozens of radio stations as far away as France, and they’ve even had a music video get coast to coast airplay. Throughout the spring and summer of 2001, Dark Spectacle songs penned by Dave and Barbe topped MP3.com charts making them one of the most downloaded groups from Iowa.

In July of 2001, Dark Spectacle released their first CD titled "Thoughts on life." This release features nearly an hour’s worth of music covering everything from hard rock and metal ala Creed and 3 Doors Down to alt-rock in the vein of Alanis Morisette, Neil Young and Stone Temple Pilots. A few tunes lean toward power ballads similar to Staind and Petra, and there’s even an acoustic song comparable to Jars of Clay or Sixpence none the richer. "Thoughts on life" also raises the bar on indie recordings having been recorded at several top-notch recording studios like former Curb Recording Artist Jon Douglas Dixson’s studio Mind’s Ear Music in Bloomfield, Iowa and Amishland Audio, located in a small suburb just outside of Iowa City, Iowa. International recording artist and performer Glenn Kaiser, founder of the Resurrection Band also recorded a track with the band at JPUSA Wilson Studios in Chicago, Illinois. The CD package layout was designed by Christian Lange, whose previous work includes Aerosmith and Disciple among others, and the CD has also been mastered for the best overall sound. "Thoughts on life" has been enjoying steady sales and radio airplay as the band has been touring.

Drummer Jason Feight is the latest addition to the Dark Spectacle lineup. His former band "The Corps" placed second in Yahweh Capachino’s 2001 Battle of the Bands in Kansas City. His previous schooling in jazz, orchestra percussion, and praise and worship allowed him the opportunity to work with Ray Hughes, directing a "Thunder" in both Iowa and Atlanta, Georgia. A "Thunder" is described as "A spiritual warfare and worship with all drums." Jason has been with the band since the fall of 2001 and has brought a much more powerful sound to the band’s live performances.