Joe Jackson

For a guy who used to have the reputation of being an "angry young man", Joe Jackson seems to really be enjoying himself now. It takes this writer back to a 1984 show in Boston, Massachusetts when Jackson seemed a bit somber and unexpectedly announced that the concert that night was to be his last show ever.

Of course, Elton John said the same thing that year (also at a Massachusetts concert), and both (fortunately) had a change of heart. Jackson performed on May 19, 2022 at the Shubert Theater in Boston.

Jackson started strongly, mixing up a sextet of songs (three tunes from each record) from 1979's "Look Sharp" and his most recent disc, "Fool" in 2019.

Although the songs are 30-something years apart, the classics from 1979, "One More Time", "Sunday Papers", and "Look Sharp!", meshed seamlessly with the newer cuts from the "Fool" record, "Fabulously Absolute", "Dave", and "Big Black Clouds".

After the first half-dozen treats, Jackon's backing band ( Doug Yowell, drummer and vocals; Teddy Krumpel, guitar and vocals; and original Joe Jackson Band bassist and vocalist, Graham Maby) were temporarily excused and Jackson did a solo set, ironically beginning with the 2008 song, "Solo (So Low)". Following a powerful take of "Real Men", Jackson pulled out a very cool cover of XTC's adroit, "The Mayor of Simpleton". Jackson shared his admiration for former XTC leader Andy Partridge and wondered why no music journalist had ever noticed the similarities between the two. Jackson also said critics only seem to compare him to that "other guy" (while he was not mentioned by name, Jackson was apparently referring to Elvis Costello).

Before concluding his companionless
set with "A Place in the Rain", Jackson confessed that he really gets happy "on rainy days", and even found a few members of the audience who did as well.

Harking back to his criminally under-appreciated 1989 release, "Blaze of Glory", Jackson played the two singles from the album, "Nineteen Forever" and "Down to London". During his 1989 tour to promote the record, Jackson dedicated "Nineteen Forever" to all the bands who had reunited for tours that summer after being "retired several times". With not so subtle lyrics as, "Wouldn't it be a drag to be like them?/They're gonna sell out everything/But I won't get fooled again", it's not too difficult to see who Jackson was lashing out at.

An acappella version of "Is She Really Going Our With Him" was fun, but missed some of its bite sans the lack of instrumental backing, but a house-raising "I'm The Man" fired on all cylinders and ended the show.

Jackson then returned for a pair of his 80's hit, 1984's pop-jazz-filled "You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)" and a shortened and reworked "Steppin' Out." Jackson stated that "Steppin' Out" was originally more of a ballad and that he was not a fan of the 80's "cheesy disco beat" of the final product. But he really could not go wrong with either version of the song.