This show completes the first third of their U.S. co-headlining tour. Richard Blade, who was the host for the evening, rose to fame as a DJ for the ground-breaking radio station KROQ. For those who don't know, the Los Angeles-based KROQ was one of the radio stations that helped bring new-wave music to prominence in the '80s.
Blade has been successful in many areas; he's written many books, been a producer at VH1. He's also one of the main DJs of the "First Wave" Sirius XM station, since 2005. In fact, his show was playing on the drive to the concert. He even acknowledged this, as some people might have been a bit confused about how he could've in two places at once.
As if this show wasn't retro enough, Blade kicked things off with a 45-minute history of new wave music and synth-pop specifically.
"In the words of Depeche Mode, 'Let me take you on a trip, but not a trip around the world, but a trip around the '80s," he promised the crowd. Blade then dove in, with the help of video, giving an in-depth, step-by-step of how this music found its way into the mainstream. It was a highly entertaining presentation and did its job of priming the mostly full house for the rest of the night. Next up was ABC. The band was reformed out of the short-lived band Vice Versa. The name change occurred when then synth player Martin Fry moved over to lead vocals. The change was so seamless, they renamed themselves as ABC (as in "easy as ABC").
The band went through many lineup changes, even during the peak of their success. Fry is the only constant and only original member left in the band. Fry addressed the crowd tongue in cheek, "You look too young to remember the '80s."
This was an obvious joke, as Fry is 65 and the majority of the audience was a Gen X paradise. But the audience's age did not temper the joy and dancing from this crowd. Maybe it wasn't for the entire show, but most of the fans were on their feet for much of it.
The band went through all the familiar hits: "When Smoky Sings," "Poison Arrow," "Be Near Me."
Blade had made a point earlier about how '80s music stands the test of time because it's still relevant today. ABC's "How to Be a Zillionaire" ends with the line "I've seen the future. I can't afford it," which seems to illustrate Blade's point all too well with the uncertainty of the coming months.
Normally, an opening band would not play an encore, but these bands were both headliners so the fans got what they wanted. The encore may have been planned, but the audience was on their feet, making sure Fry and the band came back out.
While the crew changed the stage over, Blade returned, and this time he shared the results of a poll on Siruis XM naming the biggest bands of the '80s. The top five included New Order, The Smiths, Duran Duran but the consensus favorite: New Order. This was maybe the most enjoyable stage change in a while as the fans were vocal, singing and dancing along to the videos of those bands and having a blast. At last, Howard Jones hit the stage.
Jones rose to fame in the '80s as a pioneer of synth-pop, with 10 Top 40 hit singles in the U.S. and U.K. between '83 and '86. After selling over 8 million albums worldwide, Jones remains unique among many of these '80s artists by actively writing and releasing music to this day, such as DIALOGUE in 2022 and a live album in 2024.
Jones is an engaging live artist. He may be turning 70 this month, but that didn't keep him from roving all around the stage, switching from keytar to only vocals and to synth. For a set of intimate songs, he sat at a keyboard, encouraging fans to join in and sing. And the crowd was ready. On the second song of the set, "Like to Get to Know You Well," the audience successfully brought the back-ups to Jones' lead.
One thing that was unusual about this "nostalgia" act was that Jones had no qualms playing some of his hits in completely different arrangements. "Life in One Day" was stripped down and sort of Calypso style. Some fans but be upset by this at other shows, but Jone's fans were hip to it and seemed to enjoy the new takes.
Howard Jones' musical journey began with a love for classical music that evolved into a synth-pop revolution.
Andrew Sherman
Jones told the crowd that the group broke up before they ever toured the States. Then, the band put on a jazzed-up version of the song. When it was over, Jones played a reprise of the chorus and asked the audience to sing to Beggs, who sat on the edge of the stage and seemed truly touched.
When it was over, Beggs kissed Jones on the forehead. It was a sweet moment and an unexpected treat for the '80s fans. Their was no shortage of fun at the Fair Park Music Hall as Jones delighted fans by playing all their favorite songs. The love for new wave in Dallas is alive and well. Age was just a number as fans flashed back to their youth and a time of carefree living where going to a show could fix anything. Maybe times have not changed that much in that way.
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