NOTE: All photos are copyright of Howard Shiau Photography 2025
I was just eighteen when “Human’s Lib” was released. With new wave music in full swing at the clubs and “What is Love?” being pondered by young men and women everywhere, Howard Jones and his music became an integral part of my college experience. I had said debut album, “Dream Into Action”, and “One to One” on repeat throughout those years. Unfortunately, with a three year break until his next record and my entering the workforce, music and Jones fell off my radar.
When I started going to concerts again in the 2010s, I was happily surprised to see that Howard Jones had been prolific in touring and releasing new music during the intervening years. I started to catch every one of his NYC shows and was glad to see that his voice was still as strong, granted his fabulous 80s hair was long gone. His last album “Transform” released in 2019 is classic Jones. If you listen to the extended versions on the deluxe version, especially lead track “The One to Love You”, you’d swear you just stepped out of a time machine into a college 80s party!
In early 2020, I was looking forward to seeing his Acoustic Trio tour with Robin Boult (Roger Daltry, Dave Stewart, Fish) and Nick Beggs (Kajagoogoo, Belinda Carlisle, John Paul Jones), and a reimagined interpretation of Jones’ catalog of songs. Of course Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown dashed those plans. When I moved to western New York in late 2020, I thought I wouldn’t get a chance to catch a Howard Jones again unless I was down in NYC. Happily, the resumption of that tour started with a stop at the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY, on February 11th.
Opening for Jones was Rachael Sage from Port Chester, NY. Having released over fourteen studio albums, Sage is no novice to the stage. Playing either keyboards or guitar and accompanied by violinist Kelly Halloran, Sage went through a number of songs from her repertoire, including some from her most recent record “Character”, which was released in 2020. With her infectious smile, she charmed the crowd and was a perfect setup for Howard Jones.
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Jones, Boult, and Beggs took the stage with little fanfare and a minimal setup. Only Beggs had multiple versions of bass instruments at his disposal. They kicked off the show with “Assault and Battery” off Jones’ sophomore album “Dream Into Action”. Using simple arrangements, they played songs from all points of Jones’ career. The songs from his debut album garnered the most applause, with fans singing along. I was particularly mesmerized by a re-arranged version of “Hide and Seek”.
Included in the set was a cover of Kajagoogoo’s “Too Shy” which was written by Nick Beggs. It’s one of the only songs of the set where he actually plays a traditional bass guitar. I have to admit that, after watching Beggs play, I’m obsessed with an amazing instrument called the Chapman stick. I understand that very few can play it but the incredible sounds and ability to play multiple notes at once make it fascinating to watch and hear.
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Throughout the evening, Howard Jones would talk about the songs a bit like he used to do with his “The Songs and the Stories” tour. If you didn’t already know, Jones is a funny guy and very self-deprecating. It’s totally worth the cost of a ticket just to listen to the stories. I was surprised that Jones didn’t play more songs off “Transform”. I believe that “At the Speed of Love” and the title track were the only ones that were performed. I would have loved to hear “Tin Man” and “The One to Love You”.
All in all, it was a great show. The musicianship of this trio was top notch and amazing to see in such an intimate venue. It was totally worth the three hour drive to Ithaca! I think he should do a future “dance party” tour and play extended dance versions of his songs. I’d be there with all my friends!!
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