The Danforth Music Hall in Toronto, where British artist Joe Jackson performed before a sold-out crowd Thursday nightFred Lum/The Globe and Mail
On Thursday night at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto, 71-year-old Joe Jackson opened his sold-out concert with an unaccompanied version of his breakout 1978 single, Is She Really Going Out with Him? Bounding out from backstage, the Englishman sat down at his electric piano and pumped his right fist up before rubbing both hands in preparation.
When he sang the line “Look over there,” the crowd instinctively replied “Where?” to replicate the call and response on the recorded version from 48 years ago. Funny the things that stay in our minds. I sometimes struggle when asked for my phone number, but can recall 867-5309 from the old Tommy Tutone hit in an instant. (There’s muscle memory, and then there’s melody memory.)
Earlier on Thursday, the Rolling Stones released a video for their new single, In the Stars, that features de-aging technology developed by Deep Voodoo, an AI company owned by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The deepfake Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood look as the musicians did in the 1970s. (These are the kinds of unfortunate things that happen when the band’s late drummer, Charlie Watts, is no longer around to keep the lads in line.)
Few musical things from the 1970s have aged as well as Jackson.
With his band, he’s on the North American leg of his Hope and Fury Tour, in promotion of his new album of the same name, released in April. They played old songs and new songs for an older crowd in a variety of styles and rhythms: salsa and new wave, jazz and punk-pop, dance hall and tango, and a little yacht rock too. The consistency was witty chord structure, elegant melodies and enthusiastic presentation.
Pop tunes like his no longer crack the Top 40, but they’re still a wonder. The songs are so sharp they should come with a suture kit.
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Jackson looked sharp enough himself in a suit without a tie. His tenor voice is still capable of mischievous, bratty, gentle and suave deliveries.
His band arrived onstage one by one during the next two numbers. During It’s Different for Girls, from his second album, 1979’s I’m the Man, Jackson said, “That’s Graham,” referring to long-time bassist Graham Maby.
A woman next to me played the “air piano” during It’s Different for Girls. What would Glenn Gould think? Later, a woman in front of me played the “air congas.” What would Mongo Santamaría think?
And what would you think if I told you Jackson belongs in the top class of artists from his generation who are still energized and adventurous after all these years? Elvis Costello, Bruce Hornsby and David Byrne are others who come to mind.
Guitarist Teddy Kumpel, drummer Doug Yowell and percussionist Felipe Fournier arrived during the Latin-grooved Welcome to Burning‐by‐Sea, from the new album. The Stratocaster-wielding Kumpel wore a purple suit, but his notes were much lighter in tone.
Jackson described another song from Hope and Fury, the acerbic Made God Laugh, as happy fatalism. “And you made God laugh when you made your demands,” he sang.
Images of old tabloid newspapers − the headlines referenced Elvis Presley and UFOs − dominated the stage backdrop for the reggae-tinged Sunday Papers. The jazz-rocked The Face was about what Jackson called one of the “great contradictions of human nature,” which is to strive to exceed but not to stand out.
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The main set concluded with the irresistible Steppin’ Out from 1982: “We are young but getting old before our time / We’ll leave the TV and the radio behind.”
The three-song encore presentation began with a cover of David Bowie’s Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) and ended with Jackson onstage alone for the wistful Home Town: “Of all the stupid things I could have thought, this was the worst / I started to believe, that I was born at 17.”
The tempo was downshifted from its original 1986 new wave groove. Jackson sang about old safe places, wondering whether his hometown is still what it used to be. For most people it’s not, though stepping out with Jackson in 2026 gets them at least partway there.
Joe Jackson plays Vancouver’s Vogue Theatre on May 27.