ABC and Howard Jones put on the feel good concert of the season

Eighties hitmakers ABC and Howard Jones offered a cure for the winter blues and hope for brighter days ahead at their concert at Steelhouse Omaha on February 19.

The concert venue, not yet two years old, was also the site of an intimate Duran Duran show last May. The connection was noted by Richard Blade, the SiriusXM and KROQ DJ, who “opened“ for each band by regaling the audience with stories about the music of the decade and snippets of its famous songs. Those tracks included “Rio” and “The Reflex,” and Duran Duran were also featured on a list of 1st Wave listeners’ top six favorite bands, as detailed by Blade. 

While the DJ provided some light entertainment between sets, essentially a time used for stage setup, the crowd was there for the bands themselves, of course. And ABC was in top form, playing their biggest hits, with an emphasis on their U.K. chart-topping debut album, The Lexicon of Love. Those songs included “Show Me,” “Poison Arrow” and “Valentine’s Day.” ABC are led by original member and golden-voiced frontman Martin Fry, who struck a debonaire pose in his sparkly blazer and impossibly shiny shoes. He’s the rare vocalist who still sounds nearly as good as he did in his band’s heyday. 

ABC opened the show with their biggest U.S. hit, “When Smokey Sings,” dedicated to the legendary Smokey Robinson on his birthday. Other highlights included fellow smash singles “(How to Be a) Millionaire” and encore closer “The Look of Love.” But the real magic came when the band played the tender duo “All of My Heart” and “Be Near Me” back to back to end their main set.

ABC was hard to top, but Howard Jones immediately enthralled the audience with his keytar and colorful clothing. He and his band didn’t shy away from the ’80s references either, even bringing to mind Revenge of the Nerds and its talent show scene.

Jones and his band, which included Kajagoogoo bassist Nick Beggs, played that group’s U.K. number one single, “Too Shy” (co-produced by Nick Rhodes) in addition to his own slew of hits. It was impossible not to sing and dance along as Jones and the band offered a shot of positivity, playing everything from “New Song” and “What Is Love?” to “No One Is to Blame” and “Everlasting Love.” 

But the evening might be best summed up by its closing track, “Things Can Only Get Better,” which could very well be a theme song for these trying times. 

What’s clear is that ABC and Howard Jones easily delivered the feel good show of the winter—and possibly the entire year.

ABC photo by Karen Duran Windle. Howard Jones photos by Christopher Windle.