Howard Jones recalled visiting Columbus, Ohio, in the 1980s for a date on his One to One Tour. The club was packed, and tequila was flowing. Howard and his brother — bassist Martin Jones — may have enjoyed a drink or two while performing over a memorable night, the English musician recalled.

Sharing the story during his most recent visit to Columbus for a show at TempleLive at the Columbus Athenaeum, Howard and his present-day band showed the audience an equally good time over the course of a 14-song set that included One to One’s terrific “You Know I Love You, Don’t You?” No tequila was necessary for good vibes and rampant dancing to flow through a very full house.

On August 28, people packed the Columbus Anthaneaum to see not only Howard and his band but also ABC fronted by the gentleman crooner Martin Fry and the uplifting outfit Haircut 100, the latter opening Howard’s current tour for their first USA shows in more than 40 years.

Haircut 100 were a revelation, jamming merrily through six catchy tunes from their debut studio album, Pelican West (1982). My friends and I often agree that 1982 was an outstanding year for pop music, and I offer Pelican West as supporting evidence of our accord! Frontman Nick Heyward and company delivered these tunes with an upbeat boyish charm that had everyone in the venue feeling good.

Notably, Haircut 100 wove elements of jazz and funk into sophisticated standout tunes “Fantastic Day,” “Love Plus One,” and “Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)” in the latter half of their too-short set.

Watch the official music video for “Love Plus One” by Haircut 100 on YouTube:

Soon after the show, Haircut 100 released “The Unloving Plum,” their first new song in 40 years, but the band did not play the tune in Columbus. In Columbus, the entire band were in high spirits, and it boggled my mind to see them live for my first time ever. It was truly remarkable to see Haircut 100 in action. Here’s to hoping these Englishmen tour American venues again in the near future.

After Haircut 100, Martin Fry and his ABC band took the stage for 13 songs of heartache and reflections, pouring their hearts into The Lexicon of Love (ABC’s amazing 1982 debut album — see what I mean about 1982…) Early in their set, they performed the album’s “Show Me” and hit the earworm “Tears Are Not Enough” in the latter half before closing their performance on “The Look of Love.”

Watch the official music video for “Tears Are Not Enough” by ABC on YouTube:

With a wry smile, Martin Fry quipped about his band’s love of dressing up, feigning a lament that he was never able to dress down with the Red Hot Chili Peppers! ABC instead were “doomed” to maintain appearance with Savile Row suits.

As we have noted in our concert reviews previously, ABC brilliantly recorded a sequel album to Lexicon of Love — Lexicon of Love II (2016) — and one of the high points of the set was as usual that album’s “Viva Love.” The modern ABC band excelled in performance, giving spirit not only to this newer number but also to Martin’s time-tested soulful yearnings.

Howard Jones and his bandmates closed the night with a killer set. With the addition of bassist Nick Beggs, Howard makes “Too Shy,” a song by Nick’s former band Kajagoogoo, a big part of the set, and he made no exception in Columbus. The audience literally roared in anticipation as Howard introduced Nick and coyly built up to the song at the set’s midpoint.

The show otherwise spotlighted some of Howard’s very best tunes with a focus on Human’s Lib (1984). Howard and the band opened with that album’s “Pearl in the Shell” and closed the main set on “What Is Love?” Along the way, Nick Beggs grooved away on the Chapman stick. Robin Boult blazed away on guitar. And Robbie Bronnimann stormed through melodies on synthesizer. Howard himself looked like a rock star, and he was clearly having a good time.

Watch the official music video for “What Is Love?” by Howard Jones on YouTube:

The band struck a rare somber note in dedicating Howard’s “Hide and Seek” to synthesist Dan Clarke, a bandmate who passed away recently at far too young an age. Howard and company closed their set on a one-song encore of “Things Can Only Get Better.”

Howard Jones was electric, and ABC and Haircut 100 also were at the top of their game. Camaraderie was strong among all three bands, which elevated their already great performances. This is a bill that no ’80s fan can miss, so go out of your way to catch this tour in its final week.

Catch Howard Jones on tour near you!

Here are some photos of Howard Jones performing at the Columbus Anthenaeum on August 28, 2024. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.

Here are some photos of ABC performing at the Columbus Anthenaeum on August 28, 2024. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.

Here are some photos of Haircut 100 performing at the Columbus Anthenaeum on August 28, 2024. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.