Joe Jackson at Kodak Center on Saturday May 16, 2026 in Rochester, New York
Old 1920s jazz drifted through the speakers inside the Kodak Center on Saturday May 16, which
fit the theater’s art deco look perfectly. The place was packed with fans of Joe Jackson and folks
clearly knew they were in good hands. This was one of the early dates on the Hope and Fury
tour, and there was a feeling that something special could happen.
Jackson walked out alone wearing a suit and opened with “Is She Really Going Out With Him?”
on solo piano. No big entrance. No dramatic buildup. Just him, the piano, and a song everybody
thought they already knew until he stripped it down and let the lyrics breathe a little. What really
stood out right away was his voice. It hasn’t changed much at all. Same sharp phrasing. Same
cool delivery.
“It’s Different for Girls” followed with a full ensemble, and by the time the band locked into
“Burning by the Sea,” the show really found its groove. Live, the song had weight to it — layers
of Latin jazz, funk, and sophisticated pop all colliding without sounding forced. That’s always
been Joe Jackson’s thing. He pulls from all over musically, plays every note, tries every
instrument but it never feels like showing off. He trusts the audience enough to follow him
wherever the songs go.
The five-piece band was incredibly tight all night. Nobody overplayed. Nobody needed to.
“Steppin’ Out” was probably the peak of the set before the encore. The bass sounded huge in the
room, and the whole song had this sleek, late-night energy that somehow felt even better live
than on the record. It reminded you how strong Jackson’s songwriting really is underneath all the
style and arrangements.
The encore was where the show took a left turn in the best possible way. Instead of going
predictable, the band played the Sarah Vaughan version of “Peter Gunn,” which was loose,
stylish, and genuinely fun. It actually made you wonder why more bands don’t throw unexpected
covers or mashups into their encores just to keep it interesting.
“You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)” followed and got one of the
biggest reactions of the night before Jackson closed things the same way he started them: alone
at the piano with “Hometown.”
That ending said a lot about the whole concert. No giant production tricks. No overload. Just
confidence in the songs and confidence in the musicians playing them.
A lot of legacy artists rely on nostalgia. Joe Jackson and his band delivered something more
satisfying: a classy performance that honored the past while still sounding alive, curious, and
musically fearless.-
Photo credit: Roman Divezur