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Howard Jones leads blast of an '80s cast
including Paul Young's first US outing in 30 years

"Retro Futura" Tour
Van Andel Arena
Grand Rapids, MI
August 1, 2017

Paul Young

Modern English

Howard Jones

Story and photos by Andy Argyrakis

Long before the "Retro Futura" Tour officially kicked off inside the Van Andel Arena, the party started outside with a DJ spinning dance tunes, a mini-marketplace and costume contest where fans could score autographed swag and restaurant rewards. Well over four hours later, the beats were still thumping when Howard Jones wrapped up the six-act celebration of all things '80s, though given his stature as an electronic pop scene shaper, there was also an updated aspect to his headlining set.

Backed by a beefed-up band of four, Jones, his keytar, keyboard, laptop and projection screens traced a fruitful career that's lasted from new wave to EDM, kicking off with "Like To Get To Know You Well" in honor of having never played at this particular Grand Rapids venue before. No, he and the others from the mostly English cast aren't as popular in terms of ticket sales here in America, but those in the know seemed to devour every second of additional notables such as "The Prisoner," "You Know I Love You, Don't You?" and "No One Is To Blame."

Jones also made sure to tap into today with the pulsating "The Human Touch" off his worthwhile "Engage" concept collection, but even older tunes such as "Everlasting Love" evolved into something that very well could've come out of a club or festival in present tense. And of course there were several more sing-a-longs, including "Life In One Day," "What Is Love?" and "New Song," all of which sounded equally sweet as when they first landed in the States over three decades ago.

The English Beat, led by Dave Wakeling, also scored some of the highest marks in the line-up thanks in part to the smash "Tenderness" (which actually came from the front man's days in General Public). From there, the post-punk/ska-centered gems "Mirror In The Bathroom," "Save It For Later" and many more from The Beat were right on target, expanded by a massive, multi-cultural band.

Out of the one hit wonders (more or less), Katrina (former leader of The Waves) came across with a seasoned rock n' roll attitude that led The Bangles to cover "Going Down To Liverpool" and everyone from Dolly Parton to the "Glee" cast tackling the radiant "Walking On Sunshine." The quirky Men Without Hats bookended their longer than needed set with "The Safety Dance," while Modern English plugged the brand new "Moonbeam" in between "After The Snow" standouts "Someone's Calling" and "I Melt With You."

However, it was Paul Young's first American outing in exactly 30 years that was arguably the most significant occurrence of the evening, but it almost didn't happen after numerous delays flying from Heathrow that were finally sorted just in the nick of time! Despite taking a moment to find his vocal footing on "Some People," this soulful song interpreter approached the short set with the seriousness of playing Live Aid at Wembley Stadium (where he just may have picked up a few pointers on mic stand twirling from Freddie Mercury).

If anything, the extra grit that's come with age helped sell Ann Peebles' R&B reflection "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down," while the crowd could almost be heard as loudly throughout "Every Time You Go Away," followed by Young fulling locking into his superstar powers for the finale "Come Back And Stay." Hopefully he'll follow that very title's advice when it comes to playing the US and that more folks can check out what those who ventured out on a mere Tuesday obviously enjoyed from "Retro Futura" in general, though as the old HoJo adage goes, "Things Can Only Get Better."

Upcoming concert highlights at the Van Andel Arena include Kid Rock (Sept. 6); Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (Sept. 19); Janet Jackson (Nov. 1); Chris Stapleton (Nov. 4); Katy Perry (Dec. 7) and Christmas with Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith (Dec. 10). For additional details, visit www.vanandelarena.com.