Frankfurt ⋅ Around six years ago, Joe Jackson began his concert at the Alte Oper alone at the digital piano, as his own opening act, as he joked at the time. On the current tour, he relies on a different dramaturgy. Now his three companions come onto the stage shortly before him, together they play the first six songs as an energetic rock band.
At first glance, the program seems rather typical of the genre, but the almost 68-year-old Briton continues to subvert common rules, albeit more subtly than before. In a good mood, he initially jumps back and forth between tracks from his debut “Look Sharp” from 1979 and his most recent album “Fool”, released 40 years later. Well aware that many in the room “One More Time” and “Sunday Papers” might be more familiar than current titles. Jackson throws himself into the songs with verve and seemingly unbreakable vocal power, playfully phrasing and modulating small details, changing from quickly spoken lines to long drawn-out notes. In addition, he coaxes quite good-sounding piano imitations and other sounds from his keyboards, which vary between Rhodes hints and synthesizers.
