LIVE: HOWARD JONES – Nashville, TN, USA – August 9, 2026

Venue: Ryman Auditorium

City: Nashville, TN

Date: August 9, 2026

Review and Photographs by: Jacob Smith (https://www.jhs-photo.com)

What was initially supposed to be an outdoor event at Ascend Amphitheatre, and was a few days prior to availability, shifted over to the legendary mother church, Ryman Auditorium; this event was packed to the brim with moments of highs and excited attendees. This was the most interactive audience I have ever been to at Ryman Auditorium. The night started with Sirius Radio DJ Richard Blade helping MC the event and giving a rundown of the top 5 New Wave tracks from each year of the 80s. Richard knew how to keep the audience enthralled during the course of the evening. It was a brilliant way to help with the time between sets, having him talk to the crowd, ask trivia, and play highlights of the hits of the 80s while the stage change happened. The first act of this full evening, filled to the brim with 80s magic, was the band Modern English. Before starting their set, the lead singer of Modern English informed the audience that it was the bassist’s birthday, so the entire house sang him “Happy Birthday” before the show fully commenced. Playing a short 6-song set of hits, they set the pace for the rest of the live performances for the remainder of the evening, finishing with their biggest hit “I Melt With You.” After a short changeover and trivia session with Richard Blade, the next act up for the evening was one that I had always wanted to see perform live, and today was my day: The English Beat. Playing a short 5-song set including a great cover of The Staples Singers’ song “I’ll Take You There,” the two biggest moments for me were their performances of “Save It For Later” and “Mirror in the Bathroom.” I would have been happy to end the evening there, but there were still 2 more amazing acts to go. Next up, like before, was a short interlude of trivia and music reminiscing before Wang Chung hit the stage. Lots of energy in Wang Chung’s set, and the crowd was fully singing and engaging. One track in particular outside of their obvious hits “Dance Hall Days” and “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” that had my attention in a great way was their cover of The Clash’s song “Should I Stay Or Should I Go,” but at the chorus they changed it to “Should I Wang Or Should I Chung” with the full audience singing in unison. One thing I found awesome was that this was the first time that Modern English and Wang Chung had the opportunity to perform on the Ryman Stage, and both bands made it a point to stop and mention that and how it was an extra emotional moment for them.

So far this evening was a definite hoot. But now onto the main event. Howard Jones hit the stage, and I didn’t realize exactly how many songs I knew of his catalog until tonight. I initially was interested for the full bill lineup, but seeing him perform and how he carried the stage throughout the course of his 11-song full set. I would definitely see him again. “The Prisoner” was the first of the tracks I instantly knew as soon as it started being played, and I then knew this was going to be an amazingly fun time. The crowd was filled with a ton of a mix of old and young fans. Some of the young fans this was their very first show. So getting to see them engage with the stage and have a great time was very wholesome and needed. Howard made sure to fully capture the audience’s attention throughout his set with amazing lighting and skill, finishing off the evening with an encore of “Things Can Only Get Better” with the crowd loudly singing back the “ooo oooo ooo’s”. Upon completion of the evening, leaving the show, I was fully enthused with the energy and experience I was part of during the entire night. And it looked like everyone else was in the same boat. This is a great tour for anyone to try and catch. New Wave, Synthpop, 80s fans alike, this show is for everyone of all ages and highly recommend.

Setlist: Stand Up – New Song – Like to Get to Know You Well – The Prisoner – The One to Love You – Everlasting Love – Life in One Day – No One Is to Blame – You Know I Love You, Don’t You? – What Is Love? – Things Can Only Get Better

[Show as slideshow]

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Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries