Jacobs Pavilion played home to a trifecta of early ’80s British Invasion bands last week. It was a scorcher; temps approached 100 degrees even with a stiff breeze blowing in off the Cuyahoga. Members of each band mentioned the heat and asked how we could take this kind of pummeling. Thank goodness it’s already abated.
The lesser-known outfit Haircut One Hundred took the stage first, bringing a ska sensibility to their half hour set.
Sadly, Adam Ant, who played a forty-minute set, wasn’t in very good form. His voice was wobbly, and he was off-key for most of the set, especially “Goody Two Shoes,” his signature tune. Audible groans chimed in from the bleachers.
Headliner Squeeze took the stage and played their album Trixies in full. Frontman Glenn Tilbrook sounded great after all these years. Their New Wave/Power Punk sensibilities have hosted a large roster of musicians over the decades, but Tilbrook and co-founder Chris Difford remain the two-longest musicians in the band. Closing out the night with their biggest stateside hit, “Tempted,” the long, hot evening came to a close.
Note: Upon arrival at the venue, photographers were told that Adam Ant would not allow us to photograph him or his set; that’s why no images of him accompany this gallery.
