Photos by Andy Argyrakis

In England, Howard Jones and ABC are enormous, though they each made quite a splash throughout America and elsewhere, especially when dominating MTV in the 1980s.

Thankfully, they’re both still going strong to the point where the historic Genesee Theatre was bursting at the seams to encounter some of the smoothest synth-pop, new wave, electronic and soulful sounds imaginable, alongside some surrounding history lessons/DJ delights of Richard Blade before and in between.

The co-headlining portion of the evening kicked off with the Martin Fry-led edition of ABC, who just finished his highly anticipated autobiography, “A Lexicon Of Life,” and saw the pages leap to life from the start of “When Smokey Sings.”

Although the group spent the majority of the 70 sophisticated minutes on its primary period, including “Show Me,” “(How To Be A Millionaire),” “Poison Arrow,” “All My Heart” and “Be Near Me,” there was a nod to a comeback track, “Viva Love,” off the true to form “The Lexicon Of Love II.”

Yet it was the first volume’s “Tears Are Not Enough” and “The Look Of Love” that brought it to a riveting conclusion, as the flawless Fry defied his 66-years and all of ABC churned out the unforgettable grooves.

Jones may be 69, but also came across exactly as anyone would remember him, focusing mainly on the pulsating past’s “Pearl In The Shell,” “Like To Get To Know You Well” and “New Song,” while showing similar promise in the present’s “Eagle Will Fly Again” and “The One To Love You.”

He even covered Kajagoogoo’s “Too Shy” with its former band member/longtime bassist Nick Beggs, plus resumed the positive pop of “Life In One Day,” broke out the ballad “No One Is To Blame” and executed a downright chilling “Hide And Seek.”

The beats continued bursting during an unwavering home stretch of “Everlasting Love,” “What Is Love?” and “Things Can Only Get Better,” ensuring the Genesee more than got its fill on the dance floor.

For additional information on Howard Jones and ABC, visit HowardJones.com and ABCMartinFry.com.

Upcoming concerts at the Genesee Theatre include Air Supply (Feb. 21); “Drumline” Live (Feb. 23); Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone (Feb. 28); The Moody Blues’ John Lodge (Mar. 1); Jim Henson’s “Fraggle Rock” (Mar. 2); Illusionist Rick Thomas (Mar. 6); KC & The Sunshine Band (Mar. 7); Old Crow Medicine Show (Mar. 15); Here Come The Mummies (Mar. 20); “Ancient Aliens” Live (Mar. 21); An Evening With Emerson, Lake & Palmer (Mar. 22); Michael Blackson (Mar. 27); Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (Mar. 30); Daryl Hall (Apr. 3); MJ Live (Apr. 4); The Brit Pack (Apr. 10); “The Addams Family” (Apr. 19); Voyage: Celebrating The Music Of Journey (May 1); Classic Albums Live: Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd” (May 10); “Sesame Street” Live! (May 16) and Brit Floyd (May 30). For additional details, visit GeneseeTheatre.com.

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