38 years into career, Joe Jackson will make Indy debut

Joe Jackson has performed his music around the world since hit single “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” arrived in 1979, but his first Indianapolis show won’t happen until June 16.

Carmel’s Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts is the site, and the English singer-songwriter is aware he has never played around here.

“After all these years of touring, to go to places I’ve never been before is fantastic,” he said during a phone interview.

Jackson refers to upcoming shows as an “encore tour” to earlier performances that promoted his 2015 album “Fast Forward.” He said he intentionally scheduled shows in new cities.

“The downside is you’re never really sure whether to expect ecstatic throngs or no one,” Jackson said. “Hopefully, it will be closer to the former.”

Jackson told IndyStar about the concept of "Fast Forward," how he dealt with early success and how he maintains his voice at age 62:

World music: Originally devised as a series of EPs recorded in New York City, Berlin, Amsterdam and New Orleans, "Fast Forward" compiles 16 songs split equally between the four cities. The New York segment includes a rousing cover of "See No Evil," a song that appeared on Television's "Marquee Moon" album in 1977. "I was thinking about a classic New York band," Jackson said. "It’s one of those moments when you think, 'Yes, that’s it.' It worked really well, I think."

Fair concerts:Patti LaBelle, George Thorogood will play the Free Stage

Carmel's Palladium:10 highlights of the 2017-18 schedule

June concerts:Summer hits its stride with 20 shows

'Sharp' lessons: Jackson said he wasn't prepared for the attention that accompanied the success of debut album "Look Sharp," which reached the Top 20 of charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom. It helped, he said, to try to ignore both good and bad reviews. "I was always very wary of flattery," Jackson said. "Even at the age of 23 or 24, I knew a lot of the attention I was getting was because I was a new face and because of a lot of things that didn’t necessarily have much to do with the music. I was very hip for about six weeks. That was the end of it, basically." He continued to connect with listeners on projects such as 1981 swing tribute "Jumpin' Jive" and 1982's "Night and Day." "I guess you need to know whether you want to be an artist or whether you want to be a celebrity," he said. "I have not the slightest interest in being a celebrity. It’s kind of sickening, the whole circus."

Timeless tone: One of the notable characteristics of "Fast Forward" is that Jackson's voice doesn't sound much different than it did on his early recordings. "I don’t use my voice a lot," he said. "If I’m not either recording or touring, I don’t sing at all. I haven’t blown my voice out from overuse like a lot of people."

Common ground: Politically, Jackson said he sees a significant rift among U.S. citizens. “A musician I know recently asked me, ‘You’re an Englishman who’s spent a lot of time in the States. What do you think about the political situation in the States?' I said the first thing that came into my head: 'The thing that really strikes me the most is how divided the country is. And how bitterly divided it is,' " Jackson said. "He said, 'Oh, I totally agree with you. You’re so right. I really try to see other people’s points of view and to be open-minded. We really need to understand each other better. But the problem is, these Republicans are (expletives deleted).’ I mean, seriously, prove my point.”

On Elvis: Because of a scheduling quirk, Jackson's Indianapolis debut will happen within one week of a local performance by another leader of the new wave genre in late-1970s England: Elvis Costello (appearing June 10  in the Murat Theatre at Old National Centre). Are the two musicians friends or rivals? "According to certain media outlets, we’re rivals," Jackson said. "In reality, I think there’s mutual respect. We’ve met briefly a couple of times. But we’re not friends."

Joe Jackson

>> WHEN: 8 p.m. June 16.

>> WHERE: The Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts, 1 Center Green, Carmel.

>> TICKETS: $29.50 to $65.

>> INFO: Visit TheCenterPresents.com, or call (317) 843-3800.

Call IndyStar reporter David Lindquist at (317) 444-6404. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.