There Stands the Glass

The Top Ten Albums of September 2026
1. Carmen Villain- Memoria
Unforgettable.

2. András Schiff- Johannes Brahms: Klavierstücke
One-hundred minutes of splendor.

3. Oren Ambarchi- Cooked
My review.

4. Linda Sikhakhane- L I N D A
Produced by Nduduzo Makhathini.

5. Charlie Hunter- AM Clock Radio
My related review.

6. Kris Davis Trio- Lost in Geneva
With Robert Hurst and Johnathan Blake.

7. Jhené Aiko- Westside Whimsy
Bow down.

8. Lise Davidsen- Verdi
Arias.

9. Thee Sinseers- Love Stories
Top-tier retro-soul.

10. Arab Strap- Half-Told Tales
Transgressive fiction.

The Top Three Reimaginings of September 2026
1. Adam Wiltzie and Jóhann Jóhannsson- Friendship Survival Guide
Confidants.

2. Paul Griffiths and JACK Quartet- Samuel Beckett: Stirrings Still, with Music by Trevor Bača
Beckett in the bardo.

3. Branford Marsalis Quartet and Dianne Reeves- Dedicated to You
Lush life.

The Top Ten Songs of September 2026
1. Lizz Wright and Kenny Banks- “Deep River”
Crossing over.

2. Anna Butterss- “Beginningless”
Eternal.

3. Cyst- “Pest”
Infestation.

4. Original Koffee- “OVA SO”
Jamaican time machine.

5. Show Me the Body- "Rock Music"
Ultrameta OK.

6. Gilla Band- “Crisp Pop”
Queasy post-punk.

7. Rio Da Yung Og- "Milwaukee Bucks"
Brewtown.

8. AZ Chike and Tyler The Creator- “The World Is Ours”
Dream team.

9. Tania Giannouli and Nik Bärtsch- “Intonal”
Dueling pianos.

10. Jenny Scheinman- “Turns the Wagon Wheel”
Rolling.

The Top Ten Performances of September 2026
1. Bilal and Yaya Bey at Star Theater
My review.

2. Zoh Amba and Bijoux Cone at Show Bar
My review.

3. Dae Bryant’s The Collective at the Montavilla Jazz Festival
My review.

4. Public Image Ltd. and Plague Vendor at Wonder Ballroom
My review.

5. Alden Hellmuth at the 1905
My review.

6. Four for King: The Life, Spirit, and Music of Nancy King at the Montavilla Jazz Festival
My review.

7. Wen’ipt at the Montavilla Jazz Festival
My review.

8. Gregory Allison at the Woodstock Farmers Market
My Instagram clip.

9. W4RP Trio at the Montavilla Jazz Festival
My Instagram clip.

10. Jenny Sizzler at Starday Tavern
My Instagram snapshot.

The previous monthly recap is here.

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

The most infamous provocateur in rock history remains rotten. John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, spewed spit, projected snot rockets and insulted the near-capacity audience of more than 600 at Wonder Ballroom on Monday, September 14. I relished his relentless barrage of vulgar behavior.

A day-one fan of the Sex Pistols, I’d somehow never managed to be in the same room with Lydon. My $56.25 investment in a general admission ticket for Lydon’s Public Image Ltd. corrected the significant hole in my concert-going career. Even so, I acknowledge that buying the ticket was a dicey proposition.

Mocking the “wheelchair brigade” positioned near the stage, telling fans “my, how you’ve aged!” and screaming “f*** you” at an apparent heckler, Lydon lived up to his loathsome reputation. Less appealing was the use of the treacherous “okay” hand gesture by Lydon and some fans, something I’d hadn’t previously witnessed at a concert.

There was nothing dodgy about Lydon’s voice. At 70, he resembles Winston Churchill with a mohawk, but his singing is remarkably powerful. Public Image Ltd.’s vintage songs were given correspondingly bold makeovers by the storied guitarist Lu Edmonds (The Damned, Mekons, 3 Mustaphas 3), bassist Scott Firth and drummer Mark Roberts.

The approach careened between beery good cheer and dark nihilism. The pervading sound of the ninety-minute outing, consequently, was a violent form of pub rock. That said, I preferred Jah Wobble’s 2024 live rendering of Metal Box’s “Poptones.”

Opening act Plague Vendor was a nice surprise. The electrifying Stooges acolytes- replete with bloodletting and shouts of “gimme danger”- is among the best biker bands I’ve encountered.

September 2026 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Concert Review: Public Image Ltd. and Plague Vendor at Wonder Ballroom