September 2026 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for a Rossini in Wildbad production of Gioachino Rossini's La gazza ladra by 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.

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

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.

Concert Review: Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart at Mississippi Studios

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

My friend R. acquired a copy Public Image Ltd.’s Metal Box in 1979. Inspecting the unique packaging while listening to the correspondingly strange music it housed in the basement of R.’s home was an otherworldly experience. Forty-five years later, I was transported by live renderings of Metal Box songs by Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart at Mississippi Studios on Friday, July 19. The interpretations of once-unintelligible songs like "Poptones" on the Metal Box: Rebuilt in Dub Tour were perfect distillations of my coinciding passions for punk, jazz and reggae. Either Wobble’s extensive career helped shape my taste or he and I simply share similar inclinations.

January 2023 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer of Opera McGill’s production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums of January

1. Sebastian Rochford- A Short Diary

Sad-sack Satie? Sold!

2. Elle King- Come Get Your Wife

Sounds like home.

3. The Art Ensemble of Chicago- The Sixth Decade: From Paris to Paris

Roscoe Mitchell and Moor Mother are my favorite dynamic duo.

4. Daniel Pioro- Saint Boy

My review.

5. Mette Henriette- Drifting

ECM-core.

6. Fred Hersch and esperanza spalding- Alive at the Village Vanguard

My review.

7. Obituary- Dying of Everything

Don’t I know it.

8. Kali Malone- Does Spring Hide Its Joy

My review.

9. Lil Yachty- Let’s Start Here.

Surprise, surprise, surprise!

10. Véronique Gens and Orchestre National De Lille- Poulenc: La voix humain

Allô!

Top Ten Songs of January

1. Måneskin- "Kool Kids"

Rock and roll hilarity.

2. Bizzy Banks- "Ok Ok Ok"

Notarized.

3. Gloss Up featuring Icewear Vezzo- "From Cross the Way"

“Bouncin’ like them checks!”

4. Ice Spice- “In Ha Mood”

She’s no one-hit wonder.

5. Yahritza y su Esencia- “Cambiaste”

Change is the only constant.

6. Public Image Ltd- "Hawaii"

A beautiful sunset.

7. Belle and Sebastian- “Juliet Naked”

My favorite Nick Hornby novel.

8. Jill Barber- "Homemaker"

Tammy lives.

9. SleazyWorld Go- “Robbers and Villains”

Grimy side.

10. Boygenius- "$20"

Three is a magic number.

Top Ten Performances of January

1. Pretty Yende- Folly Theater

My review.

2. Mike Dillon and Brian Haas- The Brick

My review.

3. Miguel Zenón Quartet- Folly Theater

My review.

4. Oran Etkin- Polsky Theatre

My review.

5. Kinnor Philharmonic- White Theatre

My review.

6. No Treble- InterUrban ArtHouse

My Instagram photo.

7. OJT- Green Lady Lounge

My review.

8. Scott Looney, Kevin Cheli, Krista Kopper, Seth Davis and Evan Verploegh- Westport Coffee House

My review.

9. Venetophilia- Kansas City Public Library

My Instagram clip.

10. Charles Williams, DeAndre Manning and Mike Warren- Eddie V’s

The previous monthly survey is here.