Joe Thomas Turns Old Hararians into a Soulful Time Capsule

Joe Thomas On stage (image source)

If nostalgia had a sound, it would be Joe Thomas easing into I Wanna Know under an open Harare sky. On Tuesday night, the Grammy-nominated R&B star — known simply as Joe — headlined the Old Hararians Sports Club in a show billed One Night Only, delivering exactly that: a plush, grown-and-sexy evening where Harare’s R&B faithful time-travelled through the 1990s and 2000s with a velvet-voiced guide.

Clips posted by The Herald and other local outlets showed packed terraces, phone lights swaying, and Joe in classic crooner form — his band tight, his vocals unhurried and assured. This was not Joe’s first dance with the capital; he last performed in Harare in 2008. The local bill — ExQ and The Jukebox — set the table with radio-friendly hooks and live-band polish before veteran MC Tich Mataz did what he has done for a generation: keep the energy high and the transitions crisp.

Old Hararians, better known for ODI cricket scoreboards than R&B set lists, has become a reliable big-stage venue in recent years. Its broad, gently rising sightlines and open-air acoustics gave the music room to breathe. The production team took full advantage — vocal mics sat high in the mix, and the rhythm section bloomed without drowning Joe’s signature melisma. Outside the turnstiles, the atmosphere was just as polished. Ticket queues moved smoothly, food trucks and merchandise stalls added colour, and months of promotional teasing paid off. Pricing was accessible — US$50–60 for general access, US$150–180 for VIP — and Joe’s media rounds in Harare ahead of the show reassured fans there would be no last-minute cancellations.

When Joe finally stepped out in his trademark black jacket, Harare greeted him in the way it reserves for long-awaited legends — first, a hush, then a roar. While the full set list was still emerging at press time, fan videos confirmed the heavy hitters: the sing-along lift of All The Things (Your Man Won’t Do), the tender glide of No One Else Comes Close, and the enduring I Wanna Know. Joe is one of those rare artists whose hits have aged like cedar — warmer with time, aromatic with memory. Even casual listeners found themselves mouthing the words; the superfans never stopped.

The local openers more than held their own. ExQ, ever the crowd mechanic, leaned into his bangers, while The Jukebox brought arrangement craft and musicianship that translated beautifully to a large stage, earning cheers for familiar riffs and call-and-response breaks.

There’s a broader story here too. Harare’s appetite for legacy R&B has been building since pre-Covid, but the past two years have brought sharper delivery, tighter stage management, better hospitality lanes, and clearer communication from promoters. Tuesday night felt like the culmination of those incremental gains — a grown-folk night out with minimal drama and a clean load-out.

For Harare’s live music sector, every successful show is a proof-of-concept that draws the next one. Joe Thomas and his team delivered, and as the crowds filtered out into the cool Harare night, the mood was unanimous — this was a night worth remembering.