Two-time Grammy Award winner, Sheena Easton sang her heart out while performing a 15-song set at the intimate venue, Yoshi’s in Oakland, California on October 19, 2025. I grew up in the ‘80s singing along to her records, so it was a dream come true to see her up close and sing along with her.
I was about 10 years old when I first heard “Morning Train (Nine to Five).” I loved her voice and I wished I could sing just like her. I saved up my allowance and spent most of it collecting her vinyl albums and singles. I’d play them nonstop on my record player while mimicking her singing, trying to hit all the high and long notes!
Forty-plus years later when I learned that she would be performing at a venue that’s minutes away from home, I was like, Pinch me. How is this happening?
She performed a mix of her hits and cover songs. Some were heart-wrenching ballads and some were get on your feet/clap to the beat bangers. Here’s her 15-song setlist:
- All Around the World (cover of the Lisa Stansfield song)
- Days Like This
- Almost Over You
- It Must Have Been Love (cover of the Roxette song)
- Strut
- The Lover in Me
- The Arms of Orion/Nothing Compares 2 U (medley with Jason Martinez) – see my short video below
- We’ve Got Tonight (duet with Jason Martinez)
- Sugar Walls/The Glamorous Life/U Got the Look (medley)
- Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)
- Morning Train (Nine to Five) – see my short video below
- For Your Eyes Only – see my full video below
In 1993, Sheena Easton released a bilingual English-French version of Jacques Brel’s classic, « Ne me quitte pas » on her album of jazz standards, No Strings, which was produced by American jazz pianist and R&B singer, Patrice Rushen. The song would’ve been a wonderful addition to the setlist for Yoshi’s, which has earned a reputation as the Bay Area’s premier location for great Japanese cuisine and jazz music. Listen here:
In between songs, she told stories and cracked some jokes. She said she’s 66 years old now, wears Spanx shapewear, drinks Kim Crawford wine from CVS drugstore, and enjoys the benefits of Medicare and Vons grocery store discounts! (Celebrities, they’re just like us!)
The funniest moment for me was when she introduced, “Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)” as a song “so old that it doesn’t makes sense.” You be the judge! Here are some lyrics, which I think made perfect sense back in 1983:
“I wanna tell you
What’s been going on
Operator, give me Transatlantic…
Long, long distance love affair, oh, oh
I can′t find you anywhere, oh, oh
I call you on the telephone
But you’re never home…
I gotta get a message to you”
(It’s hard to imagine a world without mobile phones, the internet, and sms/text messaging, right? But somehow, we managed!)
After she introduced each of her band members, including standout vocalist, Jason Martinez, she took a moment to acknowledge a few Yoshi’s staff members by name!
Overall, I left the show feeling like I had traveled down a happy memory lane. I hope Sheena Easton felt the love for her and her music after all these years and many more to come! 🎶
My video clips
The Arms of Orion/Nothing Compares 2 U (medley with Jason Martinez)
Speaking of “Morning Train”… in 1981, Armenian Bulgarian-French singer, Sylvie Vartan, recorded a song with the same melody as “Morning Train (Nine to Five)” called, « L’amour c’est comme une cigarette. » While it’s lyrically a completely different song and not a translation, it’s still a fingersnapper! Listen here:
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