Current:Home > NewsIs there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance. -FutureFinance
Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance.
View
Date:2025-04-14 14:05:26
WASHINGTON – Six years ago, Jeff Lynne delighted fans when he brought his Electric Light Orchestra to the U.S. for the first time in decades.
Never one to tiptoe out of his preferred studio confines with any regularity, Lynne nonetheless crafted an absolutely dazzling production stocked with gripping visuals (in a pre-Sphere world) and perhaps the most pristine sound ever heard at a rock show.
Guess who’s back and as aurally flawless as ever?
This Over and Out Tour – a believable farewell given his age (76) and the reality that he isn’t a road dog – is in the middle of its 31 dates and will wrap Oct. 26 in Los Angeles. At Capital One Arena in D.C. Wednesday, Lynne, still shaggy, sporting tinted glasses and mostly in supple voice, didn’t have much to say other than many humble acknowledgements of the crowd’s affection. But who needs to blather on when there is a brisk 90-minute set of lush ‘70s and ‘80s classics to administer?
More:The Eagles deploy pristine sound, dazzling visuals at Vegas Sphere kickoff concert: Review
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
ELO dropped a setlist that romped through '70s classics
Aside from the opening “One More Time” – obviously chosen for its literalness – from ELO’s 2019 album “From Out of Nowhere,” the sonic feast concentrated on the band’s ‘70s output, seesawing from Top 10 rock smashes (“Don’t Bring Me Down”) to deep cuts (“Showdown”).
Complementing these impeccably recreated gems was a slew of eye candy. Lasers and videos and spaceships (oh my) buttressed each offering in the 20-song set, with an animated witch morphing into a creepy eyeball (“Evil Woman”) and green lasers enveloping the arena like ribbons in the sky (“Telephone Line”).
Lynne’s band was loaded with familiar names from the previous tour, including the rich string section of Jessie Murphy (violin) and Amy Langley and Jess Cox (cello) and standout vocalists – really more than mere backup singers – Iain Hornal and Melanie Lewis-McDonald, who handled the heavy lifting on the giddy “Rockaria!”
One unexpected offering, “Believe Me Now,” was added to the setlist a couple of weeks ago. An instrumental album track from ELO’s 1977 mega-selling double album, “Out of the Blue,” the song, an intro to the equally moving "Steppin' Out," exhales chord changes so sumptuous, they’ll make your eyes water.
More:Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band still rock, quake and shake after 50 years
Jeff Lynne and ELO say goodbye with a smile
But that’s a feeling frequently evoked during the show, coupled with the joy of hearing these sculpted beauties one final time.
The crisp opening guitar riff of “Do Ya,” the disco-fied “Last Train to London,” the wistful dreamscape “Strange Magic,” all unfurled with precision, but not sterility.
A sea of phone lights held aloft accented “Can’t Get it Out of My Head,” a technological illumination replacing the lighters that reigned 50 years ago when the song was released.
But that all preceded the standout in a show stuffed with them – the musical masterpiece “Turn to Stone.” Between the rapid-fire vocal breakdown nailed by Hornal and Lewis-McDonald – which earned its own ovation – and the furious, frenetic build to a musical climax, the orchestral pop dazzler electrified the arena.
Close to the bliss of that corker was show closer “Mr. Blue Sky,” an anthem of optimism that still sounds like sunshine. Bassist Lee Pomeroy high-stepped through its Beatles-esque bouncy rhythm while Lynne and the band traded layered harmonies on the pop treasure.
It was as obvious a closer as “One More Time” was the opener, but really, how else could Lynne leave a multigenerational throng of fans other than with a smile?
veryGood! (62591)
Related
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- Actor Johnny Wactor Honored By General Hospital Family After His Tragic Death
- Are grocery stores open on Memorial Day 2024? Stores hours and details on Costco, Walmart, more
- A Confederate statue in North Carolina praises 'faithful slaves.' Some citizens want it gone
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- Military labs do the detective work to identify soldiers decades after they died in World War II
- Fire at amusement park in western India kills at least 20, police say
- Super Bowl champion shares 5 core values for youth athletes regardless of economic status
- Average rate on 30
- Severe storms tear through Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma, killing at least 14
Ranking
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- China has threatened trade with some countries after feuds. They’re calling ‘the firm’ for help
- Johnny Wactor, 'General Hospital' actor, shot and killed at 37: Reports
- Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas ejected for hard foul on Chicago Sky's Angel Reese
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Border bill fails Senate test vote as Democrats seek to underscore Republican resistance
- The best moments from Bill Walton's broadcasting career
- Are grocery stores open on Memorial Day 2024? Stores hours and details on Costco, Walmart, more
Recommendation
Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
Horse Riding Star Georgie Campbell Dead at 37 After Fall at Equestrian Event
Kyle Larson hopes 'it’s not the last opportunity I have to try the Double'
Mike Tyson Suffers Medical Emergency on Flight to Los Angeles
Could your smelly farts help science?
Man charged for setting New York City subway passenger on fire
AEW Double or Nothing 2024: Results, match grades, highlights and more for chaotic show
Are grocery stores open on Memorial Day 2024? Stores hours and details on Costco, Walmart, more