Current:Home > NewsIs there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance. -ValueCore
Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance.
View
Date:2025-04-12 08:08:52
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! (81175)
Related
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Erik Menendez's Attorney Speaks Out on Ryan Murphy's Monsters Show
- Arizona Democratic office hit by third shooting in weeks. There were no injuries or arrests
- Soccer Star George Baldock Found Dead in Swimming Pool at 31
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- Polluted waste from Florida’s fertilizer industry is in the path of Milton’s fury
- Dogs fatally attack a man behind a building in New York
- Don’t Miss These Hidden Gems From Amazon Prime Big Deal Days – Fashion, Beauty & More, up to 80% Off
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- Twins born conjoined celebrate 1st birthday after separation surgery
Ranking
- McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
- Former MLB star Garvey makes play for Latino votes in longshot bid for California US Senate seat
- The Daily Money: Revisiting California's $20 minimum wage
- An inmate on trial with rapper Young Thug is now accused in a jailhouse bribery scheme
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- Smartwatch shootout: New Apple Series 10, Pixel 3 and Samsung Galaxy 7 jockey for position
- Dogs fatally attack a man behind a building in New York
- Opinion: Duke's Jon Scheyer faces unique pressure with top prospect Cooper Flagg on team
Recommendation
House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
NTSB report says student pilot, instructor and 2 passengers killed in Sept. 8 plane crash in Vermont
Anderson Cooper Hit in the Head With Flying Debris Live on Air While Covering Hurricane Milton
Kate Spade Outlet’s Sale Includes Muppets Crossbodies, Shimmery Bags & More Starting at $23
US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
A Shopper Says This Liquid Lipstick Lasted Through a Root Canal: Get 6 for $8.49 on Amazon Prime Day
McDonald's Chicken Big Mac debuts this week: Here's what's on it and when you can get one
Nicholas Pryor, 'Beverly Hills, 90210' and 'General Hospital' actor, dies at 89