Current:Home > ContactIs there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance. -WealthX
Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance.
View
Date:2025-04-14 15:19:48
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! (751)
Related
- Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
- Britney Spears says she had an abortion while dating Justin Timberlake: He definitely wasn't happy about the pregnancy
- Under fire, Social Security chief vows top-to-bottom review of payment clawbacks
- Taylor Swift reacts to Sabrina Carpenter's cover of 'I Knew You Were Trouble'
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and listening
- Spain’s leader mulls granting amnesty to thousands of Catalan separatists in order to stay in power
- Florida man convicted of stealing sports camp tuition funds from hundreds of families
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Spain’s royals honor Asturias prize winners, including Meryl Streep and Haruki Murakami
Ranking
- McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
- Invasive worm causes disease in Vermont beech trees
- Cheryl Burke Says She Wasn't Invited to Dancing With the Stars' Tribute to Late Judge Len Goodman
- Megan Thee Stallion and former record label 1501 Entertainment settle 3-year legal battle
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- 2 American hostages held since Hamas attack on Israel released: IDF
- Israeli reservists in US leave behind proud, worried families
- Taylor Swift reacts to Sabrina Carpenter's cover of 'I Knew You Were Trouble'
Recommendation
Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
AP Week in Pictures: Europe and Africa
3 charged after mistaken ID leads to Miami man's kidnapping, torture, prosecutors say
60,000 gun safes recalled after shooting death
Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
Are there melatonin side effects? What to know about the sleep aid's potential risks.
Case dropped against North Dakota mother in baby’s death
'Old Dads': How to watch comedian Bill Burr's directorial debut available now