Current:Home > NewsIs there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance. -Elevate Profit Vision
Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance.
View
Date:2025-04-19 03:23:54
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! (471)
Related
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Los Angeles County has thousands of ‘unclaimed dead.’ These investigators retrace their lives
- Golden Wedding recap: Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist are married! See what made us tear up.
- Stanley cups have people flooding stores and buying out shops. What made them so popular?
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- Sunderland apologizes to its fans for rebranding stadium bar in Newcastle colors for FA Cup game
- David Soul, of TV's 'Starsky and Hutch,' dies at 80
- McDonald's CEO says Israel-Hamas war is having a meaningful impact on its business
- Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
- Column: Pac-12 has that rare chance in sports to go out on top
Ranking
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- The case of the serial sinking Spanish ships
- Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou boxing match set for March 9 in Saudi Arabia
- Golden Bachelor's Theresa Nist Shakes Off Wardrobe Malfunction During Wedding to Gerry Turner
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- 'Saved by the Bell,' 'Speed Racer' actor Christian Oliver killed in plane crash with 2 daughters
- Maine man injured in crash is shocked by downed power line
- Hezbollah fires rockets at Israel in ‘initial response’ to killing of top leader from allied Hamas
Recommendation
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
Azerbaijan names a former oil executive to lead 2024 climate talks
Rascal Flatts guitarist Joe Don Rooney sets 'record straight' on transitioning rumors
'I can't feel my fingers': 13-year-old Tetris winner dumfounded after beating game
Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
Massachusetts voters become latest to try and keep Trump off ballot over Jan. 6 attack
Daniel Levy on Netflix's 'Good Grief,' his bad habits and the 'Barbie' role that got away
The Supreme Court will decide if Trump can be kept off 2024 presidential ballots