Current:Home > reviewsIs there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance. -TradeWisdom
Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance.
View
Date:2025-04-26 01:24:11
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! (8769)
Related
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Rep. Jim Jordan subpoenas Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis over use of federal funds
- These are their stories: Sam Waterston to leave ‘Law & Order’ later this month after 400 episodes
- Larry David forced to apologize for attacking Elmo on 'Today' show: 'You've gone too far'
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- How Sherri Shepherd Avoids Being Overwhelmed by Health Care Trends Like Ozempic
- Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce conspiracy theories abound on political right with K.C. Chiefs in Super Bowl
- Jeremy Renner Shares Why He’s “Not Afraid” of Death After Scary Snowplow Accident
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- Dog rescued after more than a week trapped inside shipping container in Texas port
Ranking
- 'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
- The Daily Money: All about tax brackets
- A timeline of what's happened since 3 football fans found dead outside Kansas City home
- New Mexico Democrats push to criminalize fake electors before presidential vote
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- As Mardi Gras nears, a beefed-up police presence and a rain-scrambled parade schedule in New Orleans
- Jelly Roll duets with Lainey Wilson, more highlights from Spotify's pre-Grammys party
- A year on, a small Ohio town is recovering from a fiery train derailment but health fears persist
Recommendation
Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
Atmospheric river expected to bring life-threatening floods to Southern California
How Sherri Shepherd Avoids Being Overwhelmed by Health Care Trends Like Ozempic
Embassy of Japan confirms Swift can 'wow Japanese audiences' and make Super Bowl
'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
Justin Bieber Returns To The Stage A Year After Canceling World Tour
Around the world: Michigan man speeds across globe in quest to break Guinness record
Jeremy Renner Shares Why He’s “Not Afraid” of Death After Scary Snowplow Accident