Current:Home > ContactIs there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance. -AssetLink
Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance.
View
Date:2025-04-15 21:43:23
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! (416)
Related
- Olympic women's basketball bracket: Schedule, results, Team USA's path to gold
- The fight over banning menthol cigarettes has a long history steeped in race
- 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' are back — so are the fights and bewitching on-screen chemistry
- What you need to know about the origins of Black History Month
- Illinois Gov. Pritzker calls for sheriff to resign after Sonya Massey shooting
- Russian court extends detention of Russian-US journalist
- Kentucky House committee passes bill requiring moment of silence in schools
- Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and More Stars Whose Daring Grammys Looks Hit All the Right Notes
- Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear ready to campaign for Harris-Walz after losing out for spot on the ticket
- Ole Miss player DeSanto Rollins' lawsuit against football coach Lane Kiffin dismissed
Ranking
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- Barcelona edges Osasuna in 1st game since coach Xavi announced decision to leave. Atletico also wins
- Could Louisiana soon resume death row executions?
- Nebraska lawmaker behind school choice law targets the process that could repeal it
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Selma Blair shares health update, says she's in pain 'all the time' amid MS remission
- Usher Clarifies Rumor He Was Beyoncé’s Nanny During Their Younger Years
- West Virginia construction firm to buy bankrupt college campus
Recommendation
Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
When cybercrime leaves the web: FBI warns that scammers could come right to your door
75-year-old man dies after sheriff’s deputy shocks him with Taser in rural Minnesota
Parents arrested in case of social media model charged with killing boyfriend
Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
It’s called ‘cozy cardio.’ In a world seeking comfort, some see a happier mode of exercise
2 homeowners urged to evacuate due to Pennsylvania landslide
It’s called ‘cozy cardio.’ In a world seeking comfort, some see a happier mode of exercise