Current:Home > MarketsIs there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance. -AssetPath
Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance.
TrendPulse View
Date:2025-04-10 04:30:53
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! (38186)
Related
- Average rate on 30
- Kamala Harris concert rallies: Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Ricky Martin, more perform
- TGI Fridays bankruptcy: Are more locations closing? Here’s what we know so far
- A Quaker who helps migrants says US presidential election will make no difference at the border
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- A History of Presidential Pets Who Lived in the Lap of Luxury at the White House
- Kristin Cavallari Wants Partner With a Vasectomy After Mark Estes Split
- Bernie Marcus, The Home Depot co-founder and billionaire philanthropist, dies at 95
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Republicans try to hold onto all of Iowa’s 4 congressional districts
Ranking
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- A former Trump aide and a longtime congressman are likely to win in high-profile Georgia races
- Prince William Reveals the Question His Kids Ask Him the Most During Trip to South Africa
- Heidi Klum poses with daughter, 20, and mom, 80, in new lingerie campaign
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- Who is John King? What to know about CNN anchor reporting from the 'magic wall'
- Queen Camilla suffering from chest infection, forced to call off engagements, palace says
- Casey and McCormick square off in Pennsylvania race that could determine Senate control
Recommendation
New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott speaks of 'transformative' impact of sports
MLB free agent rankings: Soto, Snell lead top 120 players for 2024-2025
NFL power rankings Week 10: How has trade deadline altered league's elite?
A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
Strike at Boeing was part of a new era of labor activism long in decline at US work places
CFP rankings channel today: How to watch first College Football Playoff poll
Florida ballot measures would legalize marijuana and protect abortion rights