Current:Home > StocksIs 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:2025-04-15 14:27:51
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! (5)
Related
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Shannen Doherty Shares How Cancer Is Affecting Her Sex Life
- Tipped-over Odysseus moon lander, spotted by lunar orbiter, sends back pictures
- A fellow student is charged with killing a Christian college wrestler in Kentucky
- Sam Taylor
- Hungary’s parliament ratifies Sweden’s NATO bid, clearing the final obstacle to membership
- Natalee Holloway's Brother Shares Bone-Chilling Details From Days After Her Murder
- Famed Cuban diva Juana Bacallao, who ruled the island's cabaret scene, dies at 98
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- These Cheap Products Will Make Your Clothes, Shoes, Bags & More Look Brand New
Ranking
- Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
- Kenneth Mitchell, 'Star Trek: Discovery' actor, dies after battle with ALS
- Navalny team says Russia threatened his mother with ultimatum to avoid burial at Arctic prison
- Alec Baldwin to stand trial this summer on a charge stemming from deadly ‘Rust’ movie set shooting
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- Shannen Doherty Shares How Cancer Is Affecting Her Sex Life
- Economists see brighter outlook for 2024. Here's why.
- US government may sue PacifiCorp, a Warren Buffett utility, for nearly $1B in wildfire costs
Recommendation
Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
Eagles’ Don Henley quizzed at lyrics trial about time a naked 16-year-old girl overdosed at his home
These Versatile Black Pant Picks Will Work with Every Outfit, for Any Occasion
Peter Anthony Morgan, lead singer of reggae band Morgan Heritage, dies at age 46
Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
7-year-old boy crawling after ball crushed by truck in Louisiana parking lot, police say
Wendy Williams' Son Kevin Hunter Jr. Shares Her Dementia Diagnosis Is Alcohol-Induced
How Keke Palmer and Ex Darius Jackson Celebrated Son Leo on His First Birthday