Current:Home > StocksIs there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance. -Capitatum
Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance.
Poinbank View
Date:2025-04-09 09:49:58
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! (22)
Related
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Gerrit Cole injury update: Yankees breathe sigh of relief on Cy Young winner's elbow issue
- Across the US, batteries and green energies like wind and solar combine for major climate solution
- New Mexico state police officer shot, killed near Tucumcari
- JoJo Siwa reflects on Candace Cameron Bure feud: 'If I saw her, I would not say hi'
- Bears land Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen in shocking trade with Chargers
- Outdoor Voices closing its stores. Activewear retailer reportedly plans online move
- Man shot with his own gun, critically wounded in fight aboard New York City subway, police say
- Jamaica's Kishane Thompson more motivated after thrilling 100m finish against Noah Lyles
- Louisiana truck driver charged after deadly 2023 pileup amid ‘super fog’ conditions
Ranking
- 9/11 hearings at Guantanamo Bay in upheaval after surprise order by US defense chief
- Trump-backed Senate candidate faces GOP worries that he could be linked to adult website profile
- Apple to pay $490 million to settle allegations that it misled investors about iPhone sales in China
- Feds pick New England’s offshore wind development area, drawing cheers and questions alike
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- Another mayoral contender killed in Mexico, 6th politician murdered this year ahead of national elections
- Kentucky GOP moves to criminalize interference with legislature after transgender protests
- Ex-Tennessee Titans scout Blaise Taylor charged after deaths of girlfriend, unborn child
Recommendation
Kehlani Responds to Hurtful Accusation She’s in a Cult
Gerald Levin, the former Time Warner CEO who engineered a disastrous mega-merger, is dead at 84
Brooklyn district attorney won’t file charges in New York City subway shooting
McDonald’s system outages are reported around the world
Olympic men's basketball bracket: Results of the 5x5 tournament
These Republicans won states that Trump lost in 2020. Their endorsements are lukewarm (or withheld)
Oprah Winfrey Addresses Why She Really Left WeightWatchers
Supreme Court rules public officials can sometimes be sued for blocking critics on social media