Current:Home > MarketsIs there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance. -Visionary Wealth Guides
Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance.
NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-08 01:29:50
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! (52)
Related
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- Jennifer Aniston’s Go-To Vital Proteins Collagen Powder and Coffee Creamer Are 30% Off for Prime Day 2023
- Jenna Ortega's Historic 2023 Emmys Nomination Deserves Two Snaps
- “Strong and Well” Jamie Foxx Helps Return Fan’s Lost Purse During Outing in Chicago
- Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
- Restoring Watersheds, and Hope, After New Mexico’s Record-Breaking Wildfires
- The ‘Power of Aridity’ is Bringing a Colorado River Dam to its Knees
- Summer School 2: Competition and the cheaper sneaker
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- Top Chef Reveals New Host for Season 21 After Padma Lakshmi's Exit
Ranking
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- How Riley Keough Is Celebrating Her First Emmy Nomination With Husband Ben Smith-Petersen
- Exxon Accurately Predicted Global Warming, Years Before Casting Doubt on Climate Science
- Zayn Malik's Call Her Daddy Bombshells: Gigi Hadid Relationship, Yolanda Hadid Dispute & More
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- As seas get hotter, South Florida gets slammed by an ocean heat wave
- One Man’s Determined Fight for Solar Power in Rural Ohio
- Shawn Johnson Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby No. 3 With Husband Andrew East
Recommendation
The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
Take 42% Off a Portable Blender With 12,200+ 5-Star Amazon Reviews on Prime Day 2023
EPA Moves Away From Permian Air Pollution Crackdown
Wet socks can make a difference: Tips from readers on keeping cool without AC
Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
The Energy Department Hails a Breakthrough in Fusion Energy, Achieving a Net Energy Gain With Livermore’s Vast Laser Array
Science Day at COP27 Shows That Climate Talks Aren’t Keeping Pace With Planetary Physics
Wide Leg Pants From Avec Les Filles Are What Your Closet’s Been Missing