Current:Home > MarketsIs there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance. -Blueprint Money Mastery
Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance.
Oliver James Montgomery View
Date:2025-04-11 00:11:31
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! (3)
Related
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- The top 1% of American earners now own more wealth than the entire middle class
- Biden to sign executive order on federal funding for Native Americans
- Biden urges Congress to pass Ukraine aid package while expressing openness to Mexico border changes
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- Fake Donald Trump electors settle civil lawsuit in Wisconsin, agree that President Biden won
- Maryland attorney general wants new hearing in gun licensing case
- Watch 'mastermind' deer lead police on chase through Sam's Club in Southern California
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- How to keep dust mites away naturally to help ease your allergies
Ranking
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Shannen Doherty Details Heartbreaking Moment She Believed She Wouldn't Survive Cancer Battle
- ‘A master of storytelling’ — Reaction to the death of pioneering TV figure Norman Lear
- Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt's Devil Wears Prada Reunion Is Just as Groundbreaking as You Imagine
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- A 9-year-old wanted to honor her dog that died. So she organized a pet drive for shelters.
- A young nurse suffered cardiac arrest while training on the condition. Fellow nurses saved her life
- Off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot indicted on 84 charges in alleged attempt to shut down plane's engines mid-flight
Recommendation
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
Intelligence report warns of rising foreign terror threats in U.S. amid Israel-Hamas war
Mexico’s Supreme Court lifts 2022 ban on bullfighting
GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California is resigning, 2 months after his ouster as House speaker
Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
Two food and drink indicators
Kim Kardashian's Son Saint West Debuts Blonde Hair During Courtside Birthday Celebration
Von Miller still 'part of the team' and available to play vs Chiefs, Bills GM says