Current:Home > ContactTradeEdge-Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance. -DataFinance
TradeEdge-Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance.
TradeEdge Exchange View
Date:2025-04-07 10:29:33
WASHINGTON – Six years ago,TradeEdge 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! (271)
Related
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- Eric Roberts slams Julia Roberts in 'Steel Magnolias,' says he's not 'jealous': Reports
- 50 Cent's Netflix doc on Diddy allegations will give 'voice to the voiceless,' he says
- Rooting out Risk: A Town’s Challenge to Build a Safe Inclusive Park
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Lady Gaga's Hair Transformation Will Break Your Poker Face
- Man charged with killing 13-year-old Detroit girl whose body remains missing
- Ports seek order to force dockworkers to bargaining table as strike looms at East and Gulf ports
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- Moving homeless people from streets to shelter isn’t easy, San Francisco outreach workers say
Ranking
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- Tommy Kramer, former Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl QB, announces dementia diagnosis
- Appeals court sends back part of Dakota Access oil pipeline protester’s excessive force lawsuit
- Tech tips to turn yourself into a Google Workspace and Microsoft Office pro
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- Concerns linger after gunfire damages Arizona Democratic campaign office
- A Black student punished for his hairstyle wants to return to the Texas school he left
- Caitlin Clark's spectacular run comes to a close. Now, she'll take time to reflect
Recommendation
The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
Ports seek order to force dockworkers to bargaining table as strike looms at East and Gulf ports
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Attorney Says He’s “Very Eager” to Testify in Upcoming Trial
West Virginia’s new drug czar was once addicted to opioids himself
'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
10 homes have collapsed into the Carolina surf. Their destruction was decades in the making
How New York City Is Getting Screwed Out of $4.2 Billion in State Green Bonds
Malik Nabers is carrying Giants with his record rookie pace, and bigger spotlight awaits