Current:Home > StocksIndexbit-Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance. -Wealth Evolution Experts
Indexbit-Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance.
Burley Garcia View
Date:2025-04-07 08:43:56
WASHINGTON – Six years ago,Indexbit 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! (3197)
Related
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- MILAN FASHION PHOTOS: Twins transform from grunge to glam at twin-designed Dsquared2
- The FAA is tightening oversight of Boeing and will audit production of the 737 Max 9
- Texas is blocking US border agents from patrols, Biden administration tells Supreme Court
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- Midwest braces for winter storm today. Here's how much snow will fall and when, according to weather forecasts
- Hertz is selling Teslas for as little as $21,000, as it offloads the pricey EVs from its rental fleet
- Kaley Cuoco hid pregnancy with help of stunt double on ‘Role Play’ set: 'So shocked'
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Why This Is Selena Gomez’s Favorite Taylor Swift Song
Ranking
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Grubhub agrees to a $3.5 million settlement with Massachusetts for fees charged during the pandemic
- Colin Kaepernick on Jim Harbaugh: He's the coach to call to compete for NFL championship
- Ukrainian trucker involved in deadly crash wants license back while awaiting deportation
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Why Ian Somerhalder Doesn't Miss Hollywood After Saying Goodbye to Acting
- Patriots hire Jerod Mayo as coach one day after split with Bill Belichick
- Lights, cameras, Clark: Iowa’s superstar guard gets prime-time spotlight Saturday on Fox
Recommendation
From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
Midwest braces for winter storm today. Here's how much snow will fall and when, according to weather forecasts
Oregon Supreme Court keeps Trump on primary ballot
Judge orders Indiana to strike Ukrainian provision from humanitarian parole driver’s license law
2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
The 33 Best Amazon Deals This Month— $7 Dresses, 50% off Yankee Candles, 30% off Fitbit Trackers & More
Democratic lawmakers in New Mexico take aim at gun violence, panhandling, retail crime and hazing
Turkey launches airstrikes against Kurdish militants in Iraq and Syria after 9 soldiers were killed