Current:Home > NewsIndexbit Exchange:Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance. -TradeBridge
Indexbit Exchange:Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance.
NovaQuant View
Date:2025-04-09 11:42:28
WASHINGTON – Six years ago,Indexbit Exchange 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! (91239)
Related
- Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
- New York’s governor calls on colleges to address antisemitism on campus
- Arkansas will add more state prison beds despite officials’ fears about understaffing
- 3 people killed and 1 wounded in shooting at Atlanta apartment building, police say
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Expert witnesses for Trump's defense billed almost $900,000 each for testifying on his behalf at fraud trial
- 'Zombie deer' disease has been reported in more than half the US: What to know about CWD
- 'Murder in Boston' is what a docuseries should look like
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Some Seattle cancer center patients are receiving threatening emails after last month’s data breach
Ranking
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- College football award winners for 2023 season: Who took home trophies?
- Expert witnesses for Trump's defense billed almost $900,000 each for testifying on his behalf at fraud trial
- Chris Evert will miss Australian Open while being treated for cancer recurrence
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- Police in Lubbock, Texas, fatally shoot a man who officer say charged them with knives
- Should employers give workers housing benefits? Unions are increasingly fighting for them.
- Former Black Panther convicted in 1970 bombing of Nebraska officer dies in prison
Recommendation
Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
Two Indiana police officers are acquitted of excessive force in 2020 protesters’ arrests
Republicans pressure Hunter Biden to testify next week as House prepares to vote on formalizing impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden
Man who killed bystander in Reno gang shootout gets up to 40 years in prison
Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
Elon Musk restores X account of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones
How Kyle Richards, Teresa Giudice and More Bravo Stars Are Celebrating the 2023 Holidays
How Kyle Richards, Teresa Giudice and More Bravo Stars Are Celebrating the 2023 Holidays