Current:Home > NewsPoinbank:Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance. -Secure Growth Solutions
Poinbank:Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance.
EchoSense View
Date:2025-04-11 03:08:15
WASHINGTON – Six years ago,Poinbank 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! (83275)
Related
- Small twin
- India in G20 summit welcomes Israel-Hamas cease-fire, urges action on climate, other issues
- Truce deal raises hopes of freeing hostages in Gaza and halting worst Mideast violence in decades
- 'Please God, let them live': Colts' Ryan Kelly, wife and twin boys who fought to survive
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- U.S. unemployment claims drop by 24,000 to 209,000, another sign of labor market resiliency
- Prince Harry will appeal to ministers to obtain evidence for lawsuit against UK publisher
- Video shows flash mob steal $12,000 worth of goods from Nike store in LA
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- IAEA head says the barring of several nuclear inspectors by Iran is a ‘serious blow’ to monitoring
Ranking
- Small twin
- As some stores shrink windows for sending back items, these retailers have the best returns policies
- Wilcox Ice Cream recalls multiple products after listeria found in batch of mint chip
- 'Scott Pilgrim Takes Off'—and levels up
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- Colorado coach Deion Sanders returns to form after illness: 'I am a humble man'
- College Football Playoff rankings: Washington moves up to No. 4 ahead of Florida State
- Messi leaves match at Maracanã early, Argentina beats Brazil in game delayed by fight
Recommendation
The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
Photos show a shocked nation mourning President John F. Kennedy after assassination
U.S. unemployment claims drop by 24,000 to 209,000, another sign of labor market resiliency
Surprise! The 'Squid Game' reality show is morally despicable (and really boring)
Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
'Hard Knocks' debuts: Can Dolphins adjust to cameras following every move during season?
Czech president approves plan introducing budget cuts, taxes. Labor unions call for protests
Missouri driver killed in crash involving car fleeing police