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    Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance.

    By Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY,

    11 hours ago

    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?

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0XqNIf_0vkeNTGY00
    Jeff Lynne's ELO kicked off The Over and Out Tour in California in late August. The tour runs through Oct. 26 in Los Angeles. Jason Stoltzfus

    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

    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”).

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4ZZMF6_0vkeNTGY00
    Jeff Lynne's ELO includes a three-piece string section, seven-piece band and two background singers to bring the hits to life. Jason Stoltzfus

    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

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4SPbwf_0vkeNTGY00
    Jeff Lynne and ELO is bringing a trove of hits on the band's farewell tour, which kicked off Aug. 24, 2024 in Palm Springs, California. Jason Stoltzfus

    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?

    This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance.

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    Comments / 4
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    ELO Man
    1h ago
    I've been fortunate enough to see them 4 times. Roanoke VA 1977, 1981 with Bev Bevan, Kelly Groucutt, Mike Kaminsky, Hugh Mcdowell, Melvin Gayle, Richard Tandy, and of course the great Jeff Lynne. Unfortunately 3 of those original members have passed away. Tandy, Groucutt and McDowell. Then I saw Jeff Lynne's ELO at Radio City Music Hall in 2016 and just a few weeks ago in Pittsburg. Thank you Jeff Lynne for all your wonderful music, productions and your musical genius for so many years!!!!!!
    Michael Katz
    3h ago
    Just saw them at Madison Square Garden a couple of weeks ago. They sounded incredible! Quite the sonic feast indeed!
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