Jeff Lynne's ELO delivers sonic perfection on farewell tour: review

WASHINGTON – Six years ago, Jeff Lynne thrilled fans when he brought his Electric Light Orchestra to the United States for the first time in decades.

Never one to regularly tiptoe out of his preferred studio space, Lynne created a stunning production full of captivating imagery (in a pre-Sphere world) and perhaps the most pristine sound ever heard at a rock show.

Guess who's back and sonically as pristine as ever?

This Over and Out Tour — a believable sendoff given his age (76) and the fact that he's not a stray dog — is in the middle of its 31-date run, ending Oct. 26 in Los Angeles. At Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, still shaggy, wearing tinted glasses and mostly smooth-voiced, Lynne didn't have much to say except many modest acknowledgments of the audience's affection. But who needs to babble on when there's a breezy 90-minute series of sumptuous 70s and 80s classics to manage?

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ELO released a setlist that included 70s classics

Aside from opening track “One More Time” – obviously chosen for its literalism – from ELO's 2019 album From Out of Nowhere, the soundfest focused on the band's '70s output, oscillating between top 10 rock hits (“Don' t Bring Me Down”) to deep cuts (“Showdown”).

Adding to these flawlessly recreated jewels was a lot of eye candy. Lasers, videos and spaceships (oh my) punctuated every offering of the 20-song set, with an animated witch transforming into a spooky eyeball (“Evil Woman”) and green lasers dotting the arena like ribbons in the sky envelope (“Telephone Line”). ).

Lynne's band was full of familiar names from the previous tour, including the rich string section of Jessie Murphy (violin) and Amy Langley and Jess Cox (cello), as well as standout singers – more than just backing singers, really – Iain Hornal and Melanie Lewis-McDonald, who performed the did the heavy lifting on the dizzying “Rockaria!”

An unexpected offering, “Believe Me Now,” was added to the setlist a few weeks ago. An instrumental from ELO's mega-selling 1977 double album “Out of the Blue.” The song, an intro to the equally moving “Steppin' Out,” exhales chord changes so lush they'll make your eyes water.

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Jeff Lynne and ELO say goodbye with a smile

But that's a feeling that's often evoked during the show, coupled with the joy of hearing these sculpted beauties one last time.

The crisp opening guitar riff of “Do Ya,” the disco-esque “Last Train to London,” the wistful dreamscape of “Strange Magic,” all unfold with precision but not sterility.

“Can’t Get it Out of My Head” is accented by a sea of held-up telephone lights, technological lighting that replaces the lighters that were prevalent 50 years ago when the song was released.

But all of this preceded the outstanding result of a show full of music – the musical masterpiece “Turn to Stone”. Between Hornal and Lewis-McDonald's fast-paced vocal breakdown – which earned its own ovation – and the furious, frenetic build-up to a musical climax, the orchestral pop brilliance electrified the arena.

Close to this corker's bliss was show closer “Mr. Blue Sky,” an anthem of optimism that still sounds like sunshine. Bassist Lee Pomeroy strutted his Beatles-esque, upbeat 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 how else could Lynne leave a cross-generational crowd of fans other than with a smile?

Jeff Lynne's ELO delivers sonic perfection on farewell tour: review

ByVanessa

ELO released a setlist that included 70s classics

Jeff Lynne and ELO say goodbye with a smile

By Vanessa

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