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So much has changed since the commercial heyday of the Electric Light Orchestra in the late ‘70s.
Yet, one thing remains the same after 40-plus years:
The music of ELO still sounds light years ahead of just about everything else going on in pop music.
Chalk it up to “Strange Magic,” the brand that pop mastermind Jeff Lynne still wields better than basically anybody in the game.
And that magic was on full display when Jeff Lynne’s ELO visited the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, June 22.
It was a spellbinding evening of orchestral rock and pop, as Lynne and his 12-piece juggernaut of a band ran through 20 glorious cuts in right around 100 minutes. Each song stood proudly on its own, highlighting its own distinctive blend of musical styles, ranging from classical music and prog-rock to avant-garde and psychedelic pop.
And here's how this night of strange magic begins for @JeffLynnesELO at @Golden1Center pic.twitter.com/FmphqaHRr8
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) June 23, 2019
Taken collectively, however, these songs explained exactly why ELO so richly deserved to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.
It was amazing how great the band sounded — so tight, precise and in the groove — especially given that this was only the second show of its 2019 tour, which launched June 20 at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Chances are things will only get better when the group performs tour stop No. 3 in San Jose on Monday.
If that’s not incentive enough to go see the show, consider also that you never know when you’re going to get another chance to see Lynne and company. After all, the band went 37 years without performing a show in Northern California before finally kicking off a long-awaited North American trek last year at Oracle Arena in Oakland.
Now, hopefully, an ELO tour stop around these parts will be an annual tradition.
The group kicked off the show in high style with the grand, sweepingly cinematic “Standin’ in the Rain,” which opens the amazing “Concerto for a Rainy Day” that fills the entire Side 3 of the 1977 double album “Out of the Blue.”
There's going to be a Showdown @JeffLynnesELO pic.twitter.com/rj1PecZz0C
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) June 23, 2019
The concert played like a greatest hits collection, for the most part, as the group continued through the fan favorites “Evil Woman” (from 1975’s “Face the Music”), “All Over the World” (from the excellent “Xanadu” soundtrack) and “Livin’ Thing” (from 1976’s “A New World Record”).
Yet, it wasn’t all golden oldies. Lynne also included his most recent gem, “When I Was a Boy,” the richly nostalgic ballad from 2015’s “Alone in the Universe” that deserves to be ranked among ELO’s all-time best songs.
He’d also recognize one of his other bands — the supergroup known as the Traveling Wilburys, also featuring Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. And he’d do so in quite touching fashion, as he called George Harrison’s son — opening act Dhani Harrison — back to the stage to handle lead vocals on “Handle With Care.”
#theMove @JeffLynnesELO pic.twitter.com/NPMMFF1Pak
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) June 23, 2019
Overall, the set list was superb and nicely showcased the breadth of the band’s catalog. The only real knock is that Lynne has decided to drop “Can’t Get It Out of My Head” — a highlight from the 2018 tour — and replace it with “Last Train to London.”
Nothing against “Last Train,” which is a pretty solid disco-inspired single. But it’s anything but an even swap for “Can’t Get It Out of My Head,” which might well be the single greatest ELO song ever.
Lynne sounded great on the microphone throughout the night, admirably aided by backing vocalists Iain Hornal and Melanie Lewis McDonald.
. @DhaniHarrison (George's son) joins @JeffLynnesELO on Traveling Wilburys handle w/ care pic.twitter.com/8FSzYVKAKT
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) June 23, 2019
He also turned in some beautifully restrained and refined guitar work, although there were a few fretboard fireworks reserved for songs like “Showdown” and, especially, the regular “Roll Over Beethoven” show closer.
Here’s the set list:
1. “Standin’ in the Rain”
2. “Evil Woman”
3. “All Over the World”
4. “Showdown”
5. “Do Ya”
6. “When I Was a Boy”
7. “Livin’ Thing”
Rockaria! @JeffLynnesELO pic.twitter.com/k00aEPLAJ3
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) June 23, 2019
8. “Handle With Care”
9. “Last Train to London”
10. “Rockaria!”
11. “Xanadu”
12. “10538 Overture”
13. “Shine a Little Love”
14. “Wild West Hero”
15. “Sweet Talkin’ Woman”
16. “Telephone Line”
I love this brilliant movie so much. Xanadu @JeffLynnesELO pic.twitter.com/osOfxcwONT
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) June 23, 2019
17. “Don’t Bring Me Down”
18. “Turn to Stone”
19. “Mr. Blue Sky”
Encore:
20. “Roll Over Beethoven”
Back to the beginning …. @JeffLynnesELO pic.twitter.com/8GSFqgJGni
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) June 23, 2019
