Now give that same incredible mass of talent the Jeff Lynne songbook to perform and the results are nothing short of magic ... and there's nothing strange about it!!!
For the second year in a row (after a 35+ year hiatus), Jeff Lynne and his remarkable Electric Light Orchestra returned to the Chicago stage to perform an array of hits that were mesmerizing in every conceivable way ... sonicly ... visually ... spiritually ... and all of it precision timed to coordinate sight and sound that reached down deep to touch your mind, your heart and your soul.
Simply put, it was nothing short of a 90-minute life-changing experience ... even if you HAD seen them the year before!
(We named Jeff Lynne's ELO our #1 Concert Experience of 2018 ... and I swear they were even better this time around ... perhaps because they're doing more dates and have had the chance to gel together a bit more ... perhaps because their own confidence has escalated, knowing that what they are producing is one-of-a-kind showmanship you just aren't going to find anywhere else.)
https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2018/08/concert-review-jeff-lynnes-elo-allstate.html
The venue this time around was The United Center ... which can be questionable on occasion when it comes to sound ... but all of the planets were perfectly aligned Saturday Night as Lynne and company took to the stage (after an opening set by George's son, Dhani Harrison) and blew us away, song after song. (We opted for mezzanine seats rather than main floor for this show and were glad that we did ... those folks on the floor didn't sit down for one song during ELO's 90 minute set! Meanwhile, we had a perfect view from our vantage point and only felt obliged to stand for the necessary ovations the group deserved throughout the night.)
Other than "Strange Magic" (and, thankfully, no "Xanadu" this time around) the set featured some of the biggest hits of the '70's and early '80's (with a couple of new tunes sprinkled in for good measure.) An especially emotional moment came when Dhani Harrison was brought back out on stage to perform "Handle With Care," the song his father performed with The Traveling Wilburys (which also featured Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison.) Video footage of the supergroup played on the screen behind them as they performed a letter-perfect live version of this classic tune. (My God ... can you imagine if The Traveling Wilburys had ever toured?!?!?)
Check out this incredible set list:
THE COMPLETE SET LIST:
Standin' in the Rain
Evil Woman
All Over the World
Showdown
Do Ya
When I Was a Boy
Livin' Thing
Handle With Care
Rockaria!
Last Train to London
Eldorado Overture
Can't Get It Out of My Head
10538 Overture
Shine a Little Love
Wild West Hero
Sweet Talkin' Woman
Telephone Line
Don't Bring Me Down
Turn to Stone
Mr. Blue Sky
Encore:
Roll Over Beethoven
It was a remarkable show, start to finish ... and, believe it or not, after tomorrow, the U.S. Tour will already be over. (The laser light show and constant video images projecting behind them made this a sight and sound to behold. We took some video but even as exciting as it is to watch, it doesn't do the whole experience justice. Here's a video we found on YouTube from last year's concert in Chicago that gives you at least SOME idea as to the spectacle before you when watching a Jeff Lynne / ELO concert.):
