Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra made a stop at Cincinnati’s Heritage Bank Arena for the “Over and Out” farewell tour and filled the riverfront arena with the band’s perfect blend of dreamy psychedelia, disco groove and sugar-sweet, but cerebral, pop.
Early 2000s California hitmakers Rooney opened and were a welcome surprise, having seen them over 20 years ago at Lollapalooza in 2003 as a kid. The band, now just leader Robert Schwartzman with a new cast backing him, delivered a fine performance to the already-packed arena.
Though Rooney occupied the poppier side of the early 2000s blast of rock and roll revival bands, they made some catchy songs that were to-the-point nuggets of classic rock-influenced, pure pop bliss.
Also, the fact that Schwartzman, now a successful independent film director, starred in the 2001 Disney movie The Princess Diaries (and the band appeared on early 2000s teen TV sensation The OC) makes him a firm reminder of a certain era, and seeing the response from girls here and there around the arena to songs like “When Did Your Heart Go Missing,” though very much on the poppier side, is pretty endearing. They closed with a great, energetic rendition of the ultra-catchy “I’m Shakin’” and brought the crowd to their feet.
The first thing you notice before the start of the show is the ELO stage setup. It’s one of the most elaborate I’ve seen with a seemingly 60-foot-tall, three-dimensional version of the band’s jukebox/UFO logo acting as a frame for one of the three giant screens behind the stage. As the house lights go down and the stage lights up, the lighting is on the same level, always enhancing and driving the songs to a higher level.
They started with “One More Time,” a newer song from 2019, to mark the occasion of the last tour, but move right into the band’s deep catalog of immediately recognizable hits. It was clear from the infectious sing-along and super hit “Evil Woman,” followed directly by “Do Ya” (originally from Lynne’s psychedelic ‘60s band The Move), then to “Sweet Talking Woman” on to the dreamy, lighter than air luster of “Strange Magic” as a 1-2-3-4 punch at the beginning of the set, we were in for something special. This is not just because of the range of recognizable songs that you’ve heard all your life on the radio and on movie soundtracks, but also because the appearance is a little on the rarer side. ELO doesn’t tour that often, and this was the band’s first appearance in our area since Columbus in 2019, not to mention probably their last.
There’s a 12-piece band onstage backing Lynne that includes three pianists/keyboard players, a string trio and two backup vocalists in addition to a rhythm section and two guitar players. The songs and performances on stage are the perfect synthesis of orchestral elements combined with rock and roll. The strings blend seamlessly with the layers of guitar, piano/synthesizer and five or six-part harmonies.
Audience members varied widely in age with fans young and old excited to see these songs live. There were clearly a few groups of super fans seated nearby, whose response to the show was almost as charming to watch as the show itself.
Pianist and synth player Marcus Byrne handles all the effect-heavy vocal touches and vocoder parts on songs like “Sweet Talkin’ Woman,” and is especially effective on the varied synth bridge of the slow burn symphonic pop classic, “Can’t Get It Out of My Head.”
The atmospheric masterpiece, “Telephone Line,” soars from the stage as solid as the beams of light and lasers projecting out into the rafters as the band plays. A quick thought of the ridiculous, but ridiculously funny scene in Billy Madison where Adam Sandler’s title character calls to apologize and Steve Buscemi’s character hangs up the phone before smearing on red lipstick and crossing his name off his hit list while the song plays is an added bonus.
The space-funk groove of “All Over the World” off 1980’s Xanadu was a surprising standout from the band, who clearly have a sense of camaraderie, performing tighter than ever for the intricate changeups that connect the soaring chorus and bridge.
Powerhouse drummer Donavan Hepburn drives the songs and is recognizably in the groove at all times. The applause after his name in the band introductions proves everyone else notices, too.
Near the end of the set, the band delivers a driving and charged rendition of the anthemic “Don’t Bring Me Down” that the crowd matches with a what can only be described as a roar before exiting the stage.
Luckily, they follow with an encore of “Mr. Blue Sky,” a song featured in more movie scenes and montages than one can remember, and makes the moment feel like a living movie. The song’s effervescent drive pushes forward and upward and brings the arena into flight on a perfect day before vocalist Melanie Lewis-McDonald most impressively delivers the song’s operatic bridge, and the crowd shows its appreciation. As the song takes its last turn and comes to an end, it lands just right and there, suddenly, is the feeling of 50 years of joy in the air.
