On Tuesday night, during the set of opening band Rooney, lead singer Robert Schwartzman talked about being a part of the farewell tour of Jeff Lynne’s ELO.
“This is the last time the spaceship will fly in Pittsburgh,” Schwartzman said.
After more than 50 years, music titan Jeff Lynne is hanging up his guitar. But not without one last legendary performance at PPG Paints Arena.
Rooney played a sunny set of their vintage rock-pop, flowing through a series of ballads and up-tempo, classic-sounding tunes that went down easy and provided a perfect primer for what was to come. The 2007 single “When Did Your Heart Go Missing?” stood out among a solid series of songs.
Lynne and a parade of musicians showed up onstage just a bit after 9 p.m., accompanied by string music and bright blue lights forming a ring behind the stage. They kicked things off with “One More Time,” an exuberant introduction to the impressive talent that was showcased throughout the night.
Unsurprising for a band with “Orchestra” in their name, the stage was pretty full. In addition to the standard rock lineup of guitars, bass and drums, they boasted keys, piano and a trio of ladies on the strings who stole the show at times.
And they didn’t make the audience wait long for the really big hits, immediately jumping into “Evil Woman” after the first song. Underscored by red lights, smoke machines and almost menacing graphics on the circular screen, the song really showed off the cellists Amy Langley and Jess Cox and violinist Jesse Murphy.
At 76, Lynne — who has brought these songs through the decades — was fairly taciturn throughout the show, but did pause to say “Thanks for being with us all these years.”
The band’s vocal harmonies got their time to shine, starting with recognizable hit “Do Ya.” The group followed that with early hit “Showdown” and then slowed things down a bit with the wistful “Steppin’ Out.”
Then they moved into “Last Train to London,” a funky groove that showed off an infectious bassline and the dexterity of the strings. The surprising “Rockaria!,” which began with gorgeous operatic vocals from backup singer Melanie Lewis-McDonald, followed.
“Strange Magic” slowed the pace a bit more but really allowed Lynne to demonstrate just how much he still has it — and he does, with ear-catching high notes still very much within his reach. With such a spectacle around him, it was a pleasure to get a moment for his distinctive voice to stand under the spotlight.
The crowd went nuts for “Sweet Talkin’ Woman,” but the momentum was lost a little bit with the slightly plodding “Can’t Get It Out of My Head,” even with striking black-and-white images of the moon and ocean on the screen.
They got the adrenaline pumping again with the synths and hyperactive guitar of instrumental song “Fire on High.” And then — to the crowd’s delight — iconic strings heralded the start of “Livin’ Thing.”
There’s a sort of sparking energy that starts to thrum at certain special moments in concerts. Or, as the opening lyric of the timeless classic says, “it’s like magic.” Even this group of talented players reached “higher and higher,” especially backup singer Iain Hornal and Murphy’s violin. It was a performance to remember for a lifetime.
The band cruised through a run of epic songs, from the sing-along-worthy “Telephone Line” to the expansive disco of “All Over the World” (before starting that song, Lynne announced, “Here’s a good one for you”) to the bouncy “Turn To Stone,” featuring some impressive fast-singing at the bridge.
They kept the dancing going with “Shine a Little Love,” a disco ball animation playing on the screen. Then the thundering drums at the start of “Don’t Bring Me Down” kicked in and everyone cheered. It was a studio-quality version of another classic hit, and the audience sang and clapped along vigorously.
The band left the stage and returned to cellphone flashlights and applause to end the night on a happy note. “Mr. Blue Sky” had them using every tool in their arsenal, from soaring voices to guitars, especially prominent keys and even a vocoder. The lights flashed a cheerful blue, and the screen radiated with fluffy white clouds.
It’s sad to think that this was the last time we’ll likely see Lynne perform, but as the band came to the front of the stage with him to take a bow, the crowd gave him a warm and loving farewell. It was a properly electrifying send-off for a legend.
