Showdown at the United Center: Jeff Lynne’s ELO Rocks the House

During a two-day stint at a packed United Center Sept. 27-28, Jeff Lynne’s ELO — formerly known as Electric Light Orchestra — bid farewell to Chicago fans with a timeless performance. 

A prolific singer-songwriter through the ‘70s and ‘80s, Lynne racked up awards and broke chart records. His style of classically-infused rock produced hits for ELO and others like Tom Petty, George Harrison and Paul McCartney.

Synth-heavy rock outfit Rooney opened the show. Fronted by vocalist Robert Schwartzman, the indie band dynamically performed electro-pop hits “Blueside” and “Why.”

Rooney’s emphasis on multi-instrumentation — forming a choir of mostly electric guitars — made for a modern, angsty tribute to ELO’s operatic aesthetic. Rooney continued to bridge early 2000s sounds with “Stay Away” and “Don’t Be a Hero,” closing with the funk-infused “Are You Afraid?”

Jeff Lynne’s ELO stepped into view as laser lights lined the walls and their iconic spaceship took flight on the venue’s screen. With the televised blast-off, the band gave a rousing rendition of “One More Time.”

Advertised as the last tour for Lynne, the song choice mirrored the audience’s final chance to experience the sounds and colors of Electric Light Orchestra. 

With a lively audience, the band jumped into the epic tune “Evil Woman.” While Lynne’s performance honed in on the music and not on flashy dance moves, his stage presence intoxicated the audience through his contemplative execution of complex rhythmic pieces on the guitar.

The setlist moved through the biggest songs in ELO’s esteemed catalog. Heyday hit “Do Ya” infected the arena with its upbeat rhythm, and the sultry “Showdown” followed with a savory guitar solo.

In an age of over-commercialized music, the use of actual instruments played by master musicians drew fans of all ages. Backup vocalists Ian Hornal and Melanie Lewis-McDonald, drummer Domavan Hepburn and keyboardist Marcus Byrne embodied Lynne’s unorthodox approach to music through their energetic performances, alongside a full backing of violinists, cellists and a bassist.

At 76-years-old, Lynne left much of the fast-paced falsettos to his backup singers, allowing him to hit the notes that mattered. Lynne ramped up the nostalgia, singing “Believe Me Now” and “Steppin’ Out,” with his voice just as expressive and intimate as it was at the height of the band’s popularity 40 years ago.

“I’m stepping out, I’m moving on / I’m gonna see the world / Like a rolling stone / I’m stepping out / I’m gonna be somebody,” Lynne sang.

“Last Train to London” retook the momentum with disco-groove backing and disappointing stage production. Close-up camerawork of intense piano and violin solos dominated viewer attention, but the constant stream of AI-generated art on screens was a recurring eye sore.

Lynne and ELO’s musical talent distracted from the lazy slideshows. Multi-instrumental songs “Rockaria!” and “10538 Overture” stunned with their vibrant rock anthems carried by operatic cries and the strings of the orchestra.

As suggested by the band’s name, strobe lights, lasers and digital projections accompanied each performance.

Love ballads “Strange Magic” and “Sweet Talkin’ Woman” melded sentiment to dance rock. The former held a swaying rhythm and the latter a sliding percussion. 

“Can’t Get it Out of My Head” slowed the tempo, only to crescendo with the scorching “Fire on High.” The purely instrumental song bled into “Livin’ Thing,” a dancing audience’s delight with soaring guitars and flying laser lights.

Soulful “Telephone Line” matched Lynne’s despondent vocals to synthetic ringing sounds. The eerily electrifying performance rapidly shifted focus to the hypnotic disco-pop tunes of “All Over the World.”

As energy in the arena grew, so did Lynne’s smile. “Turn to Stone” was an easy highlight for both himself and the audience, drawing an especially large reaction from the crowd as singing could be heard from the rafters.

“A sound that flows into my mind / (The echoes of the daylight) / Of everything that is alive / (In my blue world) / I turn to stone when you are gone,” Lynne and the chorus sang. 

The set concluded with show-stopping songs “Shine a Little Love” and “Don’t Bring Me Down.” The tracks married Lynne’s pension for falsettos with a mind-melding cacophony of brass, keys and a laser spectacle that lit up the enclosed United Center like a disco ball in a small room.

After leaving the stage briefly, the band returned for only one encore song — “Mr. Blue Sky.” With a final set of vocoded lyrics, Jeff Lynne’s ELO stood proudly on stage and gave a final bow. 

His final Chicago performance alongside Electric Light Orchestra proved there’s still a hungry audience for Lynne’s brand of music. It cemented the band’s legacy in rock history and codified their catalog of hits into stone.