Jeff Lynne’s ELO Over and Out Tour Comes to San Francisco

The time has come to say goodbye to someone who was once great.

But it wasn’t going to be easy, considering how much this man’s music has meant to us over the years.

It’s no wonder then that there was a touch of sadness in the air as some 11,000 fans gathered at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sunday evening (September 1) to watch Jeff Lynne’s ELO tour finale.

It was a stunning performance from start to finish, with the 13-piece band taking on one incredible classic after another from one of the greatest repertoires in rock ‘n’ roll history—the Electric Light Orchestra.

I’m not sure if the triumphant nature of the performance made it easier or harder for fans, considering Lynne and company sounded completely different to a band that was about to call it quits.

But the evening became a thoroughly enjoyable one, especially since the excellent musicians and songs were accompanied by a spectacular array of video elements, light shows and special effects – as well as a laser show that would have delighted even the most ardent Pink Floyd fan.

Seriously, Jeff Lynne’s ELO Over and Out Tour is quite simply the most visually stunning rock show of 2024. And pretty much all classic rock fans, whether they’re huge ELO fans or not, should try to catch this production before the band wraps up its North American tour with two shows at Southern California’s Kia Forum in late October.

The opening set was followed by a performance by Los Angeles rock band Rooney, led by Robert Schwartzman (Jason’s brother), and Lynne and crew kicked off their approximately 90-minute set in appropriate style with “One More Time.”

And the message was loud and clear.

“Come on, baby, it’s time to rock ‘n’ roll,” sang Lynne, 76. “Get on board and soon we’ll be gone. Everybody’s gonna feel real good.”

“We’ll do it again.”

They made the most of that final San Francisco performance, quickly moving into greatest hits territory — where they stayed all night — filling the first half of their 19-song set with hits like “Evil Woman,” “Do Ya” and “Sweet Talkin’ Woman.”

The track list consisted mostly of breathtaking songs from 1974’s Eldorado (ELO’s fourth album) to 1979’s Discovery (ELO’s eighth album).

However, they did include one song each from their 1971 debut album of the same name (known in the U.S. as “No Answer” due to a lack of communication between the band and their record company) and their third album, 1973’s On the Third Day — “10538 Overture” and “Showdown,” respectively. There was also one offering (“All Over the World”) from 1980’s excellent Xanadu soundtrack.

There was nothing from 1973’s “ELO,” which was unfortunate because their version of Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven” is one of the absolutely essential covers in pop music history and would have certainly thrilled audiences at the Chase.