Turn to Stone: A Tribute to ELO at the Orpheum Theatre -- May 8.
Thursday, May 8, 7 p.m.
Orpheum Theatre, 57 South Kellogg Street, Galesburg IL
Performing from an iconic repertoire that boasts "Don’t Bring Me Down,” “Sweet Talkin Woman,” “Mr. Blue Sky,” “Telephone Line,” “Turn to Stone,” “Evil Woman,” “Do Ya,” and additional favorites, the musicians of Turn to Stone: A Tribute to ELO play Galesburg's Orpheum Theatre on May 8, the group created to preserve the legacy and music of Electric Light Orchestra for all generations of fans.
An English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan, the music of Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) is characterized by a fusion of pop, classical arrangements, and futuristic iconography. After Wood's departure in 1972, Lynne became the band's sole leader, arranging and producing every album while writing nearly all of their original material. For their initial tenure, Lynne, Bevan and keyboardist Richard Tandy were the group's only consistent members. ELO was formed out of Lynne's and Wood's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones, and was derived as an offshoot of Wood's previous band, the Move, of which Lynne and Bevan were also members. During the 1970s and 1980s, ELO released a string of top 10 albums and singles, including the band's most commercially successful album, 1977's Out of the Blue. Two ELO albums reached the top of British charts: 1979's disco-inspired Discovery, and 1981's science-fiction-themed concept album Time. In 1986, Lynne disbanded the group, but he re-formed it in 2014 with Tandy as Jeff Lynne's ELO.
During ELO's original 13-year period of active recording and touring, they sold more than 50 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music groups of all time. They collected 19 CRIA, 21 RIAA, and 38 BPI awards, and from 1972 to 1986, ELO accumulated 27 top 40 songs on the U.K. Singles Chart, plus 15 top-20 songs on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The group's double-platinum-selling soundtrack for the Olivia Newton-John musical Xanadu spawned hit singles from both Newton-John ("Magic," a chart-topping hit in the United States, and "Suddenly" with Cliff Richard) and ELO ("I'm Alive," which went gold, as well as "All Over the World" and "Don't Walk Away"). Meanwhile, in 2017, the key ELO members Wood, Lynne, Bevan and Tandy were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Delivering an unforgettable evening of Electric Light Orchestra’s biggest hits, Turn to Stone: A Tribute to ELO allows audience to experience the nostalgia of a legendary rock band as its musicians capture the magic of a 1970s ELO performance with a live string section, light show, and period-appropriate wardrobe. In order to create an authentic experience, Turn to Stone tours similarly to how Jeff Lynne led the Electric Light Orchestra in the 1970s, with a guitarist, keyboardist, bassist, drummer, violins, and cellos.
Turn to Stone: A Tribute to ELO comes to the Orpheum Theatre on May 8, admission to the 7 p.m. concert event is $30-40.36, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)342-2299 and visiting GalesburgOrpheum.org.
