THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 29, 1996 TAG: 9608290413
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Music review
SOURCE: BY SUE VANHECKE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 45 lines
With her passionate delivery, near-flawless sound and a sly mid-show surprise, singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge pulled off one of the finest concerts of the Virginia Beach Amphitheater's debut season.
With no opening act, it was all Melissa, all night. She was definitely up to the task, steamrolling through her multi-platinum songbook with the blues-mama sass of Janis Joplin (whom Etheridge recently inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame) and the full-throated earnestness of a Bruce Springsteen or John Mellencamp.
Etheridge kept her audience dancing in their seats and screaming for more between - and during - most of her selections.
``You're an ornery crowd tonight, aren't you?'' she teased as she dove heartily into her Grammy-winning single ``Come to My Window'' from 1993's smash LP ``Yes I Am.''
Other standouts included ``If I Wanted To,'' also from ``Yes I Am'' and the slow, throbbing ``Shriner's Park'' and climactically powerful ``I Could Have Been You,'' both from her new album, ``your little secret.''
Midway through her performance and with her band still playing, Etheridge left the stage.
Then, to everyone's surprise and to the delight of those on the lawn, she re-emerged at the back of the shed for an intimate set that included rousing renditions of ``Yes I Am'' and ``All-American Girl.''
Onstage and at half-hall, the sound was impressively crisp and rich, a fine showcase for guitarist John Shanks' well-placed, smartly structured solos and the big, bold hitting of drummer Kenny Aronoff, loaned from the Mellencamp camp.
Etheridge found an eager audience for her personal views as well as her music Wednesday night. Her between-song comments on tolerance and the importance of voting this November met with supportive cheers and applause. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by LAWRENCE JACKSON/The Virginian-Pilot
It was all Melissa Etheridge all night as she performed Wednesday at
the Virginia Beach Amphitheater. The rock star offered a variety of
numbers from her multi-platinum songbook to a delighted crowd,
keeping her audience screaming for more.
KEYWORDS: CONCERT REVIEW by CNB