Melissa Brings Down the 'House'

When Melissa Etheridge tells you that love can cure cancer, like she did during her “Revival Tour” yesterday at a packed Detroit Opera House, how can you argue with her? She’s lived it. And even if she’s wrong, music could very well do the job. It was, at least, strong enough – despite being marred by a muddy sound mix and an under-amplified Etheridge – to do so on Sunday, when the rocker stood front and center on a behemoth rug in a jogging outfit and shoulder-length hair among a mudslide of lesbians. And a few gay guys – who were likely as into Etheridge’s music as they were into her electric guitarist Philip Sayce’s quasi-queer look (do straight dudes really wear scarfs, and isn’t the whole hair-blowing fan a Mariah thing?), and irrefutable shredding skills, like on “An Unexpected Rain,” as he played his instrument much like a man who is nearing climax (which his face often mimicked). His hand was a yo-yo, sliding up and down with more energy than a can of Red Bull, and he wasn’t hesitant to break strings. 

But no matter how many times he briefly stole Etheridge’s thunder (and lightening) with his wicked solos, the night’s gusto was mostly the headliner’s, who ran through extended catalog staples, like the closing “Like the Way I Do,” the epic blues-infused “I’m the Only One” and crowd hand-clapper “Bring Me Some Water,” which made it clearer than Lasik-fixed eyes that these rowdy ladies needed some H2O to cool them off. 

For the complete review, pick up Between The Lines on Thursday, or visit www.pridesource.com