HUBER HEIGHTS, OH- A special summer tour brings together two iconic singer-songwriters who got their start in the ’80s and ’90s: Melissa Etheridge and Jewel. Their co-headlining, sold-out show at the Rose Music Center at the Heights in Huber Heights was a hotspot of kinetic and emotional energy. Many fans were deeply moved as the music played, making it feel like every lyric was written specifically for them. It was like church when the Holy Spirit falls, and you’re touched by the supernatural.
One cool aspect of this tour is the sharing of the backing band. Guitarist Stanton Adcock, Max Hart on keyboards and guitar, Eric Gardner on drums, and Joe Ayoub on bass. I can’t recall ever seeing that in all the shows I’ve attended. But to give credit to the musicians, not one of them played as if they were stuck doing double duty. They performed each song with the fervor needed, contributing to these two music icons’ vastly different musical styles.
The first time I heard Jewel was when she was opening for Peter Murphy on the Cascade tour back in 1995. Even though she seemed like a strange fit amongst his usual crowd, I found her beguiling. She was funny, she was entertaining, and she stood with just her guitar and her amazing, powerful voice that filled the room. This was all before “Pieces of You” became relevant. So here we are 30 years later, and she is still as entertaining and funny, with a voice as powerful as ever.
She opened her set with two of her best-known hits, “Standing Still” and “Hands.” Dressed in what was reminiscent of a gothic Bo Derek bolero outfit, she stood center stage with her white Gibson Firebird, which was quickly swapped for her white Gibson SG by the second song. She spent the next two songs, “Long Way Around” and “Intuition” (she caught a lot of flak for that video as she was accused of selling out, but the video was a satirical take on advertising) with the band before giving them a break.
Donning her acoustic guitar, she spent the next five songs solo, accepting song requests from the audience. She also took the time to interact with fans personally. She gave a shirt to a couple and posed for a photo with them. Later, a lady approached the stage to show off her back (perhaps a tattoo?), and Jewel was elated to share that moment with her. The two fan requests were “Life Uncommon” and “I’m Sensitive.” The band returned to the stage for her hit “You Were Meant for Me,” which featured a guest spot from her son, Kase, on drums.
She followed with the hauntingly beautiful “Foolish Games,” which is by far my favorite Jewel song. The entire “Pieces of You” album was cathartic for me while going through the breakup and subsequent divorce from my first wife. She ended her captivating, 15-song set with a jazzy, smoky extended version of “Who Will Save Your Soul.” It caught me off guard as she showcased her vocal prowess with a call-and-response scat interlude with her guitarist. It was so impressive that I hope she releases a recorded version of it soon. Suffice it to say, I felt satisfied as she walked off stage with a wave. Still to this day, she is an incredible performer worth seeing again.
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After a very short intermission, the lights dimmed briefly before Melissa Etheridge and her band stormed the stage with her opening offering, “If Only I Wanted To.” A tour-de-force rock and blues artist, Melissa Etheridge ignites the crowd with her signature power ballads, hard-driving guitar licks, and raspy, soulful voice. Donning her black Ovation 12-string, she playfully addressed the frenzied fans with waves and winks as she belted out her songs in her signature style. I was introduced to her music by my first wife in 1991 with her debut album. I found her voice incredible. Even though I haven’t tracked her entire career, the singles I’ve heard remain in my memory banks for future recall. This was my first live experience with her, and let me just say that I am impressed. At 63 years old, she sounds as powerful vocally as ever.
Much like Jewel, Etheridge and her hard-working band played all the well-loved hits and introduced new music to the crowd. This tour is in support of her recently released live album, “I’m Not Broken: Live from Topeka Correctional Facility.” The album, released by the legendary Sun Records and recorded Johnny Cash-style at the women’s prison in Topeka, KS, includes an amazing new power ballad, “A Burning Woman.” After a quick tutorial, all the women in the audience were alight, singing along.
There were many moments of connection with her audience during her set, both musically and personally. I can only describe their reaction as frenzied adoration for a musical hero. There were so many guitar and instrument changes, nearly every song, and Melissa Etheridge has some very pretty guitars. Her stage crew rolled out her piano for her to bang out “Nowhere To Go,” her epic 1995 ballad. Her final run of her 11-song set consisted of her most well-known hits, starting with “Come to My Window,” as she played on her 12-string, followed quickly by “Bring Me Some Water” and her mega-hit “I’m the Only One.” She closed with “Like The Way I Do,” leaving the audience clamoring for more. All in all, it was a great way to spend my birthday weekend with these two seminal artists and their illustrious catalogs of great music.
The tour continues through mid-October, with some dates including the Indigo Girls and Etheridge making festival stops along the way. Jewel will return to the tour in September through the end of the tour. Catch it if you can; it’s worth it.
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LIVE CLIPS
