Concert Review |
Everybody's got a life story, only nobody tells it in song as eloquently and powerfully as Melissa Etheridge.
And what a story it is � from growing up gay in Kansas with an impossible dream of becoming a rock star, to heading to Los Angeles at 21 and having that rock star dream come true, finding love and family along the room, and surviving cancer to become an inspiration to millions.
For well-nigh three hours Sunday night at the Paramount, she and her four-man band made her story come alive in words and music that were moving, energizing, entertaining, funny and ultimately deep spiritual.
Etheridge has always been a rousing, electrifying, sporty performer with a full-on, arena-rock style as granular and tough as that of any male rocker. But now that push is tempered by hard-won wisdom and a sense of role that aims for null less than changing the world.
The by and large female audience that filled the Paramount was with her all the style, exulting in her wallow. Toward the end of the set, ushers and security could not stop a sudden rush toward the stage by zealous fans, world Health Organization soon filled the aisles and the orchestra cavity. Etheridge's smile seemed to bless the happy lawlessness, which simply added to the show's excitement.
Etheridge's songs have constantly been autobiographical, but that was never quite so apparent until this stream tour. Early in her recording life history, 20 age ago, many of her songs were couched in such a way that you couldn't tell she was singing about loving women.
After she came out in the early '90s, her lyrics became more than straightforward. In the context of the show, they all conform to together as a whole, and her story became clear. But the message was universal. Anyone could relate to, and find meaning in, her search for love and purpose.
Etheridge is touring behind her new album, "The Awakening," which deals with the spiritual wakening she experienced while undergoing chemotherapy.
"I'm one of those people world Health Organization think cancer can be a gift," she explained, introducing her uplifting, inspiring anthem, "I Run for Life," which had the whole hearing up and cheering.
"My God is passion, my God is peace, my God loves you, my God loves me," she sang in "The Kingdom of Heaven," a song from the new album, which brought some in the audience to tears.
She added lyrics supporting Obama to "I Need to Wake Up," her Oscar-winning song from "An Inconvenient Truth."
Her hits, like "Bring Me Some Water," "I'm the Only One" and "Come to My Window," were more powerful than of all time in the context of her life story, merely the 26-song set (including a two-song encore) showed she has many other songs that are precisely as good.
Her band, peculiarly guitarist Philip Sayce, was first-rate. Fritz Lewak was on drums, Mark Browne on bass and Paul Trudeau on keyboards and guitar.
Patrick MacDonald: 206-464-2312 or pmacdonald@seattletimes.com
If Extreme is �More Than Words� to you, you might want to decamp this book. On their first album in 13 years, the reunited locals continue their Sisyphean job of disowning the bequest of their cheesy, mega make-out hit with some tough sway. There�s the heavy �Comfortably Dumb� (more Red Hot Chili Peppers then Warrant, the tune shows the band�s finally getting at ease doing funky stuff), the high-harmony driven, Queen-ish �Star,� and one breakneck, chicken pickin�, metallic hoedown, �Take Us Alive.� The ballads remain, most notably the Coldplay-like �Ghost,� but none are as polarizing, corny or catchy as �More Than Words.� Download: �Take Us Alive.�
gftaglineJED GOTTLIEB
The Incredible Hulk has raged its way to the top of the US box office charts after its opening weekend on release.
The Louis Leterrier film, a sequel of sorts to Ang Lee's 2003 movie, took $54.5 million (£27.2 million) in only three days to claim the top spot, knocking last week's number one, Kung Fu Panda, into second.
Edward Norton stars as scientist Bruce Banner in the Marvel Studios film, on the run in Brazil some five years after the events of the first film and desperate to discover an antidote to the gamma poisoning which unleashes the beast inside.
After General Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt) tracks his adversary down, Banner is faced with the choice between ridding himself of his inner hulk and battling with the demonic Abomination, a monstrous being into which soldier Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) is transformed when he overdoses on the gamma supplement.
Dreamworks' animated comedy Kung FU Panda fell to second, despite taking $34.3 million (£17.2 million) while M Night Shyamalan's new film The Happening debuted in third with $30.5 million (£15 million).
Horror movie The Strangers continues to perform well with $4.1 million (£2 million) in its third weekend on release and the likes of You Don't Mess With the Zohan, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Sex and the City all falling two places.
The top ten films at the US box office are: (last week's position)
1 The Incredible Hulk - $54.5 [£27.2 million] (-)
2 Kung Fu Panda - $34.4 million [£17.2 million] (1)
3 The Happening - $30.5 million [£15 million] (-)
4 You Don't Mess With the Zohan - $16.4 million [£8.4 million] (2)
5 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - $13.5 million [£6.9 million] (3)
6 Sex and the City - $10.2 million [£5.2 million] (4)
7 Iron Man - $5.1 million [£2.6 million] (6)
8 The Strangers - $4.1 million [£2.1 million] (5)
9 The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - $3 million [£1.5 million] (7)
10 What Happens in Vegas... - $1.7 million [£871,227] (8)
16/06/2008 09:01:19
DR WHO writer RUSSELL T DAVIES has stepped down from his role as executive producer on the legendary British Sci-fi show. He will remain in charge of the BBC series until 2009.
