Melissa Etheridge @ Massey Hall, Toronto, Ontario
Friday, March 11, 2011
By: Gus Griesinger
Melissa Etheridge, who is performing a string of dates through Canada, stopped by Massey Hall in Toronto to play in front of a near capacity crowd last Friday night. She was extremely happy to be playing during Canadian Music week and made references to playing on the hallowed stage of Massey Hall. Her band consisted of Bret Simmons on bass, Blair Sinta on drums and Edmonton native Peter Thorn on guitar.
Melissa has a connection to her fans like few artists do. She made this apparent right away by telling the crowd that they are very hearty type of people who braved the cold and she wished she could be more like them. She also mentioned how she liked the artsy feel that the city has and appreciated that they had a week that was dedicated to their own music.
Her raspy and soulful voice captivated the crowd on The Different from the Skin album. She played a harmonica for Royal Station and playfully joked that it was necessary, as a vocalist, to learn how to play the instrument. She also made reference to how she enjoyed her male fans and called them manly men for being able to attend her concerts without ridicule.
She enjoyed some crowd participation for the song The Wanting of You. For the tune Silent Legacy she sang the beginning part of it acapella. Melissa sings with such soul and heart. With meaningful lyrics in songs like I Run for Life, a song written about her battle with breast cancer, she came off so endearing, not only her fans, but any person who witnessed this performance at Massey Hall.
Torontos own Serena Ryder, who has been opening for her on the run of Canada dates, joined her on stage for 3 songs and the two had an octave range battle during Im the Only One. For the last song of the evening, Like the Way I Do, Melissa and Peter both played his guitar at the same time, eventually letting Etheridge capitalize on his lengthy solo which allowed her to visit various parts of the stage to make a connection with her fans.
I havent seen her in almost 17 years and I forgot how great of a live act she was. With the raw energy and fire she possesses, this performance was reminiscent of one of her early shows back when she started in the early 1990s. This is one of the must-see shows of 2011!
Set List:
Fearless Love
No Souvenirs
I Want to Come Over
Company
The different
Royal Station
The Wanting of You
Silent legacy
Broken Hearted Son (with Serena Ryder)
Come to my Window (with Serena Ryder)
I Run for Life
Nervous
Im the Only One (with Serena Ryder)
Bring Me Some Water
Like the Way I Do
Encore:
Gently We Row
We would like to thank Livenation Canada and Sara Fuller from True Public Relations for allowing Backstageaxxess.com to review the show.
