We all know Melissa Etheridge for her raspy, throaty wail in commanding ‘90s-era AC rock ballads like “Come to My Window,” “I’m the Only One” and “I Want to Come Over.” The rockin’ singer-songwriter has been nominated for 15 Grammys (she won two), took home a “Best Original Song” Oscar in 2007 for “I Need to Wake Up,” a number she wrote for the documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, and is currently on tour in support of her 10th studio album, Fearless Love, which dropped in April. (Pictured: Melissa Etheridge. Photo by Lester Cohen) Weds., July 28, Straz Performing Arts Center, Tampa, strazcenter.org. —Leilani Polk
Admittedly, up until a few weeks ago, the only songs I knew by Australian melodic rock/alt pop foursome Crowded House were the two 80s-era ones that were Top 40 hits in America — “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and “Something So Strong.” But when one of my writers used words like “adventurous” and “intricate” and “creative peak” when he recommended the band’s just-released sixth album, Intriguer, my interest was piqued.
This article appears in Jul 15-21, 2010.