On November 3, rock queen Melissa Etheridge headlined The Paramount in Huntington on Long Island, and her set was fantastic.
The band Antigone Rising did a great job warming up the stage for Etheridge with their soaring harmonies and impressive tunes. They performed material from their upcoming studio album, which will be released in 2022 (yet it was available in hard copy format in the merch table tonight at The Paramount). It was great to hear their smash single “Don’t Look Back,” which is this journalist’s personal favorite Antigone Rising song. They were all about female empowerment and they nailed their opening set.
Etheridge opened her concert with “One Way Out,” the title track of her new album, where she instantly lured the crowd into the show. It was by the smooth and sultry “Your Little Secret” and a soaring version of “No Souvenirs.”
It was followed by the exquisite “Royal Station 4/16” and then she focused on doing songs from her seminal “Yes I Am” album. She noted that this was the record that changed her life and that it “never lets her down.” “It is the one I bravely titled ‘Yes I Am’,” she explained, and delivered a harking version of “Yes I Am.”
Etheridge shared that his album sold well over six million copies. She took her fans on a trip down memory lane to 1993 with “If I Wanted To.” She described it as a deep cut from her “Yes I Am” album and it’s about “poor choices.” “Here’s to poor choices since they make great songs,” she said.
She belted out a fierce performance of the sassy “Resist,” and she remarked that it “scared” her how much her fans “loved this song” and sang a killer version of “I Want To Come Over,” which was the fan-favorite from the first half of the concert.
“I Want To Come Over” was one of the fan-favorites from the first half of the show, and she continued with the expressive “For The Last Time” and “Chrome Plated Heart.”
She went on to perform songs from her “Fearless Love” album, which came after her breast cancer journey. “Company” was a comforting and heartwarming vocal performance and equally noteworthy were “The Wanting of You” and the lyrically and sonically moving “Nervous.”
“Come To My Window” was the song that everybody wanted to hear and he nailed the high notes to the stratosphere. It truly felt like the national anthem of the evening, and everybody’s cell phones lit up during this dynamic and enthralling rendition.
She closed with two equally powerhouse tunes “Bring Me Some Water” and “I’m The Only One,” where she left the Paramount audience wanting to hear more.
For her encore, she returned for “Like the Way I Do,” which was sheer bliss.
The Verdict
Overall, Melissa Etheridge was spectacular at The Paramount, and proves that she gets better with age and experience. She commanded the stage well and the Long Island audience knew that they were in the presence of a rock and roll and musical icon. There was a great deal of nostalgia in the venue when she belted out her signature classics.
Etheridge is one of the most gifted and underrated musicians of our time and she belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her live set at The Paramount garnered an A+ rating.
