Stagecoach 2023: Melissa Etheridge delivers electric set with vocal, instrumental talents on display

Grammy Award winner Melissa Etheridge showed the Stagecoach country music crowd just how much she loves showing off her musical talents during her electric set on Friday.

Not only were the singer's raspy, powerful vocals on full display, but she jammed out on the guitar, banged out a few beats on the drums and even busted out a harmonica to bring even more fun to her set on the Palomino Stage. She clearly was excited to be at the music festival as she kept the energy high, performing all her classic songs like "Come To My Window" and "I'm The Only One," and she even busted out her phone to take a selfie with the crowd.

Etheridge's Friday set marked her Stagecoach debut, which is quite mind-boggling considering her successful music career has spanned three decades. Etheridge has released 16 studio albums and has won two Grammy Awards.

"What a pleasure it is to be here," she said after performing "No Souvenirs." Etheridge donned a black cowboy hat, dark blue jacket with black fringes and sparkly lapels and her guitar throughout her 45-minute performance. From the start, her powerful vocals filled every space of the Palomino, letting audience members know they were in for quite a show.

Though the entirety of her set got the crowd dancing and singing along, her hits "Come To My Window" and "I'm The Only One" ushered in ear-shattering applause and excitement. During the former, she encouraged the audience to sing the chorus, which ended up sounding louder than Etheridge's miced-up vocals.

The song, off her 1993 album "Yes I Am," earned the singer a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

She also pumped up the crowd before getting into the latter, telling them if they ever felt down in the dumps, they could think of the banger to hype themselves up. Once again, everyone got into the hit song, singing along during the chorus and dancing throughout. Etheridge also performed the harmonica at one point before diving into quite a showcasing guitar solo, only further proving how talented she is and always has been.

Of course, even superstars struggle a little with the desert heat. Etheridge poured some water on herself to cool down and encouraged the crowd to keep hydrated too. She even performed the song "Bring Me Some Water," which might just be the unofficial theme song of Stagecoach as forecasts predict festivalgoers will battle triple-digit temperatures throughout the weekend.

As she closed out her set with "Like The Way I Do," those powerhouse vocals continued to electrify the audience. She turned in her guitar momentarily to bang out a couple of tunes on the drums, giving people even more of a musical performance than they were likely bargaining for at the festival. In true rock star fashion, she threw her sticks to two lucky audience members.

Before bidding the Stagecoach audience adieu, Etheridge, clearly enjoying the crowd's enthusiasm and appreciation for her tunes, encouraged them to see her perform another time during her summer tour in the United States and Canada.

"I hope to see you again," she said. Avid Stagecoach attendees can only hope this won't be the last time she'll be performing at the desert festival,

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Stagecoach 2023: Melissa Etheridge puts vocal, instrumental talents on display