Wild and wise, Melissa Etheridge electrifies in Lowell concert

LOWELL — A sketchy forecast prompted the relocation of Melissa Etheridge's Friday concert, part of the Lowell Summer Music Series, from Boarding House Park to the auditorium of Lowell High School, which Etheridge, her superb band and passionate fans transformed into a school of rock.

Radiating warmth and strength from the first notes she played, Etheridge observed wryly that it was great to gather in a high school, but that she's grateful not to return to that time of life.

And with that, Etheridge broke loose, unleashing her special alchemy: Part cowgirl, part flower child, part outlaw, an affability mixed with guitar riffs finely honed yet hot as the Earth's core, soulfully growling vocals and an untamable heart.

From bars and small clubs to superstardom, Etheridge has traveled her own path, one sometimes rough, but inspiring masterful songs since her very first steps. From her 1988 debut, eponymous album, Etheridge sang, "Don't You Need," in which Etheridge sang: "And when I awoke, I tasted the sweat of desire in my mouth/And I realized my heart had abducted my mind."

Those words foreshadowed the themes of much of Etheridge's best-loved work. And in work, and life, she expressed an unadorned honesty about decisions that haven't always led to the best results. As her fame rose in the 1990s, Etheridge said, she was still making "interesting choices, just more expensive," before launching into "I Want to Come Over," her anthem of reckless desire.

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Hers is a spirit that remains wild while seeking wisdom, and in that wisdom, Etheridge said she learned: "Some people are just not gonna be happy ... and you can't make them happy. I can show them what it looks like, but happiness is up to them." This was her intro to "All the Way to Heaven."

Etheridge's journey has brought her to many places, and she's excited to soon add a special place: Broadway, for her one-woman show, "My Window," weaving together stories of her life. It's a life that has seen heady heights, as well as tragedy. While looking ahead, Etheridge also reached back, with another 1988 song, "The Late September Dogs," in which she intones, "And night after night, I'm searching for mercy everywhere."

What has she learned in her search? "You gotta love yourself if you want them to love you," Etheridge said, to which the audience roared affirmation. Her next song speaks directly to this point: "To Be Loved."

Not long after this, many of the concertgoers who had been grooving and swaying in their seats leaped up in elation, flocking to the stage, swaying, singing and taking selfies with one another with Etheridge in the background. Etheridge got in on the act, grabbing a selfie with the ecstatic throng in the background.

After taking a surprise turn on the drums, Etheridge pranced to the front of the stage once more, igniting an explosion of roars when she held out a drumstick, caught by one especially elated fan.

It was in those last moments of the concert that Etheridge's magic, shimmering throughout the show, blazed its brightest.

I thought back to Etheridge's 2008 concert in Lowell, and that same true, deep synergy between her and her audience.

Livingston Taylor once said people go to a concert not to hear a sermon but the soundtrack of their lives. Yet just as she always has, on that night, Etheridge delivered both: A soundtrack of songs listened to, remembered, sung loudly out car windows, laughed and wept to for 35 years and counting. The sermon, she extolled: Stay true, stay strong and "keep being awesome."

In everything, she has set that sparkling example. Preach, Melissa.

This article originally appeared on Worcester Magazine: Wild and wise, Melissa Etheridge rocks hearts, minds in Lowell concert