An Evening with Melissa Etheridge at Tilles

Melissa Etheridge is bringing her “Yes I Am” album tour to the Tilles Center this fall. Etheridge kicked off her tour at the Fox Tucson Theatre in Arizona on Sunday, Sept. 16, and will be coming to Tilles on Sunday, Oct. 7.

The tour marks the 30th anniversary of her first album release. Since then, Etheridge has 14 completed albums, five of which are platinum, and she landed six singles on Billboard’s Top 40. In 2004, she placed her music career on hold to successfully battle breast cancer, which motivated her involvement in cancer awareness for women. Etheridge is an openly gay female using her fame to advocate for the LGBTQ community. Her success won her a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“Never heard of her, is she a singer?” asked Hugh Fraser, a student at Post. He may be one of many in his generation to share in this unfamiliarity.

However, others on campus are familiar with Etheridge. “She’s got kind of a rock-folk sound,” Dan Cox, director of broadcasting at WCWP Radio, said.

The singer/songwriter’s career reached its peak when MTV still played music videos. She thrived through a decade of music filled with boy-bands and grunge.

“There’s a song of hers I really like, it’s from the 90’s, called ‘I Want to Come Over,’” Jeff Kroll, an LIU alumnus (’75) who works at WCWP, said.

If “I Want to Come Over” doesn’t ring a bell, Etheridge’s top selling single, “Come to My Window,” might.

“Fans should expect an amazing show,” Brianna Cravatzo, a fan who attended the show in Arizona, said. “I noticed a lot of places she is going [on tour] seem to be smaller venues. I think she’s getting back to her roots so you get a more intimate show,” she said.