Etheridge rocks Konocti

Clad in black T-shirt, tan leather pants and worn cowboy boots, at one point Etheridge noticed a group of cheerleaders from Clear Lake High School in the crowd, asking her guitar player, “James, am I seeing things?” Then later, “Oh, the cheerleaders are having a raffle.”

Starting into “Similar Features,” Melissa announced that her first album was to be re-released in the fall. The crowd almost drowned Melissa out as it sang along with her.

Melissa gave the band a break and invited everyone to sit down. “I’ll sit, too,” she said, walking to the edge of the stage, sitting and dangling her legs over. She then offered her “world premier” of “Will You Still Love Me.” She sang with such expression, her eyes also told the stories as her strong voice captured and electrified the crowd. Entranced, we were pulled into Melissa’s private circle. If only for a few hours, only for this night … Melissa was ours.

She sang 15 songs, with a two song encore. "All the Way to Heaven" had us floating, filled by her voice and energy. She closed with her signature statement, "Speak True."