Photos and review by Rebecca Clark
Melissa Etheridge was nothing short of incredible at the NY State Fair on August 28th at Suburban Park, bringing her latest album Rise front and center with a night filled with music, love and acceptance. Her performance came as part of the fair’s Pride Day celebration, making her appearance feel especially fitting.
From the moment she stepped on stage, Etheridge brought an energy that perfectly matched the spirit of the day, creating a welcoming and uplifting atmosphere while giving fans a chance to hear songs from her latest album alongside the hits that have made her a longtime favorite.
Etheridge made it clear throughout the night that Rise is deeply personal to her. Before performing the album’s title track, she explained what the word means to her and why she wanted the song to mean something to everyone listening.
“Rising is what you do after you fall, right? Rising is what you do after you sleep. What you do after you’ve taken a break or something. It’s the new part of your life,” she told the crowd.
She went on to share a message that seemed particularly fitting for a Pride Day celebration: “Whatever you’re going through in life, we are here to go through things. Don’t think that you’re doing anything wrong. You are not.”
For Etheridge, Rise is about recognizing that life comes with its share of ups and downs, but finding something within yourself to keep moving forward. She reminded the crowd that everyone has a choice in what comes next, regardless of what anyone else thinks of them.
“That’s why I wrote this song,” she said before launching into “Rise.”
Etheridge brought several songs from the new album into the set, including “I Love Being Alive,” “Tomboy,” “To Be One” and “Rise.” She introduced “I Love Being Alive,” the first song she recorded for the album, by reflecting on the perspective she has gained after more than 60 years of life and experiences.
“I just wanna say, I’m fantastic. I am living, I am loving, this world is happening,” Etheridge told the crowd. “But there is nothing like being alive, and I love being alive.”
The new album also gave Etheridge an opportunity to revisit pieces of her own past. Before “Tomboy,” she explained that she wrote the song as a way of taking back a word she had been called as a child.
“I wrote because I wanted to take back something from my childhood that I was unsure of,” she explained. “It was a word, a name, that they used to call me, and many others, when we were little children. And I’ve decided to take it back.”
She also opened up about the inspiration behind the album and the role women have played in her life and music. Before performing “To Be One,” she acknowledged that many of the songs on Rise were inspired by women.
“I am a woman myself, and it’s been an amazing ride,” she said, before adding that the song was “for all us women.”
That spirit of inclusion carried throughout the night. Etheridge made a point of welcoming everyone in the crowd, telling them, “Whatever you say you are, that is fine with me.” It was another moment that made her Pride Day appearance feel so natural and fitting.
The night wasn’t just about the new album, though. Etheridge also played plenty of songs fans came to hear, including “Come to My Window” and other hits from throughout her career. She also shared stories between songs, giving the audience a glimpse into the experiences that helped shape the artist she became.
One particularly memorable story involved Johnny Cash. Etheridge recalled growing up in Leavenworth, Kansas, where she heard everything from Tammy Wynette to Led Zeppelin on the radio. When she learned that Cash was coming to her hometown to perform at the federal penitentiary, she didn’t get to see him perform, but simply knowing he was there made an impression on her.
“Just being able to know he was in that building, that I was breathing the same air, walking on the same earth as him, was enough to make me feel like this thing was maybe within my grasp,” she recalled.
Etheridge also told a story about recording “Bring Me Some Water” with Dolly Parton during the height of the debate over gay marriage. Etheridge recalled that Dolly had asked if she could change one of the lyrics because she couldn’t sing the original line. Etheridge happily agreed, explaining that the moment showed the kind of person Dolly is.
That story made Etheridge’s performance of Dolly’s “Jolene” later in the night even more special. It has been incredible hearing so many artists honor Dolly during their sets at the fair, but hearing Etheridge sing “Jolene” was one of those moments that will stay with us.
Beyond her music, Etheridge created an atmosphere that made a huge fairground show feel surprisingly intimate. She took time to talk with the crowd, share stories and interact with fans throughout the night. There were plenty of laughs, genuine moments and spontaneous bits that made the audience feel like they were part of the experience rather than simply watching from the stands.
By the end of the night, Etheridge was clearly feeling the connection, telling the crowd, “I’ve just had such a great time with you tonight. I hope to see you all again soon.”
She followed that with a final message about what she has learned through her years and experiences: “Man, all we’re doing, every moment is looking for more love.”
And that may have been the perfect way to sum up the night. Melissa Etheridge brought Rise to the forefront, but she brought so much more with her: love, acceptance, stories, laughter and a reminder that no matter where we are in life, there is always another moment ahead of us.
“What a pleasure,” she told the crowd near the end of the night. “I have loved you so much.”
After a night like this, it was easy to feel that the feeling was mutual.
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