Friday, July 3, 2015

Melissa Etheridge Brings This Is M.E., Confessional Anthems to Strathmore, August 26th

Melissa Etheridge visits Strathmore, August 26th

From our friends at Strathmore...

Strathmore Presents Melissa Etheridge This is M.E. Solo

Prolific singer-songwriter culls songs from celebrated career, confessional tracks from latest album

Academy Award and Grammy winning artist Melissa Etheridge will take the stage at the Music Center at Strathmore to perform songs from her latest album, This is M.E., as well as career-defining hits like “Come to My Window,” “I’m the Only One,” and “I want to Come Over” on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 at 8 p.m. Known for her iconic voice, profound lyrics, and riveting stage presence, Etheridge will share personal stories about her life and the inspiration behind some of her most beloved songs. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (301) 581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

Etheridge made her mark in the ‘90s due to her potent confessional lyrics, folk-rock sound, and raspy vocals. Her self-titled debut was released in 1988, quickly drawing comparisons to contemporaries Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, and yielding the hit single “Bring Me Some Water.” Avoiding the sophomore slump, the following year Etheridge released Brave and Crazy, her second gold-certified success. Next she released Never Enough, a more musically diverse album which was critically well received. Etheridge first experienced a major commercial breakthrough with her fourth album, Yes I Am. The album was the artist’s “coming out” to the world, and brought her international notoriety, due in large part to the inescapable hits “I’m the Only One” and “Come to My Window.” Album sales were staggering, moving six million units in the U.S.in a single-year period. Yes I Am also earned Etheridge a 1995 Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocalist.


Follow-up efforts Your Little Secret, Breakdown, Skin, Lucky, and Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled remained true to her raw, confessional style of songwriting - charting her separation from Julie Cypher, newfound love, and recovery from breast cancer. The latter inspired Etheridge to perform Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart” at the 47th annual Grammys in 2005, an uplifting performance that made her a hero to those diagnosed with breast cancer. The track made it onto her next album, Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled, in addition to a new song dedicated to breast cancer survivors.

Etheridge’s latest project is This Is M.E. Her 14th album, it is an ambitious collection that features cross-genre collaborations that harken back to Brave and Crazy, while still maintaining her earnest, confessional approach to songwriting. Among the inventive rap, indie, R&B, and pop producers she worked with on the album are Jerrod Bettis (Adele, One Republic, Eric Hutchinson, Gavin DeGraw), Jon Levine (Nelly Furtado, K’Naan, Selena Gomez), JerryWonda (Grammy Award-winning producer of the Fugees, Mary J. Blige, Akon), and Roccstar (Usher, Chris Brown.)

Strathmore Presents
Melissa Etheridge
This is M.E. Solo
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
8 PM

Tickets $45-$85

Music Center at Strathmore
5301 Tuckerman Lane
North Bethesda, MD 20852

For additional information or to purchase tickets, visit www.strathmore.org or call (301) 581-5100.

About Strathmore:
Strathmore presents and produces exemplary visual and performing arts programs for diverse audiences; creates dynamic arts education experiences; and nurtures creative ideas and conversations that advance the future of the arts. The organization’s hallmark is the Music Center at Strathmore, with a 1,976-seat concert hall and education complex. Its core campus also includes the historic Mansion at Strathmore, which features an intimate Music Room and art galleries. Most recently, Strathmore opened AMP, a 250-seat cabaret-style venue located just up Rockville Pike from the core campus in the burgeoning Pike District of Montgomery County. Strathmore’s signature education, mission-driven programs include the Strathmore Student Concerts, the Artist in Residence and Fine Artist in Residence programs, and its Spring Break @ Strathmore intensive.