NISSAN LIVE SET BLOG:
THE AWAKENING
Nissan Live Sets on Yahoo! Music. Melissa Etheridge, August 21, 2007
"I have been chosen!" exclaimed the little green alien delightfully in the movie Toy Story, as The Claw picked it up and lifted it towards the awaiting mystic portal.
Being asked to be the Official Blogger for Melissa Etheridge's Nissan Live Sets On Yahoo! Music event kind of felt like that. Wow – "Official Blogger." I liked the sound of that. I spent Tuesday morning anxiously anticipating the evening's show. Melissa Etheridge, my favorite rock star in the galaxy, would be performing numerous songs from her new album, The Awakening. My boss grew tired of hearing me squeal "EEEEEEE!!" every time she walked by my office so she finally said I could leave in the early afternoon to go to the gig. I ran out of my office so fast I left skid marks.
I arrived at the Fox Studios parking lot and was very happy to greet my friends Rhondda, Elfy, Mare, and Frank. We were abuzz with excitement for the performance, and filled the afternoon with chatter of the new songs, new lyrics, new musical direction, and naturally - MLE's latest hair length. The audible hum got considerably louder over time as the crowd of M.E.I.N. members grew in size. We greeted concert buddies Jib, Chef, Honeee, Tabmonster, Sue, Subrena, Subrena's daughter-in-law, and many others. Most everyone was waiting for the shuttles to take them over to the studio where the concert would be filmed.
Shortly after 5:00 PM we arrived at the back of Studio 17. Philip spotted us, and we all greeted each other with hugs and smiles. We passed along hugs to Philip from our other buddies Wormy, Eagle, and Golfy. Philip was very glad to see us, as we were to see him. He formally introduced all of us to David Cole. "He's The Man! He's the Producer, he puts it all together!!" said Philip. We chatted with Philip and David for a few minutes about the new album and the upcoming show.
My attention turned away when I heard a car approaching from around the corner, and someone shouted out a greeting to the arriving vehicle. I turned my head and instantly smiled. LILY!! And MARK!! And FRITZ!! Lily Wilson is MLE's back up singer, Mark Browne is MLE's bassist, and Fritz Lewak is MLE's drummer. Their happy faces were peering out of the convertible vehicle.
Lily spotted us and came right on over, and was also welcomed with smiles and hugs. I asked Lily if she'd like to share something "Official" with the fans. Lily thought for a second, and shared, "During rehearsal yesterday, one of the medleys lasted for 20 minutes straight. The band was having so much fun playing; I thought my heart was going to explode! It was SO MUCH FUN!!"
Mark wandered over to us, and again, more squishy hugs and smiles. I asked him if there was anything he'd like to communicate to MLE fans. "We love you guys and we can't wait to play the songs for you!" he said. In the background, I saw MLE's mega-awesome Manager, Bill Leopold. He was talking with Philip and David.
I went to ask the Security Guard if we could enter the venue but were informed it wasn't time to go in yet. Who should come out of the door right then, but Chainsaw! Chainsaw is MLE's guitar tech. Chainsaw is like a box of chocolate, except you know what you are going to get. He's always sweet on the inside. I was in happy hug mode, so whether he wanted me to or not, I said "Chainsaw!" as if spotting a long lost friend, and gave the man a hug. He liked it. "Good to see you!" said the grizzly bear that might growl but never bites.
Fritz the drummer wandered over to our little group. Squishies for Fritz!! I asked Fritz for an "Official" message, too. He looked at me inquisitively. I said, "You know, like if you had the chance to tell fans anything you wanted, about the album, the band, the experience, life in general, what would you say?" He looked me in the eye, thought for a second, and said "BRING IT!!!!" That was it. I asked Fritz about his take on Melissa's new album. Fritz let us know there are lots of things Melissa is talking about on The Awakening that need to be said, people need to listen, and people need to change. Musically, he thinks it's some of the best stuff she's done. The band was allowed to have creativity on the album. They were able to get the album done in no time at all; it went fast. Virtually all of the sounds on the album were done by what the band did in the recording sessions.
6:08 PM. Inside we go! The check in table was to our left. We gave them our names, and they gave us laminates. Oooooooh laminates. I love laminates. The burgundy laminates with the black straps had a big "20" in the middle, and under it were the letters "V.I.P." I love that it has a "20" in the middle. I have no idea what "20" stands for, and I know I'm going to entertain myself for years pondering the meaning of "20."
I was surprised at the size of the venue. It wasn't nearly as big as I was expecting. There were a few chairs in the middle, a few on the side, a few on the other side, a mini-octagonal platform with a microphone on the left and right side of the middle section for the Q&As, some long, white family-sized couches in the back and left side, some round thingies for lots of people to sit on in the left back part of the room, a pseudo balcony with 12 chairs to the upper left of the round thingies, cameras, music and recording equipment, and the stage.
We shuffled towards the seats, and saw that there were already people in the venue. They were the folks who were going to ask Melissa questions. We looked at the stage and the stage design, and Elfy said, "Hey doesn't that look like . . ." and we both finished the sentence with "DEEP SPACE NINE!!! YEAH DUDE!!" and we laughed and gave each other a high five. There were finger-like pillars coming up from the back and sides over the stage - not too high. The keyboard looked like it could have been a starship steering console. The room lighting was a purplish-blue, with shiny white lights cascading softly on the back walls like the aurora borealis except without all those different colors.
We took our seats in the middle section in Row 2 at the end.
Around 6:30 PM the fans who were asking Melissa questions during the Q&A each got to go up on the mini-octagonal platforms and practice asking their questions. When they were all done practicing, DANG HERE COME THE PEOPLE!! The rest of the audience was let in and seats were filled faster than when the music ends during musical chairs.
Sue was hugging Kel, who was two rows behind us along with Afro and JJ. Chef was to my left and Tabmonster and Honee were behind her. Rhondda and Mare were front row of the left section. Kim and Jib were behind them. All seats were filled, including the couches and balcony and octagonal platform, and there were even people standing against the walls.
We were welcomed to the event by the announcer. This would be the first time on Nissan Live Sets that an artist would be playing their entire album. It didn't surprise me that Melissa was doing something new or different or something that had never been done before. That's her style. The announcer let us know Melissa would come out and answer questions first, then leave, then come back out with the band for the concert.
The announcer had us stand up, sit down, and practice grooving while seated and grooving while standing so they could get the lighting and camera angles set up. Next we practiced cheering for when Melissa would come out.
At 7:10, we didn't need to practice anymore, because the announcer said, "Look who I've got folks!! MELISSA ETHERIDGE!!!" The entire audience jumped up and showered Melissa with adoring applause.
She smiled and waved and sat down on the tall stool behind the microphone. "Thank you very much! Goodnight!" teased Melissa. Her eyes explored the audience and the room. Still smiling, she said, "This is fun!"
Question 1.
The first question was regarding why she titled the album The Awakening.
Her response was that it is about a trip, a journey. She was on tour for Lucky when the breast cancer was discovered. The breast cancer experience was an awakening to what life really is. She realized every moment is precious, every moment is a choice. "You'll see tonight" she said. "This will be very different."
Question 2.
As an artist, what did it mean to make music?
Melissa's response was about making music that matters. She spoke of listening to albums and really getting inside them, really listening to it to see what the artists were trying to say. She said that's what she was doing, creating an album she wants people to really listen to and think about what she is trying to say.
There was a brief pause, and MLE asked, "Are there any men here?" Most of us laughed because the number of men at a MLE concert is generally pretty small. However, there were a fair number of men there, and the men, as well as those of us who had male concert buddies, made their presence known. Melissa was surprised, and said "Let's hear it for the men!" and then the audience cheered.
Question 3.
"If you could change one thing in this world, what would it be?"
Melissa spoke of a society being ruled by fear. She would love it if we could wake up and not be afraid anymore. She said we let fear control our lives, and that's the one thing she would change - that we wouldn't be afraid anymore. Since she was sitting on stage fielding deep questions, Melissa interjected, "I feel a bit like I'm running for office!"
Question 4.
"What does the song "Message To Myself" mean to you?"
She said "Message To Myself" was a social experiment. When she had cancer, she listened to all of her albums from beginning to end. She had thought about what she had been doing or experiencing when the albums were created.
Melissa sang about "blackness" and "chest," and then had gotten breast cancer. She felt as if she had sent a message to herself. She wondered what if she consciously sent a message to herself in the future. "It would be ‘I'm sending out a message to myself so that when I hear it on the radio' – ‘cause that's how I want to hear it hopefully – ‘I will know that I am fine, I will know that I am loved'. Really simple."
Question 5.
"What was the ‘A-HA!' moment for you when it came to global warming?"
When she first moved to California, she didn't know about recycling and things like that. After getting cancer, she started on a journey to clear the toxins from her body and her life. Then she got a call from Al Gore to view his slide show and it impressed her, and now she's the wacky girl with a bio-diesel bus who knows how to separate paper and plastic.
Question 6.
"What does your album The Awakening mean to you?"
Melissa said if you take the first three songs from The Awakening, then add in her catalogue of albums, then the rest of the songs from The Awakening, you will have her whole life. Yahoo! asked her to come and play, and she said she would do it if she could play the whole album. The album has huge intentions; it's a concept album; a journey from beginning to end.
Melissa was finished with the formal Q&A. Most artists probably would have left the stage at this point. Not Melissa. She likes to chat with her fans as if we are all sitting in a living room together, chilling out. "You do realize this is the first time I have performed this. I know you've heard some songs on the website, but not the heavy stuff yet. We need to live life more in the moment. Right here (she looked around and used both arms to motion to everyone in the room) – you are part of that." Melissa wanted to answer a few more questions from the fans, so she asked if anyone else had any questions, and several people popped up around the room and waved their arms over their heads.
She was asked about what she would do if her kids wanted to be on American Idol. Melissa beamed with a mother's pride as she boasted, "My four kids are geniuses!" She said they are around music, their school is very musical. American Idol sells dreams, and the kids know the ‘dream' doesn't exist. They see Melissa - the mom, the person. She mentioned that she wouldn't get to tuck her kids in that evening, and they were bummed about that. She said that if her kids wanted to do American Idol, they should do it, but she would not use her contacts or resources to help them with that specifically.
The Q& A was over, MLE waved to the crowd and left the stage while we all rose to our feet and gave her approving and adoring support. The announcer told us the band would be on stage soon. We all stayed on our feet. It would soon be time to delve into the realm of Melissa music.
The band members made their way to the stage and were greeted with much fanfare from the audience. Seeing that the band members were getting settled with their instruments and not yet starting the show, the crowd applause lowered. My adulation, however, did not. My heart started filling up with joy as I applauded and cheered for the wonderful people on stage. I LOVE THAT BAND!!! I LOVE THOSE GUYS!!! From left to right, there were the two back-up singers Bernie and Lily, then behind them was Paul the keyboard player, in front of him and next to Lily was Philip, then in the middle was MLE's microphone, Mark was in the back portion of the stage, and Fritz was on the right of the stage with his drum set.
7:35 PM. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN . . . . . . MELISSA ETHERIDGE!!!!!!
The crowd cheered vibrantly and clapped and waved their arms and called out her name ‘YAY MELISSA!!!' Melissa sauntered in from the back of the stage and made her way to the microphone. The band starting letting out some seriously groovy and trippy sounds. Sue and I were hopping up and down with happiness. Oooooooohhhh!! New song!!! The band was playing notes I'd never heard before, and Melissa began singing words I'd never heard her sing before. New song, new song, new song!! The experience of listening to "All There Is" was better than tiramisu.
Melissa was singing, the crowd was cheering, we were grooving, and then . . . they all stopped. I looked at Lily, and she smiled. Wha? Did someone make a boo-boo? Were they going to have to restart? Nope. It was the start of the next song.
In unison, each musician let loose doing what they do best. Bass notes from funky-town, drum beats from the drum doctor, strumming from Melissa's signature brown acoustic, and rippin' rifts from Mr. Sayce started filling the room with 100% pure Grade A rock and roll. Melissa's Fan Club, M.E.I.N, had been previewing some of the songs from the new album on MLE's website, so after a few yummy bars, I recognized the song. I started singing along to the song which I didn't quite know the words to but sang out loud anyway. "CAAAAALLLLIFORNIA!" came the chorus.
Melissa was joyfully singing, clearly pleased to be on stage delivering the gift of her new music to her fans. Melissa lifted the head of her guitar in the air as a signal to the band the song end was coming, and they delivered the final notes of the song. Melissa took a bow among the boisterous cheers from the fans.
Groovy ambiance music filled the air. I saw Lily had a tambourine in her hands. The band started in with the next song. It was a slower song. Melissa turned and walked a few steps to Philip as she strummed her guitar; he turned towards her as he was strumming his, and Melissa and Philip played to each other as she became mesmerized with Philip's guitar playing. I recognized the next song, too; it was "An Unexpected Rain."
Bernie and Lily swayed like flowers in the wind as Philip's guitar seemingly re-created the pain Melissa was preparing to sing about. It was so intense I could FEEL it. An "Unexpected Rain" has a sad tone to it, and as the band played the song and Melissa's rich voice told us a tale, the audience slowly swayed to it as if trying to comfort Melissa from her memories. The resonance of those choruses sent chills up and down and back up my spine again. The song ended, and the crowd cheered at the storytellers.
Beeps started coming out over the speakers. Beep beep beep! The floor under my feet was not a trampoline, but I sure was using it as one. I have loved "Message To Myself" since it first tricked me into turning up the volume at the beginning of it. "I'm sending out a message to myself! So that when I hear it on the radio! I will know that I am fine! I will know that I am loved!" I sang along and flung my head from side to side. I think "Sha la la la la la la la la la la!" are some of my favorite lyrics that Melissa has ever written. Even though it's a new song, the entire crowd was able to sing along to that part, and sing along they did. It was a big ol' party in there.
"Do you feel it?" Melissa asked the crowd as "Message To Myself" ended, and they transitioned into another song as the room changed to a deep red color. "That's right. The things you learn . . ." she continued. "I told you how I came to California, looking for something, a message that meant something. It's love, everywhere. I suppose you could call it ‘God'. I figured out where God is. Right there, and right there, and right there," Melissa said as she pointed to the people in the room. The band played one of the albums transition songs, "God Is In The People."
Heavy bass led the next song, "Map Of The Stars." "All the little angeeeeeeeels" intoned Bernie, Lily and Melissa at the end of the song. They repeated it again, and again, the music stopped, and the three of them sang a cappella, "All the little angeeeels." It was heaven.
Yeeee-haaaaw! Melissa's foray into the County sound made me want to mosey on over to a horse and ride off into the sunset. Bernie worked a cowbell like she was born in cowboy boots and riding slicks. "Threesome" is an upbeat, fun song filled with twangs and thangs and rings and swings and is about not having a threesome. Melissa already "has enough spice in her family life" with her adorable wife Tammy and their four kids.
I think, perhaps, one of my favorite moments of the evening happened during this song. Melissa was head-banging along to "Threesome." That in itself that was not unusual. It was when she started head-banging and swaying her head at the same time. Her not-quite-there-yet-but-certainly-on-it's-way medium length hair was going swoop, swoop, swoop. You know, like she did before. Back in 2004 and before the breast cancer was discovered. She would feel the rhythm of the music and swoop her hair left and right and left and right and she felt the music and was one with the music. She did this often in her shows, and her fans were used to seeing it. Then breast cancer took her hair away. A lump jumped up in my throat. Stupid breast cancer. Nearly took her away. It took her hair, but she is still here, still vibrantly alive, and her hair is coming back.
Melissa zipped around to Fritz and in the same movement jutted her right arm in the air addressing the crowd. "All that you can really do is love one another!" and then they played another transition song, "All We Can Really Do." "When you figure out all we can do is love each other," Melissa began, "The space between everything is love. It goes on, and on, and on . . ."
The next song was "I've Loved You Before." The lights in the room morphed to a very light and soft pink hue. Melissa backed up from the microphone, looked way up at the ceiling, and then closed her eyes. The music entered Melissa's ears and danced around her mind. Her right hand nonchalantly drifted up and down, allowing her guitar pick to caress the strings. As she sang the lyrics to "I've Loved You Before," I could hear the soft murmur of voices around me singing along to the song. Apparently I was not the only fan that had been listening to it non-stop since it had been put on the fan club website the day before.
The lights dimmed, with one lonesome spotlight shining around Melissa. Melissa walked to the front of the stage, and the music shifted. The music sounded like church music. "When you start realizing it's not just the love between the two of you that's special, it's a love that goes through eternity" she explained. The transition song was "A Simple Love." That song blended into "Heroes And Friends."
After that song, Chainsaw came out on stage and gave Melissa another freshly tuned twelve string guitar. She started playing, then Mark softly joined in on bass. Melissa's deep eyes began to tell a story along with the story she was singing, "The Kingdom Of Heaven." Then…. FWOOOOM!!! The lights in the room turned deep red as Philip's guitar playing blew a hole in the time/space continuum. He shredded the atmosphere around him with massive notes no one has ever found on a guitar before. The song was a roller coaster ride of emotion, including those who condemn love, and other deep subjects. The end of the song was slow, as Melissa sang, "My God is love, my God is peace, my God is you, my God is me."
The next song was the rocking song "Open Your Mind." The band took a brief break and everyone in the audience took a few moments to locate their socks which had been blown off by the last two songs. We also tried to catch our breath and feel at least a tiny puff of cold air blowing down from the air conditioners on our sweat covered faces.
Melissa came back out on stage with more applause from the deliriously happy and slightly weary but still wanting to rock audience. Melissa talked about her rocker brother Philip Sayce. "Philip was the first musician to do this, this Yahoo! thing" she said proudly. "With his group. What's your group called? Philip Sayce?" Melissa asked. Philip told her the name of his band is the Philip Sayce Group. MLE continued to praise her rock bro.'
Melissa then made an observation. "No one's heard these songs before, and they're singing along." Her loyal fan base laughed. "When I write songs, I feel like you are downloading them, right then, right there!" The MLE fans laughed even more.
The next song was "The Universe Listened." First it started out fast, and I was head banging like I was trying to get sand out of my hair. Then it slowed a touch.
Melissa was rocking out and kicking her legs out, Mark was humming along while he was playing, Fritz was smashing on the drums, Philip was bobbing up and strumming way, Paul was giving CPR to the keyboard, and Bernie and Lily were singing back-up harmonies while coordinating their arm swings. There was one supernova of positive energy karma coming from the fantastic seven up there on stage.
Melissa loudly strummed her guitar. A smile spread across my face. "Imagine That." Mark had a HUGE smile in his face. I was entwined in the here-and-now pleasure of hearing my favorite band while surrounded by lots of concert buddies having as much fun as I was, all singing at the top of our lungs.
"If not now, when?" Melissa slipped the lyrics of the next song into the continuing music. The music slowed, and the song fully blossomed into "What Happens Tomorrow." I was happier than a bunny in a carrot garden. Another how-loud-can-you-sing-along-to-it song. Everyone in the room was chanting, "Truth is of the people, by the people, for the people!"
"Thank you all soooo much!" Melissa shouted above the music. Roars of crowd cheers filled the room, as finally, the band served out the last bit of scrumptious notes. The show was over.
"Wooooooooooo!" said the crowd. "Woooooo! Woooooo!" Lily and Mark walked towards each other and clung like magnets, then faced the audience. Bernie joined to the left of them and the Paul to the left of Bernie, Philip came from behind and lined up next to Paul on the very left. Melissa was to the right of Mark, and Fritz was to the right of Melissa. In other words, the wall of wonder went: Philip, Paul, Bernie, Lily, Mark, Melissa and Fritz. The wall of wonder bowed to us, and our cheers brought them right back up.
The band members exited via the back of the stage. Melissa came back to the mic, and asked, "Well all right?!!! There's a song I didn't put on the album. Maybe it will be on the Yahoo! album? I'm going to bring my band back up." The band came back, and assumed their positions.
"I wrote this song to tie up the shows with a neat bow." "Not Tonight" is another fun song which Melissa delivers with smirks and smiles. "My baby's waiting on me and the candy's all gone! Not tonight, I gotta bring some sugar home!" Melissa tantalized several times. Towards the end a fan came forward to the stage and Melissa place one of her picks in their hand. Another fan went up to the stage, and she shook their hand, and then another fan came up, and then another. At the end of almost every Melissa concert, Melissa will walk along the length of the stage and touch hands with lots and lots and lots of fans. Her hard-core fans call it "Hands." Before you knew it the entire audience headed towards the stage for Hands. She went back to the middle of the stage, gave a few more waves and bows, then exited down the back of the stage. The show was over.
The room filled with the chatter and banter of friends sharing the evening's highlights. We talked and chatted and laughed and shared and talked and chatted and laughed and shared some more. While slowly heading towards the exit, we came across David Cole. I often forget that Melissa's crew and professional staff are also huge fans of hers. David was as lit up as we were. "Was that awesome or what?! How much does she rock?! She's on another level!!" David beamed.
It was after 9 PM when the show ended and we slowly made our way out the back door of the studio and into the V.I.P. area again. We saw the band members and crew milling about, and my friends and I wanted to congratulate everyone and thank them for a fantastic show. I turned around and Melissa was standing in front of an open rear passenger side door of a black vehicle, and she was saying goodbye to Philip. She turned and smiled and waved both hands back at us. "Hi!" Melissa said from behind the open car door. Melissa hung her hands over the top of the door and asked, "Did you like it?" "YYEEEEEESSS!" we all said in unison. "Did you get it?" she asked next. "What was your favorite song?" she inquired. That was an easy question for me. "Message To Myself!" I shouted. My friends shouted out to Melissa their favorite song as well.
"BYE!! THANK YOU!! BYE!!" Melissa said to us as she waved final waves.
My head was flooded with delectable memories. The one thing that came to the very forefront of my mind was the question Melissa has asked us at the end: "Did you get it?" Four little words, but very profound.
"Did you get it?" she had asked. Melissa wanted to know if we knew what she was putting out into the universe via her new album. For me, I've been following her journeys and reading her words and ingesting the energy released from her new songs, and without being too presumptuous, I would indeed say that Yes, I get it.
I thought about it a bit more. One thing my friends and I occasionally ponder, is if Melissa gets it.
Does she get how much we love her music? Does she get how much her words mean to us? Does she get how deeply her music affects us, our lives? Does she get how proud we are of her? Does she know we were all right next to her in spirit during some of the most difficult part of her life? Does she get she is a role model and positive example for scores of people across the country and around the world? Does she get she opens up the love we have inside our hearts? Does she know we've made deep connections with other humans as a result of her music? Does she get how she brings people together? Does she get it?
If nothing more, I do hope that she gets that wherever she goes, she creates love.
Get ready, world. The Awakening is coming.
Camille