Upon the release of the blockbuster hit Barbie, in which their hit song “Closer to Fine” was prominently featured, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls caught an unexpected wave in their career, over three decades after the release of that song catapulted them to stardom. In January of this year, they announced a summer tour, which they co-headlined with Melissa Etheridge in cities ranging from Philadelphia to Boston. This Thursday, the long-awaited night of two 90’s folk-rock legends came to The Mann Center.
Melissa Etheridge took the stage at a quarter to eight, to a completely packed crowd. She brought a jam-packed set, playing her greatest hits. Fans raised their glasses in excitement, and sang with their hearts. Etheridge created moments in between each song, talking to the crowd of 14,000 people, and brought out the Indigo Girls to sing “You Can Sleep While I Drive,” which sent a rush of glee through the audience. Etheridge switched guitars every few minutes, and walked to the sides of the stage to play to her fans. While she shredded on guitar, she showcased her other musical abilities while pulling out the harmonica for a quick solo, and playing “Nowhere To Go” at the piano. Towards the end of her set, she put down her guitar and joined her drummer Eric Gardner for a long drum duet. Etheridge and Gardner played in tandem, as if they were having a conversation with one another. After finishing it, Etheridge handed the drumsticks to fans in the front few rows. Etheridge closed out her set by thanking Philadelphia and opened the stage for the Indigo Girls to take about thirty minutes later.
The Indigo Girls | photo by Elie Pichanick for WXPN
After half an hour, the Indigo Girls walked on stage. Fans leapt out of their seats, cheering for Ray and Saliers, anxiously waiting for their performance. They did not disappoint. The two legends sang a seventeen-song set, kicking it off with “Kid Fears,” track three on their self-titled 1989 release. During this song, they returned the favor to Etheridge by bringing her to the stage to sing the second half of “Kid Fears” with them.
Ray and Saliers stood side by side, guitars in hand, in front of a large tapestry, which they later explained was a shelf of banned books in the United States. The smiles on Ray and Saliers were contagious, as joy seemed to spread through the crowd like wildfire. They played “Galileo,” a fan-favorite from their Rites of Passage album released in 1992. To close the set at around eleven, the Indigo Girls sang “Closer To Fine.” The crowd was immediately on their feet, singing and dancing, throwing their hands in the air, holding the person next to them, and smiling from ear-to-ear. Between this incredible co-headline tour and the Indigo Girls’ and Etheridges’ recently released documentaries, It’s Only Life After All and I’m Not Broken, the two acts constantly outdo themselves.
The Indigo Girls | photo by Elie Pichanick for WXPN
This tour continues through the end of the month, with its last stop being the Freeman Arts Pavilion in Delaware. Soon after this tour wraps, Etheridge and the Indigo Girls leave for their own tours. The Indigo Girls will be co-headlining with Amos Lee; check out their tour dates here and here, and see more photos from Thursday night’s show below.