Melissa Etheridge

Melissa Etheridge must enjoy coming to Phoenix. This will be the popular and evidently tireless singer-songwriter’s fourth trip to town in the last three years, even though she hasn’t released a new album since 2001’s Skin. She’s been on the road virtually nonstop ever since. She played a show here in November 2001 during the D-Backs’ World Series run; she also sang the national anthem at Bank One Ballpark before the Game 6 drubbing of the Yankees.

In her ventures outside of touring, Etheridge has been just as active in other media. First, she wrote a tell-all autobiography, The Truth Is . . . , which detailed her much-publicized breakup with longtime partner Julie Cypher (and told us way more about David Crosby than anyone really wanted to know). Last year saw the release of the DVD Live . . . and Alone, which captured Etheridge’s solo performance at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles in December 2001. Etheridge played for more than two hours with no accompaniment other than her guitar (she also played piano for a few songs). Those who catch Etheridge this Tuesday at Celebrity Theatre, in its in-the-round glory, may be able to expect more of the same.