Review by Val Tapia
Photos by Fred Kuhlman
Promoter: Live Nation (https://www.livenation.com/ )
Venue: Arizona Financial Theatre (https://www.livenation.com/venue/KovZpZAEk7lA/arizona-financial-theatre-events )
Date: Sunday October 12th, 2025
Tour: Yes We Are Tour
It’s pretty cool when any musical artist commences a tour in one’s hometown. In some ways though, it’s arguably better when they conclude a tour in one’s hometown.
Sure, everyone (band and crew) is fresh and ready to go at the start. Of course, by the end of a tour they’re definitely ready to go home. Understandable by the way!
In the case of veteran singer-songwriters Melissa Etheridge and Indigo Girls, the Yes We Are co-headline tour finale at Arizona Financial Theatre on Sunday October 12 seemed like anything but “final”.
Speaking candidly, I got the impression that both acts didn’t want the tour to stop. That’s how strong the camaraderie was throughout the show.
I’ll begin with Georgia-based Indigo Girls. For starters, it was great to see Amy Ray and Emily Saliers perform with a full band. For the last two Phoenix appearances, I had read that they were acoustic shows. Which I’m sure most fans were fine with however, their songs really shine more with a band.
Kicking off their 90-minute(!), 17-song set with “Change My Heart” (from IG’s most recent album, 2020’s Look Long) followed by “Chickenman” (from 1992’s Rites of Passage), it was a great start with fans immediately getting out of their seats.
Which, unfortunately, turned out to be a minor problem for me. Someone behind me told me to sit down because they couldn’t see. I explained to her that I’m standing because people in front of me are standing. Therefore, I felt I was justified. Needless to say, she didn’t like that.
Mind you, I’m fine with sitting during any concert– if others are as well. However, fairly or unfairly, once a majority in front of me are out of their seats, all bets are off. I’m standing too— period. But I digress.
Early on in IG’s set, it seemed to me that Saliers’ vocals were strained. To her credit, she carried on like the consummate professional she is. Also, having an excellent band on stage certainly helped.
Ray also sang a couple of her solo songs, perhaps to take some of the load off of Saliers’ shoulders. One of those songs, “More Pills” was definitely country influenced. But the most poignant part of the set was when she took the mic to speak in memory of Matthew Shepard, who was murdered 27 years to the day on October 12, 1998.
With that, Ray and band went into a fiery version of another solo song, “Laramie” that brought the roof down with the roughly 3000 in attendance. By that point, pretty much everyone before me were standing, and rightly so I might add.
Backing vocalist Lucy Wainwright Roche even had a chance in the spotlight for a song of her own called “Soft Line”. Many were impressed with her lead vocals. Unfortunately, her (backing) vocals were pretty low in the mix for the IG songs.
The backdrop in the set was simple yet effective. It was a mock classroom with a chalkboard that contained slogans like “Don’t Say Gay” and “Stand Up For The Lookout” as well as a warning about “What To Do If ICE Comes” and “YOU HAVE RIGHTS”. It was chilling, to say the least.
The song that really went down a storm was “Galileo”. Fortunately, Saliers vocals held up well on that one. I imagine it’s not an easy song to sing either. But she nailed it.
In a surprise move, Ray and Saliers brought out Melissa Etheridge for the final songs of the set, “Kid Fears” and inevitably, “Closer To Fine”. Needless to say, the crowd went crazy because the Indigo Girls are a tough act to follow.
After a 25-minute intermission, speaking of Melissa Etheridge, she wasted no time and hit the stage at 9:25 p.m. sharp with a solid rendition of “Must Be Crazy For Me” (from 1992’s Never Enough). Thinking back, that crucial third album from Etheridge didn’t quite resonate with fans as much as her 1988 self-titled debut album and its follow up, 1989’s Brave and Crazy.
From the latter album, it was great to see her play the all-time classic “You Can Sleep While I Drive”. That’s one that she hasn’t played in years. Or at least, not at the shows I’ve attended in recent years.
Yet another surprise was having Indigo Girls back onstage for that one. Their voices complimented the song perfectly. It’s one of those “driving at night” songs that never get old. In other words, it’s a timeless classic.
“Royal Station 4/16” gave Etheridge the chance to show off her harmonica skills. She really is a multi-instrumentalist. She played piano, guitar of course, and even a little drums throughout her 100-minute, 12-song set.
Etheridge is also a great storyteller. She spoke about “poor choices” that led her to writing great songs. One of those songs, “I Want To Come Over” (from 1995’s Your Little Secret) certainly got everyone singing. Although personally, I would’ve preferred to hear the title track from that particular album. But that’s okay.
To her credit, Etheridge is the kind of artist that’s always looking forward. In fact, she debuted two songs (“Divina” and “Don’t You Want A Woman”, respectively) from her upcoming new album called Rise, scheduled for release in March 2026.
Introducing a song called “You Used To Love To Dance”, Etheridge said it was her “favorite song” to play live. However, it seemed like there were many who had never heard it. I’m sure they were waiting patiently for “Come To My Window” or “I’m The Only One” (from 1993’s Yes I Am). Which they did indeed get toward the end of the show.
Although there were no encores, there’s no doubt that the last song of the night, “Like The Way I Do”, is Etheridge’s “tour de force”. By and large, it’s a song that can last anywhere from 12 to 15 minutes onstage– for better or worse– depending on how you feel about “jamming” I suppose.
In my opinion, she should just play it faithfully to the original studio version from her classic debut album. That way, there’s more room for songs like “Similar Features”, “No Souvenirs” or “Don’t You Need”.
To conclude, it must be said that the Yes We Are tour was not a typical co-headline tour. The best thing about it was the fact that both artists played longer sets than most (if not all) other co-headliners do, which by and large are 75-to-80-minute sets for each act. Trust me, you likely won’t see a 90-minute set by one act, followed by a 100-minute set by the other any time soon.
I’ll put it another way: that does not happen, at all. I applaud Etheridge and Indigo Girls for leaving their egos at the door to deliver 100% to their fans. A 3.5 hour(s) long show between the two. Kudos to them for that!
The final verdict? 4.5 out of five stars– a dream tour for sure.
Melissa Etheridge
Photos © Fred Kuhlman 2025, All Rights Reserved
Indigo Girls
Photos © Fred Kuhlman 2025, All Rights Reserved
