Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo / Melissa Etheridge

I have a friend who is obsessed with Pat Benatar, although she wasn't even born when Benatar released her best-known hits. At first I thought she was kidding about being this big fan, but no, it's no joke. So I took her to see a Benatar show at Mountain Winery, not expecting much. I learned three things: 1) Since I was alive when Benatar was on the radio, all of her hit songs are stored away in my brain, and when I see her live those synapses suddenly fire and I can sing all the words; 2) there's something about "Invincible" that makes everyone in a crowd get on their feet, like they're reporting for duty in the '80s Army; and 3) Pat Benatar is awesome. - Steve Palopoli, sanjose.com

Melissa Etheridge don’t need no stinkin’ band. In fact, Melissa Etheridge don’t even need a stinkin’ guitar. Oh, she’ll have one alright, but the folk-rock heroine could just as easily put on a show a-capella. Her raspy, heart-felt vocals are pure rock & roll, and her pop-inflected melodies are stripped-down and barebones to begin with- perfect for her Live and Alone Tour. But we won’t blame her if she wants to strum a few chords as she sings hits like “Bring me Some Water” and “Come to My Window”.