The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 233

ATHURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1999 D3 1 LOS ANGELES TIMES Etheridge Battles the Monsters of Society Til II fl llMIIHIMIIMMIfcMIWI IHMI "II II I IMinMIMffiiMmflMilllMffiTlHfniMlin llMMiMmaMMiilMiirtl frinUi fii luBfflD Has His Mojo a ffarv Vnrn ffoov" Sr MtnLMw MimWf unulm I I I DisplryOfStuhts nwRnmmml tC? "Twa Thumbs Up? BaaarftmrtmH MrlmmPfrmHii Haeaiianirf rHCMoms on stormy tales of love's rocky path, usually set to slashing riffs from her electric guitar and filtered through her shattered-glass vocals. "Critics always say I'm singing about the same thing," she says. "But I relate so much to that. I've had a long-term relationship, but even in a long-term relationship there are still a lot of ups and downs, and when downs are the worst, I'm really afraid I might lose everything if I don't overcome some of my own shortcomings." Her Life Became Impetus for Songs Less important was trying to repeat the commercial success of her breakthrough 1993 album, "Yes I Am," which has sold more than 4 million copies in the U.S., according to SoundScan. Her follow-up, 1995's "Your Litde Secret," sold a less eye-opening but still respectable 1.3 million, and after a year's worth of touring to support it, Etheridge decided it was time to rest.

During that break, Cypher gave birdi to their daughter, Baily, and then, last year, a son, Beckett. Etheridge's challenge in resuming her life as a rock 'n' roller has been reconciling her desire to spend every moment with her children with the need to be on the road. That said, she's planning "something special" for Friday's show, her first in Long Beach in 11 years. Her trip down memory lane won't, however, take her as far as a drop-in at Que Sera Sera, the gay club on 7th Street she played regularly before her first album hit in 1988. "Yikes, no!" she says.

"It's fine with me to leave that in the past." 5 PIERCE BfiQlAN as IAN FLEII'S MS BOi 0(97 77TjP Matthew Shepard's murder propels the musician to explore dark new themes. Pop Music By RANDY LEWIS TIMES STAFF WRITER Amid the signature songs of tortured love on Melissa Etheridge's new album, "Breakdown," is "Scarecrow," her scathing response to last year's beating death in Wyoming of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay college student. The dusky-voiced rocker makes Shepard's death a modern-day equivalent to the crucifixion of Jesus, a parallel that's bound to outrage religious conservatives. Etheridge, who plays Friday in Long Beach and Tuesday and Wednesday at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, says she'd welcome the confrontation. So far, however, she reports little negative reaction to the song.

"I would be honored if any of those religious folks actually read my lyrics and got that deep into Etheridge, 38, says. "But they usually only show up in my hometown, when I play in Kansas, and lanti-gay Baptist preacher Fred Phelps comes out with those horrible posters, saying hideous things. They have no idea what I'm singing about." The song was written and recorded well before Aaron McKin-ney was sentenced last month to two consecutive life terms with no possibility of parole for Shepard's murder. His accomplice, Russell Henderson, received a simijar sentence in April. Etheridge poses the question "Where can these monsters hide?" then answers it: "They are knocking on our front door They're rocking in our cradles They're preaching in our churches And eating at our tables." For Etheridge, who has a 2W-year-old daughter and a year-old son with her partner of 11 years, screenwriter and video director Julie Cypher, the issue of where "monsters" come from strikes especially close to her HEilCE BROSNAN as IAN FLEMING'S JAMES BONO ZTnHE WORLD IS KOI ENOUGH" 1 RDBEHT CAHLYIE DIE MIS IllllEiIIDENCH "II ARNOLD S'1I PURIS ROBERT IDE PUIS 8 ROBERT IDE WL FEISIEII "'TKilEIILSIllARBlDROill km "I would be honored if any of those religious folks actually read my lyrics," says Melissa Etheridge of a song on her album, "Breakdown." IlILf STJtlGP A DO ft PC tn.mii lm bioii PEUFDHMtO BVUftnOHUL HfsB WWW.iMtlM.CM WWW.BM.CM r.imMv.yrftuvMm flMpXji If you see what was put into them, you'll see what comes out.

It's not just a case of 'This child is "Scarecrow" is the biggest departure on "Breakdown" for Etheridge, who has built her career heart. "What I'm trying to get across," she says, "is that it's the way we raise our children. We're all concerned about Littleton and these other tragedies, and ask, 'How can a 13-year-old be a mur NnwPiffvNG iT ff THnn Naff you 1 MM rOTi(OWlMBiLl TrWE WM? TIME LHlT MCT WIMIEB Diraetof 1998 Cjnnw Rim Fwttna WINNER KIT HMCTM KIT Nenfll M1 UTWU CU Usui Bl.illil. mi liliillKLH' I 'Ml IM i III! I r1 I TiL go sji 1 WINNER BEST FOREIGN FILM -National Board of Review "TWO THUMBS UP!" Roger Ebert and Lisa Schwarzbaum, ROGER EBERT THE MOVIES mi ABOUT MY MOTHER inwwr klMOOdVAR Mrdrakua mi noma aims I "UNFORGETTABLE! Tom Hanks' performance is once again Oscar-worthy. Michael Clarke Duncan is awe-inspiring!" Sara Edwards, NBC-TV ft NOW PLAYING IN NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES! "THE GOLDEN MOVIE OF THIS HOLIDAY PERIOD.

One of the top Oscar8: contenders for Best Picture!" Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE Steve Oldfield, FOX-TV "EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCES. Tension. Miracles high praise for director Frank Darabont." Gene Shalit, TODAY "AN ASTOUNDING, SURPRISING AND DEEPLY MOVING JOURNEY." Marian Etoile Watson, GOOD DAY NEW YORK 1 "A MASTERPIECE OF Gary Cogill, ABC-TV i "THE MOVIE TO BEAT FOR THE OSCARS!" ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY IT FT 1 it 1 I When CXgnes "Browne's husband died she discovered something amazing. hferself. One of the year's best!" Bob Healy, SNN 1 "THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY ENTERTAINMENT EVENT OF THE YEAR." Paul Wunder, WBAI RADIO "UNDOUBTEDLY ONE OF THE LAST GREAT FILMS OF THE CENTURY!" Mark S.

Allen, UPN-TV A brilliant heart-rending drama of enormous power and grace." Bill Diehl, ABC RADIO "PERFECTION IN FILMMAKING!" Bill Zwecker, NBC-TV ft. Special One Week Engagement ft Now Playing In Los Angeles New York THE Greek IvllJLJc From the Director of "The Shawshank Redemption" TOM HAMS "Tffi GREEN MILE" DAD MORSE BONNIE HUNT MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN IAMESCROMWELL IfflAELlETER URL LOVE IT. www.cdenvlive.cov GRAHAM GREENE DOUG HUTCHISON SAMROCKWELL BARRY PEPPER JEFFREY DeMUNN PMCIAOMSON HAMDEANMON Mt THOMAS NEWMAN Based On crrnTrnw vmn CoAmut KARYNWAGNER RICHARD FRANCIS-BRUCE, ACE. TCRENCEMARSH TkNotelByOlLrilLllI M1W For The Sam And Directed Bj And Directed brUNW inWW OUU llUUiaurUVnUUlU ByiiVAimifUVriUUiU Iw SmtWrar Bra. Rcnrtt RESTHICTtD WARNER BROS.

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