POP MUSIC REVIEW : Etheridge Shares Her Rock Gifts

Melissa Etheridge is as exuberant on stage as a grinning kid who’s rushing around to show everyone the great present she just opened. What she showed the audience at the Universal Amphitheatre on Tuesday was an indefatigable spirit and plenty of rip-roaring rock songs and confessional pop tunes.

Her childlike enthusiasm notwithstanding, Etheridge has matured considerably since she released her debut album in 1988. The L.A.-based singer is more at ease before an audience than ever, smiling and chatting in the husky voice that adds weight to her work. And her songwriting has grown as well: On her recent third album, “Never Enough,” she abandons the intense-artist facade long enough to explore humorous themes and dance rhythms.

It was the new material that translated especially well into live performance Tuesday, from the slightly psychedelic “2001” to the sensuous “Place Your Hand,” the latter with cello, percussion and bass as the sole accompaniment to Etheridge’s guitar and voice.

The singer’s ace in the hole, however, is straightforward rock ‘n’ roll, and her closing string of three ferocious guitar numbers suitably capped the terrific, two-hour-plus show, the first of two scheduled nights at the amphitheater.

Opener Jeffrey Gaines, a newcomer from Harrisburg, Pa., delivered his thoughtful folk-rock effectively, particularly “Choices,” sung in the first person from the perspective of a pregnant woman.