In the Indigos’ set, Emily Saliers took a few guitar solos on electric and acoustic, but the standout soloist was guitarist/dobroist Jeff Fielder, one of six musicians who accompanied the Georgia folk-rock duo. They had a special guest on background vocals, New York singer/songwriter Lucy Wainwright Roche, who also sang her own “Open Season,” during which she forgot the lyrics midsong.
The Indigo Girls, Amy Ray, left, and Emily Saliers, open the night at the grandstand. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
**Biggest takeaway:** This is an obvious and smart pairing of co-headliners, whose philosophies and personalities not only mesh but whose music complements each other. It’s prudent for compatible artists who are no longer arena headliners to pair for a double-bill that’s perfect for the amphitheater and state fair circuits.
**Coolest moment:** When Etheridge, in her studded cowgirl hat, waltzed onstage in dark shadows in the middle of the Indigos’ “Kid Fears,” the crowd went crazy. She not only sang a verse but stayed for the next number, the inevitable finale “Closer to Fine,” a sing-along from 1989 that has become more epic thanks to its prominence in the 2023 “Barbie” movie.
Another memorable moment was Etheridge’s late-in-the-show one-two punch of the belt-along “Come to My Window” and the revved up “I’m the Only One.”
**Low point:** Saliers’ voice was noticeably diminished, with both her range and potency limited. As for Etheridge, she has a propensity to extend her songs with long rhythmic jams, featuring her strummed guitar or bluesy harmonica. Typical was how she elongated her finale “Like the Way I Do” into a meandering 14-minute jam.
**Best banter:** Etheridge said her kids were asking her what the ′90s were like. She told them, “There were more choices, more hope, more understanding, more diversity.” And the crowd roared.