Melissa Etheridge is going back where she belongs: on stage. For the artist and her legion of fans alike, her spirited, dynamic concerts have provided consistently cherished experiences. Now, after an eventful two-year hiatus from touring, she's returning -- happy, healthy and ready to rock. 40-city trek kicks off June 17 in Las Vegas and will wind throughout the U.S. and Canada. "Being on the road this summer will give me a chance to reconnect with my fans and friends, play some new songs and remember some old ones," says the eager Etheridge. "I can't wait."

Her Indianapolis stop will be on August 22 at Clowes Hall; tickets are available at the Clowes Box Office or at Ticketmaster locations. Tickets may also be purchased online from Ticketmaster.

It's not like Etheridge has been taking it easy for the past two years. Her tour supporting the acclaimed 2004 album "Lucky" was interrupted by a diagnosis of breast cancer, the successful treatment of which was capped off by her inspiring surprise performance on the 2005 Grammy Awards Show, bringing down the house with a boisterous, buoyant version of "Piece of My Heart."

In the fall she released "Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled," her first career anthology spanning from her earliest hits ("Bring Me Some Water," "Come to My Window") to her brand-new powerful studio recording of "Piece of My Heart" and the moving "I Run for Life," a song commissioned as the theme for the Susan G. Komen Foundation's Race For the Cure breast cancer awareness and fundraising run/walk events. The song was a radio hit in its own right, as well as spotlighted in various television and print campaigns for the crucial effort.

Like that album, the tour will draw on Etheridge's story so far, highlighting favorites from her vast, hit-filled catalog plus a few choice covers and surprises. But it's less a summing up of her past than the kick off to Phase II of her career.

Joining her is a sterling band of musicians who have helped make past concerts so special. Long-timer Mark Brown is back on bass, with guitarist Philip Sayce resuming the duties he took on for the "Lucky" tour. And anchoring on drums is Fritz Lewak, a familiar presence from early Etheridge tours. With more than 30 million albums sold, two Grammy Awards and ASCAP's Songwriter of the Year honors among many accolades, Melissa Etheridge has been one of rock's strongest and most-beloved figures since her 1988 debut album, "Melissa Etheridge," released after her historic signing by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell. With the hits "Bring Me Some Water" and "Like I Do," the album introduced a singular, passionate singer and songwriter. The following year's "Brave and Crazy" expanded her artistic reach and saw her intense fan following grow dramatically. "Never Enough" (1992) earned Etheridge the best female rock Grammy for the song "Ain't It Heavy."

In 1993 she broke through to huge mainstream success with the massive hit album "Yes I Am," powered by two songs that became radio staples: "Come to My Window" (also a Grammy winner) and "I'm the Only One." With 1995's "Your Little Secret" she continued explorations of personal - yet universal - themes, this time with some dark turns. "Breakdown," released in 1999, featured "Scarecrow," her wrenching tribute to Matthew Shepard, the young gay Wyoming man brutally murdered the year before. 2001's "Skin" proved a particularly revealing album of love and loss.

"Lucky" celebrated new love, family and hope - the spirit of which never flagged throughout her diagnosis and treatment. And now, with her 2006 tour, she starts the process not of resumption, but of renewal.

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