Live at Babeville
ANI DIFRANCO
(Righteous Babe)
Ani DiFranco brings chops, charm and sincerity to the stage like few others — especially at this concert taped over two consecutive nights last September during the opening of her new record label headquarters/concert venue, Babeville, a renovated 135-year-old church in Buffalo, N.Y. The punk-folkie is backed by an ace three-piece unit, which DiFranco leads through fresh, vibes-laced re-creations of old favorites like "Napoleon," "Fuel" and "Little Plastic Castle." The singer/songwriter also introduces such previously unreleased material as "Present/Infant," a touching, autobiographical meditation on overcoming self-image issues that also addresses the birth of her young daughter. 4 stars
This article appears in Apr 23-29, 2008.