You could call Ani DiFranco many names—an author, a poet, a painter, even a Grammy-winning songwriter and Broadway performer. But you couldn’t call her typical. This unstoppable force of artistry started her career as a D.I.Y. rule breaker and held true to her evolving nature throughout the “Unprecedented Sh!t” tour, a celebration of her 23rd album in 33 years.
Last night, DiFranco played Jannus Live, fresh off the Cayamo Cruise, and gave listeners a deep-dive into her new album, which shares a title with the tour. This stop at Jannus Live had been 25 years in the making, according to DiFranco. Hence, to say this St. Petersburg show was long-awaited would be an understatement (her last time in Tampa Bay was 10 years ago, at Clearwater’s since-renamed Capitol Theatre.)
The evening opened with California-based vocal trio Rainbow Girls, which powered up the crowd with tongue-in-cheek perfection. The girls shared songs with lines including, “Every time I kiss you, girl, it tastes like pork and beans” (“Down Home Girl”) and “I lovе you like airport security” (“Compassion To The Nth Degree,”) reeling listeners in with three-part harmonies and employing the “tiniest drum set” they could take on tour for some killer beatbox fills. Their playful dynamic and cheerful banter coaxed the crowd in closer.
When DiFranco took the stage, she opened with the title track from 1998’s Little Plastic Castle, beaming with delight. “I wish they could see us now,” she sang, her audience singing along and caressing each syllable. She pleased her long-time fans with further classics (“Shy,” “Worthy,” “Swan Dive”) and crooned to the start of “Dilate”, a song which seemingly nodded to the audience. “Every song has a you, a you that the singer sings to, and you’re it this time,“ DiFranco sang.
“She’s been the soundtrack of my life since high school,” said Jen Steele, a fan in the crowd. “I think she’s a lyrical genius and no one plays the guitar like her.”
When DiFranco played her newest releases, the songs held true to her heavy percussive guitar and signature vocal phrasing. “I got some new songs. What are you gonna do? You’re here,” she quipped to her long-time fans, revving up for the Unprecedented Sh!t material. New effects and filters entered the stage, creating soundscapes not found in early Righteous Babe Records (DiFranco’s self-founded record label). Elements such as the lap steel guitar, stand-up bass, and drums added a full-sound to the set.
Outside of DiFranco’s regular assortment of guitars, she also honed a nifty distortion microphone, which created fuzzy vocal walk-downs, a quick contrast in clarity.
The new album, produced by BJ Burton (Bon Iver), carved DiFranco’s storytelling into what she called “simplicity and bombasity,” according to recent posts. The songs would unapologetically comment on current social and political beliefs and reeled listeners into her well-picked web of words. She shared the thought-provoking story behind her song “Baby Roe,” recommending the crowd to read Joshua Prager’s “The Family Roe: An American Story” before strumming her instrument. During the song, she kept sonic space for haunting slide guitar, echoing the pain in the lyrics. With the song’s storytelling close, it felt safe to say that Prager’s book gained some new readers.
When she would juggle from new to old songs, DiFranco promised listeners yearning for the old stuff that they would “get back in [their] time machine,” like a promise of dessert after eating their main meal.
Smalltalk between songs tied the crowd in like a living room reunion with spritely, candid commentary on things around her. She noted the ol’ Jannus oak tree standing tall in the crowd. “No animals live in that tree,” DiFranco announced as she strummed her guitar through amplifiers that would wake any nest. Two doves (which seemed almost unreal) perched at the right of the stage, seemed unphased by the sounds. Or perhaps, they just liked her music.
DiFranco shared “You Forgot to Speak”, and her earth-shattering howls echoed throughout the courtyard, matching the intensity of her syncopated body-language. Her motions adhered like liquid to her instrumental buildup. For DiFranco, playing was a full-body experience. “We’ll find out what we’re made of,” she sang, showcasing exactly that.
The show closed with an explosive rendition of “Fire Door” and an ear-piercing crowd begging for more. It can safely be said that the feminist-folk hero delivered.
