Ani DiFranco Concert Review

Saturday, June 21: traditionally the longest day of the year, but perhaps a little too long for Ani DiFranco. After her bus was egged in, of all places, Telluride, DiFranco blew two tires on the way to Salt Lake City. But even after arriving an hour later than expected, she put on a fierce, personal, fun performance. At one point, she even led her fans in “Happy Birthday” for an adoring audience member named Sarah. Here and there the chatting between songs turned to politics and the state of the world, but DiFranco also shared details about her life, her young daughter and her “baby daddy,” as she called him. It made the whole evening feel like an intimate evening in a friend’s backyard. The show closed with an encore of three songs, the last of which was “32 Flavors.” “You wanna sing?” She asked the audience as she plucked the first few notes. The crowd joined in, swaying and singing every word. DiFranco encouraged them to keep singing as she sang the underlying chorus. In those moments, you realize why her fans love her: she truly hasn’t forgotten them.

(Tawnya Cazier)