Ani DiFrancio (solo acoustic)

This is probably the 6th time I've seen Ani in concert and she never disappoints. So I won't be writing a review so much as just describing what the show was like. You know as well as I do that she was amazing.

First of all Ani hopped out on stage with crutches and sat down on a chair. We found out later in the performance that she broke her foot. This was only her second night performing with the bum foot (her right) so she wasn't quite used to it.

When someone asked her how she did it she replied, "I have to come up with a better story than 'I fell down'." But later she explained that she was running "ecstatically" through the rain in the dark and tripped and fell at which time "it became like a Tom Hanks movie" where she was laying in the dirt trying to pull herself up to safety. Of course she told this all in her giggly voice.

I had never seen Ani perform all by herself; she's always been with Andy Stochansky or later, with a full band minus Andy) so this was a real treat.

She started with "Back Back Back" then "Lullaby" then "Next Bold Move" after that almost all the songs she played were new. One so new she said she wrote it last week. It was a beautifully sad song about an ending relationship, which led me to believe her marriage is no longer. I kind of got that feeling with all of her new songs, they seemed to be about being alone, starting over, being hurt, etc. At one point she mentioned that this was her favorite show she'd ever played here. Then said, "There's something about being sadder than you ever thought you could be that makes other things more beautiful".

Here is the full set list.

"Back Back Back"
"Lullaby"
"Next Bold Move"
"Evolve"
"Rain Check"
"Here For Now"
"Phase"
"Swim"
"Names and Dates and Times" where she changed the lyrics to say:

I talk too long
I laugh too loud
I bet you'll be strangely relieved
when I'm gone