After the first song, members of the audience were no longer able to remain still. Several people got out of their seats and swayed and shook, moving their bodies in rhythm with Ani DiFranco's rapid music.
Despite her small stature, DiFranco's voice can hit you like a rock. Direct and loud, her voice carried far and wide Saturday night in Spaulding.
Her easy manner set the tone for the performance. When she walked out, dressed in blue jeans and a brown sleeveless vest, short cropped hair with small braids on top, whistles, shouts and clapping were heard throughout Spaulding.
DiFranco's voice blended in with the music, for as she tuned her guitar, she also tuned the words of her next song. The character of her music ranged from fast and fiery, slow and strong, rapid and incisive.
Accompanied by her drummer/percussionist, Andy Stochansky, she charmed the audience. Perhaps the most striking aspect of her music is the ethereal, modest content of her lyrics: real words, real feelings and thoughts. The subjects of her monologues included her feelings about record companies, and about the distribution of her albums, two subjects she feels strongly about.
Even DiFranco's body language was expressive -- sometimes a smile, sometimes a frown for songs that were comprehensible and confusing at the same time. But she played with passion, and the audience responded.
Stochansky, the drummer also had the opportunity to play a solo, with DiFranco playing guitar in the background. At this point, the audience was crowded in the orchestra pit, within a couple of meters of both performers. The last song DiFranco and Stochansky played was a rendition of Prince's, "Sign of the times," a song she promised one of the audience members she would perform.
With her interesting personality and strong musicianship, DiFranco did not disappoint fans. In fact, after intermission, along both sides of the auditorium, the audience raged and danced, with their bodies in tune with the beat of the drums and guitar breaks. Even DiFranco admitted that she cannot sing without moving, "I always have to shake this leg when I sing."
At the end of her performance, she received a standing ovation, and she responded with two encore performances.
It was remarkable that DiFranco played the encores with characteristic strength and vigor despite having her fingertips taped after having played for about two hours.
DiFranco put on an excellent show, exposing the Dartmouth community to a unique kind of "underground" music. She rarely failed to thrill the audience with both her musical talent and her good humor. Her neo-punk-folk music captivatedthe audience, which often responded to DiFranco's impressive sharp and fast finger-work on the guitar. Stochansky was also exceptional on the drum set and percussion instruments, his voice in tune with DiFranco's own strong and funky vocal intonations.
