Ani DiFranco to perform at Smith Opera House

GENEVA - Ranging from gloriously outraged to beautifully blunt, the folk/punk poetry of Ani DiFranco will be performed at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 25 at the Smith Opera House at 82 Seneca St. Doors open at 7 p.m.

DiFranco has earned a loyal following of beloved listeners, which originally sprouted at the grass roots level, sown mainly by word-of-mouth sustenance.

She is acclaimed for her sound that is both painfully honest and respectfully real. Experience DiFranco's raw, emotive lyrics and an ever-evolving, multi-colored musical style that moves from candid spoken word to full-band rock, over to brassy jazz stylings and back to singer-songwriter simplicity.

Tickets are $25 in advance; $30 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at the box office by calling 781- LIVE (5483) or toll-free at (866) 355-LIVE (5483) or online at www.TheSmith.org. All tickets are subject to a $2 facility fee. Smith box office hours are weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Smith accepts MasterCard, Visa and Discover.

Boasting an impressive discography roughly comprising one full-length album a year, this music industry iconoclast proves that staunch determination and dedication to the do-it-yourself ethic can lead to success. DiFranco started her long-spanning career at the age of 9, playing Beatles covers in the local bars of her hometown, Buffalo, where she is referred to as the 'leading lady of rock music.'

Thirty years, 20 plus albums, and one Grammy Award later, DiFranco has found what appears to be a perfect balance between her music career and personal life. In the last two years she has gotten married and given birth to a daughter, while simultaneously releasing two albums.

Never a fan of being classified in one genre of music, DiFranco has been known to perform with folkies, orchestras, rappers, rock and roll hall-of-famers, jazz musicians, poets, and pop superstars alike, moving through the different genres with seemingly effortless success.

DiFranco gained early popularity among college students in the early 1990s by singing about many of the social issues that artists too often avoid.

By combining autobiography with political and social commentary, DiFranco has earned her reputation as someone who is genuine and straightforward.

Releasing her self-titled first album in 1990, DiFranco began what would be one of the most impressively consistent careers.

Early on in her music career, DiFranco decided that the major label system of music wasn't going to work for her, so she started her own record label, 'Righteous Babe Records' and has been releasing her music on her own terms ever since.

In 1994 she released 'Not a Pretty Girl,' which many fans and critics refer to as her finest work, showcasing her hybrid style of punk and folk, while simultaneously showcasing her recognizable political-yet-personal lyrics.

DiFranco continued to release widely popular records through the 1990s, releasing her highest charting record, 'Little Plastic Castle' in 1998, which not only reached No. 22 on the Billboard charts, but earned her a Grammy nomination for the song 'Glass House.'

DiFranco would become no stranger to being recognized at the Grammys. She was nominated three times for the prestigious honor, before she finally won in 2004 for Best Recording Package.

Her latest album, 'Red Letter Year,' celebrates existence, professes love and tackles thorny political issues with an infectious sense of glee.

DiFranco describes her sound as 'very relaxed,' citing her recent marriage and her daughter as the cause. She describes her daughter's influence as teaching her 'how to just be in my skin, to do less and be more.'

The changes in her personal life, coupled with a relocation to one of the greatest musical cities of New Orleans, seem to have settled DiFranco and allowed her to flex her creative muscles. Full of complex textures and melodies, critics have compared the record to her two most successful albums, 'Dialate' and 'Little Plastic Castle.' DiFranco, through relentless efforts and a near unmatchable work ethic, has established herself as a major influence in the music industry. Her fearlessness when it comes to addressing personal and political issues has earned her the respect of music listeners and critics alike, as well as helped to compile a significantly loyal following of fans who are happy to see that she refuses to allow herself to fade away.

Opening the show is Hammell on Trial, the Kerouac of folk-punk, exposing the heroism and decay of American culture with a sharp tongue and wicked sense of humor. The musician strums his way through songs that are as passionate as they are comedic, and offers up sets filled with refreshingly blatant political and social critique.

The Smith Opera House is owned and operated by the Finger Lakes Regional Arts Council, a not-for-profit organization supported in part with public funds from the NYS Council on the Arts, the City of Geneva, the Town of Geneva and by contributions from individual supporters.

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