A month ago, I attended Iron and Wine at the State Theater and I left feeling meh. I was hoping the show would be soul-filling-- that I would leave feeling full of music and love and happiness and all of those lovely hippie feelings you I want when I leave a show. Sam Beam even played one of my favorite songs, The Trapeze Swinger, but he effing FORGOT THE WORDS. He was very funny and playful, but I think it was part of his schtick to forget words or say to the audience, "What do you guys want to hear?" which gives assholes the opportunity to yell, "FREEBIRD" which is one of my ultimate pet peeves.
Favorite song #1 from the evening.
This show was nothing like that. I was really into the lady singers in my late teens and early twenties. Ani Difranco was there when I dated a-holes who weren't right for me. She was there before I met the Hubs and declared that I wasn't going to date anyone because I wanted to focus on myself. She was there when I met the Hubs and we moved in together and I had an inner battle with my feminist self because I didn't think I should be so invested in a man, but I wanted to be because he was cool and I loved him.
Favorite song #2 from the evening.
It was great to see her now that I'm ten years older. Her songs mean something different now and I've always felt like that is the mark of someone who writes great music-- meanings can morph throughout all of the phases of your life. I definitely don't feel that way about much of the emo music I listened to in high school.
I left the show with a permagrin and a full soul. The vibe from everyone-- her fabulous opener Jenny Scheinman, the crew, the audience-- was so positive. I love shows like that and I'm so glad I got to share it with a fellow Ani fan-- she was the best Ani Difranco date ever!
We were oozing joy.
Ani closed with this song, which I've always loved:
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