Ani DiFranco’s Immense Talent Lights Up Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater
Ani DiFranco came to Milwaukee on Wednesday, January 25, to play one of the last shows of her January 2023 tour. Accompanying DiFranco at Milwaukee’s historic Pabst Theater were Peter Mulvey and SistaStrings.
Ani DiFranco has enjoyed a prolific career as an independent singer-songwriter spanning over three decades, releasing more than 20 albums on her personal label, Righteous Babe Records. With a style reflecting a mix between folk rock and alternative rock, her music reflects influences from diverse genres such as punk, funk, hip hop, and jazz.
Ani DiFranco exemplifies the singer-songwriter’s craft at its essence—speaking her mind, and encouraging people to think, reflect, and use their own voices for good. She remains fiercely independent well into her fourth decade of music-making.
By maintaining her independence from the mainstream, DiFranco has been able to chart her own path and create her own messages without being focused on how popular her music might be. This has led her to be characterized as the mother of the DIY music movement—think musicians who eschew relationships with major record labels and instead focus on connecting directly with their audiences. This has allowed her to hone her reputation as an activist championing many social issues.
Ani DiFranco’s music and singing bring inevitable comparisons with other strong women of her generation, such as Alanis Morissette.
Backing up Ani DiFranco were her long-time touring partners, Todd Sickafoose on upright bass and keyboards and drummer Terence Higgins.
DiFranco’s songs during the night offered a sampling of her entire career and the evolution of her music. Her songs typically addressed politics, racism, inequality, stereotypes, and just the damn need for us to get along and mutually respect each other, regardless of individual backgrounds and beliefs.
Starting off with “Shy,” DiFranco launched into the sharp staccato vocals that characterize much of her music.
Her early songs in the set were lively, with DiFranco jumping around the stage and doing the high kicks that are a signature of her live shows.
DiFranco engaged the audience between each of her songs with insights into her life and views.
Unlike many singer-songwriters, DiFranco described her life during the Covid pandemic shutdown as one of “creative constipation.” She said she didn’t write a single thing during the entire Covid shutdown. But, DiFranco declared that “Ok, next pandemic, ding dong bring it on!”
Part of her writer’s block during the pandemic was likely attributable to being cut off from live audiences. She said she is continually inspired by her fans, proclaiming “You get my juices flowing!”
Her close connection to her fans was plainly visible throughout the evening, evidenced by the always-present smile on her face and the love reciprocated by the audience.
During her next song transition, DiFranco remarked how she recently read the book, The Family Roe, by Joshua Prager. The book details the largely unknown story of Norma McCovey, the woman behind the pseudonym “Jane Roe.” The book’s author tracked down each of the three children McCovey gave up for adoption, including “Baby Roe,” who was born before the Supreme Court rendered its 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade. Launching into her new song, “Baby Roe,” DiFranco declared that Baby Roe, now in her 50’s, is firmly pro-choice.
Ani DiFranco took direct aim at racism and racial inequality in “Tis of Thee” proclaiming:
“they caught the last poor man on a poor man’s vacation / they cuffed him and they confiscated his stuff / and they dragged his black ass down to the station / and said, “ok the streets are safe now.”
DiFranco’s playing is typically discordant, as shown throughout “Chloroform.” She displays a sense of dissonance in both her playing as well as her singing. Her dissonant style tends to keep the listener off balance as if she’s saying “don’t get too comfortable here—I have a message for you to think about.”
“Do or Die” had a more upbeat tempo while breaching the very serious topic of voting rights and political activism.
DiFranco showed her strong guitar skills on “In or Out,” one of the earliest songs in her career, which pierces stereotyping and the labeling of sexual orientation.
Many of the songs in DiFranco’s set reflect an urgency, a fast and frenzied tempo as if there’s a need to say as much as possible before time runs out.
“Coming Up” showed how DiFranco blends the spoken word into her music.
“Hypnotized” led off with an extended bass intro by Todd Sickafoose, invoking a free-form jazz direction that pervaded the entire song. DiFranco’s vocals were at their sweetest during this song, even though the lyrics reflected a definite irony in personal relationships.
Sparked by Peter Mulvey’s earlier reference to 20th Century poet, Mary Oliver, Ani DiFranco recited her favorite Oliver poem, “Linger in Happiness.”
Ani DiFranco followed by launching a solo acoustic performance of “Simultaneously.”
DiFranco brought Peter Mulvey and SistaStrings out for the last two songs of the set, beginning with “Grey.” “Grey” is a deliberately mellow and understated song with the narrator reflecting on the dullness and sameness of everyday monochrome existence and wondering what kind of paradise she should be looking for.
“Revolutionary Love,” the last song of the set and the title track of DiFranco’s latest 2021 album, perhaps represents a different approach in her outlook on life. Unlike many of DiFranco’s songs that felt tumultuous and rebellious, “Revolutionary Love” reflects how discord and anger may be better addressed through efforts to achieve mutual respect—perhaps a revolutionary concept in these trying times.
After a standing ovation, DiFranco and her band came back on stage for an encore starting with “Fire Door,” off of her debut self-titled album.
The show ended with “32 Flavors”—an ode to the complexities of the individual, which are often ignored when someone focuses only on the superficial.
Openers Peter Mulvey and SistaStrings Get a Rousing Homecoming
The evening started off hot as Peter Mulvey and SistaStrings took the stage at the Pabst! Their introduction led to a cheering, standing ovation by their hometown crowd before the first note of the night!
Peter Mulvey is a self-described “city kid” growing up on Milwaukee’s northwest side. He’s been performing professionally for over 20 years, including a stint busking on the streets of Dublin.
Mulvey’s songwriting is personal and introspective. He writes and sings about issues that affect us all. He is not the type of performer who rants, raves, or screams at the top of his lungs. Instead, he pokes, prods, and punctures social norms, conventions, injustices, and stereotypes with his sharp wit and humor.
As Ani DiFranco remarked, Peter “just flows and flows and doesn’t get in his own way.”
For fans familiar with Milwaukee-area musicians, many comparisons can be drawn between Peter Mulvey and Milwaukee-legend Paul Cebar. Their stylings and phrasings are quite similar. In fact, the second song of the opening set, “Oh my Dear (the Demagogue)” was co-written by Mulvey and Paul Cebar.
To me, Peter’s style and personality fit the image of the itinerant minstrel perfectly! Always entertaining and conveying important stories and lessons in his tunes.
Mulvey introduced the song, “Soft Animal,” inspired by the nature-based poetry of Mary Oliver.
Humor is abundantly present in his singing, as shown by the cover Mulvey and SistaStrings did of the song, “Ingrid Bergman,” by Woody Guthrie and Billy Bragg. They couldn’t finish the song without breaking out in laughter.
SistaStrings provided the perfect accompaniment to Peter Mulvey’s music. Soft, lyrical, and never overpowering. Their playing and backup vocals just continued to support and carry the music beautifully.
Peter Mulvey has been collaborating with SistaStrings for several years. They recorded a live album in January 2019, Live at the Café Carpe, and just released a new studio album, Love is the Only Thing, in August 2022—both albums released on Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records.
Recently named one of “16 Artists to Watch in 2023,” by American Songwriter Magazine, the accolades have been coming in fast and furious for SistaStrings–the collaboration of Milwaukee-born sisters Chauntee Ross (violin, vocals) and Monique Ross (cello, vocals). Although they have been playing together since childhood (with SistaStrings formally launching in 2014), 2022 was their breakout year for national and international exposure.
The highlights of 2022 for the duo included touring with Brandi Carlile on her Spring/Summer 2022 tour and appearing with Carlile on Saturday Night Live in December 2022. Chauntee and Monique are also members of Grammy nominee Allison Russell’s touring band, the Rainbow Coalition of the Loving.
Despite the fame coming forth for Chauntee and Monique Ross, one can’t help but see the inherent humbleness and kindness they evoke. During one song interlude, Chauntee, with perhaps a tear in her eye, recalled how she was last on the Pabst stage with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra at the age of 17, having just won a violin competition.
Midway through the opening set, Peter Mulvey stepped aside to let SistaStrings shine on their own. And shine is just what they did, especially when the back curtain opened to reveal a group of accompanying violinists and cellists.
SistaStrings played a few original compositions and covers, giving Chauntee and Monique the opportunity to show their string wizardry as well as their soaring vocals. Their playing was at times orchestral and lyrical, but also displayed a bit of frenzy with their personal energy. Their music clearly showed the influences of their church upbringing with hints of gospel coming through.
Mulvey returned to the stage with SistaStrings for the concluding song of their set—their sweet collaborative arrangement of the traditional song, “Shenandoah,” from their newest album, Love is the Only Thing.
Ani DiFranco concluded her January 2023 tour with Peter Mulvey and SistaStrings at the Ann Arbor Folk Fest on January 28. She will resume her tour in Boulder, Colorado on March 15, 2023. Check out Ani DiFranco’s upcoming tour dates at anidifranco.com/tour
Peter Mulvey and SistaStrings next will be in Milwaukee at The Back Room at Colectivo on March 23, 2023. For up-to-date information about Peter Mulvey and SistaStrings, including their tour dates, please visit their websites: www.petermulvey.com and www.sistastrings.com
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