05.09.19
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PW OPINION PW NEWS PW LIFE PW ARTS<br />
•NITELIFE•<br />
were one thing, a<br />
feminist singing<br />
was a whole other<br />
matter.” DiFranco<br />
wasn’t the only<br />
musician blazing<br />
a DIY path, but<br />
she was the rare<br />
success who<br />
demonstrated the<br />
viability — and<br />
constraints — of a<br />
music career conducted<br />
independent<br />
of corporate<br />
label support. It<br />
was simple survival:<br />
She didn’t<br />
make money from<br />
club gigs unless<br />
she had albums to<br />
sell; she couldn’t<br />
sustain a fan base<br />
without a mailing<br />
list (“my preinternet,<br />
direct<br />
outreach to each<br />
and every person<br />
in the world who<br />
gave a shit about<br />
my art”); and she couldn’t continue to record and perform music without<br />
those fans. Streaming and 360 deals had not yet become industry<br />
realities.<br />
More importantly, her independence as an artist and label owner<br />
reflected her political convictions — a vital distinction. Entrepreneurship<br />
was ironically opposite to her goal: “having a career in music<br />
without having to associate with businesspeople at all. I came to<br />
represent the future of the music industry, but I meant only to avoid it.<br />
… Demand before supply. That’s the reality of my supposed entrepreneurial<br />
genius.”<br />
Her frank but loving recollections of “teachers” like Prince, sometime<br />
collaborator Maceo Parker, and folk forebears Pete Seeger and<br />
especially Utah Phillips, with whom she produced and released two<br />
albums, make for some of the most compelling passages. Even more<br />
poignant are her recollections of how Feminism 101 and poet Sekou<br />
Sundiata awakened her mind and spirit at the New School in Manhattan,<br />
where she “really learned the art of political engagement.”<br />
The meatiest sections by far lay out DiFranco’s thoughts concerning<br />
her anti-corporate stance, voting, civil rights, human diversity,<br />
patriarchy, racism, reproductive freedom and women’s rights. She<br />
writes with candor of a supposed friend who gives her a place to<br />
crash in England then insists she “use [her] body to pay him rent”:<br />
“It is hard to know sometimes what constitutes ‘rape.’ Rape is<br />
a black dot in the center of a dark smudge in the center of a very<br />
big grey cloud that dissipates and pales at the edges. I have found<br />
myself in various gradations of powerlessness around that dark<br />
center and never quite known what the name is for where I am. I<br />
imagine most women have looked down at some point in their life<br />
and not been able to see their own hands in the fog.”<br />
Her sociopolitical consciousness develops in tandem with an<br />
increasingly chaotic personal life as she explores polyamory and<br />
becomes a champion of the indie artist and LGBTQ communities.<br />
Her idealism and work ethic are admirable, but there are times when<br />
it would be valuable to hear from partners, friends and bandmates<br />
burned by her exploratory zeal.<br />
“The thing that you don’t realize (until you do) is that your<br />
self-respect is the foundation that allows you to weather all manner<br />
of adversity and struggle. When you lose your self-respect, everything<br />
else becomes impassible. My duplicities made me hate myself<br />
which made me crumbly and desperate at my core. There was just<br />
no one to blame but myself.”<br />
That DiFranco’s stubbornness and reflexive independence seem<br />
to have been encoded in her DNA from birth fits her persona. That she<br />
also comes off at key points as heedless, blinkered by her own drive,<br />
and dangerously, selfishly reckless might surprise some fans; but to her<br />
credit she mostly owns the pain she caused others. It is a mark of moral<br />
courage, and of someone who remains an artist and student of life. n<br />
Vroman’s Bookstore presents Ani DiFranco in conversation with activist Valarie Kaur<br />
from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at Pasadena Presbyterian Church, 585 E. Colorado<br />
Blvd., Pasadena; $38. Info: (626) 449-5320. Anidifranco.com, anidifranco.bandcamp.<br />
com/album/no-walls-mixtape, vromansbookstore.com<br />
Wednesday—Preacher Lawson; Wednesday<br />
Night Live w/Rudy Moreno<br />
Kings Row Gastropub<br />
20 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena<br />
(626) 793-3010<br />
kingsrowpub.com<br />
Live music most nights of the week<br />
MEOWMEOWZ! Retro ‘80s Thrift Shop<br />
2423 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena<br />
(626) 798-6969<br />
facebook.com/meowmeowz<br />
Fridays and Saturdays—Live music every<br />
Friday and Saturday; all ages welcome<br />
Old Towne Pub<br />
66 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena<br />
(626) 577-6583<br />
theoldtownepub.com<br />
Live music most nignts of the week<br />
Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association<br />
73 N. Hill Ave., Pasadena<br />
(626) 799-5689<br />
pasadenaballroomdance.com<br />
Saturday—Saturday Swing Dance features Rob<br />
Dehlinger’s Alpha Rhythm Kings<br />
Plate 38<br />
2361 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena<br />
(626) 793-7100<br />
plate38.com<br />
Fridays & Saturdays—Live music on select<br />
Fridays & Saturdays<br />
The Mixx<br />
443 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena<br />
(626) 500-0021<br />
themixxclub.com<br />
Thursday—Lorraina Marro & Jackie Gibson<br />
Friday—Dale Fielder Quartet<br />
Sunday—Mother’s Day Brunch w/live jazz<br />
Tuesday—Elizabeth Hangan Blues Jam<br />
The Rose<br />
Paseo Colorado<br />
245 E. Green St., Pasadena<br />
(888) 645-5006<br />
wheremusicmeetsthesoul.com<br />
Thursday—Songs & Stories: Art Alexakis of<br />
Everclear<br />
Friday—Oingo Boingo former members<br />
Saturday—Yngwie Malmsteen<br />
Sunday—Mother’s Day Soulful Sunday Brunch;<br />
Hard Day’s Night Beatles tribute<br />
T. Boyle’s Tavern<br />
37 N. Catalina Ave., Pasadena<br />
(626) 578-0957<br />
tboylestavern.com<br />
Sunday—Action Trivia<br />
Tuesday—Action Trivia<br />
SAN GABRIEL VALLEY<br />
Arcadia Blues Club<br />
16 E. Huntington Drive, Arcadia<br />
(626) 447-9349<br />
arcadiabluesclub.com<br />
Saturday—Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers<br />
The Buccaneer<br />
70 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre<br />
(626) 355-9045<br />
https://www.facebook.com/Buccaneer-847437898642883/<br />
Wednesday—Wednesday Night Platter Party:<br />
Bring your fave vinyl to be spun on turntable<br />
First Cabin<br />
46 E. Huntington Drive, Arcadia<br />
(626) 446-2575<br />
Fridays-Saturdays—Pat O’Brien & the Priests<br />
of Love exalt the blues and classic rock<br />
The Granada<br />
17 S. First St., Alhambra<br />
(626) 227-2572<br />
thegranadala.com<br />
Thursday—Deejay Zonik; Deejay Vince; Top<br />
Social Dance Competition<br />
Friday—Live music w/La Seleccion; Deejay<br />
Moreno; Deejay Vince; Deejay Miro<br />
Saturday—Live music w/Don Sonera & Papote<br />
Jimenez w/The Granada All Stars; Deejay Zonik;<br />
Deejay Miro; Super Deejay Robby<br />
J.C. Hyke Songwriter Serenade<br />
Matt Denny’s Ale House Restaurant<br />
145 E. Huntington Drive, Arcadia<br />
(626) 462-0250<br />
mattdennys.com, jchyke.com<br />
Tuesday—Ric Taylor; Pat Nason; Tim Tedrow;<br />
Emanuela Bellezza; Tieg<br />
Pizza Place California<br />
Flying High<br />
303 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel<br />
(626) 570-9622<br />
facebook.com/pizzaplaceca<br />
Sundays—Open mic the first three Sundays of<br />
every month<br />
Villa Catrina<br />
251 N. Santa Anita Ave., Arcadia<br />
(626) 294-1973<br />
villacatrina.com<br />
Thursdays—Comedy open mic every first and<br />
third Thursday of the month<br />
Wednesdays—Karaoke w/Deejay Zary<br />
WEST OF PASADENA<br />
Colombo’s Restaurant<br />
1833 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock<br />
(323) 254-9138<br />
colombosrestaurant.com<br />
Thursday—Trifecta<br />
Friday—Steve Thompson; Bluebird Harmony<br />
Saturday—Ernie Draffen; Dave Victorino<br />
Sunday—Sunny & Cher<br />
Monday—Eric Eckstrand Trio<br />
Tuesday—Tom Armbruster<br />
Wednesday—Karen Hernandez w/Irene<br />
Cathaway<br />
Days Inn Lounge<br />
450 Pioneer Drive, Glendale<br />
(323) 259-5900<br />
tommydodson.com<br />
Fridays—Tommy Dodson and friends present<br />
Cabaret Fridays<br />
The Oak and Vine<br />
117 E. Harvard St., Glendale<br />
(818) 507-7011<br />
theoakandvine.com<br />
Live music most nights of the week<br />
Winchester Room<br />
6522 San Fernando Road, Glendale<br />
(818) 241-5475<br />
thewinchesterroom.com<br />
Friday—Karaoke<br />
Saturday—Karaoke n<br />
ROD PIAZZA AND THE MIGHTY FLYERS TOUCH DOWN AT ARCADIA BLUES CLUB<br />
ROD PIAZZA, CONSIDERED ONE OF THE TOP HARMONICA PLAYERS IN THE WORLD, AND HIS BAND THE MIGHTY FLY-<br />
ERS WILL BE COMING IN FOR LANDING SATURDAY AT ARCADIA BLUES CLUB.<br />
Starting his lauded career in 1967, the Southern California native and his band, which he formed in 1980 with his wife<br />
Honey Piazza, have been churning out great music like a smooth-running blues machine.<br />
The group’s credentials include numerous W.C. Handy Awards. They also boast countless appearances with blues<br />
legends of the past and present, both in recordings and on stage, producing sounds infused with a gritty Chicago style<br />
blended with the drive of early R&B and rock.<br />
Visit themightyflyers.com. — John Sollenberger<br />
Music starts at 8 p.m. Saturday at Arcadia Blues Club, 16 E. Huntington Drive, Arcadia. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door.<br />
Call (626) 447-9349 or visit arcadiabluesclub.com.<br />
<strong>05.09.19</strong> | PASADENA WEEKLY 17
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