Ani DiFranco WSG Abraham Alexander

Kalamazoo State Theatre  

What To Know Before Attending The Show

• All bags and purses must be under 8″ x 5″ x 2″ – Click for more details

Doors: 6:30pm | Show: 7:30pm

Buy Tickets HERE

Grammy Award winner Ani DiFranco makes her long awaited return to the stage under the stars at the historic Kalamazoo State Theatre October 13, 2022!

Widely considered a feminist icon, Ani DiFranco is the mother of the DIY movement, being one of the first artists to create her own record label in 1990. While she has been known as the “Little Folksinger,” her music has embraced punk, funk, hip hop, jazz, soul, electronica and even more distant sounds. Her collaborators have included everyone from Utah Phillips to legendary R&B saxophonist Maceo Parker to Prince. She has shared stages with Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, Kris Kristofferson, Bon Iver, Brandi Carlile, Billy Bragg, Michael Franti, Chuck D., and many more. Her most recent albums include 2021’s Revolutionary Love and the July 2022 25th Anniversary Edition reissue of her iconic live album Living In Clip, both on her own label Righteous Babe Records. Her memoir No Walls and the Recurring Dream was released in May 2019 by Viking Books, and was a New York Times Top 10 best seller.

Rejecting the major label system has given her significant creative freedom. She has referenced her staunchly-held independence in song more than once, including in “The Million You Never Made” (Not a Pretty Girl), which discusses the act of turning down a lucrative contract, “The Next Big Thing” (Not So Soft), which describes an imagined meeting with a label head-hunter who evaluates the singer based on her looks, and “Napoleon” (Dilate), which sympathizes sarcastically with an unnamed friend who did sign with a label. After recording with Ani in 1999, Prince described the effects of her independence. “We jammed for four hours and she danced the whole time. We had to quit because she wore us out. After being with her, it dawned on me why she’s like that – she’s never had a ceiling over her.”

As an iconic songwriter and social activist, she has been the inspiration for woman artists and entrepreneurs for over two decades. She has been featured on the covers of SPIN, Ms., Relix, High Times, and many others for her music and activism. She is the idol of empowered women who came of age in the 90s and continues to bring younger fans into her fold. From Alice Walker to Amy Schumer, Ani is respected by wordsmiths across milieux and generations. She blazed the trail for self-directed artist careers and has been cited by musicians from Prince to Bon Iver as an inspiration to release their own art outside of the major label system.

Ani has been the recipient of many honors and awards, including a Grammy for best album package (Evolve), the Woman of Courage Award from the National Organization for Women, the Gay/Lesbian American Music Award for Female Artist of the Year, and the Woody Guthrie Award. At the 2013 Winnipeg Folk Festival she received their prestigious Artistic Achievement Award, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Winnipeg. In 2017, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from A2IM (a nonprofit trade organization that represents independent record labels) and the Outstanding Achievement for Global Activism Award from A Global Friendship. In 2021 she was named a Champion for Justice by the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

General Ticket Information:
All seating is reserved for this all-ages event. There’s a 8-ticket limit.

• $25-45
• $1 from each ticket sold will go to Planned Parenthood of Michigan

BUY TICKETS HERE
Buy Skip The Line Tickets HERE
RSVP On Facebook HERE

Skip the line Ticket Information:

Why wait in the elements when you can skip the line?! This is a separate ticket that will grant you expedited entry into the venue. Skip The Line entry is located near the main entrance of the building. Look for VIP / Skip The Line signage or ask a staff member. Present your Skip The Line pass along with your event ticket for expedited entry and to avoid the public lines. THIS IS NOT AN EVENT TICKET.

Security Information:
All patrons are subject to search, pat down, and wanding.  The following items are not allowed in the venue: guns, knives, lasers, tasers, mace, glass items, cameras, selfie sticks, outside food or beverage, no bags over the dimensions of 8 inches wide by 5 inches tall with a width of 2 inches,  and other items that may challenge public safety.  You can view our full list by visiting our frequently asked questions here