Concert review

Ani DiFranco made her first appearance Friday on the stage of the McDonald Theatre about halfway through opener Greg Brown’s song “Lord I Have Made You a Place in My Heart.” She walked on, guitarless and dreadlocked, sang with Brown, dilated the crowd’s energy and then walked off to let Brown finish his short set.
Brown wasn’t the first opener of the night. Folk-singer Toshi Regan began the show as an unannounced guest. Her words and demeanor created an instant camaraderie with the sold-out crowd, which was largely young and mixed between female and male.
When DiFranco finally made it to the stage with a guitar, she opened with “Shy” and played other songs from her wide repertoire, including “Your Next Bold Move” and “Names And Dates And Times.” She debuted significant new material, as well as songs that have yet to be released — “Phase” and “2nd Intermission.” Her guitar playing was nearly flawless, much improved over recent solo performances.
The stage was decorated by numerous light changes. The transitions were especially effective, changing from colors such as soft magenta to electric blue, depending on the mood each song dictated. During one song break, one man yelled out “We could touch our girl cheeks” to the singer (a reference to her song “The Whole Night” from her 1991 album “Not So Soft”). Fans also threw gifts at the stage, including notes — one of which DiFranco read aloud — and what appeared to be joints.

Memorable of the new material was a long, jazzy number which started with some guitar explorations and “Evolve,” which could be a future crowd favorite once it gets released on a record.
After saying she was behind on her record-making because of the events of the last few years, DiFranco responded to an audience question and announced she was in the midst of working on a new studio album, recorded with a band, which should be released next spring.
For the encore, stage hands brought out three microphones. DiFranco, Regan –with drums — and Brown reappeared to do a lyrically free-flowing version of “Every State Line.”
The concert’s atmosphere was intimate. Fans said “excuse me” to one another as they pushed toward the front of the stage. Friends and lovers held each other as they reveled in DiFranco’s presence.
The show didn’t hit a single snag, and it worked largely because DiFranco presented herself as she always does: raw, open and pretense-free. Clad in a tanktop and wrinkled gray pants, she connected with the audience on a level that few artists achieve.
A quirky juxtaposition of childishness and strength, DiFranco wasn’t simply perched on the stage performing for the audience. She might as well have been sitting in the middle of the crowd, because she was playing with her fans.