Ani DiFranco

Profile

A pioneer of the do-it-yourself ethos in an era of major-label-promoted, ultracommercial acts (especially during the nineties), DiFranco continues to inspire legions of strong-minded fans with her brash, openly political lyrics and rootsy, idiosyncratic sound. A slew of canceled dates in the past few years have led to speculations of health trouble, but more recent performances have proved that she's still at the top of her trash-talking, furious, convention-bucking game. — Sara Cardace