Berkeley Community Theater, Berkeley, CA 31st October 1997

Setlist Photos Tape SETLIST PHOTOS YES

Ken's review

Well, it's All Hallows Eve, and I've just come back home from Ani's Berkeley show. This is the fourth time I've seen Ani, but it's been something like a year since the last time. This was by far the best Ani concert experience I've had. A lot of things contributed to that: the sound system somehow managed to be perfect, crystal clear and not overamped. Unlike last year's Berkeley crowd, this one was a bit older and more considerate... people weren't squealing and storming the front of the auditorium. We were making noise and dancing which is cool, it's just that there weren't things like last year's impromptu and totally stupid mosh session.

But most of all, it was Ani. She was in a good mood (either that or she's great at faking it for the crowd) and she told some kickass stories. Her renditions of older songs (Gratitude, Fixing Her Hair, Anticipate) were awesome! I even rocked out a little to Letter To a John, which is just about my least favorite of her songs. In fact, she just sounded great all night -- better than she did last year. She played very little from Dilate, just Napoleon and Shameless. Fine with me. It was good to hear her doing different material, new and old.

I'll leave the setlist to someone else. Ani may not be able to remember all her songs on request, but I can't even remember her song list right after a show. ;)

A couple of her stories: earlier today, she was bicycling around town and she realized she was lost! ("Somewhere in Berkeley, or Oakland, or San Jose...") She wasn't sure what the name of her venue was, just that it was a big high school auditorium near a park. ;) So she wound up standing at some corner asking people how to get to the big high school near the park. She ended up in this little group of people all being nice and trying to help. A little helpful multi-racial gathering on the corner. ("We looked like a public service announcement!") Amazingly enough, someone gave her good directions, and as she pedaled off, an old woman walking down the sidewalk called out to her "Happy Halloween!" It was happy-day in Berkeley for Ani.

The other story I recall -- she was at the venue (a high school) during the day when students were still around. She was just getting ready to leave a restroom stall, when two girls walked in, one of them saying, "So, are you going to the Annie DeeFrahnco show tonight?" Of course, now Ani couldn't very well step out of the stall. It was like a half hour wait while the girls did their makeup, Ani thinking to herself all the time, "please don't talk about me!" Turns out neither of them were planning on going to the show, which is why Ani could tell the story. Apparently they didn't say anything mean. ;)

There was a third story about the pope reciting Bob Dylan lyrics, but I'll see if anyone else wants to tell that. I am babbling. :)

Oh yeah, and Ani, Jason, and Andy were dressed appropriately freakylike. And coming home from the concert, a black cat stopped and watched me walk up the stairs.

It's been a great Halloween.

Ken