Two female music innovators come to Chicago this weekend — Ani DiFranco plays Saturday at the Auditorium Theatre and Sinead O’Connor Sunday at Symphony Center. On the Town spoke with both singer-songwriter-revolutionaries; here’s a little of what they had to say.
For more from the duo, please see page 16.
Ani DiFranco
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Tribune: Sinead O’Connor performs the night after you do, just a few blocks away. What influence has she had on your music?
DiFranco: In the early days when she was busting out with “The Lion and the Cobra,” those were seismic records for young women. She was defiant — there she was with no hair — and I was a shaved-headed, jackbooted girl myself. It was a way we discovered of rebelling against a patriarchal society. So bless her!
Tribune: Sinead sings about God and faith on her new disc, a subject you’ve also addressed. Where do you come from as a person of faith?
DiFranco: I’ve used the word God in my songs from the beginning, but usually I’m talking about a cultural symbol, not the Jesus I’ve taken into my heart or met personally. … My own concept of God is this energy related to nature that cannot be created or destroyed. We are all animals and I see myself as an animal in this world of impermanence.
Fiery folk pathfinder When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Pkwy.
Price: $37.50; 312-559-1212 or www.ticketmaster.com
Sinead O’Connor
Tribune: Ani DiFranco performs the night before you do, just a few blocks away. She cites you as a trailblazer. What’s your opinion of her?
O’Connor: I’m not familiar with lots of her music, but I am familiar with how she’s been very independent with putting out her records. I love her voice, I love her art, I love what she does. She’s a real inspiration. I’ve never talked with anyone who’s releasing records outside of major labels without her name coming up.
Tribune: What’s that scraping noise in the background?
O’Connor: I’m grating up ginger. It’s ginger and honey and lemon and hot water. It gets all of the [gunk] out of your throat. I used to have minions doing that when I was a rock star.
Faith in music, music in faith
When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday
Where: Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.
Price: $30-$50; 312-559-1212 or www.ticketmaster.com