DiFranco connects with crowd

Representing Ani DiFranco's record label Righteous Babe, images of tough and muscular women were projected onto the curtain Tuesday evening at the Murat Theater. The images not only filled the stage before the opening act Hammell on Trial, but also established the mood of the evening -- a celebration of DiFranco's pride in being a woman.\nWhen Hammell on Trial took the stage, the audience roared, and that sound grew louder throughout his set. Ed Hammell stood on stage with his acoustic guitar and joked with the audience about all the people in the front two rows being gone, only to come in late and flaunt their seats to the rest of the crowd. \nHammell on Trial in no way fits the singer/songwriter stereotype, much less that of an opening act. The sounds that came out of Hammell's guitar were surprisingly full, loud and aggressive for a little wooden instrument, with his comical and satirical lyrics completing the package. He got the audience laughing and chanting with his songs. DiFranco, who has toured with Hammell before, came out to sing backup on one of his softer songs. He ended his set powerfully, breaking a string from his furious strumming. The crowd was warmed up and anxious to hear DiFranco herself. \nDiFranco's set with her band lasted an hour and a half, with deafening cheering and screaming between each song. DiFranco's stage presence is unparalleled in energy and honesty, from her electrifying guitar to her unique laugh. Besides using numerous guitars, DiFranco engaged her audience with a few stories.\n"This is the fifth time we've played here," DiFranco said. "The first time we played, we played in that room downstairs, and all day long there had been something going on with girls in sequined outfits."\nA two-man small brass section, a keyboard player, a bass player who switched between stand-up and electric bass, and a drummer shared the stage with DiFranco, filling out the sound. The brass gave many of the songs jazzy overtones, especially the songs from her latest album, Revelling/Reckoning. Almost half the set featured songs from this release, and the other half included favorites such as "Shameless" and "Tis of Thee." DiFranco performed some of her spoken poetry, which resonated with a beatnik feel against the music. \nHalfway through the set, DiFranco announced it was an important day.\n"It happens to be a very special day for me, we, us, it … It's the day I came out," DiFranco said, and danced in her platform shoes to the cheers of the crowd, stirring them up. \nDiFranco never stood still, with her dread-locked hair wrapped in a colorful scarf. By the end of the set, the energy increased to such a level that she took the scarf out of her hair to reveal the dreads that hung to her waist. \nAfter the band left the stage, the audience felt unsatisfied and screamed for more. The band ran back on stage and obliged, playing a two song encore that was still not enough for the tireless and devoted fans.