A bitchin' good time

n October 1999, hundreds of eager fans packed the IU Auditorium to see indie folk singer Ani DiFranco. They were happily surprised by the unique talent of her opener, Stephen Smith. As DiFranco returns to the auditorium again Saturday, she brings with her a likewise impressive opening act: the Brooklyn-based duo Bitch and Animal. \nOn the heels of their second studio recording, Eternally Hard, Bitch and Animal are accompanying DiFranco across the country, spreading their own variety of feminist, beat poetry funk. \nBitch and Animal met in their teens in Chicago, where they both attended college. \n"(Animal) was this crazy chic with a shaved head and a drum," Bitch remembers.\nIn the midst of a long walk and a mushroom trip, Animal convinced Bitch to bring out her fiddle. That night, the two women began making music together but did not officially become Bitch and Animal until three years later. \nAccording to the duo's press release, "Bitch was spawned from a bitch-fest of outspoken artists like Valerie Solanas, Toni Morrison, Ani DiFranco, Sapphire, Adrienne Rich and Nikki Giovanni. Animal emerged from a wild sex party involving Kafka, Dostoyevsky, T.S. Eliot, Laurie Anderson, Cecil Taylor, Morrissey, Carole King, Barry Manilow, Max Roach and of course a few of the Muppets."\nTheir music reflects this eclectic mix of influences. Prior to their meeting and the formation of the band, neither had considered pursuing music professionally. Shortly after the duo formed, a mutual friend asked them to perform at a folk festival in Detroit. That festival marked their first official gig, which prompted both women to put in their notice at work and take off to New York to pursue music as a career.\n"We always knew what it was eventually going to be," Bitch says. "It was hard living in way-south Brooklyn, but we knew it was right, so the soul of it wasn't hard." \nTheir next step was to bring their music to the public. In the do-it-yourself tradition of such artists as DiFranco, Bitch and Animal released their first album, Pussy Manifesto, in the fall of 1998. This recording embodies the soul of the band's music, which they tout as "a spread-it-yourself rebellion born inside the eggs of us all."\nBitch describes their music as both "tribal titty hoedown funk poetry" and "think TLC meets Laurie Anderson making out with They Might Be Giants." It is a distinctive mix of folk, pop, rap and funk mixed in with spoken-word lyrics. The content of their songs ranges from personal anecdotes to political commentary, breaking down stereotypes and crossing gender barriers. \n"They're free spirits, and I think that Bloomington is a pretty free, liberal town," says senior Andy Proctor, Union Board concerts director. "I think there's a lot of people who will have the same mind-set and appreciate their music."\nThe duo play 10 instruments combined, with Bitch on electric fiddle and bass, and Animal tacking the ukulele, drums and other percussion. Their second album was released by DiFranco's label Righteous Babe Records on Sept. 11. Bitch and Animal had just returned home to Brooklyn from a tour on the day that the record was released and the terrorist attacks occurred. \n"Animal was stuck in the city," Bitch says. "She was calling me frantically. It was like we'd all been through this amazing thing together. We're 10 steps closer."\nNot only did Righteous Babe Records back Eternally Hard, but DiFranco herself produced half the tracks on the album, a collaboration that Bitch says she felt confident about because of their similar backgrounds.\n"We've been able to tap into that resource of (Ani DiFranco) while she was (making music)," Bitch says. "She has inspired both Animal and me for years … She has been a role model for us in the way that she did things. When we went out on our first tour, we knew that it was possible because of her."\nDiFranco gave them confidence to make music, and they say their relationship is representative of the large network of artistic support they have established since their first, independent release.\n"The greatest thing is having other people who care. When we were doing it on our own, it was just Animal and me," Bitch says. "Now we have a family with us, helping us on our way. It's so nice to have someone else looking out for you."\nThe artistic collaboration between Bitch and Animal and DiFranco is not only evident on their studio albums, but also during their live performances, which the duo is looking forward to demonstrating at Saturday's show.\n"Animal and me are total performers. The energy we get when we get in front of an audience is hard to capture when we do not have people in front of us," Bitch says. "There is an eternal challenge in making a record and figuring out how to make it real when there are not 100 screaming people in front of you. \n"I love being on tour. Sometimes I just want to go home and do nothing, but we all get like that. We have a bus now, which makes things a little more relaxing. It's a little slice of comfort."\nBitch and Animal's extensive touring schedule is evidence of their love for live performance. They spent most of 1999 out on the road, playing to audiences on both coasts and in Europe. Some of this touring time was spent with DiFranco and other members of the Righteous Babe team. From this collaboration was born the tour that brings DiFranco and Bitch and Animal to Bloomington, a show that many local fans are excitedly awaiting. \n"IU is one of the few colleges Ani is doing on the fall tour," Proctor says. "There are lots of people who still want to see her and appreciate her music. She fits well with Bloomington." \nBut people will also want to catch Bitch and Animal because, according to their press release, "Bitch and Animal will bend yer head, and their words will follow you to bed. Because it's not just a band, it's an attitude"