Janis Ian

Janis Ian recently announced she was retiring from writing, and is now out on her final North American tour.

We saw her last night at The Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood, NJ, and she was phenomenal: I don't know that I've ever been in a audience so enraptured, enthralled, silent, and breathless. She Who Must Be Obeyed is lobbying hard to see her again.

Opening was Tom Chapin, followed by Livingston Taylor, and all three reunited for the next-to-last number, her "Better Times Will Come".

Here's a good interview with her from March on World Café:



Her latest (and last, according her) album, The Light At The End Of The Line, pulls no punches as a example of politically-charged folk song creation. Whether you agree or disagree with her politics, it is worth a listen.

More info on her tour dates here:

Starting in my youth (late teen-years), I had a incredibly destructive, volatile, teeth and nails, matches-and-gasoline relationship with an impossibly good-looking and impossibly high-maintenance older woman who was a professional dancer. The relationship lasted almost fourteen chaotic, toxic, and depressing years. It was very much like living in Taylor Swift's Blank Space video. It all took the fun out of dysfunctional. When she finally dumped me, my life gained some clarity and focus. I then became a late bloomer academically and professionally. She then spent several years trying to disrupt and destroy any new relationship I was trying to start, almost stalking me. Anyway, she was a huge Janis Ian fan - Ian's albums always in heavy rotation on my turntable during our time together.

It is unfair to Ms. Ian, but I have never been able to listen to her again. Ms. Ian is for me like Pavlov's unconditioned stimuli were for his dogs - her voice producing physiological distress merely by association.



Sorry, Janis.

"At Seventeen" came out when I was in high school, when I was that age. Huge radio play. Although my reaction is not as bad as it is for "American Pie", I can't listen to it anymore.

walrus

never heard of her before, so thanks for the link to her website...
congrats on a long prolific career.