Some artists reflect the world with razor-sharp clarity, dissecting politics and society with surgical precision to reveal the hidden layers behind world events. Others invite us deep into their inner worlds, articulating emotions we didn’t know we shared. Only a selected few can truly do both and Ani DiFranco is certainly one of them.
Currently touring Europe in support of her latest album Unprecedented Sh!t, DiFranco kicked off this leg of the tour at the Royal Albert Hall, joined by longtime friend and former mentee Anaïs Mitchell. For the remainder of the tour, including tonight’s show, support comes from Gracie and Rachel, whose recent single “WTF” was released just last week on DiFranco’s own Righteous Babe Records.
The Roman stop of the tour takes place at Casa del Jazz, nestled in a 17th-century villa by the ancient city walls. It’s a warm summer evening, and as the sun sets over the courtyard, the atmosphere is serene. Gracie and Rachel take the stage as the sky turns golden. Gracie Coates, on piano and vocals, and Rachel Ruggles, on violin, percussions, vocals, deliver a rich, and vivid performance mixing catchy vocals with elegant harmonies.
At 9:30 PM, Ani DiFranco walks onstage with her band: longtime bassist Todd Sickafoose, Jharis Yokley on drums, and Eric Heywood on pedal steel and guitar. The set opens with “Still My Heart,” a mantra to paying attention to the “things that don’t suck” in life urging presence and peace amidst chaos. Next comes “Do or Die,” her 2020 call to political action through voting, dedicated tonight to protestors in the U.S. rallying under the “No Kings” banner.
The evening’s setlist artfully blends new material with fan favorites. DiFranco seamlessly bridges the decades. A standout moment arrives with her rendition of “Why We Build The Wall,” a haunting piece from Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown, in which DiFranco herself recently appeared on Broadway as Persephone. The song feels urgent, a reminder of what happens when barriers are built: war, displacement, dehumanization and genocide.
Later, Gracie and Rachel return to the stage for a powerful rendition of Woodie Guthrie’s “You Fascists Bound to Lose” — a timeless and poignant protest song that becomes a powerful declaration in DiFranco’s hands. In a city and in a country with a problematic past and which is seeing the rise of the far right, this song resonates deeply.
One of the evening’s emotional pinnacles is “Simultaneously,” a song that captures the duality at the core of DiFranco’s songwriting: the external world that she defines “full of violence, oppression and disrespect” and her inner one where everyone is free and interconnected. This tension permeates the night’s setlist, particularly in the back-to-back performances of “The Knowing” and “Baby Roe” — songs that tackle self-identity and reproductive rights, respectively.
Over her four-decades long career, DiFranco’s sound has evolved dramatically — from the raw, aggressive strumming of the ’90s, to intricate fingerpicking, somber jazzy inflections, and most recently, the gritty distortions on Unprecedented Sh!t, produced by B.J. Burton. Tonight, her musical journey is on full display: from classics like “Joyful Girl“ to deeper cuts like “You Had Time,” from the groovy “Shy” to the unrelenting “Shameless,” which closes the main set.
But the crowd isn’t ready to let go. As the band exits, the fans get off theis seats and flock to the bottom of the stage, calling for more. The band returns for an encore, rallying up the crowd with the energetic “Worthy” before closing the night with the beloved “32 Flavors.” As the final vocalizations echo through the courtyard, the audience joins in, with their voices rising together in a moment that is deeply emotional, empowering and unifying — a perfect reflection of what Ani DiFranco stands for.
The tour continues across Europe: Ferrara (15/06), Utrecht (17/06); Dusseldorf (18/06); Berlin (19/06); Dublin (22/06); Gateshead (24/06); Glasgow (25/06) and Cardiff (29/06) including a stop at the Glastonbury Festival on June 27th.
Ani DiFranco will also be touring through the U.S. in August and September: Deerfield, MA (08/27); Accord, NY (08/28); Shelburne, VT (08/30); Buffalo, NY (08/31); Columbus, OH (09/02); Cincinnati, OH (09/03); Evanston, IL (09/05); Madison, WI (09/06); West Des Moines, IA (09/07); Fort Collins, CO (09/09); Boulder, CO (09/10 – 09/11); Abiquiu, NM (09/12) and San Diego, CA (09/14). Catch her on tour!
GALLERY: Ani DiFranco at Casa Del Jazz in Rome, Italy (June 14, 2025)
