Ani DiFranco visits Baton Rouge Friday – Righteous Retreat at Nottoway Plantation cancelled

Ani DiFranco is looking to bounce back from a bit of bad publicity with a live performance in Baton Rouge this weekend.

The singer-songwriter will bring her blend of folk, rock and roots music to The Varsity Friday. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $22.50 online and $25 the day of the show.

DiFranco has made New Orleans her home for the past decade, and she’s got nothing but love for the state.

“I love it here so much, and it sure is nice to be able to play a show, then go home and sleep in my own bed,” she says. “That’s a rare occurrence for me.”

The Grammy winner has released almost 20 studio albums as well as an extensive live catalog. Currently, she says she’s working on a new record. Her Friday show in Baton Rouge and Saturday show in New Orleans will be good prep for upcoming studio time, she says.

“These shows are warm-up dates for a little recording session we have booked,” she says. “We’ll be trying out some of these new tunes I got goin’.”

DiFranco paved her own path in the music industry by releasing music under her label, Righteous Babe. The decision to go independent was hard at first, she says. However, now, she’s glad she stuck with her initial career move.

“The industry has completely transformed around me,” she says. “I don’t even know what the game is anymore. I just plug away, touring and playing live and count on word of mouth to keep me in business.”

That word of mouth is strong with her fans; so strong it made her reconsider some plans for 2014.

DiFranco came under flack from fans this week for scheduling a retreat at Nottoway Plantation in White Castle, La. The “Righteous Retreat” was set for June 2014, featuring guest performers, seminars and a special matinee performance.

The retreat wouldn’t have been the first performance at the plantation. Popular recording artist Todd Rundgren celebrated his 65th birthday with the event, Toddstock II V6.5, in 2013.

However, when around 2,500 fans spoke out and signed a petition against the retreat via Change.org, DiFranco backed out of the performance and wrote a lengthy post on her website about the cancellation.

“When I found out it was to be held at a resort on a former plantation, I thought to myself, ‘whoa’, but I did not imagine or understand that the setting of a plantation would trigger such collective outrage or result in so much high velocity bitterness,” DiFranco wrote. “I imagined instead that the setting would become a participant in the event. This was doubtless to be a gathering of progressive and engaged people, so I imagined a dialogue would emerge organically over the four days about the issue of where we were. I have heard the feedback that it is not my place to go to former plantations and initiate such a dialogue.”

Read DiFranco’s full response here.

Editor’s Note: 225‘s initial interview took place before this week’s controversy. When 225 asked for comment on the cancellation, none was given from DiFranco or her team.