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Between the Lines with Janis Ian |
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| by Sherri Rase | |
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A FRIEND |
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photo courtesy of www.JanisIan.com
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Janis Ian
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"From Me To You" rang out with purpose from the stage at the Ciccone Theatre in Paramus, New Jersey on November 19. Janis Ian's performance was the crowning jewel in the diadem of GLBT Awareness Week at Bergen Community College and the audience sat rapt, listening to the lyrics of the Voice of Innocence sung by the Voice of Experience.
Janis Ian burst onto the folk scene when she was a few years younger than many of the students who came to her concert on Thursday, and a few years older when "Between the Lines" emerged as the mature writing of a woman who had seen more of the world at 25 than many who were twice her age, and her opening song was both a celebration and a warning, advice to be true to yourself despite the well-intentioned advice people use to pave the road to hell. "Society's Child," the song that put Ian on the map, and took an Atlanta radio station off the map with arson just for playing it, provided a poignant reminder that prejudice remains alive and well, even after decades of change.
The set list included sparkling wonders like "When I Lay Down," a baptism song, and there are many ways we're baptized-water, fire, life. It's a work from a more recent album, "Billie's Bones," and so clearly resonates perspective the way "Stolen Fire," the song following, resonates disbelief and pain at discovered infidelity. A great story about the genesis of "Silly Habits" and her work with Mel Tormé, and then performing the song, set the stage for Ian to poke a little fun at herself in her song "My Autobiography." Considering the book "Society's Child" itself was on sale in the lobby, it was doubly ironic. Ian closed her Act One with the lovely song for her mother, "I Hear You Sing Again," invoking Pearl's presence and the soul who gave Ian her music.
After a quick change, from black guitar to natural, and brown jeans, hot coral blouse and herringbone vest to a more somber black jeans and black blouse, Ian was back. During intermission, I had a chance to scan the audience-and what a tapestry of people! Students, adults of all ages, and even a toddler, who sort of chimed in with the show, were all there to reminisce or learn anew the power of the troubadour. Ian's change of spectacles, as well, signaled something different was to come.
Act Two kicked off with "Jesse" which had two beginnings. Everyone has a cellphone these days, and Ian had just sung the first word, when someone's phone rang. Ian deadpanned slowly "That had better be for ME" and then began again. We need to invent a dead zone for cellphones in theatres to forestall this kind of thing. Fortunately, the rapport had already been developed earlier and Ian had quipped, "I'm too short to be a diva"...thank goodness!
Ian then asked our indulgence, as she wanted to do an "Old English Folk Song." She then began an interesting, yet more modern than Old English song, which turned out to be a variation on the Beatles' "Love Me Do." Ian then embarked on a bluesy, sassy virtuoso theme and variation fantasia. Let's just say if you were a smoker and a guitar player, you would have needed a cigarette!
"Between the Lines" was released in 1975 and sent ripples through people's lives for many years afterward. Ian next did a triptych of songs consisting of "Light a Light," "Tea and Sympathy," and "Watercolors," which flowed and rang with newer phrasing and newer passion than what we were all familiar with. "Watercolors" especially had some spark and fire to it, and yet some resignation, as Ian said, there are some incidents in life so painful, that it's only years later that we look back and wince, yet feel we can move on.
A nice lift to the somber mood came from Ian's anecdote about her and her partner, Pat, getting married in Toronto a few years ago. The recounting wrapped the audience in the combined experience of Janis and Pat shopping for wedding clothes, and encountering wonderful support and well wishes from every one they met-in Canada. And when they returned home after basking in-well-normalcy, they were once again legal strangers. "Married in London" is a tongue-in-cheek tour of the world as seen through the eyes of marriage equality, where it's legal in Spain, but in the US, the happy couple is a threat to national security! As New Jersey hopes to add itself to the meager list of five states where couples may be happy, this song is particularly relevant.
Finally the evening was drawing to a close and the dulcet strains of "At Seventeen" floated above the audience, the woman behind me lightly singing along. The non-echo susurration through the theatre led me to believe others were singing lightly as well and then, purposefully again, Ian strode off the stage in her million dollar cowboy boots (check www.JanisIan.com for more information). Of course the thunder of applause brought her back for, first, "In the Winter." Visceral passion and fresh interpretation, brought to life, and I sat back for a moment-this is the post-Modern version of the age-old story of spurned love and the words are mine and yours and all of ours. And then Ian brought us all further together with her second encore, with audience participation on the choruses of "I've Got You, Babe!" This was the perfect way to sign off the love letter that began "From Me to You."
Always gracious, Ian signed and chatted until every last person had had a chance to get the firm handshake and the smile that you feel is just for you, heart to heart. And you know, it is.
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| FEATURED HOME FOR SALE |
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MORE FIRE ISLAND HOMES FOR SALE & RENT AT:
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