Ani DiFranco (Righteous Babe Records/Charles Waldorf)
Beacon was expecting to welcome singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco to the Towne Crier Café on Sunday night with a sell-out crowd of fans who paid $55 or more to see her.
The Towne Crier gang just got out the word that Bufalo’s Righteous Babe, whose last show was Saturday night at the Suffolk Theater in Riverhead on Long Island, has lost her voice as a result of illness and won’t be appearing in Beacon tonight. The Town Crier promises to announce a makeup date “in the next few days.”
The club broke the disappointing news by email, and is offering discounts to patrons who are willing to visit the café for just a meal instead of dinner and show:
We were expecting a full house for the Ani DiFranco show tonight. But (as we’ve already informed you if you’re a ticket holder) she’s lost her voice due to illness and has to reschedule. New date is TBA. We’ll let you know ASAP.
Not only are we (like you) disappointed, we have a cooler full of food to prepare for the full house we were expecting. So tonight only, we’re offering all dinner guests 20% off their total bill. Tell your server the code phrase: “Get well, Ani.” Come on down—no reservation necessary. Spread the word!
If you wanted to check out DeFranco in an intimate venue, keep an eye on the Towne Crier website. Undoubtedly at least some ticketholders will be unable to make it to see DiFranco when the show gets rescheduled. I haven’t been to the new Towne Crier yet, but I’m betting it would be hard to beat as a place to see and hear a dynamic performer with a national following like DiFranco.
DiFranco tours fairly heavily, with 18 shows before the end of March listed on her website.
It’s unclear what’s ailing DiFranco. As of this writing, there’s nothing specifi on her website, Twitter, or Facebook accounts other than a cancellation notice.
At least one Twitter user says she put on a “great show” on Saturday night.
#Great show tonight by @anidifranco @Suffolk_Theater #livemusic #eastend #LongIsland #Riverhead #RighteousBabe pic.twitter.com/QbeBEunBFR
— Brett Levine (@BretLevine) January 25, 2015
Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone? 