1967, Early Publicity photo by Merka
Singer-songwriter Janis Ian appears at the Wilmette Theater on Sunday, December 13th @ 7:00pm. Nashville songwriter Gretchen Peters will open for her and will also perform some songs with Janis. For tickets click here.
We first saw Janis Ian when Leonard Bernstein featured her in a TV special titled Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution. That was in 1967 and Ian was 15 years old at the time. Ian’s song Society’s Child captured teenage angst and the pain of racism. Society’s Child became a big hit, despite the song being banned by some radio stations for “controversial” lyrics (no sex, no drugs, no swearing and still it was considered edgy!). Ian has never shied away from tackling tough subjects in her songwriting, and as you can read in the interview below, she’s always had a radical streak in her.
Don still gets choked up every time he hears At Seventeen. Lately though he’s been enjoying her 2006 release Folk is the New Black.
We spoke to Janis last week and here, basically, is what we said to each other.
You’ve played Chicago before. What are your impressions?
JI: Chicago was the first big city I played after New York. I went to the big SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) convention. In ’67 or ’68. So Chicago is sort of my starting ground and stomping ground. My partner lived there for a while. I’ve got good friends up there. It’ll be fun.
How do you determine your set list for a concert?
JI: By the end of the year, as these are my last shows, I just come on stage with a song list. I know what I’ll open with and I know what I close with. A lot of people leave notes for me on stage asking for particular songs so I try to work those in. It’s pretty free form.
How has your approach to performance changed over the years?
JI: I think I’m a lot looser about. I don’t get nearly as wound up as I used to. I know that they’ll always be another show. I used to get really upset if I thought I did a show that wasn’t really good. Now I know it happens. You just go on.
I try to do my best every night. As big a cliché as that sounds like. I know that the audience is paying and that money right now is tight. So I try to do what I can. But there’s a point where you just relax and you think, ‘well, I’ve got good songs and I’ve got a good voice and I play alright so I hope people like what they see.’
You’ve written something like 400 songs. How has your songwriting changed or evolved in your career?
JI: There’s a lot of them. I don’t keep track any more. But I think I’m a lot pickier. The trouble with being an artist is you always look back and wonder why you don’t write better than that. You never think I write better than such and such. You think why don’t I write as well as such and such.
It’s harder to work on songs now because I know just how bad they can be when they’re bad. I really don’t like turning out anything that’s substandard. It’s easier now in some ways because I don’t have the pressure of a major label insisting that I have enough songs for an album in the next 10 minutes and recorded in the next five. So in essence there’s a lot of pressure off so I get to write when it’s fun to write.
I’ve been listing to your album Folk is the New Black and it sounded like you were having fun.
JI: I had good time with that album. I had two of my favorite musicians in the world Jim Brock and Viktor Krauss in the studio with me. That was great.
You mention in your website that you don’t like talking about the celebrities you’ve known and worked with in 60s and 70s. ( “Yes she did know Jimi. Yes she did know “the other Janis.” Yes she knew a lot of famous dead people. No she does not like talking about them.” from ephemera www.janisian.com. But I’d like to ask you about a session with Mel Torme. You sang Silly Habits.
It was great. It’s Mel Torme! He was a musician’s musician. He was great drummer, a great pianist, a great arranger, a great writer, shoot Chestnuts roasting on an open fire – I’ve never written anything like that, so it was a privilege to meet him and work with him. And to get a Grammy nomination out of it was just icing on the cake. (Grammy nomination 1978: “Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group – Silly Habits” with Mel Torme, from the album Mel Torme & Friends)
What are you listening to today?
JI: Natalia Zukerman. I like Coldplay. Some of Rufus Wainwright’s stuff. Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of YoYo Ma – I’ve been on a classical jag. Pretty much anything that comes my way, I’m lucky that people occasionally send me MP3′s or email me and say “have you heard this?” My fans enjoy turning me on to new music.
Who goes to your concerts; folks from the ’60s or new fans?
JI: It’s a pretty good cross section. 60s and contemporary, kids who only know me because Mean Girls ( 2004, written by Tina Fey) featured At Seventeen and oneof the characters was named Janis Ian. There are kids who come because their teachers have assigned it to them. Just all sorts of reasons.
A few final notes (also from janis.ian.com site):
We are carrying both the autobiography and the accompanying CD set at all shows. Janis stays after every show to meet people & sign autographs, unless stated below. You don’t have to buy anything to say hello!! Amateur audio/video taping of Janis’ show portion is allowed; such tapes may not be sold or exchanged for financial considerations.
"Janis Ian" Mean Girls (played by Lizzy Caplan)
And, from Mean Girls… Janis Ian: There are two kinds of evil people in the world… those who do evil stuff, and those who see evil stuff being done and don’t do anything about it.
I agree with Don. “At Seventeen” was an eye opening hit for me as a Sophmore in high school. Its lyrics still ring true today.
Janis Ian was magnificent. I think it may be the best show we have had to date. She was articulate, an amazing storyteller and her voice and guitar playing were top of the game level. She was also a very magnanimous and wonderful person and spent time talking with us after the show.
from Nili at the Wilmette Theatre