(PITTSFIELD, Mass.) – Folk-rock singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco performs at the Colonial Theatre on Wednesday, November 9, 2011, at 7:30 pm. Singer-songwriter Melissa Ferrick will warm up the crowd for DiFranco, who gave a triumphant concert at the restored theater in April 2009. (Read Seth Rogovoy’s review of that concert here.)

Ani DiFranco has written hundreds of songs, played thousands of shows, captured the imaginations of legions of followers and jammed with folkies, orchestras, rappers, rock and roll hall-of-famers, jazz musicians, poets, pop superstars, storytellers and a martial arts legend. She has “fixed up a few old buildings” and minimized her carbon footprint before it was trendy – from installing a geothermal heating and cooling system in the renovated church that her label calls home to using organic inks on all the t-shirts she sells. But nothing she’s done in her 18-year career has garnered more attention than her now legendary business decision.

Indeed, the term DIY (do-it-yourself) could well have been invented for DiFranco. Since DiFranco bucked the major label system in the early 1990s, opting to release her music on her own terms, the self-described Little Folksinger has been the subject of all kinds of hyperbole. Since creating Righteous Babe Records, she’s been called “fiercely independent” by Rolling Stone, “inspirational” by All Music Guide and “the ultimate do-it-yourself songwriter” by the New York Times.

Melissa Ferrick is a Massachusetts native who studied music at Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory. In her early career, after touring with Morrissey, playing concerts in New York and releasing a few albums, Melissa Ferrick, like DiFranco, chose to create her own record label, Right On Records. Since the creation of Right On Records her success has been bolstered by her loyal fans, word of mouth and reviews in alternative press. She has released fifteen albums in total, toured extensively and played many festivals opening for the likes of the Indigo Girls and DiFranco.

Tickets for the Ani DiFranco concert are $20-$55 and VIP tickets are $60. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street or by calling (413) 997-4444 or online at www.TheColonialTheatre.org. The Ticket Office is open Monday-Friday 10am–5pm, Saturdays 10am–2pm or on any performance day from 10am until intermission.