Exile In Babeville

Today marks the ten-year anniversary of one of the most treasured days in my fandom adventures. After quitting my job in Hawaii in 2010, I set out on tour with Cowboy Junkies to see North America and mentally reset my world. The tour stretched from Maine to Arizona with a lot of stops in-between including Bethel, NY where I walked the hill where Woodstock unfolded. However, it is Buffalo, NY that remains my fondest memory on the tour.

Reaching college in 1991, I was bursting with energy having left home to finally enter the “real” world I had watched on MTV for the previous decade. I was ready for the models dancing on Jaguars! Guess what, that doesn’t happen in the real world. I did manage to stumble into a volunteer position working shows at Florida State University and one day, someone handed me an Ani DiFranco CD. My worldview was fundamentally changed by the words she sang and she became the soundtrack on my walk from boy to man.

Rather than sign a major label record deal that promised millions, DiFranco decided to start her own label in 1990 and Righteous Babe Records continues to this day. DiFranco is an icon to many and a powerful activist working tirelessly for the progressive agenda. So, when I saw the tour itinerary included a visit to Babeville, the converted church that houses DiFranco’s record label and concert space, I was over the moon.

A few weeks before the tour reached Babeville, I reached out and was quickly invited by to see what DiFranco calls “a people-friendly, sub-corporate, woman-informed, queer-happy small business that puts music before rock stardom and ideology before profit.” I arrived with a box of cookies and a smile. I was at ground-zero for the artist who helped me grow into the imperfectly happy person I am today!

Spending the afternoon on a couch in the label’s lounge while their pet rabbit watched me suspiciously was as relaxed as I’ve ever been. That night, Cowboy Junkies performed on the Babeville stage to a raucous audience and then I drove 290 miles through the night to reach the next couch I could crash on. Just like that, my Righteous Babe experience was over but Ani’s music remains with me whenever I need a jolt of inspiration to be a better person or to fight for positive change.

I might have forgotten about this anniversary but I was scrolling the socials today and saw Ani has launched her own online radio station! So, I headed over to Righteous Babe Radio and tuned in. Soundboard recordings that have never been released share space with an eclectic mix of her studio classics. Next Monday, I will be out of work for the foreseeable future and having Righteous Babe Radio streaming each day will help ease the anxiety.