Janis Ian at First Unitarian Saturday

By on April 6, 2011 3:28 pm in Events, Music

Janis Ian, veteran singer-songwriter and five time Grammy nominee who broke onto the pop charts in 1965 with “Society’s Child,” a widely-banned song on the then incendiary topic of interracial romance, and later had her biggest hit with “At Seventeen,” a chronicle of teen angst, will perform as part of the First Acoustics concert series at First Unitarian Church, corner of Pierrepont Street and Monroe Place, this Saturday, April 9, starting at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $30.00 and can be purchased here. Video after the jump.

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  • Mickey

    Steep price for a local concert. I’m sure its a fund raiser but apart from Janis Ian (who hasn’t had a hit in 40+ years) it’s still pretty much an amateur hour.

  • liam

    been to a few of their concerts and i’ll never go again !
    you’re forced to sit through a 40 minute speech by some woman that drones on and on !
    sort of destoys the evening.

  • aleXander

    @Mikey Talent is measured by “hits”?

    Janis Ian has produced a body of work over the decades that is filled with amazing riches in both song writing and singing.

    One of hundreds possible examples:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12bMJUyfkQY

    It is the music industry/media that has failed us all, not the amazing artists that are out there.

    It is a benefit, hence the slightly higher price.

    aleXander

  • Mickey

    I never said that talent is measured by hits, aleXander. Don’t put words in my mouth.

    Hits give singers a proverbial “name” and drive up their appearance fees. Obviously Janis Ian does not have such high fees, so a cover price of $30 is more than a lot of people will be willing to pay for “no-name” talent. Just ask Liam! As a fundraiser, they could probably make a better profit if they kept the price to $20 and attracted more people. That would also give the “talent” more exposure.

  • GHB

    Janis Ian is not a “no name” talent. She’s an extremely talented singer-songwriter/musician who should draw a pretty sizeable audience of boomers. Who cares that she didn’t pump out hits like Madonna or Mariah Carey? This show should be great!

  • Andrew Porter

    I met her at the 2003 World Science Fiction Convention in Toronto; seems she really likes SF. She was in Toronto to get married, which she did in the presence of several SF writers. She has since co-edited several SF anthologies. It’s a small universe.

  • http://Building Jeffrey J Smith

    First, you always need a Gretch 6120….

    Second, well, just listen to Sparkle Moore….

    and you know, theres a nice lady in Washington DC who does this wonderful new song called “come and get it…..”

  • http://www.aleXhirka.com aleXander

    @Micky You still refer to her, based on who knows what out-of-touch criteria, as a “no-name” talent.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janis_ian

    It’ll be a great show.

  • aleXander
  • Mickey

    Alexander: Janis Ian is an amateur folk singer who barely had her fifteen minutes of fame over forty years ago. Now she’s headlining amateur hour at a local church. Anyone paying $30 to go see it thinking otherwise is going to leave very disappointed. That’s not out of touch; that’s reality.

  • David on Middagh

    Wow. Criticizing the talent and prices of a church benefit.
    That’s just… Wow.

  • Mickey

    Sorry if I shocked you, David, but I don’t appreciate being called out-of-touch by some aging hippie. I also don’t believe I said anything untrue.

  • David on Middagh

    @Mickey: You can’t shock me, really; I’ve been on the Internet.

    As for truth, I believe it’s also called the absolute defense to a defamation claim. So if I say that the poster just above me is a soul-sick cave shrimp, I *think* I’m covered.

    But IANAL.

  • AL

    For those of you who have followed this post, Janice Ian played to a packed house and standing ovations last night at First Unitarian. So there, Mickey. We did not miss you.

  • Sad Neighbor

    Fantastic performance…I have been a fan since 1967. Lyrics, melodies are supurb…she’s a true songbird. Natalia Zuckerman was also excellent.
    Janis is a true artist…not like some of the commercial “idols” that you see today.
    She’s too sophisticated for the mainstream … not that there isnn’t great talent there but it comes in different packaging…I’ll take hers.

    The cynics were not missed. As Al said above she played to a full house and got standing ovations.

  • Sad Neighbor

    SAD NEIGHBOR IS A HAPPY NEIGHBOR NOW…BTW.

    LOVED JANIS AND NATALIA AND I DON’T THINK THE MONEY WAS STEEP AT ALL.

  • Demonter

    Happy that the performance was a success. Janis Ian was always a wonderful performer and lyricist.

  • Tony

    What is it with the disgruntled curmudgeons of Brooklyn Heights these day? Mickey – it wasn’t a benefit. First Acoustics has been producing concerts at the church for a few years. It is a first rate program, not all to my taste, but I’ve seen many great performances there. You might not heard of the Kennedys, Red Molly or Tom Rush, but they’ve all put on excellent shows in recent months. Janice Ian and Natalia Z. were super on Saturday. It’s nothing to do with hits (although Ian’s had at least 3), but fine music. Check it out.