Her album “Diamonds and Rust” was released in 1975 near the end of her singing career. Majority of her recognition before said album was solely focused toward either her covers or interpretations of other musicians’ songs. Which, were predominantly men. While this album also contains many renditions of different artists’ songs, Baez begins to focus on her own songwriting and what her voice can say that others cannot.

Baez worked closely with Bob Dylan throughout their romantic relationship that spanned throughout the first half of the 1960’s. The only album I have of hers is a compilation of the different songs she covered of Dylan’s. Baez didn’t start to delve into her own sound and singing her own words until she released “Diamonds and Rust,” which became the main reason it was placed on National Public Radio’s (NPR) list of 150 best women-led albums.

I haven’t listened to any music that Baez wrote on her own and I don’t know much about her personality; however, I do know that she changed the 60’s with her voice and her activism. I also know that Jenny from Forrest Gump wanted to be just like her and that she performed at Woodstock along with many other amazing and influential artists.

Joan Baez spent a good portion of her life trying to make the world a better place through her music. She performed the civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome” at the March on Washington in 1963. She also sang the same song at the Free Speech Movement protests at the University of California, Berkeley, which took place the following year.

She participated in the Selma to Montgomery marches which advocated for the right of African-American’s to vote in 1965; the year after she founded the Institute for the Study of Nonviolence. She participated in numerous anti-Vietnam war protests, such as a free concert at the Washington Monument, which drew 30,000 people. While traveling to Vietnam as part of a peace delegation, she was caught in the “Christmas Bombing,” an eleven-day bombing of Hanoi in Northern Vietnam.

Baez has remained an activist up into the 21st century, speaking out for LGBT+ rights, against the death penalty and false incarceration, and against the United States’ invasion of Iraq. She wasn’t afraid to use her voice to change lives for people across the world or in the United States. She is respectable and strong and I admire the brave things she has dedicated her life to doing.

From the first track of “Diamonds and Rust,” her voice steals the song away. Even though the song is a little overpowered by the instrumentals, her voice permeates other sounds that layered on top of it. Since Baez initially built her career covering other artists’ music, it is only natural that her voice has stood out in a successful manner. There’s something about the lyric, “the Madonna was yours for free,” that gives me chills.

The meaning of “Diamonds and Rust” centers around Joan Baez’s relationship with Bob Dylan. The song narrates her feelings and memories as Dylan calls her about ten years after the events later sung about occurred. The song has a much more bittersweet undertone once I listen to it again with that knowledge. It is beautiful.

The next song Baez wrote for her own album doesn’t appear until about halfway through the album itself. “Children and All The Jazz” is really overwhelming to me. It doesn’t fit my tastes as much as the rest of her own songs, mainly because it doesn’t feature her amazing vocals.

“Winds of the Old Days” comes a few song later and it suits my own pace much more. It gives off the feeling of floating away and letting the past be over. Something very nostalgic comes from this song. There are some lyrics of her’s that really stand out from this track, such as, “Unguarded fantasies flying too far, memories tumbling like sweets from a jar.” Which, comes before “the winds of the old days will blow through my hair.”

The second to last song, “Didi,” is a duet between Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell concerning how the world got so lucky. I love this song despite the lack of actual lyrics and deep emotional reaction since it’s sole purpose is to showcase their beautiful voices.

The other songs on this album are covers by artists such as Bob Dylan (of course), Janis Ian, Stevie Wonder, John Prine and many others. They also sound absolutely amazing and I can definitely understand why the claim to her fame before her own songwriting was interpreting songs that weren’t her own. Her voice is enough to make anything about ten million times more meaningful and emotional.

My favorite tunes of these are her medley of “I Dream of Jeannie/Danny Boy” and “Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer.”

Something I want to start doing at the end of each “Stella” article is hyping up another powerful woman (in music or otherwise) that didn’t get a top-150-of list. This will be an amazing way to discuss even more women of different professions and walks of life that otherwise might not get as much recognition.

This week, that woman is Jen Kirkman, a comedian and writer that I’ve admired since I saw her stand up at last year’s Witching Hour Festival in Iowa (read my review of the event here). I anxiously await the newest episode of her podcast called “I Seem Fun” each week because her commentary on the world, politics, and the teeny tiny struggles of daily life makes me feel real again. Her Netflix specials are also hilarious, particularly “I’m Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine).” I highly recommend watching or listening to her to treat your life.

Go ahead and listen to “Diamonds and Rust” on YouTube or Spotify below!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL40NQEtnq_AIwuM1AHn7ToUq769LQUB7t

Stella is a column surrounding analysis and appreciation of the 150 albums chosen by NPR as the best created by women thus far. Each week I choose an album from this list I’ve been wanting to listen to that either peaks my interest or seems like an essential thing to listen to and write about. The column’s goal is to provide female identifying readers with the empowerment that can only be obtained through a badass woman and her amazing music.

The post Stella: “Diamonds and Rust” by Joan Baez appeared first on KRUI Radio.

I had heard of Jen Kirkman for the first time about a year ago through a friend. We watched her Netflix special, I’m Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine), and laughed almost every thirty seconds. She thought the way I thought but she said what she was thinking out loud and that was fantastic.

Before Kirkman arrived on stage, an opener named Fran Hoepfner gave a short 15-minute-long show for the audience. I thought that she was a good warm up for the audience to see what Jen Kirkman would be like. She focused on stories about stalking exes on social media and coming up with new titles for the movie Now You See Me 2 because what an uncreative title! She has the same type of comedic voice that Kirkman has, which made her a really great choice for an opener.

I knew ahead of the show that there would most likely be jokes about the election in her show, and I was nervous to see how that would blow over. There are so many things that comedians joke about (race, sexuality, politics, etc.) that are hard to balance between hilarious and offensive, especially in a town as liberal as Iowa City.

She explained that either Trump or Hillary winning the election could be scary because we’d either be stuck with even more systemized racism or a nation full of women-haters. She made a point that voting is vital for every single person of voting age. She talked about her family in Massachusetts that believe Muslims are taking over London. She jokes about the number of lesbians roaming around Iowa City and catcalling and periods and explains why women can be crazy and men can refuse to listen.

Kirkman executed her jokes about these things in a very unbiased way, and she did it hilariously. I’m the type to notice when something possibly could be construed as offensive, and I didn’t see any cracks in her performance.

Outside of these risky topics, Jen Kirkman is relatable. She empowers me and inspires me in the oddest way, by allowing myself to say “I react to things irrationally that way too! I am crazy! It’s fantastic!” She makes observations about society that make sense while also recognizing that she, too, is just one person and doesn’t have authority to tell people how to live their lives.

I went into this experience knowing that it is very difficult to get me to physically laugh at these kinds of things. TV shows, movies, comedy shows, I never laugh out loud for any of them. I can find something extremely funny and not even crack a smile because that’s how I am. I ended up laughing a few times during Jen Kirkman’s show when I wasn’t even ready for it.

If you haven’t heard of Jen Kirkman or watched one of her shows, I recommend that you watch her Netflix special or listen to it on Spotify below. I promise you (most likely, almost one hundred percent) won’t be disappointed.

The post Witching Hour: Jen Kirkman @ Englert Theatre 11/5/2016 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Witching Hour, according to the festival’s website, highlight’s the “unknown, creative process, and new work.” During its second year, Witching Hour features a diverse lineup ranging from multi-media workshops to comedy shows to cinematic adventures. Here are the events KRUI can’t wait to see!

Music 

Psalm One

After opening for Saul Williams at Mission Creek 2016, Psalm One returns to Iowa City to perform some new art! She’ll perform at 10:30 PM at The Mill on November 4.

White Lung

At midnight on Friday night, White Lung will perform tracks from their fourth album at Gabe’s. Hailing from Canada, this punk rock band will impolitely rock Iowa City on November 4th at midnight!

Wu Fei

Combining cultural and musical influences from Beijing and Nashville, Wu Fei will deftly charm audiences with her new and original compositions on the guzheng. See her perform at 9:30 PM at the Englert on Friday, November 4th!

Jlin

Jlin is known for pushing the boundaries of the footwork genre. Her track “Erotic Heat” from the Planet Mu compilation Bangs and Works Vol. 2 announced her presence to the world. Having attracted critical acclaim for her 2015 LP Dark Energy, Jlin brings her production magic to Gabe’s at 11:59 PM November 4th.

 Rhys Chatham

Guitarist, trumpeter, and composer, Rhys Chatham can rightfully be compared with Philip Glass or Steve Reich, though he likes guitars a lot more (he has composed pieces for up to 200 guitars and more). While he has the minimal edge of Glass and Reich, he also occasionally engages in prog and fusion. We’ll be seeing him in a rare solo performance at 10:00 PM at Gabe’s November 4th.

Jack Lion

Jack Lion is an Iowa City band that blends jazz and electronica seamlessly. At times heady, at other times spaced out, but always in the groove, if you haven’t had a chance to see them live yet, you’ve been missing out. They will be playing at 11:00 PM at Gabe’s November 4th.

Writing/Spoken Word

Pussy Riot in conversation with Jessica Hopper

Radical Russian punk band member Maria Alekhina will join Jessica Hopper at the Englert at 7:00 PM on Friday to discuss music and activism!

Jason Sole: From Prison to PhD: A Journey of Pain, Promise, and Protest

Jason Sole will captivate audiences as he details his life journey from a three-time convicted felon to his personal redemption as a mentor, consultant, and assistant professor of Public Safety and Criminal Justice at Metropolitan State University. This event takes place at 5:00 PM at the Iowa City Public Library.

Jason England: National Anthem: The Sociopathic Nature of Racial Discourse in American Sports

Jason England, graduate of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop and full-time faculty member of the University of Iowa Rhetoric Department, will delve into the intersection of racial politics and sports in the United States with his presentation at 7:00 PM at the Englert Theater November 5th.

Writers of Color

Following last year’s highly successful event, visiting writer Rachel McKibbens joins undergraduate and graduate writers of color for a reading of new work at 4:00 PM at The Mill November 5th.

Comedy

Supertalent Show and Friends

Those familiar with Iowa City’s comedy scene will remember many of these faces. Iowa City’s own Arish Singh, now based in Chicago, is a major reason the Iowa City comedy scene is what it is today. A stand-up comedian (in every sense of the word “stand-up”), Singh has been putting together wonderful, politically aware comedy shows for Iowa City and Chicago for the last couple of years. He brings a group of hilarious improv actors and comedians to the Mill November 4th at 9:00 PM. (All images courtesy of WitchingHourFestival.com)

Jen Kirkman

Best-selling author and stand-up comedian Jen Kirkman, whose 2015 Netflix comedy special I’m Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine) earned high praise from The Atlantic, New York Magazine, and The Atlantic, shares her wit and insights with Iowa City at the Englert Theater November 5th at 9:00pm. She will also appear In Conversation at the Mill November 5th at 10:30 PM.

Film

Romeo Is Bleeding

Set in Richmond, CA, Romeo Is Bleeding follows Donté, who, rather than get swept up in a violent turf war between rival neighborhoods, attempts to open up a dialogue about violence in the city by putting together a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Will he succeed? Find out at FilmScene November 5th at 1:00 PM.

Tony Conrad: Completely in the Present

A film about, of, for, and by artists, Completely in the Present follows the legendary career of Tony Conrad. Conrad’s cross-disciplinary work has heavily influenced modern independent music, public access television, visual art, and film. Using intimate footage of Tony and collaborators over the last twenty-two years, Completely in the Present gives us access to one of the strangest artistic minds of our time. You can catch it at FilmScene November 5th at 3:00 PM.

Mixed Media, Workshops, and Panels

Hip-Hop Kitchen

Get into a discussion and performance on hip-hop history, cooking, and the art of freestyling. Featuring Sepehr Sadrzadeh, the Chef of Pullman Diner; The Cubist, legendary producer who has worked with Kendrick Lamar; Icon Amerie, rapper and hip-hop culture historian; moderated by André Wright, producer, artist, designer. This discussion and performance will take place at The Mill November 5th at 12:00 PM. (All images courtesy of WitchingHourFestival.com)

Broad Perspectives

This will be a panel discussion and workshop featuring Katie Roche, Rachel McKibbens, alea adigweme, and Teresa Magnum. The discussion will be about creating and maintaining female-only spaces, why it is necessary and important, and how they operate differently than other creative spaces. This panel and workshop will take place at Prairie Lights Bookstore on November 5th at 6:00 PM.

Beforeplay: An Exploration of the Art of Playtesting

Game developers of board and video games to make money come together in a panel discussing playtesting the relationship of dialogue it creates between gamer and make-maker. This event takes place at 2:00 PM at The Mill November 5th. (All images courtesy of WitchingHourFestival.com)

Will Duncan: The Art of Doing Nothing: A Deep Exploration of What Meditation Is and What It Is Not

Will Duncan will be easing us into a deep understanding of the relevance, usefulness, and spiritual potential of the ancient practice of meditation. Duncan completed a Three-Year Silent Meditation Retreat in 2014, and has returned to the world to share his insights with us. The Art of Doing Nothing will occur at the Englert November 5th at 11:00 AM, and he will be giving a lecture about his silent meditation retreat experience at the Iowa City Public Library November 5th at 3:00 PM.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it, folks. KRUI’s Guide to Witching Hour would like to remind you of a couple of things, however: (1) More than half of the acts are free, so if you’re not sure you can afford to go, think again, dear friend. (2) We have only provided highlights. Please see the festival website for the full line-up. (3) The festival spirit is one of exploration and coming out of our comfort zones, so be sure to explore, keep an open mind, and maybe go to something you normally wouldn’t go to!

The post KRUI’s Witching Hour Guide appeared first on KRUI Radio.