Ani DiFranco has always traveled her own path.

Early in her career, he established herself as the anti-establishment folk singer of the 1990s. She rejected the typical path to success of signing with a major label and releasing singles. Instead, she started her own music label - Righteous Babe Records - and built a following through college station airplay and live performances.

Friday evening, DiFranco brought her performance to Thalia Hall in Pilsen - a show that sold out quickly.

She opened with the quirky tunes "Pixie" and "Dilate." DiFranco puts a lot into the lyrics of her songs, which endear her to her audience. Many of her songs sound like feminist anthems.

I love seeing artists who enjoy performing, and Ani's joy is infectious. She joked that she was considering a suggestion given to her by many people that she should run for President because "apparently you don't have to know shit!" Making clear that she was not serious, Ani followed with the message that her philosophy is to "be nice!"

Backed by three strong musicians on drums, upright bass, and electric or lap steel guitar, DiFranco proved herself an accomplished musician as she coaxed a variety of sounds out of a plethora of acoustic guitars.

She was scheduled to perform two nights at Thalia Hall, so she mixed up the set list so those who bought tickets to both shows would see something different.

Ani DiFranco is a performer who sounds much better in person than on record. She brought joy to her enthusiastic audience.