2024 Night Stage Performers
Friday, November 13, 7:30 PM
Breaking Silence
Film & Q&A with Janis Ian
Saturday, November 14, 7:30 PM
Aybil
Friday Evening, November 13:
Breaking Silence
Film & Q&A with Janis Ian
During the 1960s, as a teenager, acclaimed American singer-songwriter Janis Ian used to jam with Jimi Hendrix in Greenwich Village bars and partied with Janis Joplin, who jokingly called herself “the other Janis.”
Janis Ian had one of the most remarkable debuts in modern music history. At the age of 13, she began performing her original songs at New York City gigs alongside future legends. From there, the precocious teenager turned fearless singer-songwriter built a career with many chapters—winning Grammys while navigating personal and professional highs and lows—in a remarkable trajectory now entering its fifth decade. Ian’s emotionally transporting songbook and turbulent life story make compelling echoes for the generation of American women who came of age in the 1960s and 1970s, discovering and voicing their power. Featuring interviews with Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Laurie Metcalf, Lily Tomlin, Jean Smart, and more.
Palm Springs International Film Festival – Best of the Fest Top Films
DocNYC – Official Selection
PRAISE FOR JANIS IAN: BREAKING SILENCE
…this film will no doubt help reacquaint audiences with her exemplary life and music. -ArtsFuse
Varda Bar-Kar offers a conventional but still compelling synopsis of the iconoclastic singer-songwriter’s long career. –Washington Post
…you’ll be tempted to start listening to her music while understanding its significance within the context of Janis Ian’s career. –NYC Movie Guru
The music is amazing, and Ian’s story, while unheralded, is fantastic. –SS Ben Hecht
Really an extraordinary film. –FilmWeek
‘R’ 114min
Saturday Evening, November 14:
Aybil
A standout at Folk Alliance International, Memphis songwriter Aybil caught the ears of the WITA booking team (aka Susan Frazier!)—and we knew we had to bring her to East Lansing.
Memphis born singer-songwriter Aybil relishes the art of a well told story. Pulling from mid-century musicals, traditional gospel, and a natural ear for emotionally catching lyrics, Aybil began writing songs at the age of 6, while also imitating the vocal styling of the stars she heard.
Along with a purpose and intention to create in a tradition of “truth-telling,” vulnerability and love for community, her pursuit of writing continued and she received a degree in Creative Writing from University of Memphis.
In 2020, Aybil made her debut with the single Jordan Poole, a personal, haunting melody about war and addiction. She has since self-released several genre blending projects, rooted in a love for storytelling. Pulling on her numerous influences, her goal is the creation of timeless music that drives into the soul.
Her soulful stylings bring to mind talents such as Bill Withers, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Ben Abraham.