These days, it seems the place to be is at an Ani DiFranco concert. An always-energetic performance filled with emotion and an amazing acoustic guitar, DiFranco has built a name for herself as one of today’s greatest folk performers.

The repertoire she is known for having with the audience creates a special soapbox feature to her shows, telling the indie-based crowd what her music is about in away that no “VH1 Storytellers” could ever accomplish. DiFranco’s Nov. 14 concert at The Orpheum Theatre on State Street should be one of the stellar performances of this year and a must for anyone who likes a girl who can play guitar.

To say that Ani DiFranco is a bit of an anomaly among modern rock musicians would be a gross understatement. Along with being undisputedly the most successful musician on an independent record label (as evidenced by her two Grammy nominations and sold-out concerts worldwide), Ani further sets herself apart from other rock musicians by touring almost constantly.

A self-described folksinger, Ani tours not only because she loves it and because she feels that the immediacy of live performance better represents her songs, but also because she believes it is an important aspect of being a folksinger — to relate to “the folk.” Her music is passionate, electric, and needless to say, one of a kind.

Her new album So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter is a two-disc live-performance album.

Disc one, “Stray Cats,” is a good mix of old standards (“Letter to a John,” “Napoleon”) and newer works, all energized with the full band she has now. Instead of being completely focused on the lyrics with minimal guitar, the horns, keyboard and drums bring out the whole song from the rough sketches. Most of the songs are the kind of deep and introspective ones real Ani fans love, especially “To The Teeth.”

Disc two, “Girls Singing Night,” shows off Ani’s more collaborative live songs, most of the time with Julie Wolf and plenty of times with other people. This disc, unlike the first, concentrates mostly on old songs, re-done with the full band and with extra people. “Dilate,” “32 Flavors” and “Jukebox” are absolute highlights of the disc, as well as a rare performance of “Gratitude” (only played four times since 2000).

The harmony added to all the songs serves to enhance the meaning of the songs rather than detract from them with too much “extra” added.

Tonight’s performance should be no exception to her past live success, promising to include all of the classic DiFranco staples that have built her to folk-legend status.

Ani DiFranco will play tonight at the Orpheum Theatre, 216 State St, at 8 p.m.