June 11, 2023: Last night, Joni Mitchell headlined an epic “Joni Jam” at the Gorge Amphitheater in Quincy, Washington, marking her first ticketed performance in 23 years.
Mitchell mesmerized the sold-out crowd and received multiple standing ovations alongside special guests Brandi Carlile (who opened the evening with her own set and introduced Joni), Lisa Coleman, Taylor Goldsmith, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth, Mark Isham, Annie Lennox, Lucius (Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig), Ben Lusher, Sarah McLachlan, Wendy Melvoin, Blake Mills, Marcus Mumford, Josh Neumann, Allison Russell, and Rick Whitfield. The nearly three hour set included beloved Mitchell classics such as “Both Sides Now,” “Big Yellow Taxi,” “California,” “Blue,” and “A Case Of You,” and unique interpretations of “Love Potion No. 9,” “Summertime” and “Young at Heart.” The Los Angeles Times called it “monumental for everyone around Mitchell — both the reverent crowd and her collaborators on stage.”
Next month, on Newport Folk Festival 2023 weekend, Rhino Entertainment will unveil the live recording of Mitchell’s historic surprise performance at the festival last summer. At Newport will be available on July 28, 2023.
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Mitchell stunned the Newport Folk Festival audience last summer when she gave a surprise performance – her first in 20 years – delivering a heartfelt set filled with some of her greatest songs.
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Mitchell’s triumphant return to the stage on July 24, 2022, will be featured on a new live album from Rhino, AT NEWPORT, available on July 28, 2023 on CD and 2-LP black vinyl. Produced by close collaborator Brandi Carlile, along with Mitchell, the music will also be released the same day on digital and streaming services and Dolby Atmos. A clear-vinyl version of the 2-LP set will be available exclusively from Indie Retail and Barnes & Noble. Mitchell’s Newport performance of her classic song “Both Sides Now” is available today digitally. Click HERE to listen now.
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Mitchell was joined on stage at the Newport Folk Festival by a star-studded band led by Carlile, the 9x GRAMMY®-winning singer/songwriter. Other performers included Carlile’s bandmates Phil and Tim Hanseroth, Wynonna Judd, Marcus Mumford, Celisse, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, and more.
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Mitchell delighted the audience, blending her voice with the other singers on stage on classics like “Big Yellow Taxi,” “A Case Of You,” and “Both Sides Now.” For good measure, she even flashed her guitar prowess, playing a solo instrumental version of “Just Like This Train.”
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In his liner notes for AT NEWPORT, Cameron Crowe writes about Mitchell’s arduous and miraculous recovery from a life-threatening brain aneurysm in 2015, that led to her emotional return at Newport.
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“Mitchell emerged from the side of the stage, swaying smoothly, in fine summer-style with beret and sunglasses. Her good-natured mood instantly set the tone. This performance would be an intimate gathering of friends, not unlike the Joni Jams she’d been hosting in her own living room over the last few years of recovery. Smiling broadly, Mitchell made her surprise appearance, taking her on-stage seat alongside Carlile. Within minutes, the news had rocketed around the globe. Mitchell was back, sparkling with enthusiasm, delivering a tender and passionate set of 13 songs, ending with a joyful sing-along of ‘The Circle Game.’”
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Mitchell’s ongoing return to the public eye continued in March when she was awarded the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at an all-star tribute concert in Washington, D.C. The show featured performances by James Taylor, Graham Nash, Annie Lennox, Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, Angelique Kidjo, Ledisi, and Diana Krall, along with several artists from the Newport concert, including Carlile. The concert – “Joni Mitchell: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song” – was broadcast on PBS stations on Friday, March 31. Watch HERE.
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AT NEWPORT
CD Track Listing
1. Introduction by Brandi Carlile
2. “Big Yellow Taxi”
3. “A Case Of You”
4. “Amelia”
5. “Both Sides Now”
6. “Just Like This Train”
7. “Summertime”
8. “Carey”
9. “Help Me” – Celisse
10. “Come In From The Cold”
11. “Shine”
12. “The Circle Game”
AT NEWPORT
2-LP Track Listing
Side One
1. Introduction by Brandi Carlile
2. “Big Yellow Taxi”
3. “A Case Of You”
4. “Amelia”
Side Two
1. “Both Sides Now”
2. “Just Like This Train”
3. “Summertime”
Side Three
1. “Carey”
2. “Help Me”
3. “Come In From The Cold”
Side Four
1. “Shine”
“The Circle Game”
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Photo credit: Nina Westervelt
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Robert Kinsler
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