Joni Mitchell played her first full headline show in over 20 years last night (June 10) – see footage, the full setlist and more below.
Last July, Mitchell performed a surprise set at the legendary Newport Folk Festival – which she last appeared at in 1969 – delivering a 13-song “JONI JAM” set that featured Brandi Carlile on the tracks ‘Carey’, ‘A Case Of You’ and ‘Big Yellow Taxi’.
Soon after that, Carlile announced that Mitchell would play a special ‘Joni Jam’ performance at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington state. It was her first headline performance in 23 years.
At the show, like the Newport performance, Mitchell played with Carlile and a group of collaborators including Marcus Mumford, delivering a 24-song set of tracks from across her career and a few covers.
Opening with ‘Big Yellow Taxi’, she then played favourites from her iconic LP ‘Blue’ including ‘A Case Of You’, ‘Carey’, as well as a cover of George Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’ and more.
As the LA Times reports, Carlile guided Mitchell through the performance, reading out signs from the audience at one point. “You see what that heart says right there? It says, ‘Joni, the world loves you!’” she told her at one point.
At another, Mitchell enquired as to where the lights in the audience were coming from. When Carlile told her they were from phone lights, Mitchell responded: “Cell phones? Really? That was a real spectacle … Thank you for that.”
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Watch footage from the performance and see the full setlist below, alongside other footage from the night which included Annie Lennox performing ‘Why’ with Carlile.
Seeing @jonimitchell as a human- someone who's LIVED. Surrounded with couches and musicians.
Brings me insane joy.
Oh, to be old. Oh, to live. Oh, to have blessed fragility- and strength– all at once.
Oh, just to be. pic.twitter.com/ZmR21MTPCl
— Kate-Madonna Hindes (@girlmeetsgeek) June 11, 2023
The last time Joni Mitchell played a scheduled tour date was 23 years and 8 days ago. Tonight, she stands in front of me singing, and my teenage heart is warm again. #jonimitchell @brandicarlile pic.twitter.com/IROITwSCzG
— Charles R. Cross (@charlesrcross) June 11, 2023
Of course, Joni Mitchell sang BOTH SIDES… One of my top life experiences thus far… ☁️ pic.twitter.com/tWmNQ6lAKH
— Tomris Laffly (@TomiLaffly) June 11, 2023
Loving this version of "Why Do Fools in Love" from @brandicarlile and @jonimitchell. The story that accompanied it was pure magic. This is a personal Storytellers. pic.twitter.com/0BeEoQg9Qx
— Kate-Madonna Hindes (@girlmeetsgeek) June 11, 2023
Have you heard @jonimitchell sing, "Love Potion #9?" Well, now you have!!! pic.twitter.com/CBUaYB7rND
— Kate-Madonna Hindes (@girlmeetsgeek) June 11, 2023
The sky is beautiful tonight over The Gorge, and it’s pretty cool to see the one and only Joni Mitchell live. pic.twitter.com/uztp8Bg6XI
— Dominick Bonny (@DBonny) June 11, 2023
Joni Mitchell played:
‘Big Yellow Taxi’
‘Night Ride Home’
‘Raised On Robbery’
‘Come In From The Cold’
‘Amelia’
‘Carey’
‘Sex Kills’
‘Summertime’ (George Gershwin cover)
‘Ladies Of The Canyon’
‘Help Me’
‘Where There’s A Will There’s A Way’
‘Love Potion No. 9’ (The Clovers cover)
‘A Case Of You’
‘A Strange Boy’
‘Cactus Tree’
‘California’
‘Blue’
‘Why Do Fools Fall In Love’ (Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers cover)
‘Shine’
‘Both Sides Now’
‘The Circle Game’
‘Just Like This Train’
‘If’
‘Young At Heart’ (Frank Sinatra cover)
This summer, Mitchell is also releasing a live album of her comeback live performance at Newport Folk Festival, and this week she shared a video of her playing ‘A Case Of You’ with Carlile and Mumford.
The new live album, titled ‘At Newport: Featuring the Joni Jam’, will be released on July 28.