If Joni Mitchell’s Joni Jam at the Gorge Amphitheater Saturday were to become a scene in the upcoming Cameron Crowe biopic on the iconic troubadour, Mitchell just taking the stage to a standing ovation eight years after she nearly died of an aneurysm would have been a glorious Hollywood ending.
Mitchell simply being back on stage was already the triumph of the human spirit we all desperately craved as fans of her music and tougher than nails image. At one point during the show, Brandi Carlile, who acted as host/interviewer for the night, asked Mitchell her favorite song. Mitchell talked about her love of the Rudyard Kipling poem, “If.”
Seeing more than 25,000 fans descend from all over the world — Mitchell shouted out fans from Japan, Amsterdam, all over the States, Canada — to see the legend in her first advertised show in 20 years (the Newport Folk Fest jam in 2022 was unannounced), another great poem came to mind.
The late great writer Raymond Carver wrote in his poem, “Gravy,” about enjoying the end of his life, “After that it was all gravy, every minute of it…I’ve had ten years longer than I or anyone expected. Pure gravy. And don’t forget it.” Joni Mitchell performing eight years after being in a coma so severe she said she lost the power to play instruments, to sing, even to talk, is gravy, something none of us thought we would get to see.
So just in that sense, the show was a victory. But Mitchell — who is competitive at everything from pool to pinball according to friends, bandmates and even herself — wasn’t taking the stage to rest on her considerable laurels. If she was going to do this, it was going to be a performance she comfortably felt lived up to her legendary status.
Wendy Melvoin, Holly Laessig, Jess Wolfe, Marcy Gensic, Sauchuen Yu, Joni Mitchell, Annie Lennox, Brandi Carlile, Sarah McLachlan and Allison Russell perform in concert during “Joni Jam” honoring Joni Mitchell at Gorge Amphitheatre on June 10, 2023 in George, Washington.
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Joined by a dizzying array of admirers, including Annie “Fucking” Lennox, as Carlile introduced her, Sarah McLachlan, Marcus Mumford, Wendy and Lisa of Prince’s Revolution, Lucius and more, Mitchell and Carlile led the ensemble in a sing-along version of the classic “Big Yellow Taxi” to kick off the three-hour Joni Jam, as it is known. As Carlile explained, this is a version of the jams they’ve been doing at Mitchell’s house for the past four years, where friends gather and sing her songs with her.
While it’s a joyous opening number, and one that got the adoring crowd fired up, everybody singing didn’t give fans a chance to see how Mitchell would be back onstage. That question was answered immediately after with Mitchell taking solo lead vocals on a mesmerizing rendition of “Night Ride Home,” the title track of her 1991 album.
The set drew from all phases of Mitchell’s eclectic career, doing so right from the start, with “Night Ride Home” being followed by a raucously fun version of Court And Spark‘s “Raised on Robbery.” In addition to covering five decades of music, from 1966’s “Both Sides Now” to 2007’s “Shine,” the set reflected the eclecticism that has made Mitchell one of music’s most beloved rebels and chameleons, bounding from the beauty of “Shine” to fun-loving covers of “Why Do Fools Fall In Love” and “Love Potion No. 9,” both of which Mitchell playfully said came from her “Teenage rock and roll dancing days.”
Mitchell spoke often during the show, encouraged by the superb Carlile, who was the perfect host at her Echoes Through the Canyon weekend, combining her superstar prowess with the buoyant fandom she holds on to like a 16-year-old discovering an artist for the first time. It’s one of her greatest qualities and why someone like Mitchell, who has always been notoriously shy of the public, seems to be so comfortable on stage with Carlile.
Joni Mitchell and Brandi Carlile perform in concert during “Joni Jam” honoring Joni Mitchell at Gorge Amphitheatre on June 10, 2023 in George, Washington.
Gary Miller/Getty Images
Her best line of the night came when she talked about doing Newport Folk Fest last year at 79, the first time she’d been back there since she was 25. “Viva la old age,” she said, drawing laughter and applause. This was Mitchell enjoying her old age, her gravy. She laughed constantly and reveled in the love from the other performers who performed her songs as tributes to her.
Mumford joked he would ruin one of her songs, though he did a fine job of “California,” off the landmark Blue album, just as Lennox killed on “Ladies Of The Canyon.” The revelation of the night though was McLachlan’s aching rendition of the title track off Blue. In case anyone forgot since she hasn’t been on mainstream radio in some time, McLachlan reminded all she is a stunning vocalist capable of being onstage with anyone. Celisse, a regular at the Joni Jams, dazzled on a bluesy “Help Me,” while Lucius’ version of “Cactus From The Harbor” was gorgeous.
As Carlile joked, or half-joked, singing for Joni Mitchell is “Fucking terrifying.” So no one was going to fail to live up to being invited to be part of history.
But for all the great performances this was Mitchell’s Hollywood ending. And she delivered again and again. Her interpretation of the Gershwin classic “Summertime” was magnificent. As was “Amelia” and “Come in From the Cold.” “Shine” was delivered like a gospel sermon and was riveting. There were countless highlights, “Sex Kills”; the joyful “The Circle Game,” with everyone on stage joining in; Mitchell on guitar on the encore’s “Just Like This Train”; the closing Frank Sinatra cover, “Young At Heart,” and a brilliant “Carey.”
As one of the undisputed greatest songwriters though, Mitchell can draw on beloved classics that stand with the top songs of all time. And she has two that on this night were such powerful reminders of how she became a legend to begin with.
The first was a haunting “A Case Of You,” which Carlile rightly introduced as one of the best songs of all time. It’s a perfect song lyrically, and on this night, it was delivered by Mitchell and Carlile with all the gravitas it deserved as one of the most potent love songs of all time. It was transcendent and seemingly impossible to top, except maybe by another Mitchell classic.
Just as it was at Newport last year, “Both Sides Now” was a masterpiece. When it was written in 1966 it was an instant standard, one of the most beloved folk songs of all time. Nearly 60 years later it is maybe even more important a song as it has become a huge part of the fabric of popular culture. But what made it so special last year and this year is hearing Mitchell, now 79, sing a song she wrote in her early 20s, with all of the life experience she has had in the last half-century. There is a wisdom and depth to her vocals on the song that is achingly profound and makes it almost too beautiful for words.
In many ways, that was the feel of this whole show. It was something we all felt fortunate to be a part of. We all knew we were witnessing history. And Mitchell knew her being back onstage was history. This was one of those nights that goes well beyond music. Life hits much differently when you’ve faced real death, be it nearly dying yourself or losing loved ones. And for all of us, knowing we came so close to losing Mitchell, and for her, being able to bask in the adoration, this was much more than a concert. It was a powerful celebration of Mitchell’s life and resiliency, which is something we all can draw incredible inspiration from. Then again, Joni Mitchell always has been, and always will be, one of life’s great teachers for millions of music fans.