Joni Mitchell (Photo via the Library of Congress)
Music icon Joni Mitchell will continue her comeback from significant health issues with the announcement of several big 2024 appearances. The nine-time Grammy® Award Winner, Rock & Rock Hall of Famer, Kennedy Center Honoree, and Gershwin-prize winner, has announced her first concerts of the year—and first in Los Angeles since 2000—to take place at the Hollywood Bowl on October 19-20. Mitchell’s live return to California will feature Brandi Carlile and the Joni Jam. (The second date was added on Jan. 31 due to “overwhelming demand” for the Oct. 19 concert.) Tickets were available here.
On Feb. 4, Mitchell appeared at the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards® to sing “Both Sides, Now,” her first-ever performance at the event; earlier, in the non-broadcast portion of the show, she won for Best Folk Album (Joni Mitchell at Newport), her 11th Grammy (including 10 in competition).
Joni Mitchell performs at the 2024 #GrammyAwards pic.twitter.com/reHS0khwGg
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 5, 2024
Mitchell received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, having been described as “one of the most important female recording artists of the rock era” and “a powerful influence on all artists who embrace diversity, imagination and integrity.”
In the past two years, Mitchell has triumphantly returned to the stage following a brain aneurysm in 2015. First, at Newport Folk Festival in 2022, and then in June 2023, she headlined a “Joni Jam” at the Gorge Amphitheater in Quincy, Wash. Some featured guests included Annie Lennox, Sarah McLachlan, Marcus Mumford, Wynonna Judd, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, Wendy and Lisa of Prince’s Revolution, Lucius and more. Mitchell’s show at The Gorge was her first ticketed show in 20 years.
Mitchell’s live return was commemorated with Joni Mitchell at Newport, the live album released by Rhino and produced by close collaborator Brandi Carlile, along with Mitchell and with liner notes by Cameron Crowe.
In recent years, Mitchell’s expansive musical career has been archived through Grammy® Award-winning historical boxed sets also released via Rhino. The Archives, Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967), Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971), and Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975) feature unreleased home, live, and radio recordings of Mitchell’s illustrious songwriting and singing. The various collections are available to order here.
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationI don’t know if Brandi Carlile can ever be given as much credit as she deserves for whatever rebound Joni Mitchell ever rises to in her career comeback. Through her unfailing support, Carlile has obviously given Mitchell the confidence, physical, as well as spiritual assistance she’s needed to venture back into public view and allow us to hear her beautiful voice and one-of-a-kind songs in live settings again. I will forever be grateful to Carlile for that, as I imagine most Mitchell fans are. That said, it should be noted that Joni underwent some serious physical, mental and psychological challenges to resume performing. And while she is obviously older and may still require some physical assistance, she’s doesn’t appear to be senile or require handling or being coddled like a senile person, and her audience certainly don’t need to be instructed or coached as to when to applaud or laugh at Mitchell’s stage banter. So I hope for the sake of this time-honored true musical artist, and for the sake of her many adoring fans, that Ms. Carlile can accept the kudos due her for her role in Joni’s resurrection, learn to step back a bit, and just be a fan once again and a musical comrade of Mitchell’s at this point. It’s time for Carlile to climb out of Mitchell’s ass.