Joni Mitchell, Brandi Carlile and band at the Hollywood Bowl, Oct. 20, 2024 (Photo by Brad Auerbach, used with permission)
One of the most unlikely and welcomed comebacks in music in recent years has been that of Joni Mitchell, who suffered a brain aneurysm in 2015. Initially unable to walk or talk in the wake of the medical event, Mitchell has steadily recovered and blossomed, easing her way back into live performance. On Oct. 20, 2024, the second of two nights at the Hollywood Bowl, where she was joined by several high-profile guests including Elton John and Annie Lennox, Mitchell stunned the sold-out audience with the range of her accomplishments.
The show opened and closed with an oversized turntable on stage spinning slowly to reveal a collection of musicians, with Mitchell ensconced in an ornate throne. Mitchell’s chief acolyte Brandi Carlile acted as master of ceremonies and mostly restrained cheerleader throughout the evening. The first half of the nearly three-hour production was generally more delicate, with Mitchell including many deep cuts throughout the show.
Watch Annie Lennox join Mitchell for “Ladies of the Canyon”
Carlile has assembled a crack band able to navigate the intricacy of Mitchell’ songs. The core band comprised Phil and Tom Hanseroth (bass and guitar, respectively), Blake Mills and Robin Pecknold (guitars), Jacob Collier (keyboards) and Abe Rounds (drums). As excellent as that group was, the ringer was Mark Isham on trumpet and soprano saxophone. The veteran player has recorded an impressive array of albums, and Isham’s jazz bona fides certainly provided an affinity for Mitchell.
Indeed, at the Bowl, Mitchell did not shy away from her more ambitious jazz explorations. She lost a few listeners along the way when she released the Mingus album, but “God Must Be a Boogie Man” from that 1979 collection received an enthusiastic response at the Bowl. Up until this weekend, the song had not been performed live by Mitchell since the early 1980s.
Earlier in the first set, she led the band through the complex arrangement of “Harlem in Havana” from 1998’s Taming the Tiger. The second line of the song was perfectly appropriate: “There’s a band that plays so snaky, you can’t help how you feel.”
Mitchell avoided delivering a best-of playlist throughout her show. Late in the evening she assayed “Amelia” her ode to the mysterious aviator. And from the same album, 1976’s majestic Hejira, Mitchell offered a peppery “Coyote,” her homage to Sam Shepard, suitably literate for the late playwright.
Related: When Joni Mitchell’s comeback began
Mitchell’s voice was in shockingly good form all evening, given the ravages of cigarettes and health challenges. In much the same way Carlile was there for Kris Kristofferson six years ago at the Joni Mitchell Tribute, Carlile offered sporadic vocal support, as did several other musicians. But this evening Mitchell’s singing was generally front and center. Many compositions were sung in a lower register, as is often the case for singers of a certain age. “Night Ride Home,” the title track of a 1991 album, was especially evocative.
There were two songs during which another singer took the lead vocal: Annie Lennox on “Ladies of the Canyon” and Marcus Mumford on “California.” Both songs seemed to be answers to a song Mitchell tackled alone on vocals: “Come in from the Cold.”
A soft, summery breeze dried many tears as she wrapped up the first half with the stunning “Both Sides Now,” which kept many in the audience spellbound.
As the second half unfolded, folks gasped at the appearance of additional Joni Jammers, most notably Elton John, who seemed delighted to sing about the paving of paradise in “Big Yellow Taxi.” Also introduced by Carlile were Jon Batiste, Rita Wilson and actress Meryl Streep. Some folks may have been perplexed about the presence of Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman, but those who have visited Prince’s Paisley Park knew why: In his vast studio is a long mural, with his influences portrayed on one side, those he influenced on the other side and Prince in the middle. The three closest influences to Prince? Jimi Hendrix, George Clinton and Joni Mitchell. Hence, Wendy and Lisa from Prince’s Revolution band were at the Bowl.
Mitchell chose to perform two cover songs, including a slow, bluesy “Summertime,” featuring Isham’s plaintive trumpet. The other was Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing,” delivered coyly in half-speed tempo. It was an effectively defiant answer to Mitchell’s aneurysm, and Elton looked thoroughly enamored of the rendition.
Between songs, Mitchell at times reacted to the proceedings with something between a giggle and a chuckle. Not many 80-year-olds can sell out the prestigious venue, much less two nights in a row. [The legend was born on Nov. 7, 1943.] As Carlile pointed out at one point, “It took 22 musicians six months to do the job of one, Joni Mitchell.”
The achingly beautiful “A Case of You” had many getting teary-eyed yet again during the second half of the evening. Mitchell did not avoid the politically contentious nature of the times, adding a snarl to “Dog Eat Dog” and “Shine.”
But as she closed out the evening, she returned to one of her earliest songs. Although written in 1966, now at an advanced age Mitchell’s wisdom in “The Circle Game” remains solid. Remarkably resilient and still capable of generating an emotional response from a multi-generational audience, Joni Mitchell remains one of our most treasured artists long after we first met her.
Watch Joni Mitchell perform “The Circle Game” at the Hollywood Bowl on Oct. 20, 2024
Mitchell’s recordings, including her numerous, recent Archives releases, are available in the U.S. here and the U.K. here.
3 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationCall me a barbarian, but I just never got Joni Mitchell. Her singing did nothing for me, and only a couple of her songs ever resonated even slightly in my life. (Judy Collins’ version of “Both Sides Now” was far superior to Joni’s.) The adulation she receives will remain a mystery. More power to her, especially after overcoming so many physical issues, but she just isn’t my cup of tea. To each their own. If you love Joni Mitchell, great. Have fun.
It is a shame artists respect the financial support of all people and then insult them with the artist’s politics.
I loved hearing about the many deep MItchell cuts in the show. But it’s a shame that most of the videos, with the exception of “Ladies From The Canyon” are some of her oldest, most popular, tried and true “hit” type songs that we’ve heard a million times already, even just recently in her previous comeback shows. It would have truly been enjoyable to hear some of the deeper cuts described here, along with the excellent musicianship talked about as well. For the most part, these videos could have been taken from Mitchell’s previous comeback shows that were widely seen.