Joni Mitchell to perform her first concert in 20 years next June
No need to feel blue anymore, Joni Mitchell fans: The legendary singer-songwriter will soon return to the stage for her first official concert in 20 years.
Fellow musician and collaborator Brandi Carlile announced Mitchell's forthcoming performance, which will be held next June at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Wash., when she dropped by The Daily Show on Wednesday. In the two-day concert event, titled Echoes in the Canyon, Carlile will play on June 9, while Mitchell and her backup band, the Joni Jam, will perform on June 10.
"Joni, flat out, loves to perform, and she's awesome at it," Carlile told host Trevor Noah. "She's every good at it now as she ever was."
The "Right on Time" singer revealed that Mitchell became interested in performing again after joining Carlile on stage for a surprise performance at the Newport Folk Festival earlier this year.
"After Newport, Joni said, 'I want to do another show.' She said, 'I want to play again,'" Carlile explained. "We got to thinking about it and we decided on a venue, which is the Gorge, out in Washington State. We want to play there. It's one of the most beautiful venues in the world."
If your brain is currently melting over this news, rest assured that you are not alone: Carlile is equally excited about seeing Mitchell, who has largely stayed out of the spotlight after suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015, take the stage again.
"No one's been able to buy a ticket to see Joni Mitchell play in 20 years, so this is enormous," she said. "And she's so excited, because it's close to Canada and some of her Canadian fans. I can't believe it's happening, but it's happening, and she is going to crush it. So if you can get there, get there."
Douglas Mason/Getty Images Joni Mitchell performs at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival.
Carlile remains mesmerized by Mitchell's set this past summer. "I still can't believe that happened," she said. "It was just a few months ago, you know. And the fact that it was at Newport Folk Festival, which is such a monumental and historic place… She always has a plan. She knows what she wants to do, even if she doesn't say it."
The artist also said she was surprised that Mitchell decided to sing lead on a medley of her timeless hits — including "Both Sides Now," "Carey," "Help Me," and "Big Yellow Taxi" — when she joined them on stage.
"We rehearsed the songs ourselves, and we didn't know whether we should stop or what we should do, you know, so we just sang with her," Carlile said. "And then, it turns out, she completely took over the show and became the performer that we all know that she is."
Representatives for Mitchell did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment.
Watch Carlile discuss the upcoming concert — and being a huge fan of the artists who came before her — in the clip above.
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