Joni Mitchell’s triumphant return as a headliner to the Hollywood Bowl was bound to be a big deal. But while both nights of the Joni Jam shared the same 27-song setlist, only the Sunday crowd got to see Elton John and Meryl Streep sit in with the “Lady of the Canyon”.
The Oscar-winners joined the jams for the second set of the second night, alongside an all-star cast that included Brandi Carlile, Annie Lennox, Jon Batiste, Rita Wilson, Marcus Mumford, Allison Russell, and Celisse, among many more.
As much sparkle as they all brought to the Bowl’s starlit stage, they seemed more than happy to bask in Joni’s legendary glow for a while. The same goes for the sellout crowds that filled the Hollywood Bowl for two weekend nights in October. For nearly three hours per night, they got to feel all of the feels courtesy of Joni herself.
The 80-year-old from Saskatchewan hadn’t played the Hollywood Bowl since 1979—that is, until 2023, when Joni made a pair of guest appearances first with Herbie Hancock and then with Brandi Carlile. The latter stunning appearance came four months after Joni and Brandi joined forces for the Echoes Through The Canyon festival at The Gorge in Washington state. And that festival, in turn, stemmed from the intimate sessions that Brandi held with other musicians in the living room at Joni’s house in Los Angeles dating back to 2017.
Elton—who backed up Joni on a special edit of “I’m Still Standing”—was among the many great musicians who joined for those legendary “Joni Jams.” So were Paul McCartney, Bonnie Raitt, Chaka Khan, and Harry Styles—not to mention all the rest who reprised their roles at the Hollywood Bowl.
Marcus Mumford brought his unmistakable voice to a duet with Joni over “California”. Annie Lennox lent her gravitas to “Lady of the Canyon”. Blake Mills and Taylor Goldsmith made the leap from Laurel Canyon. So, too, did Lucius, The Hanseroth Twins, and Robin Pecknold from Fleet Foxes. Together with the likes of Jon Batiste, Abe Rounds, Taylor Goldsmith, and Sista Strings, they filled the air around the Hollywood Hills with joyous sound in support of Joni.
While she no longer sports the fluttering falsetto that put her on the musical map during the 1960s, Mitchell proved that she can still be a leading voice onstage. From widely beloved classics like “Carey”, “Both Sides, Now”, “Big Yellow Taxi”, and “A Case of You” to deeper cuts such as “Be Cool”, “Night Ride Home”, and the Charles Mingus-penned “God Must Be a Boogie Man”, she brought the weight of six decades in the music industry (not including her multiple breaks since 2002) to bear on her iconic songbook.
Her cover of the George Gershwin standard “Summertime” was particularly poignant. Rarely in her younger days did Joni’s voice have such depth—save for the final refrain of “put up a parking lot” in “Big Yellow Taxi”. That seasoned voice also helped her transform “Be Cool” into a jazzy opener, and lend an extra chill to “Come in From the Cold”.
The rarity of Joni singing in public also brings with it an added attentiveness to each note that she produces. To that end, the crowd of 17,500 revelers hung on every one of those notes, whether keeping them out of their seats for “Raised on Robbery” or telling the melodic stories of “Coyote”.
Indeed, storytelling has always been core to Joni Mitchell. And at the Hollywood Bowl, she didn’t disappoint.
Beyond the tales wound by songs like “Hejira”, “The Sire of Sorrow (Job’s Sad Song)”, and “If I Had a Heart”, Mitchell took time to share the backstories to some of her works. She talked about the Tibetan monk who inspired “Refuge of the Roads”, told the story of how she came to learn about the melancholy tragedy behind “The Magdalene Laundries”, and confessed that “Cherokee Louise” was based on a childhood friend of hers—though that friend was neither named Louise nor of Cherokee heritage.
She also shouted out Rudyard Kipling for writing “If”, and, conversely, saved some brief but stern rebukes for Donald Trump during “Dog Eat Dog”. Throughout the show, she encouraged attendees to vote—and, more than once, wetted her whistle with white wine.
All told, the person who enjoyed the “Joni Jam” the most may well have been Joni herself. She repeatedly earned praise for her singing from Brandi, amused herself with a joke about Friedrich Nietzsche and God declaring each other’s death, and marveled when the hills lit up with phone lights during “Shine”.
Whether that’s enough to keep Joni performing is another story. For now, her legions of fans will have to settle for one last rendition of “The Circle Game”, swaying arm-in-arm and singing along—at least, until she comes ‘round (and ‘round and ‘round) again.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Joni Mitchell With Elton John – “I’m Still Standing” – 10/20/24
[Video: LiveShowEd Videos]
Joni Mitchell With Marcus Mumford – “California” – 10/20/24
Setlist: Joni Mitchell | Hollywood Bowl | Los Angeles, CA | 10/20/24
Set 1: Be Cool, Harlem in Havana, Hejira, Cherokee Louise (followed by band introductions), Coyote, Carey, The Sire of Sorrow (Job’s Sad Song), God Must Be a Boogie Man, Sunny Sunday, If I Had a Heart, Refuge of the Roads, Night Ride Home, Both Sides, Now
Set 2: Big Yellow Taxi (followed by band introductions), Raised on Robbery, California (with Marcus Mumford), The Magdalene Laundries, Ladies of the Canyon (with Annie Lennox), Summertime (George Gershwin), Come in From the Cold, A Case of You, I’m Still Standing (Elton John, with Elton John), Dog Eat Dog, Amelia, If, Shine, The Circle Game
Notes: Joni Jammers included Elton John, Meryl Streep, Jon Batiste, Brandi Carlile, Celisse, Jacob Collier, Lisa Coleman, Taylor Goldsmith, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth, Annie Lennox, Lucius, Taylor Mackall, Wendy Melvoin, Blake Mills, Marcus Mumford, Robin Pecknold, Abe Rounds, Allison Russell, Sista Strings, and Rita Wilson. Joni’s companions Marcy Gensic and Sauchuen Yu also joined on stage.
The post Elton John, Meryl Streep, Brandi Carlile Join Joni Mitchell’s Joni Jam At Hollywood Bowl [Photos/Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
