This year saw the unexpected return of Joni Mitchell to the stage for the first time in nearly a decade, as a surprise festival guest, but the singer-songwriter is now giving fans an early notice that she’ll perform at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington June 10, 2023, alongside her friend Brandi Carlile and others, as part of a “Joni Jam.”
Brandi Carlile appeared on “The Daily Show” Wednesday night and confirmed that Mitchell will play one of two nights at Echoes Through the Canyon — reminiscent of her surprise set at this summer’s Newport Folk Festival, where she performed several songs along with tribute performances from guests including Marcus Mumford, Celisse, Wynonna Judd, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes and the show’s organizer, Carlile.
“After Newport Joni said, ‘I want to do another show,'” Carlile told host Trevor Noah, while outlining the two-night event June 9-10. Carlile take the lead one night, as she traditionally does at the Gorge each summer, followed by the next night by a jam in which Mitchell takes the featured billing. “No one’s been able to buy a ticket to see Joni Mitchell play in 20 years,” Carlile noted, “so this is enormous, and she’s so excited because it’s close to Canada.”
ned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram/reel/Cj8aOnAJzX7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">A post shared by Brandi Carlile (@brandicarlile)
Prior to her set at the 2022 Newport Festival, Mitchell had rarely appeared under the spotlight since suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015 — despite several reports that she had been hosting private “Joni Jams” with other musicians for years at her home in California. Mitchell appeared at this year’s pre-Grammys MusiCares Person of the Year gala, joining in on a couple of group sing-alongs as she was honored, although not nearly to the extent that she subsequently did at the festival.
Carlile explained that she and the other musicians at the Newport Folk Festival set did not know that Mitchell had plans to sing to the extent she did: “We thought it was a jam. We didn’t know that she was going to sing all the leads on those songs. She just started singing. We had 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… She always has a plan. She knows what she wants to do, even if she doesn’t say it.”
Tickets for the two nights go on sale to the general public Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. PT. Pre-sale offers are available to Carlile’s fan club, the Bramily, and Citi card holders will have a special sale beginning Tuesday. More details can be found at www.brandicarlile/tour.
