Joni Mitchell took the stage at Newport Folk Festival over the weekend, her first full show in more than 20 years. Now, she’s discussed the appearance with CBS Mornings, along with Brandi Carlile, who helped facilitate the “Joni Jam” at the festival. See it below.
Mitchell joined the proceedings during a set billed as “Brandi Carlile and Friends,” which also included Blake Mills, Wynonna Judd, Taylor Goldsmith, Marcus Mumford, and more. It was Mitchell’s first appearance at Newport since 1969, and her first major public performance since 2013. Mitchell performed some of her most beloved songs, including “Big Yellow Taxi” and “Both Sides Now.” She played guitar during “Just Like This Train,” a skill that she had lost after the 2015 brain aneurysm that threatened her life. She told CBS Mornings that she rebuilt the skill through watching “videos on the net.”
Mitchell’s public appearances have been rare over the last two decades, but she briefly performed when she was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year in April. She was recognized Kennedy Center Honors late last year. Amid the celebrations, Mitchell had her music removed from Spotify as a gesture of support for Neil Young, who did the same in protest of misinformation on the platform. She later won a Best Historical Album Grammy for Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967), accepting her award in person and thanking her physical therapist in her speech.
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