Indigo Girls Cover The Band With Joan Baez In San Francisco

Indigo Girls launched an extensive tour on Tuesday with the first of two sold-out shows at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre. The concert’s encore saw legendary folk musician Joan Baez take the stage to help sing The Band’s “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.”

Indigo Girls – Amy Ray and Emily Saliers – were also accompanied by singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson at the start of the encore for a performance of “Kid Fears.” Baez then emerged and began her time on the Castro Theatre stage by reading her recently written poem “Better Out Than In.”

Earlier in the evening, Indio Girls put together a setlist pulling from throughout their +40-year career. Ray also sang her solo song, “Tear It Down,” while Sailers – who, before the tour started, revealed that her singing voice had weakened after being diagnosed with cervical dystonia with torticollis and essential tremor – led a take of her solo song “Train Inside.”

After Nathanson and Baez made their surprise appearances, Indigo Girls went guest-free for the “Closer To Fine” closer.

Watch Joan Baez’s poetry reading and performance of “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” with Indigo Girls last night: