Joni Mitchell To Switch Up Setlist For ‘Full-Spectrum’ Hollywood Bowl Concerts Says Brandi Carlile
“It’s gonna be a long show. She wants to give everybody a full-spectrum performance of who she really is and what her career has done,” Carlile told the L.A. Times.
By Scott Bernstein Oct 8, 2024 • 7:35 am PDT
Photo by Nina Westervelt
On October 18 and 19, Joni Mitchell will play her first full shows in Los Angeles since 2000 at the Hollywood Bowl. Frequent collaborator Brandi Carlile previewed the “Joni Jam” concerts in a new interview.
“The tea I can spill is that I’ve spent these last five, six years in the passenger seat with Joan, and in this case I’m in the backseat,” Carlile told the L.A. Times. “She’s chosen to learn songs that I never heard before, that have been an incredible challenge for us all to learn.”
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Brandi Carlile also weighed in on the length of the performances. “It’s gonna be a long show. She wants to give everybody a full-spectrum performance of who she really is and what her career has done,” Carlile explained. She discussed the contrast between the upcoming concerts and Mitchell’s live appearances over the past few years since returning after suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015. “It’s different than [Mitchell’s shows at the Newport Folk Festival and the Gorge Amphitheatre] — it’s gonna be even crazier. I’m seeing her be inspired in ways I haven’t seen before.”
Past “Joni Jam” performances have seen Mitchell and Carlile joined by an all-star cast of musicians. Brandi hinted at new additions to the roster for the Hollywood Bowl shows. “[W]e’ve got some people that have joined the party that are just an inspiration to watch work.”
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Legendary bassist Jaco Pastorium played on four albums Mitchell released between 1976 and 1980: Hejira, Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter, Mingus and Shadows And Light. “Probably half the songs on our next record are gonna be in weird tunings because of working with her,” Brandi’s bandmate Phil Hanseroth added. “He’s having to do [bassist] Jaco [Pastorius’ parts] on songs where Jaco tripled his bass. Phil’s got to play all the licks — and not piss off Joni in the meantime,” Carlile noted.
Tickets for both Joni Mitchell concerts at the Hollywood Bowl are sold out. Click below for links to purchase tickets on the secondary market.
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