Joni Mitchell’s Surprise Encore Dazzles At Brandi Carlile’s Sold-Out Hollywood Bowl Show

Forbes Lifestyle ForbesLife Joni Mitchell’s Surprise Encore Dazzles At Brandi Carlile’s Sold-Out Hollywood Bowl Show David Hochman Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. A worldview from Los Angeles on luxury, travel and entertainment. Following Oct 15, 2023, 06:03pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin “Brandi Carlile and Friends” included joyful guest appearances from the likes of Annie Lennox, .

. . [+] Lucius, Wendy and Lisa and, yes, the great Joni Mitchell.

David Hochman Sometimes you need to a reminder that there is good in the world. After a week of unfathomable violence in the Middle East and free-floating anguish everywhere, it felt like a healing gift to witness Brandi Carlile’s generosity of spirit on stage at The Hollywood Bowl last night. At a sold-out show that capped a triumphant year of touring, Carlile’s appreciation for the moment, for the audience, and for her talented friends played like a corrective emotional experience for the 16,000 of us watching from the stands.

Yes, the headline news is that the great Joni Mitchell once again made a surprise appearance during Carlile’s encore to sing three songs: “Shine,” “Ladies of the Canyon,” and “The Circle Game. ” It’s part of a return-to-live-performance for Mitchell following several years of rehabilitation in the aftermath of a 2015 rupture of a brain aneurysm. Carlile’s encouragement and vocal support helped motivate Mitchell to sing publicly for the first time in nine years at the Newport Folk Festival last year.

Then last June, again buoyed by Carlile, Mitchell headlined an emotional concert at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington State for a crowd of 27,000. Mitchell had already surprised the Hollywood Bowl once this year at a tribute to Wayne Shorter hosted by their mutual friend and collaborator Herbie Hancock. But the real story here is Carlile.

At a time when so many entertainers celebrate the spectacle of themselves — the most recent example: Madonna’s career-spanning homage to Madonna that opened this weekend in London—Carlile goes out of her way to honor and share the spotlight with others. It doesn’t feel like false humility; Carlile clearly sees herself as someone who stands on the shoulders of the greats who came before her. After Annie Lenox grabbed the mic last night to belt hits like “Why” and “Love Is a Stranger,” she said to Carlile, “I wouldn’t be here tonight without you,” to which Carlile replied: “I wouldn’t be here without you! ” MORE FOR YOU A Psychologist Explains The ‘Pretty Privilege’ Paradox The World s Best Bourbon According To The 2023 Singapore World Spirits Competition 15K Drop In EV Prices Led By Tesla As Model 3 Model Y Prices Fall It went like that all night.

Carlile gave space for others to do their thing. Wendy and Lisa from Prince’s band The Revolution played a riveting and soulful version of Prince’s “Mountains. ” Allison Russell sang and played gospel-banjo lead on “Requiem.

” Carlile’s wife, Catherine, slowed down the Indigo Girls’ rediscovered gem, thanks to the Barbie soundtrack, “Closer To Fine. ” Even fronting her regular band, Carlile was thinking beyond herself. I wouldn’t point this out if it didn’t feel so unusual.

At the top of the program, she addressed the situation in Israel directly, saying “how much we all need tonight,” adding “there’s no honest way forward into an evening of revelry without addressing it. … I understand how much pain the world is in. ” To anyone in the audience managing anxiety this week, “I want you to know that you’re safe tonight.

We should also never underestimate the power of 16,000 collective souls, 16,000 people desperately wanting peace and non-violence. . .

That’s our intention tonight. Peace. ” You could feel the collective sigh of relief as Carlile launched into an emotional solo version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

” To the end, Carlile made it a night of selflessness. Joni Mitchell turns 80 next month, and rather than basking in her own glory after a year of exceptional performances around the world, Carlile asked the crowd to celebrate Mitchell with an early round of “Happy Birthday,” one more token of kindness from Carlile to her hero and to all of us. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn .

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