Joni Mitchell thrilled fans at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island on Sunday when she made a surprise appearance at the event, marking her first performance at the fest since 1969.
Mitchell, who has rarely performed in public since suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015, was the guest of honor at “Joni Jam” — a Brandi Carlile-led event that featured accompaniment and guest appearances from a variety of musicians and singers, including Wynonna Judd, Marcus Mumford of Mumford and Sons, Dawes‘ Taylor Goldsmith, Lucius, Allison Russell and Shooter Jennings.
Sitting in a plush throne-like chair, Mitchell sang along with Brandi for most of the 13-song set and delivered lead vocals on several songs, including her classics “Both Sides Now” and “The Circle Game.” Joni even played some guitar during a rendition of her 1974 tune “Just Like a Train.”
The last time Mitchell performed a full set of songs was in 2000. Her official website has gathered together links to fan-shot videos of all 13 performances.
In related news, Paul Simon also made a surprise appearance at the Newport Folk Festival over the weekend. On Saturday, July 23, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats curated a set of Simon’s songs that featured various guest performers, including Paul, who joined in for the last four songs — “Graceland,” “American Tune,” “The Boxer” and “The Sound of Silence.”
“What an absolute pleasure to work with Nathaniel Rateliff and his incredible band,” Simon wrote on his Facebook page Sunday. “[Nathaniel’s] curation of my music and all of the artists he selected to participate was overwhelming.”
Here’s the full set list of Joni’s performance:
“Carey”
“Come In from the Cold”
“Help Me”
“A Case of You”
“Big Yellow Taxi”
“Just Like This Train”
“Why Do Fools Fall In Love”
“Amelia”
“Love Potion #9”
“Shine”
“Summertime”
“Both Sides Now”
“The Circle Game”
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