Joni Mitchell To Perform First Gig In 20 Years

Musical folk legend Joni Mitchell is set to perform her first gig in over 20 years. The singer-songwriter is scheduled to be the support act to Brandi Carlile in 2023 at the Gorge Ampitheatre.

The announcement

Appearing on American television staple The Daily Show, Brandi Carlile shared the exciting news that Joni Mitchell would be joining her on the June leg of shows in Washington state, publicised as the poetic Echoes Through The Canyon shows. Carlile explained:

“Joni Mitchell is going to play. No one’s been able to buy a ticket to see Joni Mitchell play in 20 years, so this is enormous, and she’s so excited because it’s close to Canada… I can’t believe it’s happening, but it is happening, and she is going to crush it.”

Joni has been on a break from live performance since her last full set in the year 2000. The musician famously battled health battles as a younger woman, which led to her mastery of the lap steel guitar as well as a traditional guitar. Sadly, Mitchell had been recovering from a brain aneurysm she suffered back in 2015, however the silver lining of this difficulty had been her affectionately named ‘Joni Jams’ sessions. Carlile revealed that these private musical gatherings took place at Joni’s California home and helped get Joni’s health and mojo back. Carlile reminisced about Mitchell joining her for a ‘Joni Jam’ at the Newport Folk Festival back in July, and how it’s led to the subsequent gigs:

“I still can’t believe that happened. Mitchell always has a plan. She knows what she wants to do even if she doesn’t say it. We thought it was a jam. We didn’t know that she was going to sing all the leads on those songs. She just started singing. We had rehearsed the songs ourselves. And we didn’t know whether we should stop or what we should do, you know, so we just sang with her.”

This year, Echoes Through the Canyon will become the folk festival of legends. The two-day event features the first night, Friday, 9th June 2023, with the high-anticipated full set from rock legend Brandi Carlile and other performers. The following day, the festival will host the Joni Jam, a special segment welcoming the return of the folk icon Joni Mitchell.

Carlile, who has been regarded as the “Joni whisperer,” expressed her excitement at 2023’s Echoes Through the Canyon. “I told her I wanted to do another show. She said, ‘I want to play again.” Just like that, the fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s name gets top billing on Carlile’s annual folk extravaganza. 

Echoes Through the Canyon have made Gorge Amphitheatre its home for the past couple of years. The 27,000-capacity venue resides near Columbia River in Central Washington. The outdoor concert venue has the unique feature of having the Columbia Gorge canyon as a backdrop.

Brandi Carlile called it “one of the most beautiful venues in the world.” If you want to spend your summer listening to great music while basking in the breath-taking landscape of the Gorge Amphitheatre, you must score your tickets now to experience the 2023 Echoes Through the Canyon!

The two-day festival will run from 9 – 10 June 2023 at Gorge Amphitheatre, Quincy, Washington. Carlile will headline the first show, with Mitchell accompanied by an all-star band of friends for the second.

Buy tickets to Echoes Through The Canyon

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