Joni Mitchell's surprise performance at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival

You may bestow upon me all the MARY!s that exist in the MARY! universe, but I wept for several minutes upon seeing the various performances.

That she is alive and not six feet under is in and of itself a miracle. To see her playing a guitar and singing - yes, imperfectly, haltingly, as one with residual brain trauma might be expected to sing - was astonishing.

It was deeply moving. Nothing but love on that stage, nothing but love in that audience.

This is an April Fools joke, right?

She has the guitar tuned such that all you have to do is strum it and it will play a chord. No fingering required (yeah, I know, shut up). And her voice is lower than it's ever been. Hell, I'm a lesbian 2nd alto and I can't sing that low.

But in the spirit of Liza and Tony B., more power to her that she's still alive and giving a performance -- although of that trio, clearly Tony is the best.

Y'all can look at r4's thread if you want to see a few names/song titles spelled wrong, Larry King style.

Or just look at the video here.

Love Joni. Very mixed feelings about her performance, but glad she’s still here. Grace Slick was right. Retire before you start embarrassing yourself. Someone should have put Wynonna way, way in the back and off camera.

Sad and sweet

R6 See, I just can't judge that performance as a traditional one. The fact that she's recovered that much from the aneurysm that she could appear at all was just beautiful.

Sure, if they want to charge $200 a ticket and make a tour out of it I'd feel different. I loved that this was a very casual kind of thing, on a stage filled with love and an audience filled with love.

We know Joni will never be back to the way she was, but she's nearly 80 and survived a serious setback. For her to be here at all is a miracle.

My petty ass loves that Paul Simon got a minute and a half or so, but Joni......got the main part of this report.

I thought that was a photo of Roseanne when I first glanced at it.

Joni seems to have put down the cigs but has taken up the fork from the looks of her.

[quote]Grace Slick was right. Retire before you start embarrassing yourself.

Grace really was right. Retire and have some dignity.

Those dentures though! Dazzling!!

Pearls before swine, this post.

This makes me sad, as a Joni fan. I'd prefer to remember her when she was at her best. But at least she had one more concert in her, so if it made her happy, then good.

That gravelly voice. Sounds like she’s still smoking.

Honestly, what difference would it make now if she's still smoking? Might as well enjoy what little time she has.

"Grace Slick was right. Retire before you start embarrassing yourself."

Sadly, Grace didn't take her own advice.

Starship was Grace's 401k. She retired after she made a shit ton of $$$ and has lived very comfortably in Malibu ever since.

Go Joni! She's still a legend at any age.

Her voice is lower now but she still has that something special in her voice. And can still carry a good tune.

Won't watch any of it. Again as others have said, I want to remember her as she was. This looks pathetic beyond belief.

Really Grace S. was so right. Retire before you make an ass of yourself.

She didn’t make an ass of herself. She’s just older.

Watch Laurel Canyon to transport you back to her youth and and good vibes with other musicians. Magical times.

Joni Mitchell was a legend.

Then she came out for censorship.

[quote] I want to remember her as she was

So many sad, pearl clutching prisspots on this site.

Some of you cannot let someone be human and flawed for one fucking second.

Maybe some of you enjoy watching someone you admired be pathetic & embarrassing in public. Grateful I have the option to give it a hard pass.

I'm getting strong "Bette Davis at the end" vibes.

[quote]Someone should have put Wynonna way, way in the back and off camera.

How do you feel about Cleveland?

I imagine it's many of the same elders on here who also bemoaned Liza's recent, touching surprise performance with the Pasadena Pops. I get it. The closer you are to that potential state, the harder it may be to take. I'm thankfully in good health. I'm in my early 40s. But I spent the better part of the past year taking care of my dad in hospice. I know it's a cliche, but when you're watching your parent slowly die over the course of several months, at some point you learn acceptance. I did. It also helped me appreciate moments like Liza and Joni's surprise performances. No expectations... just gratitude. And I wouldn't say that if they didn't still imbue the songs they sang with emotion and powerful lyrical intent. I probably deserve a MARY! but I couldn't watch that Both Sides Now performance without tearing up. From Joni's much deeper and shakier, but still moving voice to the way the musicians on stage tenderly supported her with vocal harmonies and delicate instrumentation. There was so much love and respect on that stage.

^ You're right MARY,MARY & another MARY. don't forget your parasol in this dreadful heat!

I thought it was Roseanne at OP.

Her singing “Summertime” was sublime. Beautiful phrasing.

R29 I will gladly give you a MARY!

I am right there with you. She almost died.....I'm so grateful she can do anything other than shit herself and sleep. To watch her work her way back to that performance out of sheer will is a beauty of its own.

"Joni Mitchell's vagina here. Any questions?" was a classic DL thread.

She’s gotten big as a house.

Joni Mitchell back in the day. She is now 78 years old.

Joni Mitchell then and now.

R34 I am proud to say I started that thread.

Too many classic replies to even list.

She always had a horse face.

Neigh!

In the 70s, the ‘Hejira’ era: at the peak of her icy blonde high cheekbones beauty

I found Brandi Carlisle’s sideline mugging and gesturing off putting. She really wants to ingratiate herself with Mitchell.