Joni Mitchell Plays the Gorge with Brandi Carlile, Allison Russell and More

Some of the biggest names in music gathered for Brandi Carlile’s annual “Echoes Through the Canyon” celebration at the Gorge Amphitheatre with three action-packed days of music outside of Seattle, Washington.

The event also marked the 79-year-old Joni Mitchell’s first publicly-announced concert in two decades. Her set at the Gorge included 24 songs and featured guests like Carlile, Annie Lennox, Marcus Mumford, Sarah McLachlan and Allison Russell.

Mitchell’s last public performance came as a surprise at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival. And a recording of that performance is to be released digitally later this month.

At the Gorge, Mitchell made up the stage to look like her now-famous (and cozy) “Joni Jams,” a regular series that normally takes place at her Los Angeles home. Carlile was invited to the jam several years back, as she detailed in her memoir, Broken Horses. The visit spurred her now-close friendship with Mitchell.

As shown below in the set list, Mitchell began her performance with her classic “Big Yellow Taxi.” Other songs included throughout the evening are “Summertime” and “Ladies of the Canyon,” with Lennox and Carlile.

Also during the Carlile-fueled musical weekend, her supergroup the Highwomen performed, along with other big names. Mumford, Russell, Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith, Lucius, Brandy Clark and more artists shared the stage.

“I can’t tell you how good it feels to play these old songs out here,” said Carlile during one of her performances. I was right back at the [local Seattle venue] Tractor Tavern in my mind.”

Check out videos of the weekend here below.

Joni Mitchell’s Setlist:

“Big Yellow Taxi”
“Night Ride Home”
“Raised on Robbery” (ft. Celisse Henderson)
“Come in From the Cold” (ft. Marcus Mumford)
“Amelia” (ft. Blake Mills)
“Carey”
“Sex Kills” (ft. Celisse Henderson)
“Summertime” (ft. Ben Lusher)
“Ladies of the Canyon” (ft. Annie Lennox)
“Help Me” (ft. Celisse Henderson)
“Where There’s A Will There’s A Way” (ft. Rick Whitfield)
“Love Potion No. 9”
“A Case of You” (ft. Marcus Mumford and Brandi Carlile)
“A Strange Boy” (ft. Wendy & Lisa)
“Cactus Tree” (ft. Lucius)
“California” (ft. Marcus Mumford)
“Blue” (ft. Sarah McLachlan)
“Why Do Fools Fall in Love”
“Shine” (ft. Brandi Carlile)
“Both Sides Now”
“The Circle Game”

Encore:
“Just Like This Train”
“If”
“Young At Heart” (ft. Allison Russell)

Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images