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Joni Mitchell’s Surprise Newport Folk Set To Be Released In July

Album chronicles her first extended on-stage performance in nearly two decades
Joni Mitchell and Brandi Carlile at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival (photo: Nina Westervelt)

After spilling the beans in a November interview on Elton John’s Apple Music show Rocket Hour, Joni Mitchell has confirmed she will release her surprise performance at last year’s Newport Folk Festival as a live album this summer.

The aptly named At Newport will arrive on July 24 through Rhino Records. It was produced by Brandi Carlile, who has been instrumental in Mitchell’s return to live performance after she suffered a brain aneurysm in 2015. Mitchell’s Newport appearance was just her second time on stage in front of a large audience since 2013 and her first proper concert in more than 20 years.

On the Newport stage, Mitchell, 79, and Carlile were joined by Phil and Tim Hanseroth of Carlile’s band, Wynonna Judd, Marcus Mumford, Celisse, Lucius’ Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, and Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith for songs such as “Big Yellow Taxi,” “A Case of You,” and “The Circle Game.”

Their performance of Mitchell’s classic “Both Sides Now” is out today as the first preview of At Newport, and in it, Carlile is visibly wiping away tears as Mitchell intones in her unmistakable voice while seated in a gold-rimmed armchair.

 

Despite her infirmities, Mitchell has overseen a number of archival releases of her legendary back catalog and started appearing more frequently in public over the past couple of years. In early 2022, she joined fellow ’60s folk rock icons David Crosby and Neil Young in demanding her music be removed from Spotify in protest of the streaming service’s relationship with podcaster Joe Rogan, and in March, she was awarded the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

As previously reported, Mitchell and Carlile will be back together for another special one-off show on June 10 at the sold-out Gorge Amphitheater in Quincy, Wa. SPIN understands a number of the musicians who participated in the surprise Newport set will be on hand at the Gorge show as well.

Here is the track list for Joni Mitchell At Newport:

Introduction by Brandi Carlile
“Big Yellow Taxi”
“A Case of You”
“Amelia”
“Both Sides Now”
“Just Like This Train”
“Summertime”
“Carey”
“Help Me” – Celisse
“Come in From the Cold”
“Shine”
“The Circle Game”