In a rare and electrifying performance, legendary singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell took to the stage at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on Saturday night, her first headline show in the city in nearly a quarter century. While fans reveled in her extensive setlist filled with beloved hits, deep cuts, and surprising covers, it was Mitchell’s unfiltered political commentary that truly brought the house down.
Midway through the concert, the 80-year-old icon performed “Dog Eat Dog,” the title track from her 1985 album, for the first time since its release year. The scathing critique of corruption and greed featured updated lyrics aimed squarely at a certain polarizing political figure. After singing of “big wig financiers,” Mitchell pointedly added, “like Donald Trump.”
“Fuck Donald Trump!”: Mitchell Rallies Fans to Vote
If her lyrical barb left any doubt about her stance on the ex-president and current GOP frontrunner, Mitchell erased it moments later. As a voice in the crowd shouted an insult about Trump, she responded without hesitation: “Fuck Donald Trump!” Riffing on the viral 2016 YG and Nipsey Hussle song of the same name, she quipped, “I love that song.”
Everybody get out and vote. This is an important one. I wish I could vote – I’m Canadian. I’m one of those lousy immigrants.
Joni Mitchell
Mitchell, who was born in Canada but has lived primarily in Los Angeles since the late 1960s, then implored the audience to make their voices heard in the crucial upcoming election. “Everybody get out and vote. This is an important one,” she urged. “I wish I could vote – I’m Canadian. I’m one of those lousy immigrants.”
Resurrecting Rarely Heard Political Anthems
The biting “Dog Eat Dog” wasn’t the only political deep cut Mitchell dusted off for the occasion. She also delivered the first live rendition of “The Sire of Sorrow (Job’s Sad Song)” since 1998, a track from her 1994 album Turbulent Indigo that grapples with human suffering and injustice.
Another rarity, “If I Had a Heart,” from 2007’s Shine, received its live debut. On the lament, Mitchell decries “Holy war, genocide, suicide” over sparse, haunting instrumentation. The theme of disillusionment carried through much of the setlist, painting a picture of an artist deeply engaged with the world’s struggles.
Star-Studded “Joni Jam” Spans Decades and Genres
Billed as “Joni Jam,” the two-night stand at the iconic Hollywood Bowl treated fans to a career-spanning revue featuring a rotating cast of special guests. Among the many highlights:
- Frequent collaborator Brandi Carlile joining Mitchell for rousing renditions of classics like “A Case of You”
- Wendy & Lisa of Prince fame lending their talents to an expansive “Dreamland”
- Rising star Allison Russell duetting on “The Magdalene Laundries” from 1994’s Turbulent Indigo
- Annie Lennox making a surprise appearance to lend her voice to “Ladies of the Canyon”
- Fittingly, jazz prodigy Jon Batiste sitting in on several Mingus-era selections
Between the cavalcade of stars and abundance of material from the further reaches of Mitchell’s catalog, longtime devotees were treated to a truly singular experience. For an artist who has largely retreated from public life in recent years, Mitchell’s 2022 return to the stage at the Newport Folk Festival following a 2015 brain aneurysm already bordered on the miraculous. To see her not only performing again a year later, but with such fire, passion, and urgency, was nothing short of astonishing.
Covers and Rarities Abound as Mitchell Reclaims Her Voice
Ever the musical chameleon, Mitchell peppered her setlists with artful reinterpretations of songs both classic and obscure. A playful, gender-flipped take on Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” brought out the song’s latent romantic yearning, while a pin-drop rendition of “Summertime” showcased the vulnerability and ache Mitchell can still conjure at age 80.
Most moving was her spin on Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing,” the triumphant declaration of survival taking on additional poignancy given Mitchell’s health struggles of late. Though she winkingly changed a lyric to “I’m still sitting after all this time” while remaining seated with her guitar throughout the show, Mitchell’s artistic vitality and activist spirit remain undiminished. By fearlessly speaking her mind on the nation’s most prominent political debate, she reclaimed her voice in more ways than one.
For the fortunate fans in attendance, it was an unforgettable display of an all-time great artist reconnecting with the political conviction and musical adventurousness that have defined her singular career. As Mitchell’s 80th year draws to a close, she’s leaving no doubt that she still has plenty to say – and the world is listening more intently than ever.
