Joni Mitchell took a long and much-needed hiatus from the stage, but it looks like she’s trying her best to make up for the lost time: The legendary folk artist performed Wednesday night at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, during a tribute show that also featured many of her musical friends and peers. The event was in celebration of her receiving the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
As Stereogum points out, the concert included performances from some no-brainer attendees including Graham Nash, James Taylor, and Brandi Carlile. Annie Lennox did a powerful rendition of “Both Sides Now,” while Cyndi Lauper led a large group cover of “Big Yellow Taxi.”
The show also featured performances from Marcus Mumford, Diana Krall, Herbie Hancock, Ledisi, and Angélique Kidjo. Mitchell gave the final performance of the night: She paid tribute to the prize’s namesake George Gershwin by singing “Summertime,” and also sang her 1966 song “The Circle Game.” You can see some clips of the evening below courtesy of CBS and The Associated Press.
The Gershwin Prize honors lifetime achievements in performance and composition, and Mitchell can now officially add it to her stacked resume: She received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music last year, and she was also a 2021 Kennedy Center honoree. Last July, she made an epic surprise appearance at Newport Folk Festival, which we named one of the best live performances of 2022.
This June, Mitchell will perform her first announced concert in 20 years at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington — get tickets at StubHub, where orders are 100% guaranteed through Stubhub’s FanProtect program.
