Joni Mitchell has made her voice heard in the upcoming US election, reacting with “Fuck Donald Trump!” to an audience member who shouted expletives about the Republican presidential candidate.
“I love that song,” Mitchell continued – likely a reference to YG’s 2016 song FDT.
Mitchell, 80, said Saturday at his first headline concert in 24 years in Los Angeles. This is important. I wish I could vote – I’m Canadian. I am one of those terrible immigrants. ”
Mitchell’s comments came after she performed the politically charged title track from her 1985 album Dog Eat Dog for the first time since its release. In this song she sings: “Holy hope/In the hands of snake-bitten evangelists and extortionists/And big wig financiers.” After the latter line, she ad-libbed “like Donald Trump.”
At the self-proclaimed "Joni Jam,” which took place over two nights at the Hollywood Bowl, Mitchell joined Brandi Carlile, Wendy and Lisa, Allison Russell, Robin Pecknold of the Fleet Foxes, Marcus Mumford, Annie Lennox and more. She performed with musicians from “Ladies of the Canyon.” – Jacob Collier and Jon Batiste.
She also released newer songs, “If I Had a Heart” from 2007’s Shine and “The Sire of Sorrow” from 1994’s Turbulent Indigo. made its live debut. The former denounces “holy war/genocide/suicide” and the latter speaks of defeat. It’s all about the taste of life. ”
The concert comes two years after Mitchell made a surprise appearance at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival. Mitchell returned to live performance after suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015 that left him unable to speak or walk.
She also covered Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing,” but remained seated throughout the concert, changing her lines accordingly as she sang, “After all this time, I’m still sitting.”
Mitchell’s last original album was Shine. She is currently in the midst of an archival reissue project that focuses on remastered and unreleased songs, the last of which was the Asylum Album (1976-1980), released in June.
