Brandi Carlile Brings Out Joni Mitchell, Annie Lennox for Bravura Turns at ‘Friends’ Show at Hollywood Bowl
variety.comChris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic For anyone in southern California who had experienced FOMJ (fear of missing Joni) when Brandi Carlile led “Joni jams” with Joni Mitchell last year at the Newport Folk Festival or earlier this year at the Gorge, there was finally an antidote for that.
Mitchell was — as hoped — one of the guests at the “Brandi Carlile and Friends” show Saturday night at the Hollywood Bowl, singing her classics “Circle Game, “Ladies of the Canyon” and “Shine” along with the full cast of participants gathered around her.
The guest list was quite expansive beyond the climactic mini-set of Mitchell material, with Annie Lennox making a rare live appearance to join Carlile in dueting on three songs, “Why,” “No More ‘I Love You’s” and the Eurythmics number “Love Is a Stranger.” Lennox expressed gratitude for getting a set-within-a-set, saying she would not be on stage without Carlile, with the latter expressing in turn that she would not be doing anything musically at all without Lennox paving the path.
Other performers who got individual turns in the spotlight before they supported Mitchell at the end included Allison Russell, Lucius, Blake Mills, SistaStrings and Wendy & Lisa.
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