Joni Mitchell Thrills Fans With Deep Cuts (and Cuts Trump Down to Size) at Hollywood Bowl in First Full L.A. Show in 24 Years: Concert Review
variety.comChris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic At Joni Mitchell’s Hollywood Bowl show Saturday night, the revered singer-songwriter offered the rapt audience a first-ever live performance of… Wait, let’s just take a time-out right there and let those words sink in.
At Joni Mitchell’s Hollywood Bowl show. What were the odds? Right?… Sorry, we now return to our regularly scheduled review. At Joni Mitchell’s Hollywood Bowl show Saturday night, the revered singer-songwriter offered the rapt audience a first-ever live performance of “The Sire of Sorrow (Job’s Sad Song),” a deep cut from 30 years ago that borrows themes from the biblical book of Job to ask God, the “tireless watcher,” “Tell me, why do you starve the faithful?
Why do you crucify the saints? And you let the wicked prosper.” In an election year, the choice felt almost as much political as theological.
Following that somber, musically sophisticated number, Brandi Carlile — the unofficial emcee and enabler of the evening — made note of the song’s dark scriptural origins, then announced that the setlist was about to take a left turn. “She was worried it would make you feel sad,” Carlile said, “so she asked us to follow it up with this next one.” Up next in the show’s divine playlist: “God Must Be a Boogie Man.” This was not one of the night’s handful of live premieres, but it did mark the first time that Mitchell was performing the delightful track from her 1979 “Mingus” album since 1983.
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