Friday, February 03, 2006

My debut at Carnegie Hall

Admittedly, I was in the audience but I thoroughly enjoyed watching various artists interpret Joni Mitchell's songs. 24 songs and 2hr 30min flew by, propelled by the creative and often stripped-down arrangements, quick turnaround between artists and helpful narration by an emcee between songs. Joni stayed in Bel-Air to nurse her cats but wrote a note to be read before the music started.

My favorite performances were by Tom Rush who took the oldies "Urge for Going" and "Circle Game" for genteel and mesmerizing rides. During his performances I entered that rare concert zone where the concert hall and everything fades away and only the song exists (p.s. I was sober).

The only tune repeated was "Both Sides Now", first interpreted by Laurie Anderson and later by Judy Collins to close the show. Anderson held her electric violin guitar-style and played pizzacato while hitting synths with her feet. It's one of those "worlds colliding" moments I thought I'd never see--the intersection of Laurie Anderson and Joni Mitchell universes.

NYT Review

Review by Patrick Leader, a Joniphile I met years ago when Joni was touring

I can't guarantee the sequence and artists/songs are correct, but here's a set list that is mostly correct.

Joanne Shenandoah "Dawntreader"
Dar Williams "Rainy Night House"
Neil Sedaka "Raised on Robbery"
Laurie Anderson "Both Sides Now"
Tom Rush "Urge for Going" and "Circle Game"
eels "All I Want"
Jesse Malin "Carey"
Martin Sexton "Marcie"
The Wood Brothers "Black Crow"
Me’shell NdegéOcello "Cherokee Louise"
Amy Grant "Big Yellow Taxi"
Assembly of Dust featuring Sonya Kitchell "Trouble Child"
Shawn Colvin "Turbulent Indigo"
Pharaoh's Daughter "God Must be a Boogie Man"
Cowboy Junkies "River"
Bettye LaVette "Last Chance Lost"
Marc Cohn & Don Byron "For Free"
Jimmy Scott "At Last"
Nellie McKay "Chelsea Morning"
Suzanne Vega "Amelia"
Michelle Williams (of Destiny’s Child) "Help Me"
Richie Havens "Woodstock"
Judy Collins "Both Sides Now"

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