Joni Mitchell condemns Donald Trump at first LA concert in 24 years
During her first headline show in Los Angeles for over two decades on October 19th, Joni Mitchell revealed her opinion on the upcoming US presidential elections and condemned Donald Trump.
Performing at her ‘Joni Jam’ concert at the famous Los Angeles venue The Hollywood Bowl, the ‘Both Sides Now’ singer reacted to a fan’s comments on the Republican nominee for November 5th after performing her politically-charged ‘Dog Eat Dog’ and urged people to vote.
The aforementioned track, released in 1985, overtly addresses the hugely criticised political climate which still has significant relevance, hitting out against the “white washed hawks” who “pedal hate” and “call it love” and “snakebite evangelists and racketeers” and “big wig financiers” in a dog eat dog world.
After performing the song, she made her opinion on the presidential candidate clear while weighing in on the importance of sharing your voice. “Fuck Donald Trump, I love that song,” Mitchell said per Billboard.
“Everybody get out and vote,” she continued before giggling out the next part, “This is an important one. I wish I could vote – I’m Canadian. I’m one of those lousy immigrants.” The crowd then reacted exactly as you might expect—with an eruption of cheers and screams of overwhelming support.
Mitchell joins a growing list of high-profile names either speaking out against Trump or showing their backing of Kamala Harris, including Jon Bon Jovi, Chappell Roan, Stevie Wonder, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and more.
More recently, Lizzo criticised Trump’s comments about the country having a “mess on your hands” if it votes for Harris, to which she singer said it would become more “proud” and “resilient” with her leadership.
What songs did Joni Mitchell perform at ‘Joni Jam’?
In Los Angeles, Mitchell was joined by an unforgettable lineup boasting names like Brandi Carlile, Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold, Annie Lennox, Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith, Marcus Mumford, Blake Mills, Jon Batiste, Jacob Collier, Allison Russell, Lucius, and more.
Performing songs for the first time in decades, Mitchell delighted with special renditions of ‘God Must Be A Boogie Man’, ‘Sunny Sunday’, ‘Hejira’, ‘Both Sides Now‘, ‘Big Yellow Taxi’, ‘California’, and of course, ‘Dog Eat Dog’. The setlist ran for 27 songs and was packed with plenty of surprises, including various collaborations and renditions of several well-known hits, like Lennox’s soulful spin on ‘Ladies of the Canyon’.
Some songs were performed for the first time since the early to mid-1980s, making it an incredibly special and unique occasion marked by immense nostalgia and relevant sociopolitical commentary—exactly the kind you would expect Mitchell to carry strong, even at 80 years old.
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