Joni Mitchell Lets Donald Trump Scream at Rare US Concert

Joni Mitchell makes her voice heard in the upcoming US election, reacting: “Fuck Donald Trump!” To an audience member who insulted the Republican presidential candidate.

“I love that song,” Mitchell continued – possibly a reference to the 2016 YG song FDT.

Performing his first headline concert in Los Angeles in 24 years on Saturday, Mitchell, 80, said: “Everybody get out and vote. This is an important one. If I can vote – I'm Canadian. I'm one of those bad immigrants.”

Mitchell's comments came after he released the politically charged title track from his 1985 album Dog It Dog for the first time since its release. In the song he sings: “/ Holy hope in the hands of snake-bitten preachers and bullies / And big-wig financiers.” After the last line, he released the ad, “Like Donald Trump.”

At the self-styled “Johnny Jam” over two nights at the Hollywood Bowl, Mitchell performed with musicians including Brandy Carlyle, Wendy & Lisa, Alison Russell, Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes, Marcus Mumford, Annie Lennox of the Ladies of the Canyon. A – Jacob Collier and John Baptiste.

He gave new songs their live debuts, including If I Had a Heart from 2007's Shine and The Sire of Sorrow from 1994's Turbulent Indigo: the former indicting “holy war / genocide / suicide”, while the latter speaks of loss. All tastes for life.”

The concerts come two years after Mitchell's surprise appearance at the 2022 Newport folk festival – his return to live performance after suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015 that left him unable to speak or walk.

He also covered Elton John's I'm Still Standing – but sat throughout the concert and changed a line accordingly: “I'm still sitting after all this time,” he sang.

Mitchell's last original album was Shine; He is in the midst of an archival reissue project highlighting remastered and unreleased material, the latest of which was The Asylum Album (1976-1980), which was released in June.