Joni Mitchell's return 'At Newport' reconfigures her legacy
When Joni Mitchell appeared at the Newport Folk Festival in 1969, she was on the precipice of a breakthrough. Several months removed from releasing her second LP, Clouds, she landed a coveted Saturday night performance slot along with Arlo Guthrie. Bootlegs reveal a luminous performance driven by mellifluous vocals and aching acoustic guitar, and highlighted by a stunning piano version of "For Free."
The trade magazine Cash Box complimented Mitchell's set and astutely noted "she is on her way to becoming a star." However, a review from the Hartford Courant noted that this burgeoning popularity came at a price: "Hecklers in the back" specifically "urged Miss Mitchell to sing 'Circle Game' over and over." No doubt much to the dismay of these critics, Mitchell played the song to close out her set.
When Mitchell finally to the Newport Folk Festival on July 24, 2022, after a 53-year absence — a performance documented on— she also ended her set with "The Circle Game." Decades later, however, the crowd responded to her presence uniformly positively — with awe, gratitude, excitement and even tears. Mitchell's presence was a complete surprise, as she had retreated from the spotlight after a ; additionally, the Newport gig was her first full-length concert since 2000.
