Brandi Carlile to Perform ‘Blue’ at Carnegie Hall
Brandi Carlile has shocked fans with her announcement of performing Joni Mitchell’s album, Blue live, for the second time. As concerts are continuing to happen safely and responsibly, Carlile will participate, performing Blue in its entirety at the iconic Carnegie Hall this fall.
On August 9, “The Joke” singer took to social media writing, “Am I really crazy enough to do this again?” As fans know, of course, she is. Joni Mitchell is Carlile’s hero, and despite the anxiety of “perfecting” the record, she knows she can do Blue justice, having performed the album live before.
Carlile first performed Blue in October 2019 at the Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles. Mitchell herself and Elton John, another Carlile hero, were in attendance. The singer notes in an Instagram post that the one-time concert was “terrifying” and “transformative.” Nevertheless, she prevailed and gave a memorable performance.
Blue had been released in 1971. On June 22, Blue had marked its 50th anniversary. Many celebrities spoke of Mitchell’s vulnerability and songwriting greatness to commemorate such a beautiful record. Carlile wrote, “Where would any of us be without Blue?” She later calls the record “the greatest of all time.”
Carlile has always loved Mitchell, but when she first began dating her now-wife Catherine, she found Mitchell “too soft” as a songwriter. The singer’s most devoted fans know this story of Brandi and Catherine, as she tells this lesson so honestly in her New York Times Best-Selling memoir, Broken Horses. Carlile reveals, “She sat me down and refused to talk to me. We listened to the whole album in silence. She wanted me to sit with it. And in that moment… I realized I needed to reconsider what ‘tough’ is.” Not only does this story appear in her memoir, but she frequently tells the same tale when performing live.
On November 6, Carlile will perform Blue in its entirety for the second time. Tickets will go on sale this Thursday, August 12, at 11 am ET. Fans can head to brandicarlile.com to secure their spot.
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