Beloved folk singer and songwriter Joni Mitchell celebrated her 75th birthday late last year back on November 7th. In celebration of the milestone trip around the sun, Mitchell was surrounded by musical colleagues, fans, and friends who all took part in a pair of sold-out tribute shows at The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on November 6th and 7th. The star-studded concerts included performances and appearances by James Taylor, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, Graham Nash, Kris Kristofferson, Los Lobos, Seal, and Rufus Wainwright, just to name a few. The two shows were professionally filmed, and plans to screen the concert film in movie theaters across the country for one night only were announced on Wednesday.
The film will be titled, The Music Center Presents Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration, and will give fans who weren’t in attendance a behind-the-scenes (and front of house) look at the two-night birthday celebrations when it screens in select theaters on February 7th. Artists who participated in the two shows gave tasteful covers from Mitchell’s 19 studio album catalogue, including “River” and “Woodstock” (performed by Taylor); “Blue” and “All I Want” (performed by Wainwright); “Our House” (performed by Nash); “Dreamland”, “Nothing Can Be Done”, “Big Yellow Taxi” (performed by Los Lobos); “And “Down To You” (performed by Brandi Carlile).
Fans who can’t make it to the one-night screening of the film will also get the chance to listen to the performances when Verve Records releases the official soundtrack from the film a few weeks later on March 1st. Until then, the official trailer can be watched in full below. The concerts, of course, featured rare public appearances from Mitchell, who can be seen sharing a big smile of appreciation out in the audience towards the start of the two-minute promo video.
JONI 75: A Birthday Celebration – Official Trailer
[Video: Trafalgar Releasing]
Mitchell has kept out of the public eye almost completely (with exception of special events like this) since suffering a brain aneurysm back in the spring of 2015. She’s since been in the process of recovery, and has been doing well with her health progress in the years since according to her close friends. She was even able to take the stage to blow out cake candles during a full-cast finale on her birthday.
Tickets for the February 7th screening are on sale now.
[H/T Variety]