According to Pitchfork and Consequence, folk legends Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell recently made surprise appearances at the Newport Folk Festival over the weekend. Simon performed alongside Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats while Mitchell joined Brandi Carlile onstage for a full set. This appearance marked Simon’s first time playing at the festival while Mitchell had previously performed at the festival in 1969.
Before taking the stage, Rateliff and the band had teased his appearance with covers of “Mother and Child Reunion,” “Slip Sliding Away,” “St. Judy’s Comet,” “El Condor Pasa,” “Homeward Bound” and “Cecilia.” Once he joined them, the group played his 1986 classic “Graceland.” Next, Rhiannon Giddens teamed up with him for a new rendition of “American Tune” with updated lyrics courtesy of Simon. He gave a star-studded performance of “The Boxer” featuring Lucius, Lukas Nelson, Natalie Merchant, Jerry Douglas and more. His set came to an end with a performance of Simon & Garfunkel’s 1964 hit “The Sound Of Silence.” Simon’s appearance at the festival marked a rare occasion as he had previously announced his retirement from touring back in 2018.
Mitchell’s appearance was also quite special as it marked one of her first full performances in more than 20 years. Mitchell and Carlile performed some of her classics including 1971’s “A Case Of You” and 1966’s “Both Sides Now.” During the segment, they were joined by Blake Mills, Taylor Goldsmith, Marcus Mumford, Wynonna Judd, Lucius’ Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, and more. Mitchell even performed the guitar solo on 1974’s “Just Like This Train” which she was previously unable to do following the life-threatening brain aneurysm she suffered in 2015. In an interview with CBS Mornings, she explained that she was able to relearn the skill by watching “videos on the net.”
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