Joni Mitchell‘s Fiery Statement: “Fuck Donald Trump!” at L.A. Concert
By your cheeky commentator
Well, well, well! Joni Mitchell has stepped back into the limelight, and she didn’t just dip her toe in the water; she cannonballed into the deep end! Performing her first headline concert in Los Angeles in 24 years, the legendary songstress not only graced us with her nostalgic tunes but took a moment to address the elephant in the room – or should I say, the orange man in the White House?
When one brave audience member decided to disrespect the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (I won’t insult your intelligence by saying his name again), Mitchell responded with a fiery, “Fuck Donald Trump!” I mean, she didn’t just say it; she sang it like a battle cry! That’s a shoutout you can take to the polls, folks. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a little bit of musical protest sprinkled with a side of sass?
But this wasn’t just a random exclamation thrown around like confetti at a wedding; she followed it up by referencing the 2016 YG smash hit “FDT,” which stands for… well, you can fill in the blanks, can’t you? It’s like she was saying, “I may be Canadian, but I’m still here to stir the pot and rock the boat!” And honestly, we love her for it.
At the Los Angeles concert, the octogenarian dynamo confessed, “Everybody get out and vote. This is an important one. I wish I could vote – I’m Canadian. I’m one of those lousy immigrants.” Mixed feelings arise here as she both acknowledges her roots while giving the good old U.S. of A. a strong push towards democratic engagement. Would anyone care to start a GoFundMe to get her an honorary vote? I bet she would have a lot to say about the candidates!
Then she dusted off her political title track from her 1985 album, Dog Eat Dog, a song that dives into the murky waters of corruption and capitalism with lines like: “Holy hope in the hands of / Snakebite evangelists and racketeers / And big wig financiers.” The cherry on the cake? After singing about the racketeers, she cheekily ad-libbed, “like Donald Trump.” Ouch! Shots fired!
At what she dubbed the “Joni Jam,” Mitchell was supported by a dazzling array of talents including Brandi Carlile, Annie Lennox, and the heir to the musical throne, Jon Batiste. It was like the Avengers of music, gathering to protect the realm of artistic expression from the villains of mediocrity!
And if you thought she was done with the political commentary, think again! She introduced newer songs like If I Had a Heart, where the lyrics take on heavy themes like “Holy war / Genocide / Suicide.” This isn’t your grandma’s easy listening hour; this is an artist who’s still got a burning fire to address the issues of the world, even if she’s now seated during her performances. In fact, she cleverly flipped Elton John’s anthem of resilience, “I’m Still Standing,” changing it to “I’m still sitting after all this time.” Touché, Joni!
As if all that wasn’t astonishing enough, this return to the stage comes two years after her breathtaking appearance at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival, marking her comeback after a serious brain aneurysm in 2015. You’d think the universe could throw us a less dramatic plot twist, eh? But through it all, she’s shown us that the spirit of rock and roll can conquer any adversity.
And what’s next for this icon? Well, while her last original album was the 2007 Shine, she’s currently diving deep into an archival reissues project, reminding us all that her musical treasure chest is far from empty. So buckle up, folks, because Joni Mitchell is back, and she’s just getting started.
