JONI SURPRISES NEWPORT FOLK FEST

Joni Mitchell made a surprise appearance at the Newport Folk Festival Sunday, performing a 13-song set with Brandi Carlile, Marcus Mumford and other special guests.

Mitchell presided from a throne, opening with “Carey,” and included some of her best-known songs—“Help Me,” “Case of You,” “Big Yellow Taxi”—before closing with two of her classics, “Both Sides Now” and “The Circle Game.”

She performed early rock numbers (“Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” “Love Potion No. 9”) and “Summertime” from Porgy & Bess and stood to take a guitar solo on “Just Like This Train.”

Mitchell last appeared at the festival 53 years ago and has made only a handful of public appearances over the last 20 years.

On Saturday, Paul Simon made a surprise appearance, performing "The Sound of Silence," "American Tune" with Rhiannon Giddens and "Graceland" and "The Boxer" with Nathaniel Rateliff and other awed acolytes.