"Un-nice" weather over the weekend threatened to undo the Uncola Festival, but more than 5,000 undaunted persons sprawled on the grass of Memorial Field last night to hear folk singers Joni Mitchell and Tim Hardin and the James Cotton Blues Band.
Rain forced the of the scheduled Saturday performance and intermittent showers last night sent the audience scurrying to the sidelines where free plastic strips were provided.
However, the rain seemed to add to the festive atmosphere of the concert series first Lawn Night as couples huddled under umbrellas until the rain stopped at about 9 p.m.
The Cotton Blues Band opened the show and performed a one hour set featuring Mr. Cotton's harmonica and singing. Unlike many other blues bands Mr. Cotton's outfit performs numbers made by other artists but his specialty is creating fresh arrangements that make the songs "his."
Following an intermission, Tim Hardin sang fo1k ballads self-accompanied on guitar or piano.
Most famous for "If I Were a Carpenter," later recorded by Bobby Darin and Joan Baez, Mr. Hardin offered primarily gentle ballads in sharp contrast to Mr. Cotton's hard driving rhythms.
Featured artist Joni Mitchell, who also performs her own compositions, delivered the blend of imagery and lyricism that have led critics to describe her as the female Bob Dylan.
The Canadian star sang several numbers from her two albums including :Night in the City" but the concert closed as she and Mr. Hardin led a sing-along version of "Get Together."
Pre-show entertainment was by singer Don Cooper who also gave a "bonus" performance Saturday for those who showed up in hopes the concert would be presented.
Performers scheduled for this week include the Ohio Express, 1910 Fruitgum Company and the Crazy Elephant. The evening is billed as "Christmas in July." Children donating suitable toys will be given a discount on tickets. The toys will be presented to service organizations for use at Christmas.
Printed from the official Joni Mitchell website. Permanent link: https://jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=5436
Copyright protected material on this website is used in accordance with 'Fair Use', for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis, and will be removed at the request of the copyright owner(s). Please read 'Notice and Procedure for Making Claims of Copyright Infringement' at JoniMitchell.com/legal.cfm