'A Case Of You: The Music Of Joni Mitchell' is in its sixth year of touring, and will hit the 2022 Adelaide Fringe.
The show delivers classic Joni Mitchell songs like 'A Case Of You', 'Big Yellow Taxi' and 'Both Sides Now' in a new context – the renditions are designed to appeal to old fans and new listeners alike.
'A Case Of You' creator, musician and performer Deborah Brennan, will be backed in the show by fellow musos Max Garcia-Underwood, Chris Neale and Dylan Paul.
“I like to describe the show as a 'love letter to Joni',” Deborah says. “It's the story of the legacy of her formidable body of work and how I connect the dots between her life and music – which echoed the zeitgeist of the turbulent '70s – and my own life, growing up as a millennial in the late '90s.”
Joni has received nine Grammy Awards (including a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2002), has a star on Canada's Walk Of Fame, and has been honoured in a number of ways throughout her musical career.
'A Case Of You' is, in a sense, a celebration of all of this – a show for anyone craving connection through storytelling, anyone who needs an escape from the chaos of the world, and anyone who loves a night out with fabulous music!
So, what's some of Deborah's favourite music throughout the show?
“That's a tough one. I've always loved 'Help Me' for the way the guys in the band add beautiful harmonies and because it's just really fun to play. But for this version of the show we decided to extend the set list so we added a few songs off her 'Hejira' album and I'm starting to really love some of those songs too, in particular 'Coyote' and 'Hejira'.”
“We brought in a new bass player for the show last year and his work on these tracks in particular is worth the price of entry alone. But I think if I had to choose, I can't go past the title song, 'A Case Of You'. It's just a perfect piece of music and my guitarist does a really beautiful solo in the middle and it's usually the 'moment' in the show when you can feel the energy in the room.”
“I'm usually quick to point out that this is not just another tribute show,” Deborah explains. “This is not me impersonating Joni Mitchell – I think she is far too iconic to try and replicate; rather it's my own words and my own voice taking on her classic songs, but in a more contemporary context.”
Deborah believes it fitting that lyrics composed more than 50 years ago can still be so relevant today, and that she wants to bring Joni's music to people who perhaps might not be aware of the rich history of her work.
“I knew that – aside from that scene in 'Love Actually' – no one under 40 really knew who she was. Joni's contribution to the music industry has been so immense and her lyrics so timeless that I made it my mission to preserve her legacy!
“So that was a long-winded way of saying that I think the show is not just for the original fans, but for anyone who is craving connection through storytelling, anyone who needs an escape from the heaviness of the real world and anyone who enjoys a night out with good live music.”
“I'm really looking forward to getting out on the open road with the band, setting up in a new venue each night and meeting new audiences. Mostly I think I'm just looking forward to playing some really great music with some really great musicians for 90 minutes each night for a week.”
'A Case Of You: The Music Of Joni Mitchell' plays Main Room at The Gov (1 March), Lea Theatre (3 March), The Rising Sun Hotel (4 March) and Bonney Theatre (5 March) for Adelaide Fringe.
