Meredith W. from Illinois was the winner of the Propeller experience to "Win a Trip To See Joni Mitchell & The Joni Jam Live at the Hollywood Bowl" that took place in October 2024. Below are some of Meredith's highlights from the experience.
I am so grateful to Propeller and Looking Out Foundation for awarding me this amazing experience. As part of the Bramily (Brandi Carlile's membership org), I tried to get tickets to the Joni Jam through their lottery and was unsuccessful. How lucky am I that I won a travel-expenses and tickets paid trip instead?
On my flight from O'Hare to LAX, I finished writing the 250 Postcards to Pennsylvania voters encouraging them to vote -- Power to the People! I met my friend from Asheville when her flight arrived, just an hour after mine. Since she was there for work and needed a car to commute, we picked up our convertible. Just in time for the famous LA traffic, we slowly made our way to Downtown where we grabbed yummy tacos at Sonoratown. By the time we arrived at Loews of Hollywood and got checked in, we were too tired to go out and enjoyed an early bedtime (by LA standards, but it was 11:30pm in Chicago and 12:30 am in Asheville). The view from our hotel captured the expanse of LA and Saturday morning we drove to the RKS recommended All Day Baby where we had a delicious meal, hiked up to the Griffith Observatory, joined the crowds along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, then from the Loews, walked the 15 minutes up to the Hollywood Bowl.
The seats were fantastic! The table service at our seats was very much appreciated since we were so busy doing tourist activities, we missed eating before entering the Bowl. We were happy to have arrived early so we could eat and spot celebrities. As the Joni Mitchelle movie started we enjoyed our dinner and getting to know the other people in the box we shared. In the box next to me was Daryl Hannah, who couldn't have been kinder to talk with me as I went full fangirl. As the lights dimmed, Joni Mitchell and her band of stars -- Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth, Allison Russell, Lucius, SistaStrings, Jacob Collier, Marcus Mumford, Celisse, Dawes' Taylor Goldsmith, Blake Mills, Annie Lennox and Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman of the Revolution, Jon Batiste, Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold, Abe Rounds, Taylor Mackall, and Rita Wilson. The love for Joni that flowed from her bandmates to the crowd and back again was exuberant. Her music and lyrics, especially "If I Had a Heart", are as true today as they were when she wrote them nealy 20 years ago. I was surprised by how much and well Joni sang. The only time she was not leading the song was when Annie Lennox performed "Ladies of the Canyon." For "California", Marcus Mumford led Joni through a beautiful rendition that became a sort of duet. The epitome of Joni was when she reminded the crowd the importance of voting in the election and shouted "Fuck Trump!" She laughed between songs and used her cane to keep rhythm and time throughout. The night was magical.
After the concert, we went out with friends we have made over the years at Girls Just Wanna Weekend. Yet another example of the ways in which Brandi Carlile brings people together -- celebrating life, queerness and music. It was a night and experience I will never forget -- thank you again!!!
- Meredith W.
