Joni Mitchell: The Early Years

Starting as a traditional folk singer, Joni Mitchell moved into distinctive territory of her own with her unusual guitar tunings, jazz-influenced vocal phrasing, and highly personal and poetic compositions that marked her as one of the 20th century’s finest songwriters. In honor of Women’s History Month, and on the heels of two recent box sets of unreleased material from the first decade of her career, rock and folk music author and historian Richie Unterberger’s engaging presentation  traces her path to stardom in the 1960s. The program will feature clips of her performances of classics like “Both Sides Now” and “Chelsea Morning,” as well as some fine but lesser-known songs as she established her musical mastery, dating back to three years before she recorded her first album. Look forward to great music, memories and community during this moving program.  

Richie Unterberger is the author of numerous rock history books, including volumes on the Beatles, the Who, the Velvet Underground, Bob Marley, and 1960s folk-rock, which played a large part in the 1969 Woodstock Festival. He teaches courses on rock history at several Bay Area colleges, including the University of San Francisco and San Francisco State. His next book, to be published by Taschen, is San Francisco: Portrait of a City. 

Good to know:  

We are staying on top of the updates regarding COVID-19 and will continue to follow all CDC recommendations. This program will go on either way, whether in-person or virtually. 

Here’s how we’ll stay safe together: 
We’re so glad to welcome you into our building again! Safety is paramount and we appreciate your patience and cooperation as we follow San Francisco’s healthy and safety requirements. 

All staff have been vaccinated and we welcome fully vaccinated patrons to our programs. Just show proof of vaccination before you enter the room where the program is being held on the second floor. And don’t forget your mask – you’ll need to keep it on start to finish.