The Dixie Chicks Cover Joni Mitchell at Jack Antonoff’s Ally Coalition Show in NYC [WATCH]
The Dixie Chicks returned to the stage for Jack Antonoff's annual Ally Coalition Talent Show, a concert to benefit at-risk LGBTQ youth via the Ally Coalition founded by his band, Fun. During their headlining set, the Chicks performed four songs, closing out their set with a cover of Joni Mitchell's "River." Press play above to watch!
In their rendition of the crystalline Christmas classic, the Dixie Chicks put the spotlight on vocal harmony and lead singer Maines' soaring lead vocals. Flanked by sparse piano accompaniment from Antonoff and saxophone and fiddle solos (the latter from the trio's Martie Maguire), the group held on to a stripped-down, reverent delivery throughout the song.
When the Chicks took the stage, they admitted to the audience that it had been some time since their last public performance. "It's been a long time since we played on a stage," said Maines (quote via Rolling Stone.) However, the crowd paid rapt attention throughout the trio's set, breaking into spontaneous applause during pauses in their performance of "River."
From the stage, the Dixie Chicks also alluded to the new album they and Antonoff have been working on. The group have been sharing tidbits about their forthcoming project for some time, with Maines revealing in a Sept. 19 episode of the podcast Spiritualgasm that the new album will be called Gaslighter. Additionally, she noted that the new music will be accompanied by a 2020 arena tour.
Hints of the forthcoming project date even further back. The group began subtly teasing new music in June of 2018. A year later, less-subtle hints emerged, with an Instagram video featuring Antonoff that announced a new Dixie Chicks album would be coming "someday."
The group has made no secret of Antonoff's involvement in their next project, and during the Ally Coalition show, they indicated that they "have been taking up most of Jack's time for the past two years." Sadly, their set didn't feature any of those new tunes. The Chicks played their 2002 release "Truth #2," Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" (a longtime favorite cover track of theirs), "Not Ready to Make Nice" and "River." Additionally, the trio played a celebratory birthday song dedicated to Maines' niece.
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