In 1970, Joni Mitchell unexpectedly took the stage early at the highest attended festival of its time. The Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 accumulated over 600,000 people, more than Woodstock, and Mitchell faced one of her most difficult crowds with commendable grace.
Mitchell gave up her evening slot for a less desirable afternoon slot that day. When asked later about the compromise, she referred to her "feminine cooperative streak.โ She said, โSo I said yes. And they fed me to the beast.โ She took the stage to an unruly, heckling crowd, and had to navigate a series major distractions. But, by the time she reached her performance of "Both Sides Now," she had done what seemed impossible, and tamed the beast.
