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The first EELS performance of the year was performed as a part of THE MUSIC OF JONI MITCHELL tribute show, which raised $130,000 for the Music For Youth foundation. As a threesome (E, The Chet and Big Al) EELS performed a stirring and stripped down version of Joni Mitchell's All I Want, from Joni's album Blue (released in 1971).

Too bad Joni was not there to enjoy EELS and all the other artists, such as Laurie Anderson, Marc Cohn, Shawn Colvin, Cowboy Junkies, Amy Grant, Richie Havens, Me'shell NdegeOcello, Neil Sedaka, Suzanne Vega, Michelle Williams (of Destiny's Child) and many, many others. Supposedly she had to take care of her sick cat...

reactions from Joni Mitchell fans:

"eels - All I Want: Weird, but I knew they would be."

"Tom Rush, Jimmy Scott, The Eels...could've lived without."

"eels - All I Want C Badly compromised by failure to sing correctly into the mike. Once he regurgitated it, and the sound man made 4 adjustments, the second half of the song was tolerable."

"Eels have big egos. They initially behaved as though it were an inconvenience to sign autographs and said they were just about to leave. I raised my eyebrows a little in the direction of Mark Oliver Everett ("E") and just stared into his eyes for a second and he said "Ok, I guess we could do that for you" so I got him to sign then his band mates, he joked with his autograph that he hadn't written "All I Want" and stated to me he wished he had. His bass player is so tall and the other guy has the second most beautiful blue eyes I've ever had the pleasure to gaze into (Kevin Montgomery - son of former Cricket Bob Montgomery - has the very best). "

"Eels ~ Never heard of them either, the friend I was with hated them, she thought they butchered the song, but I absolutely loved them"

[all reactions taken from JoniMitchell.com]