Milwaukee helped steal the show at last night's Grammys – yes, even from a new Taylor Swift album reveal – as the Brew City-born genre-blending classical duo SistaStrings took the stage alongside music icon Joni Mitchell for her emotional performance at the awards show.
The mellow but mesmerizing rendition of "Both Sides Now," seated but still soaring, somehow marked Mitchell's first performance ever at the Grammys as well as one of the 80-year-old's rare public shows since suffering a brain aneurysm back in 2015. (She also won Best Folk Album during the night, her tenth award not including a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 2002.) Mitchell was joined on stage for the number by Brandi Carlile, Blake Mills, Lucius, Allison Russell, Jacob Collier and SistaStrings, who also accompanied the singer-songwriter on her freshly Grammy-honored album, "Joni Mitchell at Newport."
OK, enough stalling. With no further ado, here's one of the most memorable moments in a night not short on moments:
What an epic performance by the legendary @jonimitchell tonight. I honestly felt she had everyone not only in the audience, but everyone watching at home worldwide completely mesmerized and hanging on her every word. She had everyone’s heart in her hands. Simply Beautiful ðð» pic.twitter.com/IYoJsgeYtt — Spring-Nuts (@SpringNuts_) February 5, 2024
While they currently call Nashville home and play shows all around the country touring with the likes of Brandi Carlile and more, SistaStrings – aka violin and cello-playing sisters Chauntee and Monique Ross – got their start right here in Milwaukee. Born and raised on the north side, the duo musically made their name in Brew City, singing and strumming together classical, soul and other genres, before moving to Nashville after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns in 2021. And while it was Mitchell's first-ever Grammy performance, SistaStrings are no strangers to the major awards show's stage, previously performing "Right on Time" with Carlile during the 2022 broadcast.
To learn more about the rising strumming stars, check out this OnMilwaukee interview with Chauntee Ross from back in 2022. And for more of SistaStrings' sonic splendor, check out this PBS presentation from just last year.
As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.
When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.
