Politically fierce and artistically relevant as ever, Joan Baez stopped by Chautauqua Auditorium in Boulder on Wednesday. Photos and text by Nathan Rist.

Although technically a month away from the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, legendary folk singer Joan Baez brought those days to life at Chautauqua Auditorium on Wednesday night. Compared to many musicians that have been playing as long as Baez, she’s managed to keep her vitality and passion for her art. Her name is one that marks a generation and is still with us today.

In many ways, Boulder’s Chautauqua Auditorium in Boulder is the perfect setting for Baez. The rustic building, with its open-air sides, made it perfect for someone who once played a set at 1 a.m. in Woodstock, New York. Looking around the audience I had began wondering if any of the people in attendance had seen her perform in 1969.

Joan’s voice was strong and — even though apparently fighting a sore throat — she sang beautifully. On the way out of the venue, I heard someone ask rhetorically “Best concert of the summer, anyone?” My life is certainly a little more complete now that I’ve Joan Baez in concert — and that she was so great.

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Nathan Rist is a freelance photographer and a regular Reverb contributor. He hails from the mountains of Telluride, but he’s currently studying at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

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