Bethel Woods August 16 2026 Bethel, NY by Ryan O’Malley
Since releasing her first debut album in 2005, Brandi Carlile has made a name for herself as a revered singer, consummate performer and overall badass woman in rock and roll. She has sold millions of albums, garnered almost a dozen Grammy awards, and even found a way to get folk icon Joni Mitchell out on stage again. In 2026, Carlile is back on the road on her “Human” tour which touched down at the legendary grounds at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York on August 16.
As part of a very brief run of shows, Jensen McRae, a 28 year old singer-songwriter from California served up a 45 minute opening set of mostly reflective songs including “Savannah,” “My Ego Dies at the End,” and “God Has a Hitman.” Early on, she made a light-hearted joke about parents not being able to avoid a song because of how heavily Disney promoted it in the early 2000s – “Beautiful Soul” by Jesse McCartney, before covering it as part of her set. She ended her short but fun set with “Let Me Be Wrong,” “Praying for Your Downfall,” and “Massachusetts,” which she mentioned was her most known composition.
Taking the stage in her trademark three-piece pantsuit, Carlile appeared in a cloud of smoke, acoustic guitar in hand, and delivered a poignant “Returning to Myself” to kick off her set. A somber “Human” followed before kicking up the energy with a lively “Mainstream Kid.” From the start, it was clear why Carlile has such a dedicated fan base. Not only could she sing both tenderly and still rock out on other numbers, but Carlile’s interaction with her fans is something to behold. She spoke of her long time wife and how her being British meant Carlile would have to do a lot of traveling in order to see her. She also mentioned how being married to a British woman is challenging because every time Carlile would ask a question, she would feel intimidated by her wife responding with a question. “I’d ask, ‘do you know where my car keys are?,’” Carlile said. “And she would respond ‘well, I didn’t have them last, did I?’ Or ‘if I never used them, I wouldn’t know where they are, would I?’”
Following an acoustic performance of a song she wrote and performed with Elton John, “Who Believes In Angels,” Carlile went back to crowd interaction, this time asking for fan requests. Spotting a younger fan up front, Carlile asked for their request, and delivered a fun version of the deeper cut, “Mama Werewolf.” Admitting it may not be the best version, Carlile honored another fan’s request of /”Fulton County Jane Doe,” before wrapping up the audience request portion with a mesmerizing “Carried Me With You.”
An acoustic run through of another Elton John co-penned song, “You Without Me,” and “The Mother,” lead to Carlile’s most well-known song, “The Story.” The song has been recorded by everyone from LeAnn Rimes to Dolly Parton and remains a cornerstone of nearly every Carlile concert. The softer “No One Knows Us,” and “Sinners, Saints and Fools,” gave way to a set highlight in the form of her version of “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” a song made famous by Bonnie Raitt. Carlile’s band provided beautiful harmony accompaniment to the number which earned rousing applause from the large audience.
The piano heavy “The Joke” prefaced a lively “Hold Out Your Hand,” which featured some of the strongest vocals of the night from Carlile and also brought the main set to an energetic close. One of her louder cuts, “Church and State” played perfectly off the crowd’s energy as the opening of the encore. As someone who isn’t afraid to do cover material, especially when it’s another trailblazer in women’s rock, Carlile delivered an absolutely haunting version of Alanis Morissette’s “Uninvited” before wrapping up the show with a tender “A Long Goodbye.” Paying homage to both the historic grounds of which Bethel Woods is located and the aforementioned Joni Mitchell, Carlile did a playful snippet of the Mitchell-penned “Woodstock” as the house lights came up to end the evening.
Brandi Carlile has become an integral part of women’s rock music, and rock music in general, since bursting onto the scene in 2005. Her Human Tour is the perfect blend of rock, folk, blues, ballads and an incomparable relationship with her fans. If Carlile is the current face of women’s rock music, it’s safe to say the music is in good hands. She’s only human, after all.
Setlist
Returning to Myself
Human
Mainstream Kid
A War With Time
A Woman Oversees
Right on Time (Acoustic)
Who Believes in Angels? (Brandi Carlile & Elton John song) (Acoustic, band on harmony)
Mama Werewolf (Live audience request. Acoustic)
Fulton County Jane Doe (Live audience request. Acoustic)
Carried Me With You (Live audience request; acoustic)
You Without Me (Brandi Carlile & Elton John song) (Acoustic)
The Mother (Acoustic)
The Story
You and Me on the Rock
No One Knows Us
Sinners, Saints and Fools
I Can't Make You Love Me (Mike Reid cover) (Acoustic; band on harmony)
The Joke
Hold Out Your Hand
Encore:
Church & State
Uninvited (Alanis Morissette cover)
A Long Goodbye
Woodstock (Joni Mitchell cover) (Snippet) 
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