Brandi Carlile Played a Stonewall Fundraiser – and Stuck Around to Sing Celine Dion & Madonna Karaoke
The Grammy winner toasted Returning to Myself (Sad Gay Version) at ground zero for the modern LGBTQ rights movement.
After releasing her deluxe edition of the 2025 album Returning to Myself, titled Returning to Myself (Sad Gay Version), singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile made an appearance at the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan. The Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center, dedicated to the modern LGBTQ rights movement, provided an ideal location for Carlile to celebrate her album's success.
Accompanied by renowned photographer Collier Schorr, who captured the album cover, Carlile spoke about the importance of LGBTQ musicians bringing a "little sparkle" to their sad songs and emphasized the significance of such spaces in today's political climate. Schorr offered a metaphor comparing America in 2026 to a black and white Emerald City.
After the discussion concluded, Carlile and her band performed an hour-long set consisting of the Sad Gay Versions of her songs, including "A Woman Oversees," "A War With Time," and a cover of Billy Joel's "And So It Goes" from the Practical Magic 2 soundtrack. During the show, a technical glitch led to an acoustically-performed version of "The Joke" as the sound team worked to restore the sound.
Following the concert, Carlile joined the Stonewall Inn for tequila shots and a "Sad Gay Karaoke" session, where she sang Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" and led the audience in a sing-along to Madonna's "Like a Prayer." Despite the challenge, several audience members participated, and Carlile even returned to the stage to join in a karaoke version of the Chicks' "Goodbye Earl."
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