Whether as part of the new band the Highwomen or with her collaborators Phil and Tim Hanseroth by her side, Brandi Carlile is used to having company onstage. Every so often, however, she gets the urge to go it alone.

On Saturday night (Nov. 9) at the Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, it was just Carlile, a microphone, a piano and an acoustic guitar (or rather, a few of them). And what a treat it was. For 90 minutes, the folk singer-songwriter bared her soul to a sold-out crowd of a few hundred fans, sharing tales from her life and enthralling the crowd with her stunning vocals and raw lyrics, written from a place of what she calls "debilitating empathy."

Carlile says she hasn't always possessed that trait, though her lyrics might indicate otherwise. Rather, she admitted on Saturday night, she has her two daughters -- who were in town with her and enjoying the giant waterfall outside their hotel room  -- to thank for instilling it in her.

In addition to performing her own songs, Carlile offered up two Joni Mitchell covers during her Saturday night set; the two have become friends within the past year, a fact that Carlile confessed is a bit mind-blowing. "River," which came during Carlile's encore and which she delivered on the piano, was particularly goosebump-inducing, especially as Carlile hit its high notes with Mitchell-like style.

The year 2019 has been a massive one for Carlile: It started with a three-win night at the 2019 Grammy Awards -- during which she delivered a show-stopping rendition of her song "The Joke" and earned a standing ovation -- and, as she'll tell you, hasn't slowed down from there. Carlile produced Tanya Tucker's new album, the Highwomen released their debut album in September, and on Wednesday (Nov. 13), she, Tucker and her bandmates will be performing at the 2019 CMA Awards.

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