Sarah McLachlan brings back Lilith after an 11 year absence.
photo by picksysticks
The all-girl concert tour Sarah McLachlan started in 1997 was a visionary festival, amassing a talented group of legendary musicians, contemporaries and up-and-coming artists. At a time when concert promoters and radio stations were shutting out women artists, Lilith Fair emerged to give these musicians a voice. And a voice it was – becoming one of the highest grossing touring fes
tival at the time of its inception and raising over $10 million for women’s charities throughout North America .
Lilith Fair returns with Sarah McLachlan.
photograph by picksysticks
ll, it was a somewhat subdued day of music. But for some, it was the high ticket prices and unfortunate news of dates being cancelled that loomed like a dark cloud over this tour. For the rest of the music lovers, the highlights of this tour were the hidden musical gems waiting to be discovered. You can always count on Lilith to expose their fans to musicians who are on the verge of breaking out. Headliner Sarah McLachlan didn't disappoint, kicking off with "Angel" with a surprise appearance from Emmylou Harris singing along. Throughout the night, she sang her hits that included favorites, “I Will Remember You,” “Building a Mystery,” and “Ice Cream,” in which she asked the crowd to sing along. Despite recent reports of canceling 12 of the 35 dates on the tour, Sarah seemed genuinely happy to be performing on stage. And there was reason to celebrate. McLachlan just released, "Laws of Illusion," her first studio album in seven years and has peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 album charts.
Starting off the Main Stage was Brandi Carlile. Her folk, alternative country sound is sweet and simple. Harmonies are pure all around. while songs like "The Story," show her bruised vulnerability.
Brandi Carlile starts off the day on the Main Stage while Miranda Lambert get the crowd dancing at Lilith 2010.
photos by picksysticks
Emmylou Harris performs at this year's Lilith Fair.
photograph by picksysticks
Ourstage.com's top vote getter, Jes Hudak performs at this year's Lilith Fair.
photograph by picksysticks
arch and won a spot to play at Lilith. A New York transplant and currently living in L.A. , Hudak earned this and has the resume to prove it. She's already been on tour and opened for acts such as Maroon 5, Tonic and Five for Fighting. And besides this latest accolade, Jes recently was named ISSA's Singer/Songwriter of the Year (2009) and won Pop Single of the Year (2009) at the LA Music Awards for her original song "Another Day." But the song that won her the shot to play Lilith Fair is "National Holiday." Across the grounds, you can find girl-fronted bands performing on the ABC Stage. First up was New Yorker Susan Justice. I first fell in love with her when she was starting out as Susan Cagle and released her debut album The Subway Recordings in 2006 Discovered singing under the streets of NYC, this debut album was recorded when Susan performed at stations in and around New York City and garnered her positive reviews. Now, although going by the new name of Justice, you can still count on Susan to give you the gamut of emotions in her music.
Deb Talan & Steve Tannen of The Weepies perform Lilith at the Verizon Amphitheater.
photograph by picksysticks
e Weepies, fronted by Deb Talan and Steve Tannen, are now gearing up to tour in support of their fourth album, "Be My Thrill" which drops August 31st. Based on the size of the crowd, The Weepies were obviously the band to see out of all the acts playing at either side stages. Just listening to their music conjures up feelings of nostalgia – like looking at an old vintage photograph – its edges bent and colors faded - of happier times that brings out a smile to your face. That’s the feeling you get when you listen to a Weepies album. Now, about the time the scheduled press conference began behind the Main Stage, Marina and the Diamonds took the stage. Now, I promised myself I wouldn’t miss Marina and the Diamonds so after 10 minutes of Q&A with Sarah McLachlan, Emmylou Harris, Brandi Carlile and Miranda Lambert, I rushed to the ABC stage, as the rest of the photographers and journalists stayed behind.
Marina and the Diamonds at this year's Lilith in Irvine, California
photo by picksysticks
Marina and the Diamonds’ plan to take over the world began earlier this month in Los Angeles at The Troubadour, which quickly sold out. Then after a stop at San Francisco ’s Popscene, a radio debut appearances at KCRW and a U.S. television debut at “Late Late Show w/ Craig Ferguson,” Marina continued her U.S. trip at last weekend’s Lilith Fair. Her critically acclaimed albumphoto by picksysticks
"The Family Jewels" exploded onto Billboard's 'Top new Artist Albums' chart at #2 and has already been certified gold in the United Kingdom . Her growing U.S. fan-base was apparent as they crowded the stage. The rest of those in attendance stood back with curiosity not knowing what to expect from the gal from across the pond. What they got was Marina ’s crisp-operatic vocals rising above her pop rock melodies – like one of those children's jewelry boxes, when opened a ballerina would rise as a high pitched musical melodies were produced by a pinned cylinder being plucked by a steel comb. In this case, it was Marina emerging instead of a ballerina. And on a day when nearly all the acts on stage were conservative and tame, Marina definitely stood out from the crowd, her stage presence mirroring performance art with her insightful and striking observational lyrics as her backdrop like her song, "Hollywood ," Marina 's take her love of pop culture and the obsession of celebrity. During, the crowd (surely filled with people from L.A. ) watched as she sang wearing dollar sign sunglasses, "Hollywood infected your brain...living in a movie scene/puking American dreams/I'm obsessed with the mess that's America ."
In the end, based on the line of fans waiting for autographs and pictures afterwards, her introduction to the Lilith crowd was positive. Marina and the Diamonds will return in the fall to launch her first headlining U.S. Tour. She ends the tour in L.A. on September 17th at the El Rey.
Now, unknown to myself, I didn't know about the ABC Music Lounge, another stage in a more intimate setting. If you wanted to get away from the sun and relax under a tent with cozy chairs, this was the place to be. Be sure to look for it when you arrive. Usually you can catch your favorite artist perform a second time immediately before or after their stage set. This day, Marina and the
Diamonds, Molly Jensen and Marie Digby performed. I only found this stage after taking a break from the Main Stage to check out the merch table and freebies in the Lilith Villiage. I wanted to see what was happening when I saw a large crowd spilling outside a tent. When I got closer, I noticed Los Angeles local Marie Digby performing her refreshing melodies to an appreciative crowd. Besides performing a special acoustic set at each city, Digby is also the special touring correspondent for the tour and for ABC Music Lounge, reporting from across the country directly from Lilith Tour. Be sure to check her out when she comes to town. All in all, thirteen years ago, with the feeling of inequality for women in the music industry, McLachlan cofounded Lilith as a means to shine the light on women's music.
Today, instead of celebrating how far girl-acts has come since then, the media focuses on the sagging ticket sales and the cancellations. They look at the failures of this year's tour but when you look at Lilith as a whole, the success far outweigh the failures. Lilith made it clear to the industry that there was a need and a demand for women's music. And since then, women have been dominating the charts, radio and television. Just look at Lady Gaga, Carrie Underwood, Pink, Beyonce, Gwen Stefani and Taylor Swift. With all the negatives surrounding Lilith this year, maybe the headlines should be the fact that, after 13 years, Lilith isn't needed anymore because Lilith has finally done its job.
Sarah McLachlan, Jes Hudak, Miranda Lambert, Brandi Carlile, Emmylou Harris, Elizaveta and Molly Jensen sing "Because The Night" during the encore finale at Lilith 2010 in Irvine, California.
photo by picksysticks
Marina Diamandis of Marina and the Diamonds perform during Lilith in Irvine, Ca.photo by picksysticks
Her critically acclaimed album "The Family Jewels" exploded onto Billboard's 'Top new Artist Albums' chart at #2 and has already been certified gold in the United Kingdom.Fronted by Marina Diamandis, Marina and the Diamonds' growing U.S. fan-base was apparent as they crowded the stage at this year's Lilith Fair in Irvine, California. The rest of those in attendance stood back with curiosity not knowing what to expect from the gal from across the pond. What they got was Marina ’s crisp-operatic vocals rising above her pop rock melodies – like one of those children's jewelry boxes, when opened a ballerina would rise as a high pitched musical melodies were produced by a pinned cylinder being plucked by a steel comb. In this case, it was Marina emerging instead of a ballerina. And on a day when nearly all the acts on stage were conservative and tame, Marina definitely stood out from the crowd, her stage presence mirroring performance art with her insightful and striking observational lyrics as her backdrop like her song, "Hollywood ," Marina 's take her love of pop culture and the obsession of celebrity. During, the crowd (surely filled with people from L.A. ) watched as she sang wearing dollar sign sunglasses, "Hollywood infected your brain...living in a movie scene/puking American dreams/I'm obsessed with the mess that's America ."
In the end, based on the line of fans waiting for autographs and pictures afterwards, her introduction to the Lilith crowd was positive. Marina and the Diamonds will return in the fall to launch her first headlining U.S. Tour. She ends the tour in L.A. on September 17th at the El Rey.
See more of our Lilith coverage right HERE.
