In Defense Of: The New Lilith Tour

Once upon a time, in the late 90’s, a struggling singer-songwriter was finding it difficult to get her music heard. She was too edgy for Adult Contemporary radio, but too light for Alternative Rock radio. She also noticed that both of these genres were awfully male-centric. So, her solution was to find a group of like-minded female musicians and take them on the road with her. The basic idea is that there is strength in numbers, and with the marketing push of several artists, it could be good for everyone, much like Lollapalooza managed to accomplish in the early 90’s. That artist was Sarah McLachlan, and the tour was called The Lilith Fair, named after Adam’s first wife.

The tour managed to do as they wished. It was very successful, and ran for three years. It also helped move McLachlan from cult icon to bonafide star. It’s power helped inspire a loose alliance of radio stations throughout the nation, the focus of which was female centered music (Alice Radio), and became an important part of our culture.

Even as the tour became more eclectic over the years, with The Dixie Chicks, Morcheeba, Erykah Badu, and Liz Phair traveling in its final year, there was the inevitable backlash. People had decided that it was a festival devoted to mellow folk singers, and it couldn’t shake that reputation. So they gave it a rest. Then, in 2010, McLachlan decided it was time to restart the brand.

The question remains, is this tour still relevant? 2009’s two break out stars were two very vibrant women: Taylor Swift and Lady GaGa. Although things aren’t perfect, the gender divide in pop music is less severe than it was in 1997, partially thanks to Lilith’s initial influence. I actually think that the 2010 tour is moreso a celebration of progress, not created out of need, but out of joy.

The biggest issue is still the stereotype. Yes, there are, indeed, a few syrupy singer-songwriters littered throughout the tour. I’m not going to deny the fact that, if you specifically have an aversion to girls with an acoustic guitar, there might be a few things that will be a bit too painful for you.  But for every one of those, there are several acts that aren’t.

They made the tour into something a little different this year, as well. Instead of having a singular traveling roadshow, we ended up with several shows all throughout the country with completely different lineups from the others, almost like each town gets its own miniature one-day music festival. I know it can be disappointing when you look at the bill and see the extended list of everybody playing, because you will be missing out on someone that you would like to see, but if you get past who you aren’t getting, nearly every city has a pretty amazing and eclectic group of musicians that you don’t often get to see live.

Since we are, indeed, a Bay Area music site, I will use our local stop as an example. Appearing at The Shoreline Amphitheater on July 5th, we have Terra Naomi, a personal friend and collaborator of Spinning Platters favorite Jay Brannan, British pop sensation, and heir apparent to Kate Bush’s throne, Marina & The Diamonds, Miranda Lambert, a rare country singer that has managed to stay edgy and pure while still gaining success on mainstream country radio, as well as modern rock pioneers Heart and The Bangles.

None of these acts are part of the Lilith stereotype. In other cities we have Rihanna, Emmylou Harris, and Metric sharing a stage. It’s a great idea, and a wonderful way to find new things.

So, while you are still thinking about this, have a listen to Barracuda, and you will then decide that you need to go to this show:

Dakin Hardwick

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