Lilith Fair. Oh, how I wanted to go to Lilith Fair back when it was representing women in music at their strongest! At least at the strongest they’ve been in my lifetime. Unfortunately, I never went during the first years it was offered, and so this time, thanks to another friend who felt similarly, we made it happen in the Portland area.
Lines at Lilith Fair on a not very warm day
Cold and rainy--thankfully we had a tarp!
Lilith Fair is a celebration of women in music. If you don’t already know this, it basically means that all the singers/groups are women, or are fronted by women. What a great concept! When it was first started, by Sarah McLachlan, women were really “taking the stage”, so-to-speak, in the musical entertainment world. Natalie Merchant, Jewel, Sarah, Paula Cole, Fiona Apple, and the list goes on and on. It was a time in the late 90’s (I think!) when there was a lot of marketing by the big labels going into women’s music. It was wonderful! Since that time, and as far as I know, before that time, I have not seen women hold the spotlight in the same way, Of course, there are women artists out there doing great things. Some of them are getting recognized (Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Sarah McLachlan with her comeback album, India Arie, Brandi Carlile, and so forth). But from my perspective, there is not even close to the amount of effort being put into marketing women’s current music that there was at that time.
Now, I don’t necessarily feel like it needs to be the same again. We don’t need to repeat history, of course. But it would be nice if equal attention were given to both men and women artists in the music field. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if our young girls were given role models in music that hold a strong message about self, discovery, and strength? Not every song needs to be a “strong” song, and not every song needs to be a great example. Just a little more would be nice…
I’ve spent some time thinking about this. There’s a station in Seattle, KMTT The Mountain, that I’ve listened to since high school, when it first started. This station has always been what I’d come back to when I lived out of state and would come home for visits. When I moved back in 2005, it was the first station I added to my car radio. In a way, it’s been a bit of a comfort. I’ve always liked the DJ’s, but most importantly, I’ve always loved the music. They were definitely all over the women in music trend of the 90’s, and had a great balance of fun, upbeat songs, and slower, thoughtful ones. Lots of easy-going music—adult contemporary, I guess you could say.
Now, The Mountain has unfortunately lost its soul (if I must be dramatic), as of this past fall, apparently due to a new Station Director, or Program Director, or something. But regardless, I can’t really listen to them anymore because they drive me crazy. They’ve added classic rock to their priority list. Sporadic was fine, but as most of the programming? No, thank you. Seattle really didn’t need another classic rock station! That said, they still promote the music I love through concerts, etc. They also promote it through their CD’s.
If you look at the past 5 or more years of Mountain CD’s, you’ll see tracks by mostly men. A handful of women (maybe 1, or 2, or 3) grace those CD’s, but men are really getting the promotion. Don’t get me wrong—there are some amazing men out there, too, and they all deserve a place on the CD’s. But shouldn’t it be shared? The Mountain is owned by Entercom, which owns a lot of radio stations around the country. I’m not sure what drives this more—the labels or the stations or the customers—but I find it interesting (and frustrating) that even the music field is still feeling the inequality of women in the workplace.
So Sarah McLachlan basically creates a comeback album, reinstates Lilith Fair, and tours the country. Tickets aren’t selling like hotcakes, and people aren’t as excited as they were a decade ago. Why is this? I think it’s because women aren’t getting the commercial promotion they were at that time. The same strong artists aren’t creating hits. The artists that are at Lilith Fair are good (for the most part), but they’re not as well known. They’re well known, just not AS well known. And it may have something to do with the fact that Sarah’s been out of the scene for a little while, and this is the first year Lilith was relaunched. There could be a million variables. But I have to say it makes me a little sad.
Regardless, I’m so glad I went. It didn’t have the same vibe that I’d heard about from people who’d gone in the past. It wasn’t nearly as crowded, the same camaraderie on stage wasn’t present, and the organization of it was a little wacky. But I was introduced to Sugarland (hello, country!) and fell in love with them, saw Erykah Badu do her amazing thing (though it was a very short set), and discovered that I must have A Fine Frenzy recordings. And most of all, as mentioned in my earlier post, I was able to witness Sarah McLachlan at her finest. I hope Lilith Fair gathers steam through the summer, and I hope that the labels will take the bait and promote the heck out of these women so that next summer, and the summer after that, there can be more movement for women. We empower each other in so many ways, this is just one, but it’s one that can really reach your heart.
Sugarland is a seriously good time!
I was really behind the Sugarland bandwagon, but I've fully joined now!
A Living Song 