Toronto Star, Mon. Aug. 26/96, Entertainment Section, p. E6, Cyberpop column
by Peter Howell
Pop Critic
Vancouver pop diva Sarah McLachlan has picked a powerful female symbol for her Lilith Fair, the all-woman touring music festival she's organizing.
Powerful, and potentially controversial, considering the religious implications.
As described in several Web sites, notably the Vampyres Only and the Germany-based Frankenstein, Lilith is variously seen as history's first feminist, the first outcast from the Garden of Eden and/or a vampire who attacks men in their sleep and abducts newborn children.
Legend has it she was Adam's first wife, before Eve, but Adam rejected her because she was too headstrong. God complied with Adam's wishes to have Lilith banished from Eden, replacing her with the more compliant Eve.
Before He did that, however, God sent three angels to try to reason with Lilith, who had fallen in with demons. This didn't work, and Lilith remained outside Eden, assisting the dark side in mayhem and corruption.
Or fighting for the rights of women, if youc hoose the much more positive view of Lilith held by modern feminists, McLachlan included.
Whatever the interpretation, Lilith Fair has the potential to be one of next summer's biggest tours, an interesting new twist to the festival idea.
McLachlan is hoping to attract the likes of Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos, Annie Lennox, Natalie Merchant and other female stars to join her. It's expected Lilith Fair would tour 35 cities, Toronto being a likely stop.
And McLachlan's not waiting until next year to test her idea. On Sept. 14 at Vancouver's Nat Bailey Stadium, she'll headline a smaller-scale Lilith Fair event that includes Emmylou Harris, Lisa Loeb, Paula Cole and Michelle McAdorey (formerly of Crash Vegas). Ticket info is available on the Ticketmaster Canada Web site.
Lilith info: http://www.vampyre.wis.net/vampyre/faqs/faq13.html and http://www.mayn.franken.de/stein/misc/texte/lilith.html
Lilith tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.ca/return/h6532239.htm [Ed.: (July 14, 1997) Obviously, this link is now invalid]