Lilith Fair



Lilith Fair was a concert tour and travelling music festival, founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, Nettwerk Music Group's Dan Fraser and Terry McBride, and New York talent agent Marty Diamond. It took place during the summers of 1997 to 1999, and was revived in the summer of 2010. It consisted solely of female solo artists and female-led bands. In its initial three years, Lilith Fair raised over $10 million for charity.

History
In 1996, Canadian musical artist Sarah McLachlan became frustrated with concert promoters and radio stations that refused to feature two female musicians in a row. Bucking conventional industry wisdom, she booked a successful tour for herself and Paula Cole. At least one of their appearances together—in Vancouver, British Columbia on September 14, 1996—went by the name "Lilith Fair" and included performances by McLachlan, Cole, Lisa Loeb, and Michelle McAdorey, formerly of Crash Vegas.

The next year, McLachlan founded the Lilith Fair tour, taking Lilith from the Jewish lore that Lilith was Adam's first wife who refused to be subservient to him.

In 1997, Lilith Fair garnered a $16 million gross, making it the top-grossing of any touring festival. Among all concert tours for that year, it was the 16th-highest grossing. McLachlan followed this success with two more rounds, in 1998 and 1999.

In 2010, Lilith Fair staged a revival with mixed results, as several dates were cancelled and many performers backed out of scheduled performances.

In March 2011, McLachlan declared that the Lilith concept was no longer being considered for future shows, due to changing audience views and expectations.

Three volumes of Lilith Fair: A Celebration of Women in Music documented the performances.

1997
The artists appearing at Lilith Fair varied by date (with McLachlan and Suzanne Vega the only artists to play all dates). Appearances were organized into three stages. Almost all Village Stage artists performed only one or two dates. Many of them won slots on the bill in a series of local talent searches in their home cities.


 * Main stage artists
 * Fiona Apple
 * Tracy Bonham
 * Meredith Brooks
 * The Cardigans
 * Mary Chapin Carpenter
 * Tracy Chapman
 * Paula Cole
 * Shawn Colvin
 * Sheryl Crow
 * Indigo Girls
 * Emmylou Harris
 * Jewel
 * Lisa Loeb
 * Sarah McLachlan
 * Joan Osborne
 * Suzanne Vega


 * Second stage artists
 * Leah Andreone
 * Autour de Lucie
 * Mary Black
 * Holly Cole
 * Patty Griffin
 * Juliana Hatfield
 * Susanna Hoffs
 * Katell Keineg
 * Mary Jane Lamond
 * Yungchen Lhamo
 * Lhasa de Sela
 * Tara MacLean
 * Dayna Manning
 * Abra Moore
 * Mudgirl
 * Once Blue
 * Madeleine Peyroux
 * September '67
 * Wild Colonials
 * Wild Strawberries
 * Dar Williams
 * Victoria Williams
 * Kelly Willis
 * Cassandra Wilson


 * Village Stage artists
 * Fleming and John
 * Dido
 * Pat Benatar
 * Kinnie Starr
 * Lauren Hoffman
 * Kim Fox
 * Garrison Starr
 * Lori Carson
 * Joy Askew
 * Jill Sobule
 * Alana Davis
 * Beth Orton
 * Michelle Malone
 * Holly McNarland
 * Elise Knoll
 * Lovechild
 * Dayna Manning
 * Catherine Kidd
 * Oh Suzanna
 * Camille
 * Alisha's Attic
 * Gena and Sum Girl
 * Marley & Lizann
 * Sensual World
 * Jenny Labow
 * Suz Andreasen
 * Davina
 * Morcheeba
 * K's Choice


 * Dates and venues

1998
The artists appearing at Lilith Fair varied by date (with McLachlan the only artist to play all dates). Appearances were organized into three stages. Though Neneh Cherry and Lauryn Hill were scheduled to play some shows, both had to cancel. Almost all Village Stage artists performed only one or two dates. Many of them won slots on the bill in a series of local talent searches in their home cities.


 * Main stage artists
 * Sarah McLachlan
 * Bonnie Raitt
 * Chantal Kreviazuk
 * Cowboy Junkies
 * Des'ree
 * Diana Krall
 * Emmylou Harris
 * Erykah Badu
 * Indigo Girls
 * Joan Osborne
 * Lisa Loeb
 * Liz Phair
 * Luscious Jackson
 * Mary Chapin Carpenter
 * Meredith Brooks
 * Meshell Ndegeocello
 * Missy Elliott
 * Natalie Merchant
 * Paula Cole
 * Queen Latifah
 * Shawn Colvin
 * Sheryl Crow
 * Sinéad O'Connor
 * Suzanne Vega
 * Tracy Bonham


 * Second stage artists
 * K's Choice
 * Mono
 * Sister 7
 * Heather Nova
 * Morcheeba
 * Rebekah
 * Lucinda Williams
 * Victoria Williams
 * Abra Moore
 * Neneh Cherry
 * Elise Knoll
 * Mary Lou Lord
 * The Tuesdays
 * Billie Myers
 * N'Dea Davenport
 * Martina McBride
 * Litany
 * Paris Hampton
 * Davina
 * Beth Orton
 * Holly Cole
 * Diana King
 * Chantal Kreviazuk
 * Eden aka
 * Wild Strawberries
 * Patty Griffin
 * Lhasa de Sela
 * Angélique Kidjo
 * Imani Coppola
 * Lucy Gamelon
 * Kacy Crowley
 * Holly McNarland
 * Ebba Forsberg
 * Catie Curtis
 * Letters to Cleo
 * Neko Case
 * Fisher


 * Village Stage artists
 * Tara MacLean
 * Sinéad Lohan
 * Autour de Lucie
 * Ana Gasteyer
 * Garrison Starr
 * Emm Gryner
 * Anggun
 * Kacy Crowley
 * Bic Runga
 * Melanie Doane
 * Abra Moore
 * Joaelle Ndine Romero
 * Tia Texada
 * Jenny Bird
 * Sherri Jackson
 * 1/2 Mad Poet
 * Mono
 * Thornetta Davis
 * Julie Kryk
 * Lori Amey
 * Fontaine
 * Donna Martin
 * Abba Rage
 * Deni Bonet
 * Jabber
 * Victoria Hogg
 * Eden White
 * Antigone Rising
 * Paris Hampton
 * Nancy Falkow
 * Dead Girls and Other
 * Love Riot
 * Trish Murphy
 * The Nields
 * Glassoline
 * Roadie Ray
 * INHOUSE
 * Audra Jost
 * Clandestine
 * Gordian Knot
 * Cling
 * Frankly Scarlet
 * Sixpence None the Richer
 * Robyn Ragland
 * Rose Polenzani
 * Alexis Antes
 * Amy Rigby
 * Erin Echo
 * Syd Straw
 * Laurie Geltman
 * Melissa Ferrick
 * Lenni Jabour
 * Ali Eisner
 * Swamperella
 * Alison Pipitone
 * Nina Storey
 * Julianne Blue
 * Idina Menzel
 * Noëlle Hampton
 * Arone Dyer
 * India Arie


 * Dates

1999
The artists appearing at Lilith Fair varied by date (with McLachlan the only artist to play all dates). Appearances were organized into three stages.


 * Main stage artists
 * Sandra Bernhard
 * Shawn Colvin
 * Deborah Cox
 * Sheryl Crow
 * Dixie Chicks
 * Indigo Girls
 * Queen Latifah
 * Lisa Loeb
 * Luscious Jackson
 * Martina McBride
 * Sarah McLachlan
 * Monica
 * Mýa
 * Meshell Ndegeocello
 * Liz Phair
 * The Pretenders
 * Joanelle Romero
 * Disappear Fear
 * Suzanne Vega


 * Second stage artists
 * Battershell
 * Cibo Matto
 * Kacy Crowley
 * Dance Hall Crashers
 * Dido
 * Melanie Doane
 * Patty Griffin
 * Emm Gryner
 * The Innocence Mission
 * Joan Jones
 * Elise Knoll Band
 * Jennifer Knapp
 * K's Choice
 * Sinéad Lohan
 * Tara MacLean
 * Aimee Mann
 * Melky Sedeck
 * Mediæval Bæbes
 * Morley
 * Trish Murphy
 * Bif Naked
 * Beth Orton
 * Kendall Payne
 * Bijou Phillips
 * Samsara
 * Sixpence None the Richer
 * Splashdown
 * Susan Tedeschi
 * Wild Strawberries
 * Victoria Williams
 * Kelly Willis


 * Village Stage artists
 * Christina Aguilera
 * Coco Love Alcorn
 * Badi Assad
 * Bertine Zetlitz
 * Toni Blackman
 * Diana Braithwaite
 * Cowlily
 * Kacy Crowley
 * E.G. Daily
 * Keren DeBerg
 * Anne E. DeChant
 * Jennie DeVoe
 * Eden AKA
 * Ana Egge
 * Essence
 * Nancy Falkow
 * Amy Fairchild
 * Fleming and John
 * Nelly Furtado
 * Fuzzy Comets
 * Glassoline
 * Grace in Gravity
 * Greta Gaines
 * Kitty Gordon
 * Nina Gordon
 * Kay Hanley
 * Kristin Hersh
 * Noella Hutton
 * Jarah Jane
 * Brenda Kahn
 * Jennifer Kimball
 * Nikol Kollars
 * Nicol Lischka
 * Ginger Mackenzie
 * The Marty Winkler Group
 * Melissa Mathes
 * Lori McKenna
 * Tiffany Shea
 * The Murmurs
 * Leona Naess
 * Juliana Nash
 * Kari Newhouse
 * Leslie Nuchow
 * Maren Ord
 * Ginny Owens
 * Deborah Pardes
 * Adrienne Pierce
 * Melissa Reaves
 * Renann
 * Doria Roberts
 * Loni Rose
 * Rachael Sage
 * Tegan and Sara
 * Summer Sage
 * Lisa Sanders
 * Stephanie Schneiderman
 * Bree Sharp
 * She-Haw
 * Shelley Doty X-Tet
 * Alexandra Sleightholm
 * Soul Miner's Daughter
 * Sozzi
 * Surrender Dorothy
 * Kinnie Starr
 * Melanie Susuras
 * Kashi Tara
 * Tekla
 * Too Cynical to Cry
 * Deborah Vial
 * Victoria White
 * Wendy Woo
 * Zoebliss
 * Xolie Morra & The Strange Kind


 * Dates and venues

2010 revival
In an April 25, 2009, Twitter post, Nettwerk founder Terry McBride announced that a Lilith Fair tour through North America would be relaunched for the summer of 2010, with a two-week tour of Europe to follow.

The tour was plagued with financial problems from the beginning. The first seven shows were sparsely attended and the eighth show was the first to be cancelled. Initially, Sarah McLachlan claimed (in an interview posted on the Arizona Republic website on July 9) that the July 8 Phoenix show was cancelled in protest of Arizona Senate Bill 1070, which she strongly opposes.

The tour fell apart on the road as headliners Carly Simon, Norah Jones, Kelly Clarkson, the Go-Go's, and Queen Latifah dropped out, fearing that they would not be paid for their performances.

Due to poor ticket sales, thirteen shows (about one-third of the tour) were scratched (two announced on June 25, ten more on July 1, one additional on July 2) and one reassigned to a smaller venue.

The artists appearing at Lilith Fair vary by date (with McLachlan the only artist to play all dates). Appearances are organized into three stages. Below is a list of artists who performed at Lilith Fair in the 2010 revival.


 * Main stage artists
 * Ann McNamee / Ann Atomic
 * Anya Marina
 * The Bangles
 * Beth Orton
 * Brandi Carlile
 * Cat Power
 * Chantal Kreviazuk
 * Colbie Caillat
 * Court Yard Hounds
 * Emmylou Harris
 * Erykah Badu
 * A Fine Frenzy
 * Gossip
 * Heart
 * Indigo Girls
 * Ingrid Michaelson
 * Janelle Monáe
 * Jenni Rivera
 * Lights
 * Mary J. Blige
 * Metric
 * Miranda Lambert
 * Missy Higgins
 * Rosie Thomas
 * Sara Bareilles
 * Sarah McLachlan
 * Serena Ryder
 * Sheryl Crow
 * Sugarland
 * Suzanne Vega
 * Tegan and Sara


 * Second stage artists
 * Anjulie
 * Ash Koley
 * Donna De Lory
 * Erin McCarley
 * Jasmine Chadwick
 * Jennifer Knapp
 * Kate Miller-Heidke
 * Kate Nash
 * Kina Grannis
 * Marina and the Diamonds
 * Nikki Jean
 * Nneka
 * The Submarines
 * Susan Justice
 * Vedera
 * Vita Chambers
 * The Weepies


 * Village Stage artists
 * Xolie Morra & The Strange Kind
 * Sierra Noble
 * Airplanes
 * Amanda Lucas & Audrey Cecil
 * Bella Ruse
 * Butterfly Boucher
 * Cara Salimando
 * Corrin Campbell
 * Darrelle London
 * Elizaveta
 * Jes Hudak
 * Jesca Hoop
 * Jetty Rae
 * Joy Ike
 * Jill Hennessy
 * Julia Othmer
 * Kate Tucker
 * Katie Todd
 * Kitten
 * Lissie
 * Lucy Schwartz
 * Marié Digby
 * Meagan Smith
 * Melissa McClelland
 * Molly Jenson
 * Sara Swanson
 * Steph Macpherson
 * Tara MacLean
 * Terra Naomi
 * Winterbloom (Antje Duvekot, Anne Heaton, Meg Hutchinson, Rose Polenzani, Natalia Zukerman)
 * Zee Avi


 * Dates


 * Cancelled dates and venues