Sarah McLachlan says so long and farewell to Lilith Fair

Sarah McLachlan says so long and farewell to Lilith Fair

Sarah McLachlan is bidding farewell to Lilith Fair (Image: skinnylawyer)

It seems as though no one could make audiences love Lilith Fair in 2010: in the wake of spotty attendance and numerous cancellations this past summer, Lilith Fair is officially no longer. Sarah McLachlan, the festival’s founder, told The Globe and Mail, “It’s done … And that’s okay. It’s actually a really good thing.” Lilith Fair had a successful run between 1997 and 1999, touring North America with a roster of female performers that included Sheryl Crow, the Dixie Chicks, Fiona Apple, Jewel, Bonnie Raitt, Sinéad O’Connor, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliot, Liz Phair, Queen Latifah and many, many more. Even Lilith’s 2010 lineup, featuring the likes of Cat Power, The Bangles, Ingrid Michaelson, Janelle Monáe and Toronto’s own Metric couldn’t drum up ticket sales, which McLachlan attributes to the changing attitudes of women over the past decade.

McLachlan concedes that nothing compares to Lilith’s initial run. From The Globe:

[It’s] about learning more from our failures than our successes, and it was a beautiful organic event that happened at a point in time when it was really needed. And bringing the same thing back last year didn’t really make any sense … Because in 12 years, women have changed a lot. Their expectations have changed, the way they view the world has changed, and that was not taken into consideration, which I blame myself for.

Festival co-founder Terry McBride, also the co-founder and CEO of Nettwerk Music Group, was singing a different tune this summer, however, when he claimed Lilith fought a war it couldn’t win. He blamed the economy and the media for Lilith’s problems, calling it a “summer-recession-finally-being-felt phenomenon.” McBride parted ways with McLachlan earlier this year after 23 years as her manager. Alas, now we too must say goodbye to Lilith Fair for good. We will remember you.

Sarah McLachlan says Lilith Fair is Over [The Globe and Mail]