Hi, I don't know if anyone of interest will be reading this but I just got home from Lilith Fair's stop at Polaris Ampitheatre in Columbus, Ohio. The show was inspiring and spine tingling!! Really!! I had chills when all of the performers came out to sing "Closer To Fine" with the Indigo Girls. Sarah McLachlan. . .it was an honor to be in the presence and to hear the talents of someone who has single-handedly furthered the position of women in this world. I have been a listener for quite some time. . .now I am a supporter. What you have done should be highly commended. I hope you realize the impact that you have had on every person who understands what Lilith Fair is about. I'm sure that you do. Continue this celebration for years and years. . . everyone will benefit from its existence. I wish you much luck and continued success in the future. You are so deserving of it all...Sincerely, Dorie Herman

12:30AM CDT

another great show done and over with. now we only have 9 more. until today, no one here had been counting either ones we'd done or ones to do. but still, the end is in sight. that's a good thing and a not so good thing. sigh.

anyway, enough of that! sarah had another great show. tonight's audience was one of the best we've had in a while. very polite yet exuberant and enthusiastic. just the blend you want.

sarah had her jamboree again tonight, playing joni mitchell's "big yellow taxi." once again a whole lotta folks joined her, including some who weren't there for the deer creek show: jewel, beth, emmylou, brady and daryl, emily and amy, michelle, yung chen, lisa, and patti all made their way on stage. sory you all couldn't be here to have seen it.

finally the five day stretch is over. yay--time to shop tomorrow. merchants of pittsburgh get ready. we're heading your way and we got our per diems today. that means cash will be flowing!

10:00PM CDT

The Indigo Girls played a rousing set today for the welcoming crowd at Polaris Ampitheatre. Jewel and members of Emmylou Harris's band were on hand at side stage during the entire set. From the first song, the beat box influenced "Shed Your Skin," Amy and Emily had the crowd cheering. One of the loveliest parts of the evening was the life affirming "Everything" which Amy introduced as a "song about waiting for peace on Earth." As Amy and Emily played on acoustic guitars the sentiment of "everything in it's own time" seemed more urgent.

Amy and Emily kicked through a rousing version of "Shame On You" which featured Emily on mandolin for the first half of the song. Near the end of the song Amy took the song in her own hands and began singing "Brown-Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison. The crowd loved this and after the song was over Amy said "Thank you for indulging us. We don't know what we're doing half of the time."

The highlight of the night had to be the closing jamboree of "Closer To Fine." Jewel, Sarah, Patty Griffin, Michelle Malone, Emmylou Harris and her two daughters Meghan and Hallie, Lisa Loeb and members of Jewel's band jammed through the song. The performers were definitely having a great time as they danced and sang along to the chorus. The audience matched the performers enthusiasm by standing, clapping and singing along to the song.

7:00PM CDT

Beth Orton took Nettmedia journalists Jana and Angelique on a spin around the Polaris Ampitheatre in a golf cart this afternoon. What ensued was a brit-flavoured comedy monologue that could fit into any british television show. While driving she talked about touring in the U.S. (she is on a six week tour presently) and her experience at Lilith Fair. Beth says she has been writing while touring which is something she hasn't experienced before. It seems that Beth and her band took over the stage at Deer Creek Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana after Lilith had cleared out and worked on some songs. Beth reported that some ideas came out of that jam session which are translating into new songs.

6:00PM CDT

time flies when you're having fun and fighting your way through the crowds from stage to stage. finally we discovered the short cut, so we were able to skirt the throngs for the most part.

yung chen lhamo once again thrilled the crowd to quiet awe. we noticed a young man meditating during her set--that's how quiet it was and meditative her voice is. she is a gracious lady and fully at ease on stage.

right after she finished, madeleine peyroux played her final lilith set. she said to the crowd that "lilith fair is great. this is the shit ... we're gonna miss it." and then she proceeded to wind 'em up. for her last song, "train song", she invited michelle malone to join her on vocals and on harmonica. along with madeleine's trumpet and guitar player, they all cooked up a good groove. the crowd went wild.

we finally found someone with as many bruises as klutzy cathy: beth orton. she has bruises and scrapes all over her legs. let's hope she's not really as klutzy as cathy is. she certainly sings better than cathy. it was her last day with us today and she, too, bemoaned her departure. we noticed during her set that she was chewing gum. how can she sing properly with that? turns out she couldn't; she later took it out and placed it on a chair. she was nice enough to warn everyone "not to sit there".

dinner was fabulous, as was breakfast and lunch. this venue goes down in our books as a source of good food.

3:00PM CDT

you gotta love a venue which has coloured plates and bowls in their dining room. and there's really good food to put in them too.

the clouds are threatening and so far the day's been much like yesterday was only a little warmer. there is rain/showers in the forecast, but we're crossing our fingers that it doesn't let loose. jay, however, has given up on wearing his rain jacket to ward off the precipitation. his arthritic weather forecasting knees are telling him that it will rain, so there's no use wearing the jacket (which worked yesterday, so why not today?!?).

there's nobody new on the lineup today, but we've heard that a few special things will transpire. madeleine peyroux and michelle malone will collaborate on a song and sarah's planning to have her show-wrapping "big yellow taxi" jamboree again tonight.

2:00PM CDT

It is overcast yet warm in Columbus this afternoon. The Polaris Ampitheatre is abuzz with vendors setting up their wares and Lilith crew putting the final touches on the stages. This venue is beautiful - it has a woodsy feel to it with nice touches like flowers and wooden fences. Backstage, Lilith ,local crew and some artists are sitting down to a lunch that stands above the rest for its variety and taste. There are nice touches here as well like the colourful plates and the fresh fruit salad. We have also just learned that Camille Henderson will be the TBA on the acoustic stage this afternoon. Today seems to be shaping up as a good one.

10:00AM CDT

1492 was a big year for America. Some guy who got lost on the seas stumbled upon a rock, claimed it for some absentee landlord, and got a city named after him (that came later). 1997 is a big year for music. While we don't expect a city to be named after Sarah or the Indigo Girls or Jewel, it wouldn't be a bad idea. And at least none of them have killed anyone. That we know of, anyway. No lineup changes today. We're still the same big happy family.