The press conference today featured Sarah McLachlan, Indigo Girls, Kelly Willis, and Abra Moore. One member of the local media suffered a bee sting prior to it starting, and she was administered first aid by Sarah. It was the first Lilith Fair for Kelly, so she didn't have a whole lot to say. But she did say that "lunch was great." The local charity was The Shelter For Battered Women; Sarah presented them with a check for $16,400. Here are some highlights from the press conference:Sarah, on including men in the future:
"First and foremost, this tour is about music, and supporting good music. There are a lot of men making good music now who are in some ways in the place we were a few years ago. Very much falling through the cracks, at least in radio. Someone like Ron Sexsmith, who is an incredible songwriter and has just got a voice to die for. He makes we weep when he sings. He's not really getting anywhere. I'd like to give people like that an opportunity to come on a bill like this and get to play in front of a lot of people"
Emily of the Indigo Girls, on her whether Lilith Fair differs from other touring festivals:
"There's no doubt about it. We did Gathering of The Tribes, and the stuff that was going on backstage, like factions of musical groups and all the ego stuff. Even though that was an incredible experience, I always remember that. Amy and I, we knew we were going to be bugging everyone on the tour to sing with us. And so far we've been successful. Last night was our first night, but you couldn't really tell who came to see whom and it didn't matter. Everybody enjoyed the music from all the stages and the vibe was just joyous."
Emily of the Indigo Girls, on trends and labels music:
"I think terms are dangerous. I'm hearing a lot of 'singer/songwriter's now. Now for the alternative white boy bands, it's hard. There was a trend for them and now there's a backlash. There's a lot of great bands out that who aren't getting heard because of that. I think that what we need to work on is more open-mindedness. I think it's become very corporate, and we all know that. The good point is that it's run really smoothly, but the negative part is that there's a computerized play list. It's undermining the public ... We should just be searching and seeking music out, even though it feels like there's a barrage of too much stuff. Listen to it."
Sarah, when asked if she ever felt that she'd "created a monster":
"Not for a second. I have an incredible group of people working with me to make this happen. I believe we're doing this for the right reasons. I want to see Lilith have longevity. I think it's a really exciting thing to move onto the next few summers and see how it goes and make it change and evolve in a positive direction. We definitely want to end on a high note. I know summer festivals tend to have a shelf life of 3-5 years before they start kind of going down the toilet. I wouldn't be surprised if next year there's a lot more festivals geared like this after we've proved that this can be successful."
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