There is alot to be said for the idea to have multiple performance areas at Lilith Fair. Variety is the spice of life, especially when it comes to the creative arts and Lilith Fair's small stage artists are really adding A LOT to the atmosphere. I'm finding out that I'm really liking the bands on the Village stage a lot!

The first group I saw on the village stage was Frankly Scarlet. A band with 2 red headed singers who won their chance to perform at Lilith, one playing guitar and the other alternating between the tambourine and congas (and sometimes playing both at the same time!). Their songs were very catchy and I really liked the accent to the music that was provided by the tambourine and congas. They did a groovy jammin' cover of Aretha Franklin's Respect, one singing her booty off and the other acting as whispery do-op girl. The crowd watching enjoyed the show, and I think Aretha would be very flattered by their soulful exploration of her work.

The next band I saw was Talking to Animals. (I just got a chill while writing this because I really got into their music.) For the first moments they almost reminded me of the Doors until the music shifted entirely and went in it's own sultry direction. Lead Singer Juliana Nash has a strong stage presence and everyone out there should really hear her sing their song Mouth Tattoo. A woman named Jocelyn who is travelling and working with the tour told me she loved the song and I see why. The music was it's own and when accompanied by Juliana's liquid belly dancer moves and dramatic way of "singing with her arms" the entire performance is impossible to forget. During their third song they were joined onstage by Sarah McLachlan and I thought that was cool because it brought a lot of people over to see what was going on and when Sarah left the stage, the crowd didn't. They wanted to see and hear more.

The third band I saw was Drugstore. Led by a petite and feisty Isabel, their music was as inviting as a rabbit hole to Alice and I rushed up front to get as close as I could to watch. Isabel was enchanting! With an adorable face full of mischief she adds a sense of danger and unpredictability to Lilith Fair, and I really love that! Speaking to the crowd through her awesome smile she eminates fun and a deep sincerity about how moved she is by the gathering crowd's presence at Drugstore's performance. During the set she wore her cowboy hat like a professional Texan even though she jokingly complained about it at the press conference earlier saying "The cowboy hat looks cool, but it's a bastard!" My favorite song of theirs was White Magic For Lovers. It made me want to run back to my Romeo in New York with my arms full of passion flowers and incense, to worship at the alter of our love. The addition of a cello in their music gave it a unique sound. I'm sure this is not the last we will see of this band.

I'm SO glad that this is how Lilith Fair is evolving. I LOVE that it is a major showcase of all different styles of music. I am getting so much out of it and I know a lot of people who are attending are having the time of their life roaming from stage to stage and getting earfuls of people's souls. I hope Lilith Fair always continues in this tradition because three stages are way better than one.