The Lilith Fair Is Back

During the late nineties, musician, Sarah McLachlan, put together a female-centric summer festival that had the whole world buzzing. Named the Lilith Fair, this music experience was the first of its kind. McLachlan, among others, was sick of the lack of women performers at most summer concerts and so she decided to do something about it. The result was an instant success, which carried on for three years. Now, in the summer of 2010, a revival is underway.

Although the new lineup has yet to be revealed, a list of prior festival acts include Tracy Chapman, Fiona Apple, Joan Osmond and Lisa Loeb. With that kind of star power, it's no wonder the tour was such a success. Current acts that would fit the bill include such newcomers as KT Tunstall and Colbie Caillat. There's no doubt many younger female musicians were influenced by the concert and would be honored to play at the revival.

In prior festivals, there was a real community vibe. People wouldn't just stand there and listen to the music; they'd interact with each other, sometimes performing themselves. It wouldn't have been strange to see someone pull out a Takamine acoustic guitar while a small crowd circled around them. It was this kind of atmosphere that helped spread the word and drew large crowds to the event.

There are a lot negative stereotypes still floating around regarding the tour. Some people called it 'Girlapalooza' and others used even worse names. Probably because it was something new and different, people just didn't understand it. Many just assumed the festival would be filled with women stepping off motorcycles with a black helmet in hand. At was very much not the case.

The fair was an all-around cultural force, spreading its impact not only to the music industry, but to the fashion world as well. Many new trends and styles evolved through the hordes of fans that congregated. Although biker jackets made little-to-no appearance, there was no shortage of audience members who seemed to have donned their best eye cream for the masses of people watchers.

Those who were unable to attend the original tour might be inclined to think the audience was entirely female. This is not true. Although the acts were all women musicians, the crowd was quite diverse, which was proven through the sheer number of concert goers tallied over the summers.

With a 2010 revival on the way, the Lilith Fair is sure to make its presence felt once again. Not only will old fans come to reconnect and look back, but a whole new generation will be introduced to a cultural phenomenon that once revolutionized the summer tour.

Tags: Lilith Fair, music festival, sarah mclachlan