Lilith Fair was one of the most successful touring festivals of the 1990s. Founded by singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan and friends, it featured a lineup of female solo artists and bands led by women. The festival is back this summer after a 10-year hiatus, but slow ticket sales are compelling many to ask whether a women's music festival is necessary in 2010.
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Of 36 Lilith Fair tour dates, 13 have already been canceled, and the festival has been on the receiving end of relentless criticism from both music blogs and the mainstream press. McLachlan says she's tired of the attacks.
"Unfortunately, most of the media seems to just glom onto anything negative. And that's all they want to talk about," she says. "They go searching for it, and we make such a concerted effort every day."
McLachlan and Terry McBride, CEO of her record label and management company Nettwerk, say they're looking at things more optimistically. "Lilith is not about ticket sales," McLachlan says. "It's about the experience of Lilith — about artists getting together to make this world a better place." More>>
