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Schedule:
Doors Open at 4:00pm
Women's Shelter ($1 Per Ticket Recipient): Eastside Domestic Violence Center
Nikol Kollars - 4:30-4:50 - Village Stage
Murmurs - 4:55-5:15 - Village Stage
Bijou Phillips - 5:15-5:35 - Second Stage
Sixpence None the Richer - 5:50-6:10 - Second Stage
Eden AKA - 6:15-6:35 - Village Stage
Luscious Jackson - 6:35-7:05 - Main Stage
Beth Orton - 7:05-7:35 - Second Stage
Sandra Bernhard - 7:35-7:45 - Main Stage
Mya - 7:50-8:20 - Main Stage
Sandra Bernhard - 8:25-8:40 - Main Stage
Liz Phair - 8:45-9:25 - Main Stage
Sheryl Crow - 9:45-10:40 - Main Stage
Sarah McLachlan - 11:00-11:55 - Main Stage
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Final Lilith Fair Lineup Sends Mixed Message

GEORGE, Wash. — Symptoms of Lilith Fair's mild but chronic case of schizophrenia lingered on this past weekend at the Gorge in George, Wash., the second stop on the third and final tour of the femme fest (which wraps up its North American dates on Aug. 31).

The stage was buttressed with huge scrims picturing the Lilith '99 logo, a curlicue image of a depressed-looking 18th century woman playing a lyre under a deco-ish tree.

But then the second act on the bill was bitchy, bellicose Sandra Bernhard, who hauled out tired road show material in which she dissed anything remotely related to folk singers or to women and music. Sarah McLachlan must have been craving a doppelganger when she made that hire.

The crowd had a bit of a multiple personality too, with lesbians and coeds and sweet-faced teenaged girls and hetero hippie couples sporting nose rings — all peacefully coexisting.

Then there's Lilith's affirmative action problem. Critics complained the first year that it was strictly a white-chick affair, so last year McLachlan made an all-out and laudable effort to bring performers of color into the mix. Maybe that explains the choice of Mya, the mainstage opener, who seemed less Lilith than aspiring Broadway musical star. The 19-year-old African- American dancer-turned-R&B singer did a fabulous tap number on a portable floor, accompanied only by drums. And she sang several carefully choreographed, artificially sweetened numbers backed by what appeared to be the cast of a Gap khakis ad. Fun and energetic, but rather out of kilter for Lilith.

On to the good stuff: Luscious Jackson got Lilith's rock thing going, finally, with an eclectic, flashy sound. They came off like an urban sampler for 20-somethings — a little prep with some cowgirl, beat poet, and grunge all stirred up together but still retaining the individual flavors. The group was especially strong on its hits "Naked Eye" and "Ladyfingers," and got everybody pogo-dancing to "Citysong."

Back to Sandra B for a few excruciating moments of …something.

Then Liz Phair picked up where Luscious Jackson left off, by announcing, "I feel the need to rock." And she did, with "Never Said," "Johnny Feelgood," and "Polyester Bride" (the last two from her most recent album, whitechocolatespaceegg). We were a little worried she'd end up with "shaken rock star syndrome" from all the head twirling, but it was especially effective on the new song "Love/Hate."

Ah, yes, things were definitely improving. And with the arrival of Sheryl Crow onstage, Lilith Fair stock rose precipitously. Decked out in a white dress embroidered with red flowers and slashed on the diagonal at the hem, Sheryl cranked up the energy level and volume through sheer force of talent. Everything about her — the band, her enormous stage presence — made the multi- hour wait worthwhile. From "My Favorite Mistake" to "There Goes the Neighborhood" to a joint venture with Luscious Jackson on the old double-entendre song "Squeezebox," Crow controlled the crowd with subtlety and strength.

Now, that's the essence of Lilith, even more than Sarah McLachlan — a strong woman coming on strong.

Crow's problem, if she had one, was one that also dogged McLachlan's set: the sing-along. Everybody at Lilith knew all of the lyrics to both women's songs, turning it into a good old- fashioned hugfest where only new tunes prompted a collective sit-down.

But then, that's why fans go to these things, right? To sit in the sweltering summer sun for hours for a few precious moments of face time with their faves. As McLachlan, shimmering in sequined blue cargo pants and white tank, said at the Saturday night close, "Last night, I got flashed during my set …it worked for me." It worked for the Lilith Fair swan song crowd, too. They ate up all of her mellow soul food and begged for more. It was "Sweet Surrender" all the way around.

Even the second stage boasted some jewels: Bijou Phillips, Beth Orton, and Sixpence None the Richer all offered stand-out sets. No. 3 may not have been the best Lilith Fair in terms of talent range and musical spirit (No. 2 takes that honor), at least at the Gorge shows, but it surely accomplished its feed-the-starving-women mission. -- Rose Pike

I had never heard of the first three acts of the day. Nikol Kollars and her four-piece band were very enjoyable. The best description I can provide is that her music had a sort of exotic character; she reminded me somewhat of Sade. For as change of pace, another local performer, rapper Kylea, joined her for a couple of tunes.

I was rather indifferent to Murmurs (nice Lilith tie-in!), an acoustic guitar duo. Bijou Phillips and her four-piece band were an ok rock-n-roll group.

I would have like to have seen a longer set from Sixpence None the Richer. I didn't know their first song, which they apparently debuted the night before, but their second song was the well-known "Kiss Me", followed by a cover of the La's "There She Goes", "Anything" and the premiere of another new song, "Paralyzed", which featured a nice guitar solo.

Having seen and enjoyed Eden AKA (A, K, & A are the initials of the three singers, whose names escape me at the moment) at the Lilith Fair in Toronto last year, I was looking forward to their pleasant harmonies, and was not disappointed. I missed most of their first song, but the remainder of their set was similar to last year's, consisting of "Hand of God", "Robinson Crusoe", "Burning", and a cover of The Police's "Message in a Bottle".

First up on the main stage was Luscious Jackson. Their energetic set brought many fans to their feet, despite the hot afternoon sun. They opened with "Here", followed by "Summer Daze", "Naked Eye", "Angel" (no, not Sarah's), "Surprise", "Ladyfingers", "Fantastic Fabulous", and "Nervous Breakthrough". They finished with "City Song". Ash joined them for "Naked Eye" and a few other songs.

Four days prior to the show, I had hiked a steep trail to the top of 600-foot Multnomah Falls along the Columbia River. Although the hike from the main stage to the second stage was not nearly as long, the "direct ascent" over the top of the lawn steeper and hotter, and I was panting by the time I finished trotting over to catch Beth Orton's set.

I would not have known any of Beth Orton's material prior to the show except for the fact that my rental car had no radio antenna, but did have a CD player. As I was going to spend a fair amount of time driving between California and Washington, I decided I had to buy some CD's, and Beth Orton was a logical choice. I quickly became a fan, as her music was a beautiful and somehow appropriate "soundtrack" as I drove among the desert canyons, rivers, and mountains of Central Oregon. She opened with a lovely rendition of "Love Like Laughter", followed by "Someone's Daughter" and "She Cries Your Name". I didn't recognize her next song, which was followed by a real gem, "Sweetest Decline", and "Whenever". She closed with "Central Reservation" (the original version, fortunately, not the "then again" version). I heartily recommend her; go buy Trailer Park and/or Central Reservation and take a long drive in the wilderness; you too may be a fan within a few hours.

After that, I took a downhill hike to the main stage to see Mya and her five piece band. I didn't care for her singing very much (I thought her voice was rather weak), but it was a pleasure listening to her band groove. Her set featured dancers at times (including some from the audience at one point), as well as a tap dance performance accompanied by her percussionist. I didn't know any of her material except for "I'll Be There" and another Jackson's cover, as well as Sly Stone's "Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself". Her set was very well received by the crowd.

Sandra Bernhard filled in between acts. I missed her first appearance, but saw her second one, which consisted of a long, rambling, boring, pointless story which served as an intro to a silly cover of "Dream On".

Liz Phair took the stage next. I became a fan of hers at Toronto last year, and enjoyed her even more this her. I thought she looked rather stunning in her white top and long yellow/tan skirt, and her band was solid. The bulk of her set consisted of unreleased material or songs from her first album, her last two albums were barely represented. After opening with "Mesmerizing:, she played "Never Said", "Don't Apologize", "Polyester Bride" and "Stranger". Next up was a song that "got me into a lot of trouble a few years back. Jerry Falwell called me a Satanist". Oddly enough, the song, "Flowers", was one of the less interesting tunes of her set, despite the rather blunt lyrics. "Flowers" was followed with "Fuck and Run", "Supernova", "Firewalker", and "Divorce Song".

I've never been a big fan of Sheryl Crow's, but her set was great! She and her band simply rocked! I particularly enjoyed hearing her guitarist play slide solos and her keyboardist chop away at the organ. After opening with "A Change Will Do You Good", she played "Favorite Mistake", "Anything But Down", "Every Day is a Winding Road", two songs I didn't recognize, "If It Makes You Happy", another song I didn't know, a cover of the Who's "Squeeze Box", "Strong Enough", and "There Goes the Neighborhood". All I can say is, WOW!

Sarah's set was very enjoyable, but perhaps a bit anticlimatic, as I have seen her so many times before, and there were no surprises in her set. Nonetheless, it was great to hear her and her talented band. Her set consisted of "Possession", "Black & White", "Hold On", "Adia", "I Will Remember You", "Ice Cream", "Building A Mystery", "Sweet Surrender", "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy", and the encore, "Angel".

The group finale, "Put A Little Love In You Heart", was ok, but it pales in comparison to last year's "What's Goin' On?".

Oddly enough, aside from Ash's songs with LJ, and an appearance by two of Sheryl Crow's friends from Washington on guitar and vocals, there were no "crossovers" between acts. Hopefully that will not be the case at my next show, somewhere in the midwest.

Saturday, July 10, 1999

By D. PARVAZ
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

There's no sense in getting worked up over the lack of diverse acts at Lilith Fair. It's the third year of the festival, for crying out loud. Haven't you been keeping track?

That said, it's still disheartening to see that even in its final year (Lilith organizer/guru Sarah McLachlan is packing up the Lilith bus and focusing on starting a family), the festival that aims at giving exposure to female artists still plays it safe. No one cut from the same cloth as Wendy O. Williams will ever strut across the Lilith stage and give a Chevy the business end of a baseball bat. Sure, Hole is going on tour with Lilith for a few stops, but Courtney Love just isn't who she used to be, and the person she is today puts her in the category of safe choices (radio-friendly, looks great on the cover of fashion magazines, etc.)

The only live wire in this year's lineup at the Gorge is not a musician, but a, well, she's a Sandra Bernhard. After a scorching bit of "Barracuda," Bernhard declared that the real hard- core female rockers, like Heart's Wilson sisters, "did things that would break these little bitches in half."

This isn't to say that Lilith's lineup is a total washout, because it's not. Last night's show, the tour's second -- it kicked off in Vancouver, B.C. on Thursday -- offered some brilliant moments. There was local talent search winner Nikol Kollars, who, backed up by a great band (conga player Elizabeth Pupo-Walker and bassist Kevin Hudson), was graceful and captivating. Kollars also was accompanied by another local artist, Kylea (very smooth lyrical form). Luscious Jackson was fast-and-loose as always. This band never fails to find the soul and funk in its electronic toys and mix it with its rock sensibilities to produce gorgeous, swaggering grooves. The girls just ripped into sounds like "Here," "Naked Eye" and even invited the crowd to do the pogo to "Surprise."

Another terrific moment was Beth Orton's set. As sweet and agonizing as her latest, "Central Reservation," is, it doesn't come close to doing Orton's live performance justice. There's an energy, an edge that somehow got muffled in the studio, but managed to run all over the place while Orton was on stage.

The one slump was Bijou Phillips -- model, rock-star spawn and (you guessed it) singer/songwriter.

The question -- at the risk of sounding cruel -- is this: What the heck is Phillips doing at Lilith Fair? Her songs are mediocre, and her voice still has a long (long) way to go. It's possible that Phillips actually listened to Orton's set and asked herself the same question. Hopefully, she'll answer it by working on her songs, or at least warming up her voice before tonight's show.