Lilith Fair dubs itself

“A Celebration of Women in Music,”

and that it was….

 

Not only was it an empowering day for women when the festival rolled in to Toronto, but it was also an empowering day for music.

The fans who flocked to the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre down by Lake Ontario on this soggy Saturday clearly didn’t care that organizers had to cancel 15 of the tour’s dates.

Fans mingled in the i4c village while staying dry and checking out eco-friendly businesses, not-for-profits and charities such as Better World Books, War Child Canada, and AlterEco Fair Trade, before catching the music.

Chardonnay and Coors Light ruled the day. Ponchos, umbrellas, women’s equality and a celebration of their music and songs did, too. The overriding message was we all have a gift to give, and amidst the madness of life, you should never forget to nourish the gift of music and support the passion of those who play it.

The female-to-male ratio was figured to be nearly 10-1. There was so much estrogen running around that the organizers turned one of men’s washrooms into a women’s. Even then, there were women who wanted to get by security and use the men’s lavatories since the line-ups for the ladies’ loos were still too long.

The rain poured down early to late afternoon, but Mother Nature took pity on the 15,000-plus concertgoers and stopped crying once night-time rolled around.

In the late afternoon, with the rain pouring down, Melissa McClelland — part of Sarah McLachlan’s backing band — got a chance to headline her own set in her hometown on one of the side stages. McClelland put on a stellar show, playing songs from Victoria Day, her most recent record, along with a few new numbers. She was joined on stage by the leader of Lilith herself, as McLachlan played with Melissa’s band on the Yamaha keyboard while singing harmony with McClelland. You could tell the sultry singer was truly awed as she said, “Ten years ago, I was here in the pouring rain as a fan watching Sarah and dreaming one day I could be a part of it.”

Following McClelland’s set, one fan, who clearly already had a few too many Rock Stars in her bloodstream, told this scribe to relax. Despite where this came from, the comment was well spoken as the vibe of the day was one of chill. Another fan did tai chi in the aisles with both headlights a glowin.’

McClelland’s performance was followed by a tight set by Tara MacLean, who offered a song she wrote recently in regards to the G20 Summit that happened in the Big Smoke. Another highlight was a quiet version of U2’s “Wake Up Dead Man.”

The Court Yard Hounds kicked off the main stage entertainment at 5:50 p.m. These two Dixie Chicks in disguise were backed by a seven-piece band; this pair of bluegrass belles made the most of their short set. It was marked by two-part harmony and fantastic instrumentation, and was a hoedown by Lake Ontario. The highlight was “See You In The Spring,” Emily Robison’s duet with Jakob Dylan on their record. Here, the keyboardist filled in admirably on this tale of a star-crossed couple from opposite ends of the country.

Chantal Kreviazuk was dwarfed behind the Yamaha Grand Piano sporting daisy dukes, a tassled tube top and desert sand slouchy boots, and played a mix of songs from Plain Jane, her upcoming record, along with a host of covers. Kreviazuk had about 15 drinks lined up behind her, ranging from milk to water to beer. John Denver’s “Leaving On A Jet Plane” from the Armageddon soundtrack gave Kreviazuk her first big break south of the border, and on this night this hit resonated as the near sold-out venue sang along from the lawn right on down to the front row.

McLachlan joined Kreviazuk for “Invincible,” Plain Jane‘s first single. The other high from her set was a nod to Kelly Clarkson; she introduced this by saying, “Now I’m going to do something crazy,” before she played “Walk Away,” the hit she and husband Raine Maida co-wrote with Clarkson and Kara DioGuardi for the inaugural winner of American Idol. But rather than a radio-friendly pop hit, Kreviazuk turned it into a reflective piano piece and accompanied by cellist Kevin Fox.

Nine-time Grammy winner Mary J. Blige kicked things up a notch in her first ever Lilith Fair appearance when she came strutting onto the stage in her stylin’ stilettos and designer leggings at a quarter to nine. She was backed by an incredible 10-piece band filled with soul, which included four female backup singers, and showed why she has all that aforementioned hardware. The highlight of not only her set, but for the day, was a cover of Led Zeppelin’s iconic “Stairway To Heaven.” Blige also honoured U2 with a version of “One.” Even the security guards were getting their groove on in the aisles during Blige’s blistering set.

Lilith co-founder McLachlan arrived to the stage shortly before 10 p.m. and headed straight to a grand piano where she effortlessly sang “Angel.” Luke Doucet added just enough testosterone and some sick guitar to accompany McLachlan’s angelic voice throughout her set, letting his Gretsch White Falcon take the listener to new heights. From there, it was one hit after another, all showing that despite a lengthy layoff from touring and recording, McLachlan definitely has her groove back. “Building A Mystery,” “World On Fire,” “I Will Remember You” and “Adia” were just a handful of the hits she performed.

McLachlan also offered many songs off Laws Of Illusion, her new record. Before diving into the final song before the encore, the sultry songstress asked, “Are you guys ready for dessert?” She then played “Ice Cream” with a crowd singalong.

Shortly before the 11 p.m. curfew, all the women who performed that day were invited to return to the stage to conclude the evening with Patti Smith’s “Because The Night.” Blige was noticeably absent. Doucet’s daughter Chloe even got in on the action, smiling and singing along, joining a sextet of women performers from the day who all shared a microphone before all bowing together centre stage, thanking the fans who braved the rain to enjoy a day of music, song and a celebration of some fine female songwriters.

 

Women in Celebration

Chantal Kreviazuk

Lilith Fair

Lilith Fair 2010

Mary J. Blige

Melissa McClelland

Sarah McLachlan

Tara McLean

The Courtyard Hounds