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OT: Why Lilith Fair '10 Was A Bad Idea
Jul. 12th, 2010 09:21 pmI've read here and there about the dreadful summer concert season with even "big names" unable to sell out shows. Some of them have even cancelled dates, or, like Christina Aguilera, have chucked tours altogether. The crap economy and ridiculously high ticket prices are the two prime problems, though as a point of comparison, Comic Con had no trouble selling out four day passes and individual day passes. Geeks will come up with the money no matter what, right?
One of the most visible tours suffering low ticket sale woes is the revival of Lilith Fair. You remember Lilith Fair, don't you? Back in the late 1990s, Sarah McLachlan put together a massive traveling music fest consisting entirely of chicks and chick-led bands. In those days, the only other games in town for that sort of thing were the testosterone-fueled Ozzfest and Vans Warped Tour. Lollapalooza, which really kicked off the traveling music fest trend in 1991, croaked after its 1997 tour (though it was revived as a one-show festival in 2003). McLachlan wanted to show people were willing to pay to see more than one "female" act on a bill and the concept worked. There were three big mega-successful tours 1997-1999, until McLachlan felt her work was done and focused on personal stuff.
I never went to any of the Lilith Fair shows. I liked McLachlan a lot, going way back to 1988 with stuff like "Vox." But hemp bracelets, exposed bra straps, and Birkenstocks weren't my style. More importantly, when it comes to music, I really don't care about the gender of the performer. All I care about is whether the music is any good or not. The politically-correct press though was almost entirely positive, though I'm sure there was some grumbling from the dudes who dominate music criticism.
So eleven years later, McLachlan puts out a new album and decides now is a really good time to bring back the '90s with a new Lilith Fair. I knew from the start this was a failboat ready to sink. For one thing, McLachlan was at the top of her game when she originally launched the tour. Now, she still has a fan base but her last album was seven years ago, not counting her holiday album from a few years back. Moreover, the music landscape has changed. The female pop star dominates today; what's there to prove if Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, and Katy Perry can set records for downloads or airplay? Another problem with the current Lilith is that its lineup is pretty "meh." Too many has-beens and never-heard-of-'ems without enough marquee names to draw in the crowds. Other big stars either turned down the tour or like Kelly Clarkson, signed on, then bailed out.
If you ask me, McLachlan probably thought the festival was a legacy bigger than she was as an individual act and figured Lilith would draw more people to hear her new stuff than if she'd just gone on a regular tour to support her new album. If the festival was revived at all, it needed to be revived organically, not from the top down to a public that apparently wasn't ready to go back to the summer of 1998.
One of the most visible tours suffering low ticket sale woes is the revival of Lilith Fair. You remember Lilith Fair, don't you? Back in the late 1990s, Sarah McLachlan put together a massive traveling music fest consisting entirely of chicks and chick-led bands. In those days, the only other games in town for that sort of thing were the testosterone-fueled Ozzfest and Vans Warped Tour. Lollapalooza, which really kicked off the traveling music fest trend in 1991, croaked after its 1997 tour (though it was revived as a one-show festival in 2003). McLachlan wanted to show people were willing to pay to see more than one "female" act on a bill and the concept worked. There were three big mega-successful tours 1997-1999, until McLachlan felt her work was done and focused on personal stuff.
I never went to any of the Lilith Fair shows. I liked McLachlan a lot, going way back to 1988 with stuff like "Vox." But hemp bracelets, exposed bra straps, and Birkenstocks weren't my style. More importantly, when it comes to music, I really don't care about the gender of the performer. All I care about is whether the music is any good or not. The politically-correct press though was almost entirely positive, though I'm sure there was some grumbling from the dudes who dominate music criticism.
So eleven years later, McLachlan puts out a new album and decides now is a really good time to bring back the '90s with a new Lilith Fair. I knew from the start this was a failboat ready to sink. For one thing, McLachlan was at the top of her game when she originally launched the tour. Now, she still has a fan base but her last album was seven years ago, not counting her holiday album from a few years back. Moreover, the music landscape has changed. The female pop star dominates today; what's there to prove if Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, and Katy Perry can set records for downloads or airplay? Another problem with the current Lilith is that its lineup is pretty "meh." Too many has-beens and never-heard-of-'ems without enough marquee names to draw in the crowds. Other big stars either turned down the tour or like Kelly Clarkson, signed on, then bailed out.
If you ask me, McLachlan probably thought the festival was a legacy bigger than she was as an individual act and figured Lilith would draw more people to hear her new stuff than if she'd just gone on a regular tour to support her new album. If the festival was revived at all, it needed to be revived organically, not from the top down to a public that apparently wasn't ready to go back to the summer of 1998.
