Backstage at the Lilith Fair
Aired July 16, 1999 - 4:00 p.m. ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS
FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JIM MORET, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everyone, I'm Jim Moret, coming to
you live from sunny Chula Vista, California. We're just southeast of San
Diego, just a stone's throw from the U.S.-Mexican border, for the site of
tonight's Lilith Fair Festival. We're live at the Coors Amphitheater.
Let me give you a sense of how relaxed it is backstage here. Sheryl Crow,
who's going to be performing for us a little later, is just lounging in the sun.
So is Sarah McLachlan. She's going to be with us the entire half-hour. She
also founded the Lilith Fair.
This is Lilith's final North American tour. It started in Canada and wound its
way through the Northwest and northern California.
It's heating up here, so the vendors are getting ready. The artists are
preparing.
McLachlan started Lilith Fair three years ago to showcase emerging female
talent, and now it is the highest-grossing festival for the past two years.
We'll talk to Sarah. We'll also hear from Luscious Jackson, Sheryl Crow --
we just showed you -- and Beth Orton. All of them will play for us live in
this half-hour.
First, let's go back to Hollywood.
Paul Vercammen has today's SHOWBIZ headlines.
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Jim.
Things aren't looking so rosy for "The Roseanne Show." NBC owned and
operated stations are pulling the talk show from their fall schedules, even
though it is contracted for another year. "The Roseanne Show" has garnered
critical praise, but ratings have been poor.
Director Oliver Stone was in a Beverly Hills courtroom Thursday, pleading
not guilty to driving under the influence. The Academy Award winning
filmmaker was arrested last month, after he was spotted driving erratically,
according to police. Police allegedly found drugs in his car, and prosecutors
said Stone's blood alcohol level was above the legal limit.
VERCAMMEN: "The Boss" is back with the band that made him famous.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band opened the North American leg of
their tour Thursday night in New Jersey. The 15-night sold-out stand in "the
Boss's" home state marks an industry record for sell outs in one arena.
That's it for "The Boss." Now let's go back to some more music with Jim
and his very special guest.
MORET: Thank you, Paul.
Throughout the Lilith Fair tour, some 125 bands will take the stage at one
time or another, but there is one constant: the founder, Sarah McLachlan.
You started this, what about two years ago? And most people said, oh, this
is too ambitious; it will never work. And then for the last two years, you've
been the number one grossing concert tour. Do you see this as a vindication?
SARAH MCLACHLAN, FOUNDER, LILITH FAIR: Absolutely, we
showed them, didn't we?
(LAUGHTER)
MORET: You learned a great deal from the fellow artists. There is a great
deal of camaraderie. Folks have toured and come back, and you are proud
of them?
Absolutely. You did show them, but you also learned a great deal from you
fellow artists, and there has been a great deal of camaraderie. You've had
folks appear on the first tour and they've come, and you're very proud of
that?
MCLACHLAN: Absolutely, I mean, this is a tour that has definitely taught
me a lot of things, personally and musically, it's been incredibly inspirational
and I think it's really helped to change the industry's attitude toward women
as well.
MORET: When you talk about your music, let's show you new album. Hold
on. This is "Mirror Ball." Now...
MCLACHLAN: Live record.
MORET: Right, and that's important, because a lot of your fans who haven't
been able to hear you live will really enjoy this because a lot of their
favorite songs are on this record.
MCLACHLAN: Yes, I think it's a really good representation of where
we've come to as a band and as performers, and I'm really proud of it.
MORET: You are also -- let me bring this in. This is just some -- as if music
isn't enough, as if starting a tour isn't enough, you design jewelry and you
sell it on tour.
MCLACHLAN: Well, you know what happens is every time I draw a
picture people of anything the people at network grab it and either put it on a
T-shirt or decide, oh, let's make jewelry or something. So, you know, I used
to design jewelry in art college, so this is kind of a fun little thing it do.
I can get somebody else to make it for me.
And my girlfriend, who also is a jewelry designer, comes out. I've got one of
her little necklaces on. This is a colona (ph) pin. It's for anxiety.
(CROSSTALK)
MORET: Now you're never really alone on the tour.
MCLACHLAN: No.
MORET: Sean, if you can do me a favor and just pan over there.
There is a dog over there.
MCLACHLAN: Brooks Rex.
Brooksie, come here, girl. Come here.
Yes, creature comforts.
My husband is on the road with me. He is my drummer, which is fantastic,
and we tell our little girl with us, Rex.
Hi, baby.
She's not liking the hot weather too much, though.
MORET: When you started, did you have any sense -- you have, what,
some 150 people that on tour with you?
MCLACHLAN: One hundred-sixty crew between Lilith Crew, my crew,
my band, and we all sort of travel as a unit, so. And then, of course, there is
all the other bands and crews as well, so.
MORET: It's takes you four hours to tear down, two and a half to setup. I
mean, the logistics behind it all.
MCLACHLAN: Well, they're going to tighten that up.
MORET: But the logistics are something that, frankly, you don't think about
unless you're in your position.
MCLACHLAN: Well, or in, you know, the tour director's position or all the
other people working behind the scenes. Yes, I mean, this is something that
obviously I don't have to worry about, because we hire a lot of amazing
professionals. And a lot of the people who have been working with me
personally are on my the crew for Lilith as well, and they've been me for 10
years.
MORET: You're lucky; when I break a string on my guitar, I have to change
it to myself.
Now you're going to be with us the whole half-hour, but we listened to you
in a sound check playing "I Will Remember You." Let's hear that now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCLACHLAN (singing): I will remember you. Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by. Weep not for the memories.
I'm so tired, but I can't sleep standing on the edge of something much too
deep. It's funny how we feel so much, but we cannot say a word, but we are
screaming inside, but we can't be heard.
I will remember you. Will you remember me? Don't let your life pass you by.
Weep not for the memories.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORET: Back here live with Sarah McLachlan for the Lilith Fair festival for
tonight at the Coors Amphitheater. We're down in Chula Vista near the
Mexican-American border. You've had artists who've been with you on the
first tour -- like this person behind you -- who've come back.
First of all, talk about what it means when you have an artist come back.
That says a lot like the camaraderie, doesn't it?
MCLACHLAN: Well, this is kind of like summer camp. And Sheryl was on
the first tour, and she's now back for pretty much every single show except
for Woodstock, where she's jumping ship fro a day.
MORET: Sheryl, come on up here if you can
MCLACHLAN: Hey, hon.
SHERYL CROW, SINGER: Hello.
MORET: Is it different second time around for you?
CROW: Well, Sarah and I are kind of like the elder statesmen of the whole
thing now, at this point. It's actually not so different in that Sarah and I
both
tour a lot. So this is an awesome opportunity for us to get to see what other
people get to do, and also, it's really fun to come into the town to see
somebody who's just getting started, who's won a contest. It's a big thrill...
MORET: I'm trying to get past the elder-statesmen part.
Now, "The Globe Sessions," your current album garnered your sixth
Grammy. What's the year been like for you?
CROW: It's been a really nice year. I mean, honestly, we had kind of
slowed the pace down some, and we're just doing things that we want to do.
And when Sarah called about his, and offered me the whole thing, I couldn't
think of a better way to spend the summer.
And so -- and also, and probably Sarah can relate to this too, that hype that
you go through in the very beginning on the first album, or your first
successful album, that's kind of died down, and it's just sort of more of an
easy going career that I'm experiencing now.
MORET: So do you think you settled into the Sheryl Crow that you want to
be? I mean, as far artistically, you're making the music you want, without an
eye toward the commercial aspects, because you're successful that way as
well?
You talk about the hype. You know, talk about the hype that you have to
live up to, and do you finally just brush that off?
CROW: I think -- I think so much of it has to do about how you feel about
what's going on in your own personal life. And yes, I'm just happy all the
way around with what's going on. I'm sort of able to now schedule in my
personal life like I schedule in my work life. And so I'm kind of enjoying all
aspects of everything now.
MORET: The Grammys were the first time a lot of folks saw you holding
what you're holding now -- a bass. Many people think of you as a guitar
player. You write on the bass, don't you?
CROW: That's for the most part. I just find that -- I actually originally
started working on the bass because I didn't -- I don't know it that well. So
I would write melodies, and then I would put the bass part to it, and the
musicians could king of fill in the middle.
And then I found it -- just for me, it proved to -- to really -- for me to
create better melodies when I wasn't thinking about cords and where
my hands were going..
MORET: You're giving Sarah ideas now. She's going to take up the base.
But before you do we're going to listen to you sing "My Favorite Mistake."
Sheryl Crow take it away.
CROW: This is a new straw hat.
(singing): Oooohhh oooohhh oooohhh oooohhh oooohhh
I woke up and called this morning the tone of your voice was a warning that
you don't care for me anymore. I made up the bed we sleep in I looked at
the clock when you creep in. It's 6:00 a.m. and I'm alone.
Did you know when you go it's the perfect ending to the bad day I was just
beginning. When you go all I know is you're my favorite mistake.
Well, your friends are sorry for me. They watch you pretend to adore me,
but I'm no fool to this game. Now here comes your secret lover. She'd be
unlike any other until your guilt goes up in flames.
Did you know when you go it's the perfect ending to the bad day I've gotten
used to spending. When you go all I know is you're my favorite mistake --
you're my favorite mistake.
Maybe nothing lasts forever, even when you stay together. I don't need
forever after, it's your laughter won't let me go, so I'm moving on...
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORET: Back here live, back stage at the Coors Amphitheater.
Sarah, all the folks who can't come to the Lilith Fair Festival, while they
lament it -- here, hold this up if you could -- you come out every year with a
CD, with the best of.
MCLACHLAN: Well, this year we have two. Well, it's not just the best of.
The trouble is, we had -- we had 180 artists last year, and we would have
loved to have put out a CD of every single one of their songs. But it's such a
huge undertaking to do these things. So we ended up doing two, and this is
volumes two and three from this year. And it's, you know, definitely a
sampling of the best we had to offer.
MORET: Beth Orton, standing next to you, is hoping that she makes it to the
CD this year. Beth, this is -- this is your second time on tour, right?
BETH ORTON, MUSICIAN: Yes.
MORET: Now, let's hold this up in fairness. This is "Central Reservation,"
your current album. And you may be wearing Texas sunglasses, but you're
not from Texas.
ORTON: Certainly not. I'm from England -- London in England.
MORET: Talk about -- Sarah was talking about the camaraderie and the
spirit on the tour. How has it changed you musically?
ORTON: Well, how has it changed me? I suppose it's just very inspiring
when you're just starting out. You know, the first one I did I was just starting
out, and there I was, a little wee thing. And then I was singing with people
like Emmylou Harris, you know, and Sarah. And it's just very inspiring.
MORET: And we heard that Sarah's an elder statesmen. She told us that
just a few minutes ago. What are you, all of 32 or something like that?
ORTON: I didn't say that -- all right, yes.
MORET: But talk about the experience of touring. Is it a grueling pace?
ORTON: It's -- it can be grueling, and that's another thing that's interesting
about this, is you get to hang out with other birds that are touring, you
know? And you can all, like, hang out and talk about your touring things,
and little tips that make it easier, you know?
MORET: OK, you're going to let your music do the talking now, with
"Stolen Car" off your album "Central Reservation," Beth Orton.
ORTON (singing): You walked into my house last night. I couldn't help but
notice a light that was long gone; still burning strong. You were sitting, your
fingers like fuses; your eyes were cinnamon. You said you stand for every
known abuse that was ever promised to anyone but you.
Don't I wish I knew better by now when I'm old enough not to? When every
lie speaks the language of love, it never held the meaning I was thinking of.
And I lost the line about right and wrong. You left the feeling that I just do
not belong.
Some may sing the wrong words to the wrong melodies; little things like this
that matter to me. Others feel that you should stand, for every known abuse
to hand, and all the things that they could never see...
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORET: This is a sound check -- Luscious Jackson; you're going to hear
from them in a second. But first Sarah, when you're on tour, you know,
you're traveling with a -- what? -- you said 160 people, and you always
wonder that you're going to eat junk food. And you don't; I know that
you're very -- first of all, you have a cookbook, because you have your
favorite recipes, and you have a chef that travels with you; tell us about that.
MCLACHLAN: Well, last year we got the luxury of having a fantastic chef,
Jamie Larita (ph), who came onboard with us, and I loved all his recipes,
and I wanted to get them and he'd never give them to me unless I made (ph)
a cookbook. And this is the product. Shot in my house, with all my dishes
and stuff...
MORET: Multi-media Sarah McLachlan.
MCLACHLAN: I don't have enough hats, you know, I got to do more stuff.
Keep myself more busy.
MORET: Talk about the folks to your left.
MCLACHLAN: Luscious Jackson.
MORET: Luscious Jackson.
MCLACHLAN: They're awesome. They let me sing with them every day
too, so I really love them.
MORET: This is their new album called "Electric Honey." And talk, if you
will -- you're going to be the spokesperson. Talk about the experience of the
tour.
MCLACHLAN: Oh-oh.
MORET: OK, you're the spokesperson. Come over here.
KATE SCHELLENBACH, LUSCIOUS JACKSON: OK. MORET: Talk
about what the tour's about.
SCHELLENBACH: Oh God, Lilith -- every year we've done it -- which is
the second year -- it's been unbelievable. It's the best. I mean, from Sarah
on down, everybody treats each other with respect, the music's great all
night. I forget it's a woman's tour; I just think of it as a great...
MORET: Well, it seems like a big party, frankly.
SCHELLENBACH: Frankly, that exactly describes it. Yes.
MORET: You talk -- we've said it's like a girls' camp, it's like you're at
school, it's like you're with your friends, and there's a sense that it's not
really so much work as it is just a...
GABBY GLASER, LUSCIOUS JACKSON: No, it's not work, it's so fun.
It's a rock'n'roll blast, man.
MORET: OK, now off your latest album, "Electric Honey," you're going to
play "Lady Fingers." Luscious Jackson take it away.
LUSCIOUS JACKSON (singing): I got lady fingers baby, I got kid gloves
baby, I got heart.
If you need me to be sweet, then I can give you what you need, cause I
know you never came first baby. I'm so tired of my guns and my vanity, I'd
like to trade them in for some sanity, and I know that it didn't come too
easy.
It didn't come easy to me, either, to believe in love, in love.
Well I got lady fingers baby, I got kid gloves baby, I got heart, I got heart.
I got lady fingers baby, I got kid gloves baby, I got heart.
I bet you didn't know that I could treat you right, that underneath the armor
there's another girl. He's standing with a suitcase ready to run in case you're
wondering why she's so quick to come and go, why she's so quick to come
and go.
She might be new, she might be old, she might be scared and she might not
feel so bold, she might not be so bold.
Well I got lady fingers baby, I got kid gloves baby, I got heart.
--
gender is just an excuse, relationship shouldn't just be an excuse,
love is often an excuse, although sometimes these excuses are all
we have to hold onto,
death is the reason and living is the celebration
- Beth Orton
--
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