Sheryl Crow flies Fun and tears at last Lilith Fair
By MIKE ROSS
Express Writer
EDMONTON -- All that was missing was Helen Reddy leading a gang
vocal of I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar.
She probably would've been drowned out, anyway. There were more
than enough strong women roaring yesterday, along with laughter,
tears and surprises at the farewell Lilith Fair in Commonwealth Stadium.
More than 15,000 cold, damp fans were glad to see it off. Despite a
constant cold drizzle, there were more caring, sharing, happy, shiny
feelings happening on stage than twisted smiles in a Dennis Miller
monologue. Sheryl Crow sat in with the Indigo Girls, the Indigo
Girls sat in with the Dixie Chicks, Deborah Cox sat in with Sheryl Crow
and Sarah McLachlan played with everybody. Among other hijinx,
a male stripper dressed as a hockey player crashed Sheryl Crow's show,
and by the time McLachlan took the stage late last night, it was shaping
up to be a free-for-all - the musical version of a tag-team match.
The highlight of the day had to be Crow's set. Proving again to be the
consummate musician, she delivered a magical set as note-perfect as
it was passionate. From the opening A Change Will Do You Good to the
heart-ripping Strong Enough, a cover of Guns N' Roses Sweet
Child of Mine and to the show-ending There Goes The Neighborhood,
it was one hour of pure pop perfection. Amazing.
All in all, the Final Fair was an action-packed and
emotional end to three years of McLachlan's all-female package tour.
Some say it opened doors for all female artists, some say it changed the
face of the music industry, and some say it's a commercial venture
that's worn out its welcome - but it has certainly been the talk of the town.
More than anything, Lilith Fair crushed stylistic barriers: country,
R&B, folk, rock, anything goes. Gender was the only common trait
of the artists who played yesterday, and the crowd loved them all.
The Dixie Chicks did their best to warm up the day with
their brash, sassy attitude and music that can only be described as
"fun country."
The Chicks displayed both fine musicianship and songs that spoke
loudly of strength and independence. Goodbye Earl, a song about
murdering a wife-beater, brought cheers.
Next to Sarah herself, the Indigo Girls are the perfect
poster gals for Lilith Fair. This veteran duo, having been with the
Fair from the beginning, delivered a strong set - half-folk,
half-funk - riddled with special guests including second stage acts
like Tara MacLean(a mellower Sarah McLachlan) and K's Choice
(next big thing from Belgium), plus the ubiquitous Sarah herself,
of course.
Deborah Cox proved why she's the top R&B singer in Canada as
she fired up the main stage late yesterday afternoon. With a slick - and
slickly choreographed - live band to back her up, Cox sang circles
around herself. Yes, she was that good. She topped up material from
her two albums with a version of Stevie Wonder's Sir Duke (with K's
Choice and McLachlan sitting in) and Cyndi Lauper's True Colours,
ending the latter song with one of those long held notes impressive singers
always insist on doing. Cox is a class act.
Has "the next Whitney Houston" been used yet. It has? Never mind.
During an afternoon press conference, McLachlan expressed a
bittersweet feeling toward the end of her brainchild.
"I've made a lot of good friends and I think those
relationships are going to endure and it's sad that it's ending," she said.
"For me, it's really the end of the era, too, because it's my last hurrah
before I take a year off or five or something, and write my next record
and maybe start a family as well."
Then she choked up. You could say that there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
--
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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