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Lilith Fair |
Africa Fête '98 |
KUFO Rockfest |
What's the deal? |
Civic Stadium, 1844 SW Morrison St., 224-4400. 3:30 pm Friday, June 19. $40. |
Oaks Park, foot of Southeast Spokane Street, east end of the Sellwood Bridge, 224-4400. 3 pm Saturday, June 20.
$20. |
Portland Meadows, 1001 N Schmeer Road, 224-8499. 1 pm Sunday, June 21. $17.50. |
Who’s there and from where? |
Canadian superstar Sarah McLachlan spearheads the event with her tastefully ethereal sorrow-pop. Other mainstagers include femme faves like nicey-nice Natalie Merchant, the neo-folkie Indigo Girls, spiritual-soul hip-hopper Erykah Badu, and that feisty Irish feline, Sinead O'Connor. Smaller acts such as K's Choice (Belgium) and Tara MacLean (Canada) also appear. |
Somalian expatriate Maryam Mursal layers her lusty, throaty vocals over Arabic-tinged party-pop; Papa Wemba shines with his stylish, Westernized update of Zairean rhythms; the inspirational voice of Mali's Salif Keita rides high over bass grooves and moving arrangements; and smooth Cheikh Lô gets the chance to emerge from the shadows of his Senegalese friend and collaborator, Youssou N'Dour. |
Tallahassee's Creed mixes sensitive Layne Staley-isms with tight riffage; Birmingham, Ala.'s Brother Cane brings Southern rock into the post-grunge '90s; the Deftones chew up the bones of hard-rock fossils with dynamic alternacore; Jimmie's Chicken Shack throws funk, punk and metal into a country bucket and shakes it up; Clutch plays like a Black and Decker drill--loud, sharp and dangerous to mess around with; and Seattle's Econoline Crush grinds out angst-ridden industrial-lite rock. |
What does the Web site promise? |
lilithfair.excite.com/ "A sense of community, caring and helping others." |
www.africafete.com/ "A traveling community of performers, chefs and vendors who set up an 'African village' and bring a part of the African experience to each city." |
www.kufo.com/rockf est.html "A full day of brain-numbing rock...guaranteed to make your ears bleed, your ribs vibrate and your head explode." |
Emblematic corporate sponsors? |
VH-1, Starbucks, Nine West |
Island Records, American Express, the Kennedy Center |
Miller Genuine Draft |
What's new and/or improved? |
This year you may bring your own (sealed) bottle of water--no more fainting in the hot sun when vendors run out. |
It's never been to Portland before, so it's all new. |
Say it with me, kids: No Sammy Hagar! |
Attendees' ideal pet? |
Kitten |
Elephant |
Doberman |
Tattoos to look out for? |
Celtic lace arm bands, flowers, butterflies |
Authentic tribal markings |
Phony (i.e., extreme white-guy) tribal markings |
Appropriate pick-up lines? |
Men: "How 'bout we celebrate your womanhood back at my place?" Women: "I like Sinead, Sarah and Natalie. But I love you." |
Men: "I bet I could make you sing more passionately than Maryam, if you know what I mean." Women: "You look even better than Papa Wemba's wardrobe." |
Men: "Are your feet sore? 'Cuz you've been moshing in my heart all day."
Women: "Hi, my name is ______." |
What will I take home with me? |
If you're lucky, the new VW Beetle to be raffled off at tour's end. |
Cultural awareness, unforgettable memories and legs tired from dancing. |
If you're lucky, the Harley-Davidson Fatboy Softail to be raffled off at show's end. |
Pros? |
Keeps a sharp focus on women's contributions to music, culture and humanity. |
Great food, great music--what more do you want, man? |
Lots of room at Portland Meadows to purge testosterone--and no Sammy Hagar. |
Cons? |
Lacks the edginess of PJ Harvey, Team Dresch or the Spice Girls. |
The venue feels more reminiscent of a trailer park than an African plain |
Where are the really big names? There's not even Sammy Hagar! |
