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When Lollapalooza organizers announced this spring that the much-ballyhooed alternative-rock festival would sit out the summer of '98, pundits were quick to attach its demise to the strong showing of last year's Lilith Fair. The femme-centric traveling show, which founder and headliner Sarah McLachlan calls "a celebration of women in music," certainly overshadowed the other tour-bus convoys that zigzagged across the nation during the dog days of '97 (save the niche-oriented OzzFest, which raked in the cash from poorly coiffed, pentagram-clad suburbanites hellbent on shouting at the devil along with a reunited Black Sabbath). But as Lilith pulls into Portland for a grand opening concert that kicks off the '98 season this Friday at Civic Stadium, questions about the tour's legitimacy and legacy hover over it like a Fuji blimp. Foremost is the lineup. McLachlan states in the liner notes to the double-CD compilation commemorating last year's tour: "...our desire is to showcase not only popular mainstage artists, but to bring attention to lesser known and emerging artists." It's a nice sentiment, but one of the painful side effects of Lilith's success is that it created a chasm between the "popular" and the "emerging" artists, making it unlikely that most concertgoers will take notice of the second-stage acts at all. Thus, Portlanders will watch a heavily tipped match-up featuring stars McLachlan, the Indigo Girls, Sinead O'Connor, Natalie Merchant and Erykah Badu, and unknowns Tara Maclean, K's Choice, Billie Myers and Lhasa. In other words, fans won't attend to celebrate women in music or to see the potential heroes of tomorrow, but to sing along with their favorite songs by well-known, proven entities who sell millions of records. At $40 per ticket, it's not much of a bargain either, especially considering that McLachlan, the Indigo Girls and Badu have all ventured onto Portland-area stages twice or more in the past year. As for Lilith's legacy, it's had a tangible effect on the music landscape around the country. In Portland alone, the music calendars are jammed with female singer-songwriters and female-fronted acts closer in spirit to McLachlan and company than to more cutting-edge groundbreakers such as Sleater-Kinney or Bikini Kill. Among this city's up-and-comers are the golden-voiced Nicole Campbell; the plaintive, introspective Corrina Repp; smooth rockers the Spinsters; roots-pop rabble-rousers 17 Reasons Why; and the Alanis-esque Stephanie Schneiderman. Unfortunately, Portland wasn't one of the select cities to host a Lilith talent search, in which women were invited to submit demos and a few lucky hopefuls earned the chance to compete for slots on the festival's third stage. Music and trade magazines predict that this year's Lilith Fair will duplicate its feat of '97 and emerge as one of the highest-grossing summer extravaganzas, but on paper and probably in practice, the spectacle merely replaces Lollapalooza as a forum where the record industry's elite troop across the land en masse, tagging on a few lesser-known names in an effort to appear charitable and possibly hip. This Friday, the music world's eyes will focus on Civic Stadium, but all they'll see is last year's model with a fresh coat of paint. Show of the Week?: A pair of hucksters who call themselves Lush Budget Presents the Les Payne Product sent their materials too late for inclusion in the calendar listings, but this odd band from the horrific city of Mesa, Ariz., merits a quick note. The duo's self-titled record is a wild ride through the indie-rock landscape in a Range Rover with tires made from jerky guitars, sarcastic-toned vocals, assured rhythms and weird lyrics. It's probably the only band I've heard that could elicit comparisons to Weezer, Superchunk, Jane's Addiction and Heavy Vegetable in one fell swoop. The pretty mess comes to Berbati's at 8 pm Wednesday, June 17. Portland Postscripts: When the Brian Jonestown Massacre plays Zoot Suite on Wednesday, there'll be a familiar face behind the drum kit. You might remember Arik Ohlson from such local bands as Starpower and Moxie Love Crux; he's signed on to play with the L.A.-by-way-of-San Francisco band...The latest acquisition to the McMenamins empire is Duffy's Pub in St. Johns. Known for its domed performance space, it has served as a bluegrass and folk venue for the past several years. The McMenamins, who own the Crystal Ballroom, plan on continuing in this vein, according to representatives of the organization. Spins of the Week: Robert Wyatt, Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard (Thirsty Ear)--Unorthodox pop and avant-garde jazz from a resurfaced British master, constructed from outré vocals, unwieldy horns and mesmerizing rhythmic backdrops. The Seymores, Treat Her Like a Show Cat (Caroline)--The fertile music ground of Richmond, Va.--home of Cracker, House of Freaks and Sparklehorse--produces another band that twists guitar-rock into an enticingly offbeat sound. |
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