Sarah McLachlan looks back at the legacy of Lilith Fair, the sexism (exclusive) she faced

Beyond her prolific musical career, Sarah McLachlan’s legacy was shaped by leading the groundbreaking All-Women’s Music Festival, Lilith Fair.

Founded in 1997, The Touring Music event was created to combat sexism in the industry, but ran until 1999 before its temporary revival in 2010.

“There was an immediate connection and an immediate sense of camaraderie,” the “fallen” musician told people. “That community never disappeared.”

During that run, McLachlan, now 57, held a press conference. There, he had to endure misogynistic questions from the male disc jockey.

In fact, she says that one of the questions asked most was “Why do you hate men?”

“Is ‘Is ‘Celebrating women in the world related to hating women and hating men?’ That says more about you than anything else,” she says.

I think McLachlan would be accused of removing the man from Lilith Fair.

“I’m ‘I don’t rule out men. There are guys everywhere, but we celebrate women here. And what do you know? Men can celebrate women too. Why are you ass?” she says.

According to McLachlan, she also said, “What is your girl doing behind the scenes” and “Do you share some lipstick tips?”

“I was pretty young and green at the time and rarely came back. It was mainly about to move on and off on more interesting topics,” and the “Angel” hitmaker recalls how she handled the situation.

At one point, the tour music event even endured the threat of a bomb due to its choice-choice attitude and planned parent-child relationship booths.

“It was scary,” recalls McLachlan. “I remember I was very afraid of the day, especially with the threat of bombs. But the guys came and they wiped it all out with the dogs.”

She recalls that she had to decide whether the festival would continue.

“For me, I think ‘I don’t want to win against them. I don’t want to be threatened by this.’ So if we’re doing something like this in today’s climate, I think it’s ten times more,” says McLachlan.

Now Lilith Fair is the subject of the documentary Lilith Fair: The Construction of Mystery, directed by Alypunki.

The documentary includes interviews from former Lilith Fair artists, including Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Erica Badu, Paula Cole, Jewel, Mia, Natalie Merchant, Indigo Girls, Emilow Harris, and contemporary artists such as Brandi Kariel and Olivia Rodrigo.

Along with the documentary and the people, McLachlan reflects the criticism that Lilith Fair took at the time as not diversified enough.

“There wasn’t much diversity, especially at first,” she tells people. “We were startups and fledgling people who no one ever heard of and asked everybody out of all different genres of music.

Looking back, McLachlan says that the festival’s inauguration year was “not as diverse as we wanted.” However, she believes that her initial success has earned her credibility with other artists.

“My manager saw the festival and recalls, ‘Well, where does my artist fit? My artists are different from this.’ I recall, ‘Well, that’s the point. I don’t listen to a kind of music. I listen to all kinds of music, so many fans too. So, so why are you limiting what we’re listening to?”

McLachlan said while she and the team behind Lilith Fair faced a significant portion of the criticism, they “were trying to do everything we could and go to a truly amazing festival where we showcase many different types of music.”

Lilith Fair: Building Mystery – Unsold Stories will be announced on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+Sunday, September 21st.

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