Lilith Fair rises above disappointing sales

It's been labeled everything from an estrogenfest full of aging hippies to an empowering, inspiring celebration of women and sisterhood.

And this summer, after an 11-year hiatus, Lilith Fair is back - battling lagging ticket sales and cancellations from major acts, but still going strong. On Wednesday, it made a stop at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden.

"I've been to every Lilith Fair," said Kristina Diviny, 36, of Cherry Hill. She was stretched out on a blanket with three friends, all sipping beers, while strains of music from Jill Hennessy, the Crossing Jordan actress now embarking on a music career, drifted over the grass. "A celebration of women in music? That's hot."

Though Lady Gaga and Beyoncé are some of the biggest names in music today, you won't find pop divas on Lilith's lineup. Camden's concert featured mostly alt-rock, folk-tinged singer-songwriters.

The big act everyone was holding out for was Lilith founder Sarah McLachlan, but small-yet-enthusiastic crowds gathered around a secondary stage for lesser-known acts such as Hennessy and Butterfly Boucher, McLachlan's bassist.

By the time Court Yard Hounds, fronted by the Dixie Chicks' Martie Maguire and Emily Robison, took the stage late Wednesday night, half the crowd was on its feet and dancing to exuberant fiddle music.

During McLachlan's set, there was barely a soul in the audience who didn't know the words to at least a few songs.

But Lilith offers itself as a tour with a conscience, too, donating $1 from each ticket to a local charity on each leg of the tour. (For Camden's stop, it was the Manayunk charity Supportive Older Women's Network.)

Tents for featured charities shared space with booths shilling Degree deodorant, Crystal Light flavored drinks, and ABC television pilots.

Women converged on Lilipad, an air-conditioned lounge handing out cool, scented towels and, yes, free tampon samples. Johnson & Johnson, the tent's sponsor, had also decked out a bathroom with pink lights, green carpeting, flower decals, and air fresheners.

Out on the lawn, fairgoers spread out blankets and lawn chairs. Some fell asleep in the sun. Many had been to the original Lilith Fairs and snapped up tickets as soon as they heard it was coming back.

Jenn Donisi, 39, drove from Chestertown, Md., with her daughters, Francesca, 11, and Carmen, 9. The last time she was at Lilith Fair, Donisi was pregnant with Francesca.

"I feel like it's more commercial this time," Donisi said. "I miss that artsy feel it had."

Francesca's favorite part of Lilith? "I like the free samples of everything. And hanging out with my mommy," she said, grinning.

Behind them on the lawn, a woman toted a neon-green sign that read, "We missed you."

There's no denying that 4,203 tickets sold for an event at a venue that can hold 25,000 isn't exactly optimal. But organizers say that it's been a rough summer for tours in general - and that Lilith Fair is getting picked on.

"Lilith seems to have been targeted," McLachlan said at an afternoon news conference. "But I put all that stuff up in a little box on the shelf a long time ago. If there were 1,000 or 15,000 people here, I'd still play my heart out because that's my job."

These days, Lilith is a labor of love. McLachlan, who has powered through every show despite 13 cancellations, said she brought the tour back because she missed it - because it "feeds my soul" - but also because it was still necessary to celebrate women in music, as Lilith's slogan proclaims.

And the fans seemed to agree.

"It seems that this genre isn't as prevalent as it used to be, but the feeling's still here," said Jennifer Jennings, 29, of Holland, Bucks County, from her seat a few rows from the stage. Like many, she was a Lilith veteran.

Minutes later, McLachlan took the stage and launched into the perennial favorite "Angel," followed by "Building a Mystery." Spiky-haired women danced in the aisles. Two middle-age men clasped hands and sang along. Mothers and daughters, high school friends, and grandmothers smiled and belted lyrics. They fell into a respectful silence when McLachlan finished and stepped to the mike.

"I think about Lilith - all of us being together, sharing this amazing experience, being part of something bigger," she said. "This is who I am. This is what I'm supposed to be doing."

Judging by the cheers from the audience, no one was arguing.