Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, a thoroughly layered and beautiful documentary streaming now on Hulu, is aptly named for a song by singer-songwriter Sarah McLaghlan about the false personas we build up instead of living as our authentic selves.
In Jewish mythology, Lilith was Adam’s first wife before Eve and wanted to be his equal, resulting in her leaving the Garden of Eden. She stood up for herself and was demonized because of it. It was a choice that would reflect how Lilith Fair was received by some without a deeper look into what these trailblazing artists were hoping to achieve. “Fair” was chosen to mean “equal.”
Directed by Ally Pankiw (I Used To Be Funny, Black Mirror, Schitt’s Creek), the documentary bursts with interviews from today and fantastic performances from more than 600 hours of footage from Lilith Fair’s three-year span (1997-99). Between the stage back then and on camera today, the likes of Sheryl Crow, Jewel Kilcher, Erykah Badu, Liz Phair, Suzanne Vega, and Paula Cole talk about their victories, experiences, and reflections from that pivotal moment in music for not only women and not only back then. International pop star Olivia Rodrigo makes a cameo, feverishly praising the festival and the contributions of her biggest influences like Crow. It may only remind viewers of a time when artists expressed themselves rather than conformed to formulas.
Undeterred by the pushback of a male-dominated industry and yet to be baptized in the expectations of society, McLaghalan decided to create a place where women could play together, something rarely seen on a bill at the time. The artist behind the hits “I Will Remember You,” “Angel,” the title song, and many others details how her sheltered upbringing in Canada kept away the preconceived notions of what she could or couldn’t do or what she should look like as a woman in music. All she knew how to do was be herself.
Footage shows she first teamed up with Cole as an opening act and was surprised and inspired by the reaction to two women on the same bill. That set her soul on fire, and the connections kept growing.
Lilith Fair’s first concert was at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, and it sold out. The tour drew around 30,000 per show as it sped through 40 dates afterward, and a movement was born. The fair gracefully raged against the Warped Tour and Lollapalooza, two male-dominated touring festivals that were certainly fun but relegated the women artists to side stages.
The journey of Lilith Fair had a profound impact on many who felt unwelcome in other circles, not just women. In fact, the documentary shows many concertgoers saying the festival allowed them to feel safe as themselves, some for the first time. After all, a good song is a good song, no matter who sings it.
The open-arms vibe also extended to the talent. Dallas’ Badu brought her baby on the road with her and even brought the child onstage.
A seed had been planted. For some, it grew into resentment. The festival was often mocked in the media and slapped with the accusation of hating men, though men also attended Lilith Fair. One of whom was Schitt’s Creek’s Dan Levy, one of Building a Mystery’s producers, who went as a young man. Resistance brought bomb threats and protests, but the women forged ahead because they had nothing to hide. McLaghlan faced uncomfortable questions at the daily press hearings, but she learned to be fearless in her truth. You have nothing to apologize for if you are doing nothing wrong.
On August 31, 1999, the tour came to an end. Thinking McLaghlan and company had broken barriers for women in mainstream music, the reality was that there was lots of work left to do. That last night puts a period at the end of a sentence in a very long book.
Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery
Starring Sarah McLaghlan, Sheryl Crow, Jewel Kilcher, Erykah Badu, Liz Phair, Suzanne Vega, Paula Cole, and Olivia Rodrigo. Directed by Ally Pankiw. Rated TV-14.
