Joey Guerra
Entertainment Editor
Preview
The last time fiery up-and-comer Rebekah was on a Houston stage, it was as the opening act for alternative poster-boys Third Eye Blind. Combining rock riffs and a perky, everyone-party stage presence, Rebekah worked the normally impatient crowd into a considerable frenzy. It was a formidable debut for her live set.
After that came a stint supporting Matchbox 20, and though she hasn't yet worked her way up to main-stage status, Rebekah will be back in town as one of the high-profile B-stage acts on this year's installment of the Lilith Fair, 1997's most successful concert tour.
"It's totally different. This is by far the smoothest running tour we've ever done, and it's got three times as many acts on it. The crew and the people are so nice. It's just a testament to either Sarah (McLachlan) or just the spirit of the tour," Rebekah said from a tour stop in Raleigh, N.C. She's been on the road with McLachlan and the gang since July 12 and will remain on Lilith until Wednesday's date in Houston, which is the first of two shows here.
"I think the bands Third Eye Blind and Matchbox 20 are great. They're really nice, but you don't always end up with great people on the crews and behind the scenes, and sometimes those people can be jerks," Rebekah said of her previous outings. "Especially when you're an opening act, they don't wanna give you a towel; they don't wanna give you water; they don't wanna give you a sound check. It's like, 'Can we just have one towel we can share between the six of us? We just want a little cup of water. We won't bother you anymore.' Stuff like that. They are so generous here. It's amazing. I've never felt so supported and so just a part of something."
A part of something that, as a response to criticism of a blandness in last year's line-up, aggressively sought out more than your average girl with a guitar. Along with Lilith's leading ladies like McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, Paula Cole and the Indigo Girls, 1998's version of the tour features a newfound diversity in its acts. Those include rappers Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott and Queen Latifah, rockers Liz Phair and Meredith Brooks, Indonesian import Anggun, jazzy vocal stylists Holly Cole and N'Dea Davenport and, of course, Rebekah, who is simply thrilled to be able to catch any of the performers.
"I'm a big fan of Sarah's, and I'm a big fan of Bonnie Raitt's, and I actually had never seen the Indigo Girls perform live. It's made me a huge fan of theirs, because they're just amazing. I'm psyched to see Erykah Badu. I've never seen her before."
Keeping track of so much music packed into one day may seem like an inevitable slide to the wayside for lesser-known performers, but that's not the way Rebekah sees it.
"A tour like this is where the people are actually here to just see new music as well as to see Sarah and Natalie Merchant. These people come 'cause they want to listen," she said. "They're open to you, and that's what really just struck me. That's what great. The fans that come out to this are so open-minded."
Something else Rebekah has noticed during her Lilith stint is a diversity in the crowds. It's not exactly the chick-fest as the media tends to portray the all-day festival.
"I was actually impressed by the number of men I've seen at the shows," Rebekah said. "Everyone expected it to be all girls, and it's not. It's a lot of guys, some that are just there together, not with their girlfriends."
"Well, it's probably the best place to pick up girls," she was quick to add. "Any smart guy would realize that."
Another luxury of Lilith was Rebekah's opportunity to meet and talk with fellow musicians, a rare situation in the harried world of popular music aside from the usual award-show chit-chat. It was an opportunity the young singer welcomed with open arms.
"I did the press conference, and I met a lot of people there. I did the photo shoot in Vogue, and that was one of the first times I met Sarah," Rebekah said. "When they did a Letterman thing was when I met the Indigo Girls and Emmylou Harris and Luscious Jackson. It was great to see them; they're great."
Despite the relatively fast pace of Lilith's schedule (smaller acts in the early part of the day, main-stage acts later in the evening), Rebekah said she has found time to bond with some of the performers, usually around eating time and at the pre-show press conference.
"It's really cool. Everybody's really supportive of everybody. There's no egos," she said. "They invite the B-stage acts, and even the C-stage acts, to come onstage and sing with them. They're just very supportive of the up-and-coming people, which is really nice to see 'cause it's not always like that."
Establishing such important connections is great for a new artist, and Rebekah seems to be taking full advantage of her opportunities. Her self-titled debut album was released in March, and the first single, "Sin So Well," received considerable airplay. Up next is the rhythmic rocker "Hey Genius," which should be sent to radio stations next month.
Rebekah's unlikely style is a spawn of a variety of influences, among which she lists Al Green, Earth, Wind and Fire, Tchaikovsky and gospel music. Such strong musical leanings came from a dad who simply loved a great tune.
"He liked a lot of James Taylor. He really loved the Eagles. He liked Dan Folgelberg, which is pretty embarrassing to admit, but I know all the words," Rebekah sa
id with a laugh. "We were like the lone black family on the block, but we loved it."
Though no Folgelberg covers make it into her set, Rebekah does take on a Rolling Stones classic and said her current musical tastes leave her father scratching his head.
"I got into alternative music when I was like 13 and 14, I think mostly to piss (my dad) off. Then I really started to like it," she said. "Now my favorite band is Radiohead, and my dad is kinda like, 'What is that?'"
Now that Rebekah is likely an artist herself whom someone else can call their favorite, she's concentrating on tightening up her live set, which she promised would be different from previous outings.
"I think we're better live. I think we're even better now than with Third Eye Blind 'cause that was our first tour, so we were still learning," Rebekah said. "Those are good experiences because it taught us to just do our show and to be strong, because sometimes when you're an opening act, certain people are not there to see you. They're there to see the band that comes on after you, so they're just like waiting for you to get off. So I think you learn a certain strength."
Much of Rebekah's own power on stage self-admittedly comes from being a part of such an event.
"It's actually pretty amazing. It's very peaceful; it's very, like, positive. It's really strange," she said. "It's a big celebration almost, and the fans, the kids and even the adults that are there are really just excited and happy and positive, and it's very life-affirming. It's all these things that you think sound hokey, but when you're there, it just feels awesome. I sound so silly saying it, but when you come, you'll see it." Plenty of people have already attended dates on the tour, which will hit over 50 cities once it's all over.
"I would love to do it again. I would do it again in a second," Rebekah said. "It's been the best touring experience of my whole little four-month career."
Beyond the togetherness, though, and even beyond the star chats, press conferences, career exposure and live energy, Rebekah said the most rewarding aspect of the tour is the one of giving to someone else.
"I think it's a really powerful statement, and even more powerful than just the music and the message that it sends ... is that every city that we go to (Sarah) gives a nice chunk of the profits to a local charity. People can talk all day long about how they care about other people, but to do that, she doesn't have to do that. She can keep that money and go shopping. It's very generous, and that to me is one of the most inspiring and amazing things. It's really helping people. We're not sweating for no reason."
The Lilith Fair is scheduled for two full days of music at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands. Line-up today and Thursday includes Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, Bonnie Raitt, Erykah Badu, Holly Cole and Ebba Forsberg.
Today's show also features Meredith Brooks and Rebekah, and Thursday's show includes performances from Liz Phair and Diana King. Side-stage acts start at 3 p.m.; main-stage music kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $29-$49. Call (713) 629-3700 for more information.