DEWEY BEACH, Del. - Project HERA and its signature tribute show Lilith Fest will debut on the coastline of Dewey Beach at the Bottle & Cork on May 16 at 8:30 p.m.
In honor of singer Sarah McLachlan’s original 'Lilith Fair' music festival that took place between 1997 and 1999 and once again in 2010, Lilith Fest looks to carry on the empowering spirit the original festival brought forth.
The festival will feature over 20 female singers, accompanied by an all-female backing band. These artists will perform covers of many of the singers featured in the original Lilith Fair, including McLachlan, Alanis Morissette, Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, and more.
Project HERA, a non-profit organization founded in 2017, says that McLachlan became frustrated due to the feeling marginalized as a female artist in the music industry, being told by various radio DJs at the time that “We already have one female artist this week, so we can’t play your music." This inspired McLachlan to create Lilith Fair to prominently showcase many of the female artists of the era to the masses and to unite them in a singular cause: to promote and empower women in the music industry.
Cathy DiToro, the founder of Project HERA and one of the performers of Lilith Fest, is excited to continue that solidarity as the festival makes its way to Delaware's coast.
"The original Lilith Fair Music Festival has always been an inspiration for me starting Project HERA, as I hosted a ladies' night of music at a bar in Arlington, Virginia for three years, and made connections with a lot of amazing female musicians," says DiToro. "I wanted to get them all together in the same place, at the same time, to perform together, reigniting the supportive feeling of the original Lilith Fair. It’s actually amazing to me how there hasn’t been a music festival like it before or since that revolves solely around women, femme, and queer artists."
Doors for the festival open at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 each and are only for individuals 21 and older. To purchase tickets in advance and to learn more about the event, visit the Bottle & Cork website.