After spending the morning in Tijuana and over an hour at the border on the way back, my younger sister Kelsey and I arrived at the Coors Amphitheater in Chula Vista at 2:00, an hour before the doors opened. The amphitheater was set in the "golden rolling hills of California", which were a gorgeous background! The weather was good, perfectly clear and not too hot. As we sat in line, we could hear Sarah and Sheryl doing their soundchecks.

Even though there were quite a few people in line ahead of us, we got through the gates at about five after three. We got our programs and free sampler CDs and looked around the village for a few minutes before going to the Village Stage to watch Lisa Sanders perform. She was amazing, even though she could only play 4 or 5 songs in her 20 minutes. Lisa sang and played guitar with Dana Lee Wood on guitar and backup vocals. I think it's interesting that Lisa is black but doesn't go into the usual R& B crap. She did a signing at the Tower Records booth afterwards and signed our programs. I asked her to come to Alaska, where I live, and she said that it's her dream to go there. Just before she signed my program, she looked at me and said something like, "Oh, I take a look at you and have to write a book. I'll try to hurry." She wrote on my program, "To Laura with a beautiful smile." I was so excited! Lisa was the perfect beginning to my Lilith Fair.

Tekla played after Lisa, but Kelsey and I didn't see her because we were heading to the other side of the Village to the Tower booth. As we left, it looked like she was having some technical problems.

Cibo Matto on the Second Stage was next. They were interesting: two Japanese woman with an Italian name singing pop, techno, and rap. I liked a couple of their songs, but the last one had way too much rap for me. The people in front were really getting into it, but the rest of us seemed a little nonplussed. I'm not going to rush out and buy their CD.

Next up was Sixpence None the Richer. I had my doubts about them, since I've heard Kiss Me on the radio a few too many times and was beginning to think they were just another teenybopper band. I was pleasantly surprised-they sang several good songs and were quite good. We left a few minutes early to try to grab good spots for the Murmurs, which was completely futile since the area in front of the Village Stage was absolutely jammed with people. We stood on the stairs where we could just barely see the stage and listened to a couple of songs. They were pretty good, but it was hard to tell without being able to see well.

After a while, we left the so-crowded village stage area to find our seats at the main stage for Luscious Jackson. They were good too, even though I didn't recognize any of their songs except "Naked Eye". The highlight of their set was when the lead singer said, "Now we have a special guest" and out came SARAH!! She wore loose blue pants that looked like pajama bottoms and a light blue tank top. Sarah sang "Ladyfingers" with LJ and boogied offstage to loads of applause.

When we arrived at the second stage to see Beth Orton, it was already pretty crowded. We managed to skirt around the crowd and get places right up front at the fence! After a few minutes' wait, Beth came on wearing a white longsleeved shirt and brown pedal pushers. She really is tall and lanky, and her hair is dark blonde, not dark like the pictures on Central Reservation. As she introduced herself, I heard for the first time her English accent, and how "Orton" sounds so much better when she says it. Americans just can't say that name quite right. Beth sang a song I didn't recognize since I don't have her first album, Much More, She Cries Your Name, and Central Reservation. She seemed very mellow and relaxed. Her band members, unfortunately, looked like they needed a shower and a change of clothes. Her cellist's redeeming factor, however, was a little sticker on the base of his instrument that said "Support Vaginal Pride". That was so cool! Next to the stage was a little grassy area, also fenced in, where Cibo Matto and the Murmurs were sitting listening to Beth. I first noticed Cibo Matto come in and saw one of the girls enter the outhouse with a sign that said "Artists Only", and Murmurs came in a few minutes later. Near the end of Beth's set, she asked, "So what do you want-Best Bit or Stolen Car?" I really wanted to hear her play Stolen Car, so I was so happy when she replied, "Okay, Stolen Car"! As much as I love the song on the album, it sounds so much better live: much more full-bodied.

After Beth's set ended, she went out next to the stage and goofed around with her band members for a few minutes. I wanted to hang around and see her for a few more minutes in the hopes that she would come over to the fence. There was a group of people waiting as well, and it felt great to be with other Beth Orton fans since I don't know any. One of the neatest things about the whole day happened then. Beth was writing something on one of her band's shirt, and a guy behind me said, "ooh, sign my nipple too!" I was so happy to hear that because Beth is not one of those singers with supermodel looks, but still, some guy totally idolized her. This made me realize that while not many guys come to Lilith Fair, the ones who do are totally awesome.

Happily, Beth walked over to the fence and started signing autographs! I frantically dug around in my backpack and pulled out the jacket to my copy of Central Reservation, which I was oh-so-happy I brought! A very nice guy next to us took our picture with Beth behind us (we'll see how it turned out) and Beth signed my CD jacket! That was probably the best moment yet.

Mya was on the main stage next, but she is not my thing at all. Kelsey and I shopped in the Village during her set. I picked up some brochures on vegetarianism, a halter top and earrings for myself, a T-shirt for my mom, and earrings and a book for my friends. There were a lot of neat booths selling way too much cool stuff.

Now I do not like country, but the Dixie Chicks were awesome. They came onstage in glittery outfits and you could almost see their spunk. The girls had a lot of stage presence, made jokes about Monica Lewinsky, and had everyone on their feet. I really started to enjoy their set when Martie, the lead singer, introduced a song as "for all you wifebeaters out there". The song was about two best friends, one of whom married a guy named Earl who soon started to abuse her. She finally got a divorce and met up with her old friend again. After the next line, "It didn't take them long to decide that Earl had to die!" everyone clapped and cheered. The next song was Wide Open Spaces, and during another song, three inflatable sculptures popped up. They looked like pink girl Gumbys with blond hair, red lips, and skinny white arms with their hands on their hips. The whole set was a lot of fun and the Chicks got a huge ovation when they left the stage.

Sheryl Crow took the stage next and ripped out A Change Would Do You Good. She had so much energy, it was unbelievable. Her set was definitely the loudest of the evening. Each song lasted quite a bit longer than usual because she and her bass player would just murder their guitars for a couple of minutes after she stopped singing. Her set was fantastic and get the audience pumped up for the next performer, Sarah!!

During the 20-minute break between Sarah and Sheryl, I talked to a security guard about a card I had made for Sarah. He said he couldn't let me down near the stage, but if I went around to the side, another guard would pass it backstage to her. I did that, and the guard at the backstage area said she would. I was glad that my card was on its way to Sarah, and I really hope she got it.

Sarah came onstage wearing the glittery Vegas pants yet again (I hope her tour bus has a washer and dryer). She started out with a beautiful rendition of Possession, then sang Black and White, Hold On, Adia, Ice Cream, I Will Remember You, BAM, Sweet Surrender, and FTE, during which the mirrorball that had been hanging above the stage began to spin and surrounded Sarah with swirling white dots on the gorgeous background of violet and gold draperies. I was so happy when she sang FTE because I had just been hoping she would! In the middle of the set, she talked about her pants and the Dixie Chicks' clothes and said that it was every little girl's dream to be able to wear that kind of thing "and strap an electric guitar around their neck-or anything electric, for that matter." The audience cheered and whistled, and Sarah bent her head and looked a little embarrassed like she hadn't meant to say exactly that. She said, "My daddy's in this audience!" It was so funny!! After FTE, Sarah left the stage and came back for an encore of Angel. This was the first time I had seen Sarah perform, and I was blown away. Her voice sounded more girlish live and her movements were very natural. Also, I couldn't have asked for a better setlist. I was having a blast before Sarah came on, but while she sang, I was in heaven.

Finally, Sarah invited all the performers out and they sang "Put A Little Love In Your Heart". Unfortunately, none of the second stage artists were there, so I didn't get to see Beth again, but the rest of the ladies sang wonderfully. A perfect end to a perfect night.

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