Tank Top Tuesday: Lilith Edition

So yesterday I partied like it was 1999. Meaning, of course, I went to Lilith Fair. The show was great. The artists were great. There was such a great number of lesbians I thought maybe I got my dates wrong and stumbled on the Dyke March again instead. But no, it was just a bunch of amazing, amazing female performers who also happen to look amazing, amazing in tank tops. That is what I call a twofer. Though the one thing I did learn, I can’t bounce back from partying like it’s 1999 like I used to be able to in 1999. Hence, the lateness of my post. Please forgive me and my tired little brain.

Sarah McLachlanOh, Sarah. Even though every time you sing these days I have to fight the urge to adopt a stray puppy, I still love you. You, in your tank top, is better than ice cream.

The BanglesAs a teen I wasn’t sure who it liked more – delicate, doe-eyed Susanna Hoffs or tough, guitar-slinging Vicki Peterson? Now, as an adult, I know – why choose?

Miranda LambertFYI, country music girls do not look bad in a tank top. Not at all.

Colbie CaillatWell, something starts in my toes when I look at Colbie.

HeartSo, um, Fergie is wearing the tank top here. Proximity counts.

A Fine FrenzyRed hair, everywhere.

And here are a few I wish were in my lineup.

Brandi Carlile
Metric
Janelle MonaeYeah, I know this isn’t a tank top. But it’s only two days until Thursday. So consider Janelle a preview.

p.s. I think bikini tops should count as quasi tank tops. So now it’s a rule.
[Look for my full review of the show tomorrow this week on AfterEllen.com.]

And the winners are...

Thanks to everyone (all 124 of you!) who entered the “Closer: The Best of Sarah McLachlan” CD giveaway. If I had 124 copies, I'd give you all one. I mean it. For serious. And thanks so much for sharing your stories, too. See, I told you lesbians love Sarah. Via the random number generator doodad, the winners are:

• Allison
• J9
• Penny Cillin
• AGM
• Ravaj

Congratulations! And if you didn't win, don't worry, more giveaways are coming. Please enjoy the music.

Better than ice cream

Lesbians love Sarah McLachlan. Through the years I've tried to dissect exactly why this is. I've listened to her crystalline voice for hours. I've stared into her big brown eyes for what seemed like an eternity. I've played my copies of “Fumbling Toward Ecstasy” and “Surfacing” until they became the de facto soundtrack to my college years. And, in the end, I think I can sum it up in two words: Lilith Fair. Oh, come on, you know you were there. Hell, we probably ran into each other and didn't even know it.

What made Lilith Fair, and Sarah, so important is simple yet revolutionary. It wasn't just that women could make good music. It was that women who made good music were good business. This was girl power not in just an artificial made-by-marketers sense. This was women working together for the enjoyment of other women. It seems almost cliché now but then it was kind of awesome. And talk about your gay women's paradise. Take an Indigo Girls concert and multiply it by 1,000. Yeah, that kind of awesome.

So, it's with fond memories and a happy song in my heart that I welcome the release of Sarah's new greatest hits album today. “Closer: The Best of Sarah McLachlan” features 16 songs including two new tracks. And, best of all, I have five copies to give away. So if you want one, let me know in the comments (leave your email address, spelled out is fine) from now through Thursday. I'll pick the five winners at random on Friday.

While you're at it, if you want to share your favorite Sarah song or story, feel free. Oh, come on, you know you have one. In fact if you or your girlfriend or the friend you wish was your girlfriend haven't at some point drunken karaoked to “Adia” then you are either not really that gay or lying. I'm going with the latter.

p.s. Have you seen her in a bikini recently? I'm going to make that a second, one-word answer to why lesbians love Sarah McLachlan.

UPDATE: Entries are now closed. Thanks to all who entered. I'll post the winners Monday.