Untitled - essence

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You cameto votein droves.Your enthusiasm
in fact,
So overwhelming,
wasoverwhelming.
thatour systemcoughed,resultingin
technicaldifficulties.As a result,
irreconcilable
we decidedto tossit backto theiudgesto
makethefinal call.And thefinal call is...
essence
thewinnerof the Levi'sLilith Fair
...essence,
EmergingTalentStageContest.She'spacking
her bagsas we speakandgearingup for her
flight to Portlandandher June19thappearance
on the Levi'sEmergingTalentStage.
Readmoreabout
essence!
Congratulations
essence...
NefertitiJones
And, in the true spirit of Lilith, essencehas invited
Nefertiti Jonesto open up for her on the Village stage!So
not one,but two, of our finalists will be performing for the
Portland Lilith audience.Congratsto you, Nef! Read
more aboutNef...
take on the show...
essence's
We want to say a specialthanksto the hundredsof bandswho enteredthe contest,
especiallyour sevenfantasticfinalists:The Murmurs,Battershell,NefertitiJones,Julie
SusieSuh,NakedBarbies,andTea.
Sanderson,
*-
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When you've beenplaying little clubs for years,any break can seembig to a struggling
musician.For essence,the winner of Levi's BackstageLilith Fair EmergingTalent
Contest,the break was a little bigger than some.After learning that she won the contest,
the first thing essencedid was arrangefor her friend and fellow contestant,Nefertiti, to
open for her (they'd alreadyagreedthat if either won, the other would be her opening
act). After their sets,the women got to hang with the likes of Lilith Fair headlinersSinead
O'Connor, Natalie Merchant and SarahMclachlan. In fact, Merchant invited essence
onstagefor the finale when the Fair played the ShorelineAmphitheateron June23rd.
After the gig, Nef and essencewere interviewedby VHl, and now essencehas a 30
secondspot that's still playing on that station.Here'show essencedescribesthe
experience....
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"PlayingLilith Fairwasamazing.I hadoneof thebest
timesof my wholelife."
"I sharedthe stagewith Nefertiti:she'sa reallygoodfriend
of mine.andshe'shelpedme out in my career."
rddrfltilds'dd#d# d# frdd ddid$, . ,
"Playing Lilith Fair was amazing.I had
one of the best times of my whole life.
Therewas a feelingthat everyonewho was
therewantedto be there,from the vendors
to the securityto the artiststo the sound
peopleto the caterersto the massage
peopleandto the press.It wasa complete
high.Everythingwentsmoothly.I won a
contest,but I wastreatedlike a celebrity,
andI think that'svery muchdueto Sarah
Mclachlan. I hada wonderfuldressing
room and a backstagepass.Therewasn't
anywhereI couldn'tgo. I reallywantedto
thankher for organizingthe event,because
I think she'sdoingan amazingjob. WhenI
mether,shewasfriendlyandlaid-back,
very down-to-earth.
Shewasrunning
aroundbackstage
in thesered
sweatpants..."
"I shared the stage with Nefertitil she's a really good friend of mine, and she's
helped me out in my career. About 5 yearsago, she w a club in San Franciscoand
wa3 responsiblefor giving me someof my first gigs. Sincethen,we've developeda
friendshipwhere we've done a lot of co-headlinesand double-billing at gigs, shared
resourcesand contacts.In fact, before the contestwe made a pact: if she won, she'dlet
me open for her and if I won, I'd let her open for me. All the while maintaining our
individuality, becauseher music is very different from mine. I think it's important for us to
have a separationartistically and remain the individuals that we are, but at the sametime,
we can supporteachother."
"Nef andI wentonstagereallyearly,around2:30.Peoplewerestill comingin, so we
werethe first thing they saw.I playeda 20 minuteset.Nef went on first, andsheplayed
two songs.I wenton afterher andplayedfour songs.I didn't havemy full band, so we
couldn't play the songsthe way we would at a club in San Francisco.I picked songs
that would soundgoodstripped down. I did, 'BetterThanWords,"Sleepingwith The
site),'GlitterGone'and'In My Humble
Drivero'(thesongon the Levi'sBackstage
Opinion."'
"I got really big responseson 'Sleepingwith The Driver.' The crowd was really
thick and applaudedreally earnestlyafterwards;you can feel it when that happens
It's
'sleepingwith The Driver'is a true story(mostof my songsareauto-biographical).
abouta roadtripI took a few monthsback.About a girl who hasa boyfriend,but she'sin
the backof a truck with anothergirl, andit's her internaldialogandfeelings.It explores
the ideaof herbeingattractedto a woman,but knowingthatshe'swith a guy.It's a
stanceregardingsexuality.I've gottena lot of pressfor it. WhenI
liberating,open-minded
I got pressfor the songeventhoughI
playedtheregionalcompetitionin SanFrancisco,
lesbian
song.'ButI'm not a lesbian.And it's
didn'twin. 'Oh,she'stheonewho sangthe
not a lesbiansong,but I havean openmind andthat songtalksaboutsomethinga lot of
peoplehavefelt. That'swhatI try to put into my songs:extremehonesty.I'm not trying to
write safematerial.It hasto be real."
"'In My Humble opinion' alsogot a goodresponseat Lilith Fair. It hasa niceguitar
partanda catchymelody,anda notein it thatI hold for a looongtime...It'sabouta
heartbreak.
WhenI singa lot of thesesongs,I sortof haveto go backto the (emotional)
It canbe painful
placewhereI waswhenI wroteit in orderto give a goodperformance.
but liberatingandcleansing.But I know how to turn it off, too, which is
andexhausting,
just asimportantasbeingableto getbackto thatplace.I don'tdwell in thepast."
I wasfloodedwith peoplewantingto buy my CD andpeople
"Directlyafterwards,
I wasso shocked.It seemslike peoplewerethereto listento the
wantingmy autograph.
music,to listento thelyrics andsupportthe artists.I was gettingapplausein the middle
of my songsjust basedon the lyrics. It's phenomenalto play for a crowd like that.
before,like whenI openedfor PatBenatarat the Fillmore(in San
That'shappened
Francisco).Peoplewerethereto heara womansing.Peoplewereat Lilith Fair to hear
what a womansongwriterhadto say."
"I think Levi's did a great job with the contest.They attracted a lot of talent. All of
the 8 finalistswerea winner.I felt like a winnerjust gettingchosento be on the site.And
I think it was greatthatthey supportedme with the ideaof inviting Nef, too. It was
definitelyin the spirit of Lilith Fair. It wasgiving morethanoneartista chanceto grow
andexpand.I'm incrediblyhonoredby the experience."
"I think it's greatthatLevi'sput on this contest.I got to go pick out someclothesat the
andI love it.
Levi'sin Portlandbeforethe show.I got this reallybig men'ssweatshirt,
What'sfunny is the Portlandstoredidn't haveany women'sclothesleft whenI got there,
with Lilith Fairbeingin town.Thereweretwo pairsof
they'ddonesomuchbusiness
socksleft. it waslike an army of womencamethroughandraidedthe place.Therewere
so
nojeansor shirtsleft in smallwomen'ssizes!I got a lot of wafin stuff like turtlenecks,
now I'm setfor skiingthis winterandcamping."
"My favorite Levi's are the old onesfrom the 1960s.Theyhavea cut thatfits me real
They'revintagenow. I getthema lot whenI'm in LA.
well. It's calledRedsomething.
And I love thatthey'reworn.Lately,I've alsobeeninto the darkblueones.They'rekind
of retro.If I hadto pick onething to taketo a desertisland,I'd probablypick a pair of
Levi'sandmaybea tanktopor a sweaterwith fur on it. You candress'emup, dress'em
down.You cancleanyour houseor play a showin 'em.I love Levi's."
"Don't be afraid to bet on yourself.Take risks for yourself.What elseare you going
you.But
to gamblefor? If you reallywantto play music,don'tlet anyonediscourage
don'texpectit to be a smoothroad.It's really bumpyalongthe way andyou haveto really
wantit. Your wholesoulhasto be in it, andyou haveto love the processof makingthe
music.Haveintegrityin whatyou write.Dig deep.Thatway, whetheryou'resuccessful
or not,you'll alwayshaveyour songs.Surroundyourselfwith peopleyou respect
musically.Peopleyou canform allianceswith andsupporteachother,like me andNef.
You can'tdo it alone."
"I didn't havemy full band.so we couldn'tplay the
songsthe way we would...I picked songsthat
would soundgood strippeddown."
"I sot reallv bis resoonses
on 'Sleeoinswith The
Driver.'The crowd was really thick and applauded
reallv earnestlvafterwards:vou can feel it when
that haooens."
"'In Mv HumbleOninion'also sot a eoodresDonse
at Lilith Fair."
"I was settineaonlausein the middle of mv sonesiust
basedon the lyrics. It's phenomenalto play for a crowd
like that."
"I think Levi's did a greatjob with the contest.They
attracteda lot of talent."
"Mli favorite Levi's are the old onesfrom the 1960s."
"Don't be afraid to bet on )iourself.Take risks for
yourself.What elseare you going to gamblefor?"
* ' = .dB
+tr
Back to the Winner's Paee
"I work reallyhard,andI look aroundat otherartistsI know andthey'reworking really
hard,too. Therereally isn't an alternativefor us. I love what I do. It's like what Madonna
said:if you'regoingto die unlessyou do it, thendo it. It hasto be your wholeheartand
soul.It reallydoes."
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