Vancouver Island Musicfest has scored a big ticket performer for this summer’s musical lineup. Grammy Award-winner Sarah McLachlan will headline the main stage on Friday, July 14, opening night for this popular three-day annual event on the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds.
This Nova Scotia-born songwriter with a powerful voice has sold 40 million albums worldwide and won nine Juno awards in a career spanning more than three decades. Her many recognizable songs include hits like Angel, Building A Mystery, I Will Remember You and many others.
Festival director Doug Cox says he’s been trying to book McLachlan for nearly 20 years since the festival’s early days.
“One of the things I noticed is all of my daughters immediately knew who she was, which is unusual for all of them to know any single artist. But my daughters, all the volunteers, even my mom knew who she was,” Cox told Black Press after booking the Canadian legend.
McLachlan is credited for helping launch the musical careers of many women at Lilith Fair, an all-female festival she started. Lilith Fair had a three-year run in the late 1990s, featuring dozens of established and emerging artists like Tracy Chapman and Kinnie Star. At the time, it was the top-grossing festival in Canada and raised $7 million for local charities.
In 2002 she founded the Sarah McLachlan School of Music, providing free musical education to children facing barriers.
The Vancouver-based McLachlan is a well-decorated citizen. She’s a recipient of the Order of Canada and the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement. She’s also been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
McLachlan will hit the main stage at 8:30 Friday night. Other headliners include Rickie Lee Jones, Bros. Landreth, and Galactic, featuring Anjelika Jelly Joseph in what Cox says will be a fantastic showcase of female musical talent.
