The Indigo Girls Are Mother(s)

The creators of Lilith Fair-core have spawned a new generation.

I went to see The Indigo Girls last night — something I’ve said too many times in life that I’ve lost count. Once you’ve experienced an Indigo Girls show, you can hardly pass up the chance again.

They’re hard-working, consistently touring for the better part of 40 years. Their songs are evergreen, with philosophical folk resonance and singable parts for the Emilys (sopranos), the Amys (contraltos), and flexibility for the rest in their rousing rounds and harmonies. Last night, Lucy Wainwright Roche sang backup, which was lovely (she’s part of rock and roll royalty, as far as I’m concerned) but also hinted at the stark reality that Emily Sailers’s vocal trills have faltered in the last few years.

I don’t dare speak for Emily, but there’s surely nothing more painful for a vocalist than losing her ability to sing the way she once could. I had a similar thought seeing Jean Millington at Fanny’s 50th anniversary at the Whisky A Go Go last year. She sang from a seat on the stage next to her sister and bandmates, watching her son play her iconic bass parts. These changes are bittersweet, marking time and all we can take for granted — themes extremely on-brand for The Indigo Girls.

Make no mistake that Emily Saliers can still shred, and Amy Ray’s butch throat has never sounded stronger. When Katie Gavin of MUNA joined mid-way through The Girls’ set, Amy relayed how Katie had asked if anyone ever referred to Amy or Emily as “Mother.” I laughed with most of the crowd, but the question felt apt, especially with Gavin describing her forthcoming solo album, What a Relief, as “Lilith Fair-core.” The Indigo Girls, of course, played the Main Stage every year, with all-star “Closer to Fine” finales featuring other Mothers like Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan, Shawn Colvin, Erykah Badu and Fiona Apple, just to name a few. Many other mothers (as well as several sisters and daughters) have sung that song with the Girls over the last four decades. It’s a song that, unlike us mortals, will never grow old.

Katie Gavin performing her song “Baton” with The Indigo Girls was a fitting tribute. The album isn’t out until October 25, but “The Baton” begins like this: