November 20, 2008

Publication title: The Oregonian, vol. -, Iss. -, pg. –
Place: Unknown
Writer: Unknown

Sarah McLachlan At Newmark Theater

This has been an emotionally charged year for Canadian songbird Sarah McLachlan. The Grammy-winning, multiplatinum-selling founder of Lilith Fair recently released “Closer: The Best of Sarah McLachlan,” but simultaneously announced a split with her husband of 11 years. They say bad experience makes for good art, and if the two new songs on “Closer” are any indication, McLachlan’s next album is going to be a doozy. More direct and personal than any material she’s released previously, “U Want Me 2” and “Don’t Give Up on Us” are as enchanting as they are devastating. While McLachlan has a knack for making heartbreak and confusion sound beautiful and intoxicating, she’s also a plain-spoken interview who described the situation with her husband as “pretty gross” to Billboard magazine.

That kind of candor should make her performance in Portland a must-see. Her rare solo acoustic set is part of a live taping for NPR’s weekly “Etown” broadcast, and she’ll be interviewed by hosts Nick and Helen Foster as part of the evening. Rather than discussing her personal life, expect the conversation to turn to community and the environment, the foundation of “Etown’s” mission.