July 16, 2014
Publication title: Rolling Stone, vol. -, Iss. -, pg. –
Place: Unknown
Writer: Catie Laffoon/Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan’s Love Letter to the Road: Exclusive Photos
On June 28th, Sarah McLachlan played two sets at L.A’s Greek Theatre, mixing hits like “Sweet Surrender,” “Angel” and “I Will Remember You” with a few tracks – “Flesh and Blood,” “Brink of Destruction” – from her recent Shine On. During her encore, she played the ukelele, and after answering questions fans had dropped into a hat, she even went behind the drums. Catie Laffoon was there to photograph the evening, and later on, McLachlan added captions to a few of the best shots.
“We just arrived at the Greek for soundcheck and are walking through the bowels of the building to find the dressing rooms. I consider myself to be so very lucky that I get to bring my family with me on the road. My girls love traveling and the whole general excitement of the bus, the band and crew and different cities to explore every day. I’ve been taking them on the road with me since they were babies so they have it in their blood. My sweetie, Geoff, comes out to visit too, which is wonderful. His presence is calming and comforting. Together, we get to continue some semblance of a normal familiar life in the face of constant change all around us.”
“This is me greeting Chris, Curt’s drum tech. He’s not out with us this trip but will join us on the next leg across Canada. He lives in L.A. so he came out to say hi. We are all very connected in our little universe traveling, living and working together, and I’m blessed with an amazing group of people that are all top notch, dedicated and generally really good folks.”
“This is a general state of affairs at soundcheck. We tend to have a lot of fun while getting in all the bits necessary to make sure everything is ready for the show. I think we probably broke into Led Zeppelin there for a moment, as now that I’m playing electric more again in the shows, the little kid in me that wants to be the guitar god rears its head often. The band is great and versatile and can throw themselves into any song in an instant. I can play four bars then realize that I don’t actually know the rest.”
“Geoff and I on our way back to the dressing room after soundcheck. I love this shot because it reminds me of the calm and peace I feel around him. He is such a rock and so kind and easygoing. He has the ability to reign me back in when I’m spinning out and reminds me not to take things so seriously.”
“This is me starting to get ready for the show. I tend to spread out and take over a room pretty quickly. I like this time – the calm before the storm. I usually spend it warming up my voice while putting on my face and curling my hair. I’m usually by myself as it’s pretty obnoxious to listen to, so it becomes a form of mediation for me, a way of bringing myself into the moment and grounding myself.”
“Oh look! Another picture of me and my sweetie. We are in my dressing room talking to my manager Sam, just shooting the shit, not talking business. Right before he came in, I’d just finished dying my daughters and her friend’s hair blue (just a streak of electric blue – a sixth grade graduation reward).”
“Speaking of industry, this is myself, David Foster and Mike Rittberg from Verve, right before the show started. David, I think, was, as usual, saying something mildly inappropriate – he always makes me laugh as he has no edit button. At that point, I think I was not fully hearing what anyone was saying as my head was already onstage.”
“We are in the band’s dressing room now, waiting for the call to say time to go. We always try and get a few minutes together, just to connect and be silly. This is Jon Evens, my bass player, and I think Curt (off-frame) is telling some dirty joke to lighten the mood. This shot reminds me of how much I enjoy these guys both on and offstage.”
“This is us (the band minus Curt, who always goes to the stage early) on our way to the stage to start the show.”
“Right before we start every night, we all take a minute to connect. Though Curt is not in the shot, he is there just out a frame. The fists (bones) came from my girls, who are constantly coming up with new ways to deliver this new form of greeting. I love this moment before we go out, all of us united in a common goal, to put on a great show, to do our best.”
“This is me at the piano playing ‘Adia.’ I love our set and the vibe of the show, which is part-church and part-backyard. Brent, our lighting and stage designer, is amazing, and I wish I could sit and watch the show because I can’t see most of it when I’m playing.”
“We are playing ‘Building a Mystery.’ I’m playing a lot more guitar on this tour. I love the colors and the mood in this shot.”
“This is in the dressing room after the show. It’s L.A. so there are a lot of people that I know, and I typically see everyone after the show when I’m more relaxed and the pressure is off. This is Sean O’Lochlin, who did most of the arrangements for my symphony tour, and his mother. I can’t remember what we were talking about but it was obviously funny.”
