WILL THIS BE THE LAST LILITH FAIR? WITH A NEW LIVE ALBUM AND THIRD INSTALLMENT OF ALL-FEMALE TOUR, MCLACHLAN LOOKS AHEAD.

Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer

Since her 1988 debut, Sarah McLachlan's atmospheric folk-pop has gained a devoted following, although she's better known for a little touring concept she had four years ago.

That idea - Lilith Fair - started as an all-female package tour focusing on emerging women singer-songwriters. The caravan trek, currently in its third year, surprised observers by becoming one of the most lucrative events of the summer.

This year's daylong concert Saturday at the Rose Bowl features a wide range of acts, from McLachlan and Sheryl Crow to the Dixie Chicks and Beth Orton.

Although the 1998 Lilith trek was the 12th largest tour of the year, grossing an average of $600,000 per city, McLachlan says this will be Lilith's final turn - for now. Last year it sold out at the 98,600-seat Rose Bowl.

And it doesn't look like someone else will come along and take her place.

``I can't imagine that someone will emerge next year and mount an all-female tour with such a large number of acts,'' said Gary Bongiovanni, editor of Pollstar, a weekly magazine that covers the concert industry. ``Lilith is successful because it's an artist-driven tour. Maybe if someone like Jewel or Sheryl Crow goes out with a caravan of like-minded artists - something I think is unlikely - it could work on a smaller scale.

``But shows like Lilith are very difficult to put together because artists have all kinds of issues about placement on the bill, money, comfort and other things. Lilith is a success because the artists put a lot of that aside to work with Sarah.''

Crow and other artists have said they particularly enjoy Lilith because of the good deeds the tour does on a nightly basis - it's known to give many thousands of dollars to battered women's shelters across the country - the artist-friendly atmosphere and the high quality of the production.

But McLachlan, 31, says she wants to concentrate on her family and take a break from producing the festival, a task that begins six months before opening day. She recently released a live album, ``Mirrorball.'' Her 1997 album, ``Surfacing,'' has remained in Billboard's Top 200. We spoke to McLachlan a few days before the 34-city, 40-date tour kicked off July 8 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Q: At the risk of sounding like a Saturday afternoon serial - does this spell the end of Lilith Fair?

A: We said we wouldn't close the door (on reopening the tour in the future). Lilith is a partnership between two managers, a booking agent and myself. It's a team effort. It's not so much the actual touring that's the problem. It's the six months previous. Lilith doesn't just happen. It starts in January.

Q: What has been the best part of Lilith for you personally?

A: Being able to play and sing with some of my favorite musicians. For example, Emmylou Harris, Queen Latifah, Bonnie Raitt, Erykah Badu. To get to know a lot of these women and hear their stories is so amazing. And to give money away to women's shelters everyday is an awesome job I get. Sometimes, we give away upward of $25,000. I get to see their faces when I hand them the check.

Q: Lilith has played a big part in not only giving exposure to many artists but in helping album alternative radio thrive. Which came first - Lilith or that format?

A: Album alternative started before Lilith, but it's always hard to say what made what happen. We certainly pushed the envelope. A lot of female artists were already doing well in '97, and that was the main reason we were able to do so well when Lilith started.

Q: You've spent a good dozen years on the road. What will you do next year?

A: I want to take a break from touring in general. I love touring, but my managers and agent want a break, too. They want to have kids and realized unless we stopped now, they wouldn't be slowing down anytime in the near future.

Q: Anything you're especially excited about in this year's lineup?

A: Oh, there's so much. The Pretenders, Hole, Dixie Chicks. We ask Hole every year, and this is the first year they've agreed to do it. (Hole pulled out from the tour at the end of last week, citing Courtney Love's upcoming film commitments.) And Sheryl Crow - she's a friend, and I get to spend the whole summer with her. It's like musical summer camp, and I get to be reunited with my girlfriends.

Q: When Lilith hits Los Angeles on Saturday, the show comes to the Rose Bowl for the second year running. Do you think such a massive stadium is the right venue?

A: Well, we're playing a lot of outdoor amphitheaters on this tour, too. But there's nothing like that close to L.A. We make it as fun as possible. I mean, sure, it's a stadium, but once the sun goes down and the lights go up, hey!

Q: What was the process in making your new live album, ``Mirrorball''?

A: First of all, it's a live album, and we wanted people to know that, but we didn't want 10 minutes of clapping after each song - because then it's just, ``Hey, look how many people love me.'' So my husband (drummer-percussionist Ashwin Sood) and I sorted through the live tapes and picked three or four of the best versions of each song. And we picked the ones that worked best. We had 35 shows with 24 songs each night to deal with. That's a lot to go through.

THE FACTS

What: Lilith Fair.

Starring: Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, Pretenders, Dixie Chicks, Mya, Luscious Jackson, Sixpence None the Richer, Beth Orton, Cibo Matto, Essence, Tekla and Noella Hutton.

Where: Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena.

When: 2 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets: $25 to $75.

Information: [phone].

CAPTION(S):

4 Photos

Photo: (1--Cover--Color) SARAH'S CARAVAN

McLachlan brings her popular Lilith Fair to town for the third - and maybe last - time.

(2) This year's Lilith Fair leaves the album alternative format to present such acts as country's Dixie Chicks.

(3) Sheryl Crow is one of Lilith's headliners for '99.

(4) The Pretenders, who rarely tour, are on the road with Lilith.