On Friday (May 6), Lauryn Hill showed up more than two hours late to a show at Atlanta's Chastain Park, and she had her sound cut when she reached the venue's strict 11 p.m. curfew. Fans were understandably upset, and now the former Fugee has issued an open letter in response to the incident.
In the Facebook post, Hill explains that her tardiness was not due to disrespect. Rather, she was late because of her love for art and perfectionist tendencies. She wrote, "The challenge is aligning my energy with the time, taking something that isn't easily classified or contained, and trying to make it available for others. I don't have an on/off switch. I am at my best when I am open, rested, sensitive and liberated to express myself as truthfully as possible."
She didn't offer any sort of apology in the letter, but she did express "regret" at being cut short, and she promised her Atlanta fans, "We are figuring out a plan to make it up to you." We'll see if the fans, who booed the singer, are willing to forgive her.
Meanwhile, Hill is still on tour. She's got some Canadian shows coming up this summer, so hopefully she's punctual enough to deliver full performances. Read her full letter below, and see her tour schedule below that. A video of Hill's performance being cut short is at the bottom of the page.
I don't show up late to shows because I don't care. And I have nothing but Love and respect for my fans. The challenge is aligning my energy with the time, taking something that isn't easily classified or contained, and trying to make it available for others. I don't have an on/off switch. I am at my best when I am open, rested, sensitive and liberated to express myself as truthfully as possible. For every performance that I've arrived to late, there have been countless others where I've performed in excess of two hours, beyond what I am contracted to do, pouring everything out on the stage.
Because I care so deeply about the artistic process, I scrutinize, have perfectionist tendencies, and want space made for spontaneity, which is not an easy process, with the many moving parts on the road. Some days we are more successful than others re time. However, the vitality that is infused into the performances is always appreciated by the audiences, who may not know exactly what it took to accomplish. What hasn't been touched upon by the media, I'm sure, are the hundreds of people who rushed the stage and stayed in excess of an hour after the show ended last night, just to connect.
Our challenge is to figure out the best way to accommodate the vitality, spontaneity, and spirit that make the performances worthwhile and special to begin with, while also making that experience available and accessible to others. If I didn't Love and respect the art, I wouldn't be doing this. The audience and I should have that in common.
My true audience knows emphatically that I care. It isn't possible to affect people in any deep and meaningful way without putting sacrificial time in.
I have nothing but Love and appreciation for the fans in Atlanta, and regret not being able to give you a full show. We are figuring out a plan to make it up to you, and will announce details as soon as we have them.
Respectfully,
MLH
Tour dates:
05/08 Portsmouth, VA - Portsmouth Pavilion
05/10 Richmond, VA - The National
05/11 Munhall, PA - Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
05/12 Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
05/13 Atlantic City, NJ - Boardwalk Hall
06/24 Saskatoon, SK - Saskatchewan Jazz Festival
06/26 Vancouver, BC - Queen Elizabeth Theatre
07/05 Montreal, QC - Place des Arts
07/06 Montreal, QC - Place des Arts
07/12 Halifax, NS - TD Halifax Jazz Festival
07/31 Estavayer-Le-Lac, Switzerland - Estivale Open Air
In the Facebook post, Hill explains that her tardiness was not due to disrespect. Rather, she was late because of her love for art and perfectionist tendencies. She wrote, "The challenge is aligning my energy with the time, taking something that isn't easily classified or contained, and trying to make it available for others. I don't have an on/off switch. I am at my best when I am open, rested, sensitive and liberated to express myself as truthfully as possible."
She didn't offer any sort of apology in the letter, but she did express "regret" at being cut short, and she promised her Atlanta fans, "We are figuring out a plan to make it up to you." We'll see if the fans, who booed the singer, are willing to forgive her.
Meanwhile, Hill is still on tour. She's got some Canadian shows coming up this summer, so hopefully she's punctual enough to deliver full performances. Read her full letter below, and see her tour schedule below that. A video of Hill's performance being cut short is at the bottom of the page.
I don't show up late to shows because I don't care. And I have nothing but Love and respect for my fans. The challenge is aligning my energy with the time, taking something that isn't easily classified or contained, and trying to make it available for others. I don't have an on/off switch. I am at my best when I am open, rested, sensitive and liberated to express myself as truthfully as possible. For every performance that I've arrived to late, there have been countless others where I've performed in excess of two hours, beyond what I am contracted to do, pouring everything out on the stage.
Because I care so deeply about the artistic process, I scrutinize, have perfectionist tendencies, and want space made for spontaneity, which is not an easy process, with the many moving parts on the road. Some days we are more successful than others re time. However, the vitality that is infused into the performances is always appreciated by the audiences, who may not know exactly what it took to accomplish. What hasn't been touched upon by the media, I'm sure, are the hundreds of people who rushed the stage and stayed in excess of an hour after the show ended last night, just to connect.
Our challenge is to figure out the best way to accommodate the vitality, spontaneity, and spirit that make the performances worthwhile and special to begin with, while also making that experience available and accessible to others. If I didn't Love and respect the art, I wouldn't be doing this. The audience and I should have that in common.
My true audience knows emphatically that I care. It isn't possible to affect people in any deep and meaningful way without putting sacrificial time in.
I have nothing but Love and appreciation for the fans in Atlanta, and regret not being able to give you a full show. We are figuring out a plan to make it up to you, and will announce details as soon as we have them.
Respectfully,
MLH
Tour dates:
05/08 Portsmouth, VA - Portsmouth Pavilion
05/10 Richmond, VA - The National
05/11 Munhall, PA - Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
05/12 Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
05/13 Atlantic City, NJ - Boardwalk Hall
06/24 Saskatoon, SK - Saskatchewan Jazz Festival
06/26 Vancouver, BC - Queen Elizabeth Theatre
07/05 Montreal, QC - Place des Arts
07/06 Montreal, QC - Place des Arts
07/12 Halifax, NS - TD Halifax Jazz Festival
07/31 Estavayer-Le-Lac, Switzerland - Estivale Open Air
WELP! There's a strict curfew here. They cut Lauryn Hill's sound at 11 p.m. SHARP. pic.twitter.com/0EvGpKGuhO
— Jewel Wicker (@jewelwickershow) May 7, 2016