North American Club Tour
Atlanta, GA
April 20, 1998

Updated May 19, 1998

Check Out The Reviews And Set Lists Page


Tori performed her second concert of the North American club tour in Atlanta, Georgia on April 20, 1998 at the Roxy. The photo you see to the right is actually from this Atlanta concert. It and many others like it can be seen much larger at Tori's Official site maintained by Atlantic Records.



Set List

The photo to the right shows Tori singing "Jackie's Strength" from this show. It was taken from a RealVideo clip available at www.tori.com.

Black Dove (January)
Cruel
Tear In Your Hand
Liquid Diamonds
Precious Things
Jackie's Strength
Northern Lad
Icicle
Here in My Head
Putting The Damage On
Spark
iieee
The Waitress

1st Encore:

She's Your Cocaine
The Doughnut Song
Mother

2nd Encore:

God
Horses


Reviews

From Gypsi

May 19, 1998 - Just to let you know, I love your page. It is the most comprehensive one I have found. I was at the show in Atlanta in April and I just wanted to give you my point of view.

First off, I am one of the many twenty-something Tori fans who have responsibilities and jobs and cannot camp out for tickets, so I did not get tickets at the Roxy. I am a college student and one of my part time jobs is as an assistant manager for blockbuster music. A friend and I put in a request with the record company and we got on the guest list. So, I went for free, sweet! I have been a Tori fan for years and have seen her in many different venues. I was not happy about the standing room only, but I talk to some people from a local radio station, and I managed to get some front seats in the balcony, after waiting in line to get in for two hours. Tori was wonderful and I enjoyed the band's talent greatly. It was a change Tori needed to make in order to expand her musical horizons. Having the band behind her gave those of us who have seen her before a new look on some old tunes. I will certainly be at her show in Atlanta this summer, unless that requires camping out too.


From L. Anne (to the rec.music,tori-amos newsgroup)

April 24, 1998 - I saw the show in Atlanta and realized during the show that Tori was not having the emotional appeal or connection to me that her performances have had in the past. As I sat there trying to figure out what was different I realized that there were two reasons that FOR ME this new, with a band thing, just doesn't work.

I am a highly visual person--I notice everything. At prior Tori concerts I would be looking at one spot--right where Tori was. Now with the band and the encompassing light show, I found myself looking at many different places. With that, the chance for true emotional involvement with the one person at the center of the stage did not occur.

And, at least at the Atlanta show, the bass was turned up so high that my body was being assaulted by the vibrations. So instead of almost straining to concentrate on the sound coming from Tori, my body was having sound/vibrations delivered to more than my ears.


From Rochelle Reed

April 23, 1998 - i have been following toris music for about a year or so and just went to my first concert april 20, at the roxy in atlanta it was great, i almost started crying because i couldnt see her when she came on but i soon shuffled around almost to the very back of the club so i could bring tori into view. it was exhausting, but very worth while. . after the concert we quickly exited to find the exit in which tori would be using, i was at the show with 3 of my friends, they had all seen tori before at other concerts,

but never gotten autographs etc. we waited about 45 mins. and there she was, she came out cool and calm, she hugged people and kissed some and was so beautiful, i enjoyed seeing the looks on the other peoples faces she puts you in a trance...


From rusty

April 23, 1998 - April 20, 1998 - Atlanta, GA - The RoxyThe day finally came. Me and 2 friends went down to the Roxy about 4pm. We stopped by to get some coffee first, only to see Tori's bus drive by while we were sitting there. At the same time, "Icicle" was playing over the speakers at the coffee house. Odd. We ran into David Poe at another coffee house accross the street from the Roxy about 30 minutes later.We decided it was time to head in the direction of the Roxy (only 2 blocks away)... we heard people running around going "tori tori tori.. she's on the other side"! So, we walked to the other side of the building to see what this was all about. And there was Tori, signing autographs and meeting her fans. (see pictures on tori.com). We all decided to stand back and watch and let the newbies have their turn, as we had met Tori before.Later after the first meet & greet, we found a place in line and waitied. and waited. But, i must say, we didn't wait as long as the first girl in line that night... she had been there since 8am. We became #200 and something in line. I was waiting for my "companion" to show up. A girl i didn't know, but a friend of a friend who was a big Tori fan and was unable to get tickets to the show. In the meantime, while we all waited for the doors to open and for my companion to show up, I met several new people. Nad from the "precious things" mailing list was there, as well as a few other ears with feet i have met through out the years. Everyone was really cool.I ran into a friend of mine who was #61 in line, and she was waiting for some guy she met on the internet who promised her his other ticket. Turns out this guy never showed, and my companion didn't either (she ended up being at home throwing up, sick, too sick for a tori show). So, it all worked out in the end.Doors open and we all make the mad rush to get inside. But there is a hold up. Remember those vouchers? well, when you go through the line, you have to get in the line that has your name in it. this is done alphabetically a-d in one line, e-h in another, and so on. The person doing the a-d line dropped all of the vouchers and got them out of order, so those people just stood there while the other lines kept moving in. We got in and ran to from of the stage. there was already a good number of people there. But, me being so tall had the advantage. I am sorry if i blocked anybody's view, but i worked for my spot. :)

We waited in our spots for almost 2 hours. David Poe came on a little after 8pm. We watched him do his thing.. he was good, but everyone was too excited to really listen to him. During his set, we experienced the first of the crowd shuffels. Some one or some people started pushing towards the end of his set. Squeezing the people in front, but that's ok.. we just pushed back the opposite way. That quit after a minute or two, once they saw we were not playing games today. The time finally came, and tori hit the stage. I will not go into too much detail here, as so many other people have already wrote out what she was wearing, the set list, what the band sounded like, etc. all i can say is AMAZING! i was so impressed. Tori can really rock. this is gonna sound odd, but... while we were all outside waiting in line i was really hoping she would play "god". so, i wrote a verse from the song on my hand.. and guess what.. it worked... during the second encore tori played the song with a full band for the first time possibly since her leno appearance years ago. During "Icicle" earlier in the show, there was fight. fist fight from what i hear. tori just told them to swap tounges and get over it. it was kind of funny actually. After the show, i stayed around to say good bye to all of the people i had met... except one guy from nashville who just kind of left. oh well.. i will email him. Then, on the way to the car, we walked by the back of the Roxy... there were some many people out there waiting for tori to come out. It was a bit chilly and i was so exhauseted from the show, we just left. I had to sleep. It was a great show and a great experience, I wish all of you, who are still yet to see a club show tour, lots of luck. The summer tour of bigger venues will surely have people up and shaking a little boodie. :)


From Cristina

April 23, 1998 -I was at the Atlanta show Monday night and I'm still trying to understand why everyone was on their WORST behavior. Tori was absolutely incredible. Her voice was in great shape, she was very enthusiastic, and she gave a great show. However, the audience didn't seem to care about Tori. Yes, they cheered, yes they screamed "I love you!," yes they sang along with her on some songs and it was beautiful. Yet, there was this aggressive energy in the audience that I just didn't expect. Maybe it's because the show was mostly standing room only. Let me just say that this was a VERY BAD IDEA!!! Tori's fans are obviously not able to handle common courtesy and politeness when they are not restricted to a seat. Because of this experience, I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER go to a concert that is standing room only. I don't care if I was guaranteed a front spot, it's not worth the anguish. Let me just start from the beginning:

We arrived from Nashville at 4:30. We drove to the back of the venue looking for a parking space and I saw the huge crowd. I knew Tori was there. Me and Lorraine (a friend) jumped out while Jon and Chad (other friends) parked. We ran up there and I was so excited because I would be standing just feet from the woman who has given me so much inspiration in destitute times. Well, needless to say everyone was so crowded around her that I could only see parts of her red hair. Well, Lorraine had it worse. She's only 5'2" so she REALLY couldn't see. There was a guy in front of me on a chair who had stopped taking pictures. I politely asked him if my friend could get on the chair for a minute since he wasn't taking pictures. He looked right at me and said, "No." I don't know why I live under this delusion that if you're a Tori fan, then you must have some awareness. This guy was my first painful lesson of the night that has changed my view forever on how nasty people (Tori fan or not) can be. All I said to him was, "Thanks." I saw a spot on the side of the crowd so Lorraine and I moved over there. I finally got to see Tori's face in person!!! She's so cute! She was talking to a fan (EWF whatever) and her voice just sounded different than when I've heard her talk on interviews. I know it sounds corny but it sounds so normal. Anyway, there were a couple of cars parked right behind me and my leg was touching one. Well, obviously I should of known that this was grounds for being yelled at. One of the guards asked me to get off the car. I just apologized and scooted up. There were people walking way out to the side between the cars and the same guard kept yelling at them to go the other way. Remember, this was a tight spot. Another person's leg or arm was touching the car and all of a sudden the guard starts grinding his teeth and with veins clearly popping out of his neck says, "GET OFF MY CAR!!!!" I just looked at him and said, "Man take some Prozac." Well, of course he didn't like this and he told me and Lorraine to get out of the crowd. Tori was leaving at this time anyway so Lorraine and I started leaving. This same guard came up to me a few minutes later and told me that what I said was very rude. I told him I thought his behavior was very mean and unnecessary. Then he took the honorable 12 year old stance and said," I think you're unnecessary." I just started laughing because this guy had some major issues that I think he should seek therapy about.

Finally, inside the venue, we found a pretty good spot near the sound board. We didn't even try to push our way up front. David Poe came on (I'm sorry but he was lame. He's no Willy Porter.) and everyone was crowding around. I left to go to the bathroom. On my way back, I had to say, "Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me," to get back to my spot. Everyone let me through except this one girl. I looked at her and said, "Excuse me please, I just need to get right there." I point to where my friend Jon was standing. She rudely said, "Oh yeah, it has your name right on it, huh." I said, "yes, that's where I was before." Then she oh so graciously moved an inch so I could push my way through. I hate pushing my way through crowds. I think it's rude and it's very uncomfortable. I was trying to be as nice as I could to these people because, hey, they're fellow toriphiles. We have a common love and understanding, right? Wrong. Almost everyone that nearly stepped on me never even said excuse me or thank you.

Well, we decided to give up the floor and try the balcony upstairs. We found some great spots along the back wall of the balcony so I saw most of the show in full view. Unfortunately, there was something else I'd see in full view: the fight....People along the row started getting up to try to stop the fight. I wondered if Tori heard this or if anyone was going to do anything just as Tori stopped singing and asked the people to stop fighting and "swap tongues instead." She is so brilliant. As the people were escorted out [of the balcony], she said she wanted us all to sing together on the next part. Appropriately enough, it was the "Greeting the monster" part.

I was in absolute shock that this happened. It was not a Pantera concert it was Tori. I really hope that Tori never does standing room only venues again. It really seems to bring out the monsters in people. Like I said, I enjoyed her performance greatly. On the other hand, the behavior of the audience was so negative that I could never savor any moments or truly appreciate them. Although, when we were all singing "Mother" together it made me remember why we were all there: a common love and understanding of Tori and her beautiful music.


From tasha (precious-things mailing list post)

April 23, 1998 - i am the only person i think who will write and say that they felt this way...i was very disappointed in the atlanta club show. if you can help it, don't flame me for this, everyone has their right and it is good to hear all different sides.

i am oh so open to it having been the concert of a lifetime....for you anyway.

i feel that the band drowns her out. many of the songs with the band music made it hard to hear her, or the piano. i feel that i had lost the tori that i fell in love with.

at times she seemed in a tizzy and the sweet, sweet girl that sings me to sleep was invisible.

change is fine and good...in moderation. the songs that she sung in "quiet time" made me feel better. i, just now, as much as i have seen and heard so far, feel like the band distacts from her way too much. maybe my opinion will change as of hearing the album...i am ready :).

Also, the majority of people who i came into contact with in the crowd were very hostile and made the whole experience very stressful. (not everyone mind you, so please don't take this personally) they were very inexperienced "general admission" concert goers and were out for blood.

i mean, at Manson they kick you in the face and then apologise, nothing personal. they even pick you up when you fall down. There, you expect to look out for yourself and fight and get bruised in the pit...BUT TORI? here at tori, aside from all the pot and alcohol, more than one fight broke out, and people were cutting eachother down personally saying things like "i will kick the s**t out of anyone who gets in my way" and "you get the f**k out of my face and shut up" and "i have strong teeth and nails and can kick anyones a**, and i know how to rip hair!" and "i don't care if you are short, no one is getting by me!" I mean SCREAMING these things!

one group of girls (about 5) bragged about how they all had mace and were willing to spray it to get some room (whether in jest or not...really, people) and one girl stated more than once that she had a .45 on her and people need to know to leave her alone. another girl, told my friend that he was in front of her and he was going to have to lose the head once the music started. she wanted to know if he was a heavy bleeder. it was funny until she kept on and then insisted that she was serious.

all of this, serious or not....ridiculous.

i have been on the floor at *many* General Ad. concerts inc. Manson 3 times, NIN, Foo Fighters, Bush, Fugazi....etc. but at this tori concert (and i have seen her before) the attitude of these people in my humblest of opinions really bit the big one. i am open to your experience, on all counts, as not being the same - there were a lot of people there. but as for the ones i personally was in contact with were the biggest bunch of immature, hostile, cornflake girls i have ever seen.

don't be concerned that your experience will be the same as mine, i just wanted to share and let this weight off. if you do happen to be short and want to be up front and actually see...earlybird is the key word.


From elizabeth

April 22, 1998 - just wanted to send you a quick email about the atlanta show. i drove up from columbus yesterday and got to the roxy around 8:30 or 9:00 in the morning and there were already people waiting. the first few people there(kristin&eileen) had the idea to number people so that it would make the whole waiting in line experience easier. eileen became the keeper of the numbers and did that all day long. from what i hear she did a great job. anyway, i was number 10 and that left me free to wander around. a group of us watched them unload all the band equipment and we ended up getting one of the set lists from ft. lauderdale, cause a crewman asked us to get him some ice tea. we waited for hours in hopes that tori would do a meet and greet and she did not disappoint us. here i would like to mention something...i know that everyone wanted to meet her, but i think it was really frustrating for those of us who had been waiting all day long when new people kept coming up and trying to edge there way in front of us. i don't know what alternative i would suggest - i just think that it's really important to remember that we are all there out of love for tori and we should treat each other with respect. (enough of my ranting)...okay, so she showed up at 10 til 4 in a limo and the guards put up rails and the whole crowd pushed there way to the railing. that part was a little insane and i was worried that i wasn't going to get to meet her at all...but, i did and it was magical. she really is quite tiny in person and so gentle. i think that it's amazing that she has that much energy to give to people. well, after i had gotten a hug from a faerie, i got in line to exchange my voucher. we got inside around 6:30 and we were in the front row, right in front of tori's stool. david poe came out and although he wasn't fabulous, i tried to be really supportive. i think that people should treat him with consideration because it must be hard to play for a crowd when you know they don't care whether they see you or not. after about a half hour he finished up and the chant for tori began. for the fashion conscious of you, she had on green army type pants with lots of pockets, a gray or white v-necked top and strappy black platforms. she was radiant as usual. i'm not going to comment too much on the songs because i think that other people have done a better job than i can. the new stuff is amazing and she looks like she has such a great time with the band. caton was loving everything...he kept looking at the crowd and hamming it up and he winked at me a few times. he's a really funny guy. i won't run through the set list cause everyone else has, but i will say this. when tori came back for her first encore and played cocaine and doughnut, i thought that she would probably do god and/or horses, but i never imagined that she would play mother. this is probably my very favorite tori song and i cried throughout the entire thing. and i think that tori did too. i could see her very well and she had a look during this song that i hadn't seen prior to mother. considering everything that has happened, it might have been difficult for her to sing this one. well, she finished up with god and horses and touched my hand before she left the stage. i ended up getting a set list for this show too, so all in all it was a fabulous day. oh, i have one more small thing to add.....the sing-a-long during icicle was fun, but guys, please remember that we're there to hear tori sing and mouthing the words doesn't take away from the fun....

i met the greatest people during my ticket buying and showgoing experiences and i think that is what loving tori is all about. thanks to everyone and to you too, mike.


From Lindsey

April 22, 1998 - The concert was wonderful! The Roxy was a great venue because no matter were you were you could hear and see (with the exception of tall heads) wonderfully. I was one of those lucky people with Williams as a last name, so I got to move quickly up in line. I must say I am sorry to the people I passed up, but I have never been so thankful for being at the end of the alphabet.

The songs were played beautifully. While the music was undescribable, the experience with the people was not so great. Most of the fans were very polite and friendly (the girls in front of me even got a drink for the couple they were sitting next to, so they didn't have to make the trek through the crowd), but there were a few exceptions. I was standing in the balcony behind the last row of seats because I did not want to have to fight the crowd below- even though I would have loved to see Tori from the very front. The night began with David Poe, whose music was very good, but it was mostly ballads and soft songs. Many people were very rude to him shotting "Let it be over" and chanting "Tori," plus conversation went on the entire performance. Now I won't say I didn't agree, but it wasn't that he was bad. I think most people were just so pumped to see Tori, like me, that they at least wanted an upbeat opening act to work of some adrenaline (and alcohol).

Finally, Tori came out. I must say her new songs are wonderful. I wish I could have had the album then and there but I have to wait till May. Everyone was excited and there was screaming a clapping-it was a concert. But even though we all wanted to hear, one girl went to far when she started yelling at the audience to "Shut-Up" at the top of her lungs. She did this about three seperate times and I wanted to slap her. She distrubed everyone far more than the people who were just praising Tori (and I am sure it could be heard on stage). Anyway, I was enjoying the shown when a man about 3 rows in front of me was kicked out for using a camera he had snuck in with. Then latter, as everyone has heard, a fight broke out during Icicle. It was about eight rows in front and blocked my view. It was over soon enough, but then the security guards kept having to come back to get the people's stuff. That was very distracting. The only other problem was the smoke. Being very near the ceiling, I got hit with all the smoke. Being a non-smoke this really took away from my enjoyment of the concert. Even Tori made a comment on it. It just seemed as if people were lighting up for every song. Now I don't want to leave a bad impression with the concert, overall it was great. I just feel a little embarrassed at how some people acted, and I hope it didn't leave a bad impression with Tori. I was just shocked because until that point everyone I had met had been SO extremely nice. Well, I hope everyone who has tickets for the rest of the club tour has a great time like I did, even through the rough spots.

I was so excited she played Here. in my Head. This is my all time favorite song and I have recently learned it on the piano, so it was great to hear live how much better she is than me. I loved it. It gave me chills.


From FaerieGI

April 22, 1998 - Please let everyone know : Tori iss amazing as ever. This was my 6th show, and i have to say, one if the best, if not the best! She was totally refreshed, alive and ready to show us what this new "marriage" with a band has shown her. She was so beautiful!!! I was skeptical of the band thing, but this show blew out my expectations... Tori shines with a band. If you have vouchers, you are going to so much enjoy this show. It was incredible, if she does the sing-a-long thing with you? It's a mental orgasm!!!! Have fun, and no beating people up!!!


From Angelika

April 22, 1998 - My sister picked me up early from school and we got to the Roxy around 4pm. We waited with all the people to see Tori before the show.. then some cute little girl told us about this cute girl in the front with a cute green cardigan on giving out numbers but no one was up there. When Tori pulled up everyone ran to her and me being short I didn't want to get trampled and I ended up in the back of the group but somehow these really kind people kinda shoved me up to the front and I almost got to touch her but my arms just weren't long enough.

Well we waited in line for quite some time and then they called for everyone alst name R-Z to the front... for once my last name came in handy!! So my sister and I ran to the front and we got in. We staked out our place on the floor but then when she went on a potty run it seems like everyone decided to trample the little ones. I got stuck behind some really tall people but everyone was SOOO nice and let me in front of them so that I could have a chance of seeing her.. I'm only 5' 1/2".

David Poe was good but as it has already been established... the audience was RUDE. Espcially the "no no no no no no" girls behind us.

Then Tori came out... I thought I was going to die!!! The crowd pushed together so much I couldn't breathe but it let up just enough. The show was amazing but after Waitress the tall people and lack of water and oxygen had taken their toll on me and my head started telling me that i was going to pass out. Yes, I was one of those damn girls that passed out... My sister escorted me out of the crowd and the next thing I remember is having the "polite but Firm" men hand me water. **I'd like to say something to all of you around me... .. I'm Very sorry about this fainting deal.. If i could have controlled it then I would have.. I hope you all understand...** So i missed 2 songs and I joined in the back of the crowd ( a lot easier to breathe back there) and saw the rest of the show. It was SOOO amazing.

After the show was over, we bolted to the back and picked our little place to see Tori. The super sweet girls that let me in front of them at the show were in front of me...So Tori cam out and she was Right There!!! I handed her my ticket and I asked her for a hug. She looked up at me and asked if I was ok (my sister swears she's psychic and she Knew i had blacked out).. then the girl in front of me told her that I had passed out and she asked me again if i was ok... I told her I was .. and she gave me a hug and a kiss... I was on a cloud. That was my first time to meet her and I would have been happy to shake her hand..

So thank you to all of the really really really nice people at the show who helped me out and who were understanding about everything... sorry if I stepped on your toes!

It was a magical seance!


From neil

April 22, 1998 - okay..i went to the show at the roxy in atlanta last night..gods, it rocked hard..after the lines from hell, and the barricades of pushing and shoving, getting inside the roxy was a blessing. they couldnt find the carbon copy of my voucher though, so they just took my copy and it was all good. yay!

we got inside..stood..and stood..and stood. Finally, david poe came onstage..he was So incredibly boring..just mediocre acoustic/folk stuff. his guitar strap was kind of funkadelic and nice though. i dug it.

hum de dum. we waited some more. toris sound people did a whole lot of last minute tweakings that they probably shouldve done in sound check, but yknow. whatever. then her band came out, and the bowie faded from the speakers as they began to do this neat grooving thing with drums. tori walked on to the rabid cheers of fans. i was happy, man.

Black dove (january) --this song was so good..my favourite that i have heard of the new stuff, i do believe. she did the keyboard and piano simultaneous thing with this one. it was nice. pretty. yeah im rambling.

Cruel--okay, so i dont really remember this. was this the super drum heavy? anyhow. i liked this one for two reasons : it rocked my ass, and it was early in the set and my legs werent jellified. a good song..i cant wait to remember what it sounded like :)

Tear In Your Hand--okay..hmm...i Really Really liked this version..i mean, hey man, it's one of my best favourites ever! but anyhow..the band made it sound good..it didnt suck Any emotion out of it. the only thing..she waved goodbye during it..and she maybe shoulda saved that for the last? i dont know. i prefer it solo piano, but this was incredibly pleasing :)

Liquid Diamonds--i totally dont recall.

Precious Things--it started with this drum intro, really driving...i didnt know what it was for about a minute, it seemed like. she did the grrrrl bit, not for as long as she got at the end of ddi, but pretty long..and i loved! this song too. the drums move it along, and that piano pounding..oh yeah! so amazing..more true to the album version, vocal wise, than it was on ddi, i think?

Jackie's Strength--this was beautiful. there was a white light on right above her head, like some beam from heaven or something..during this song, a guy with really big blonde hair began to dance in the balcony, ravelike, almost. and he was on the very edge of the balcony. more on him later.

Northern Lad--it was pretty..dont remember much..i wish she wouldnt have been so newsongheavy, but it was Still an amazing show.

Icicle--hahaha..this was Good. i almost freaked out..i wanted to hear this So badly, and she played it! yay. i sang along. it was hard to find pitch with the loud people and the piano, but s'okay. good good. blue lights, just like i imagined in my uh..wildest dreams.

Here in My Head--yet another song ive been waiting on. about this time, my legs started to tell my head to sit down. but i couldnt. so they began to distract me..the DO YOU KNOW part was good in this version.

Putting The Damage On--twilight mix, with the snare drum. it was decent: solo piano w/caton is better though.

Spark--woo! god this song is so good. orange lights everywhere, and white i tihnk. just rocking out. did i mention that i love this? its so much better than the letterman..the instrument people actually seem excited! haha..a minor problem with the dave broadcast. uh.

iieee--she sang surrender a Whole bunch..i think im gonna like this one. second or third favourite of the new stuff.

The Waitress --Very different opening from the album...very good though. she went Off..her voice is so good. it was so Loud, and clear. filling the room..very nice. rocking, too :)

1st Encore:

She's Your Cocaine--YEAH, PIRATES!!

The Doughnut Song--ugh. nononononono bad tori drums are bad. i was grooving to this, and its not a groovin' song. my legs were also about to collapse from 'neath my weight. the beat in this song sucked the emotion out, i thought, and tori kept cutting lines off too soon..the part "too many able fires" and around there was Neat, though. but i think this should be a secret time song :)

Mother --utter beauty. i wish id been sitting, but it was So good anyhow. i love mother..i think she played it for someone--one of the girls preshow had been thinking about asking her to play it..during this song, dancing man came back. she kept looking at him, and before she left stage she waved especially to him. mother was without a band.

2nd Encore:

God--rock me hard. that is all.

Horses--kinda ew. psychedelic. me no like.

michael stipe was there, with a red or orange shirt on i think? caton kept chewing gum during the show, and in addition to her everpresent evian, tori had some honey ginger..not sure if it was tea, or what--she was eating it with a spoon. um. it was good! haha bye :)


From ItNeverWaz

April 22, 1998 - I just returned from the concert and it was INCREDIBLE!!! I sat three rows back from Tori's brother and Michael Stipe!!! We sat at the front of the balcony and the view was amazing!!! I was number 37 in line and the line was really cool (hello to Tim, Chris, Gail, Jennifer and Jennifer). It was cool sitting with all the toriphiles in line, but I wish everyone hadn't been looking for some chick named "Nadine" the whole time!!! Even though my girlfriend and I were 37 in line, it took us longer to get into the theatre because of the goofed up Roxy staff. They had divided all the ticket holders by last name and you had to enter where your last initials were posted in order to have your ticket matched up to get in. Well, the dumbasses collecting tickets in the A-D line (my line) dropped the damn tickets and got them out of order so while every other person E-Z was flying thru the doors, the A-D people had to wait!!! I got there at 12:30 and people who didn't arrive until 5 got in before me. TALK ABOUT SUX!!!

No worries, though, we got in and had a blast. We were just a few rows away from the people who got into the fight while tori sang icicle. She stopped midway and said, "OK, let's try this again. You know, whatever you are disagreeing over, you need to just exchange tongues!!" Then she started into the second verse of the song and that was that. She encouraged the audience to sing along and they did.

Was it just me or was the band getting too far ahead of Tori when she sang Putting the Damage On? It seemed she wasn't able to stay with the guys, but the rest of the concert was excellent. A few weirdos got tossed for being drunk and some guy got thrown out for bootlegging too, but Tori kept on singing. Precious Things, Tear in Your Hand, and Waitress stand out in the first section because it was amazing to hear the band backing her up. Waitress was just awesome. She threw in an improv in the middle of the song where she sang something like "I need one cuz I go where she goes" or something. It was PHENOMENOL. Waitress has never been an outright fave song of mine, but after tonite, it certainly is!!!

All the other songs were good too, but when she sang GOD, I nearly flipped. It was awesome. But Mike, when you list God in the setlist include You Dropped a Bomb On Me, Jesus with the song because Tori broke into a new song halfway into God. It was hilarious. Even the drummer cracked up. When Tori ended with Horses, the disco ball lit up and glittered all over the theatre. Horses was cool. It sounds like an entirely different song now, but very good. All in all, it was a wonderful show!! I loved it! This was my first time seeing Tori and she made it unforgettable. Who'd have thought she'd have played the 2 songs I most wanted to hear. She's a mind reader!!!

Oh, and anybody who remembers me from the line or whatever, please email me. I'd love to hear from ya again soon!!!


From shana chappell

April 22, 1998 - i've been a tori fan for a couple of years now and i adore her completely. i saw her twice during the dew drop inn tour and was breath-taken by her performances. my words can't describe the way tori's music makes me feel. it sets me free.

with all that said i'm going to start bitching now. well, i'm not going to lie and say this is the best tori show i've seen because it wasn't. don't get me wrong, tori sounded great and i'm even more ready for the new album ,but general admission and standing room sucks ass. i think that tori and her piano should have been elevated, so that everyone could have seen her better. i could hardly see her and i'm 5'8 and was wearing platforms. my best friend who went with me (who is shorter than me) couldn't see a thing. she was pretty upset and i understand why. we waited for the ticket vouchers, we waited in line on the night of the show, and it was her first tori show ever, and she couldn't even see her.

when i saw her in '96, had decent seats, i could see her, and when she performed, you could have heard a pin drop. it was very spiritual for me. i couldn't even move. at this show people were drunk, screaming, distracting, and apparently they were fighting in the balcony. they would scream whenever she was trying to talk and i couldn't understand what she was saying.

all bitching aside, the best part of the evening was afterward. we waited outside the stagedoor and she came out and signed autographs and talked to people. she was very sweet and nice. i took lots of pictures, although they're in the process of being developed and i haven't seen if they've turned out yet.

i'll just say i'll be glad when she comes back to do her regular US tour. i still love her and i will go and see her again.

i just thought i'd relate my experience thinking someone might have felt the way i did.

oh yeah, we did see micheal stipe.

and when they were setting up for tori they played david bowie's 'hunky dory'. bowie is my other fav!


From K Rex1014

April 22, 1998 - I want to start by saying that I had a wonderdul time in Atlanta. I live in Cincinnati, and my very cool Dad (who works for Delta Airlines) flew down to buy our tickets and then flew the two of us back to Atlanta for the show. We arrived at the Roxy at 2:30 and a very cool, helpful girl numbered our hands for the lineup (which we weren't allowed to start until 4:00) We were 91 and 92. The hand numbering thing was great, because we could all go get something to eat, get a drink, and go to the bathroom without losing our place in line.

We went around to the stage door and waited for Tori's arrival with some very nice toriphlies. I am short, so I couldn't get to the front of the pack, but my dad held my CD cover out for me and I did get an autograph. Joel practicly had to force her to inside for the soundcheck because she wanted to meet all of us. Many kudos to Tori for that. I think it's awesome that four albums later she still has that kind of connection to her fans.

We elected to sit in the baclony, rather than stand for the entire show. We found seats right behind an area that was blocked off for "Tori's special guests." Well, Tori's special guests included her brother, Michael. He was very pleasant. Gail, a woman who had come to the concert with her stepdaughter, Jennifer, sat in the seat next to us and chatted for some time with Michael. He told her that he would like Tori's music even if she wasn't his sister. "I just love the music," he said.

I got a recording of the first nine songs, then my tape ran out. As soon as I can make them into a wav file, I'll send it to as many people as I can. The coolest part of the show had to be when she asked us to sing the "And when my hand..." part of Icicle with her. It was reminiscent of a church choir in a weird way, since we were kind of mocking the church.

It was strange to see a band onstage with her, but it was plain to see that she was having a blast! She and Steve and the other band members had big grins on their faces throughout the show. I must say, the idea of Tori with a band is growing on me.

The experience was magical, however I have a few comments that are not-so- positive. The three people next to me were SMOKING POT before Tori came on stage. And there were a few people who were TRASHED dancing next to the railing on the balcony. WHY on EARTH would ANYONE consume any mind altering substance at a Tori Amos concert?!?!?!?!?!? If someone could explain that one to me, because I truly do not understand. If you ask me these people have completely missed the boat when it comes to a Tori concert experience.

In any case, I can't wait for the full blown tour. I am really looking forward to having a ticket with a seat row and number on it.


From Daniel Phelps

April 22, 1998 - Though I will always love Tori as the "girl and her piano," I must say that she and the band ROCKED Atlanta's Roxy! The new songs are awesome and the band added new depth to her older ones. "Waitress" blew me away, and I still have chills from being able to sing "Icicle" I apologize profusely for being so tall (get seats if at all possible!!) but I tried to scrunch down and move whenever the people behind me told me to. It was awesome to be that close and able to see her (and Caton's) expressions and dances, since I had lawn seats for her past tour. I don't think I could have handled all the heat and shoving that was going on down on the floor if it wasn't for the cool people I was around (making fun of the excuses people tried to pull to get to the front, for example). Also, there is nothing like seeing the person next to you be so affected by their first Tori concert. I left before "God" to get in line to meet her out back (I can't believe I missed "Horses") and was lucky enough to be in the front. Anyway, the crowd was well behaved, (perhaps they were sober by then) and I gave her two flowers and asked her what cookies she liked (a long story involving meeting her at the Chastain concert) and she said "Well, you know, I'm a gingerbread kind of girl." I can't wait for the cd to come out-- see you all in July!


From allisha cole

April 21, 1998 - wow..where do i begin...my 3 friends and i drove for 5 hours (we left at 5am and arrived at the roxy at 10(11 eastern)...there were some fans there numbering everyone. i thought that was fantastic...we were #s23-26...so at about 2:30...lori and i were wandering and found a small group of fans in the back...so we figured we would stay and meet tori....anyway..i brought my 'siren' poster by bob massee to be signed..and i said tori could you sign this..i'm pregnant and need to get out of this crowd...she smiled and the sweet guy in front of me spelled my daughters name for her ...so then we get in line....so we file in and of course' they dropped the a-d vouchers and had to get them back in order!!sucked..

as everyone said , i was dissappointed with the way everyone treated david poe..i thought he was a fantastic acostical guitar player!! we were seated in the balcony. lori sat next to the guy that repaired toris pianos!

the first thing that happened was there was a guy about 4 rows behind us smoking pot and he wouldnt give up his bowl...so he got booted out! then the fight that broke out during icicle..then there was some drunk guy that looked as if he was going over the balcony at any moment!..he didnt ..

the show was fantastic! the band was ROCKIN!! i loved it!! i believe the MASS consumption of alchohol also lended to the moodiness of some people! other than the rude humans the show was awesome!!!


From Stephanie Bernier

April 21, 1998 - Last night was one of the greatest nights of my life! I got to meet tori after the show...I've been walking on clouds since.

I was pretty close to the stage when David POe came out. He seemed really nervous but once the crowd cheered for him after the songs he loosened up. His music was kinda boring and all of the songs sounded the same. Towards the end of his set people were talking about how they wish he would get off stage. When the sound people came onstage they seemed to take forever...it was hot, crowded, and we just wanted to see tori. She Finally came out to play and did an amazing job at the songs on the album. (I have the pleasure of living in Athens and go to the coffee shop where michael stipe's friend/boyfriend works...he's been playing the album in its entirety everyday for about a month now) The most increadable part of the show was when she played Icicle Icicle. A fight broke out in the balcony and she had to stop. After the two had been escorted out she resumed. She got the crowd to sing "when my hand touches myself....etc....in unison. It was so amazing.I had chill bumps from head to foot. The energy was definately there. She also played my all time favourite song...here in my head. This was the first time I heard it live and ive seen her 5 times. During the last song my friend and I left so that we could wait at the bus to meet her. The security people had barracade fences set up. There were only about 20 people there before the show let out. The crowd later grew to about 100 people. When she came out the crowd was alot calmer than I expected. We told one of the security guards to make sure she stops in front of us. The guard told us he has never seen any artist take the time to autograph and hug all of her fans. When she came to us I was kind of in shock. She looked at me, her face not even a foot from mine and said "How are you tonite?" All I could say is "wonderful, how are you?" I gave her the postcard that the employees of the Roxy gave to us to sign.(The postcard had her lying on her back on that copy machine) Her manager kept saying "come on tori we have to move...come on tori we have to go..." She seemed to be kindly ignoring him. Before she moved passed us one of the people beside me said "How are the faeries?" She replied "There eating alot of pizza .......and drinking some really good wine."


From icycle

April 21, 1998 - please mention, atlanta was, by far, the most passionate show i have ever seen tori do. you could tell she was happy, well rested, and more then ready to play. the band added to the show in ways i dind't think possible. i am so excited for tori, and her newfound expressionism. :)


From jen and Hollie

April 21, 1998 - Wow...Tori was completely amazing...This was definitely the most amazing experience of our lives. Waiting outside the Roxy for about 6 hours was well worth it. We arrived at about 2:30 from a six hour drive from Florida and managed to stand for the next 9 hours till the end of the show. But we must say what made the day truly special was being able to actually meet Tori in person. She was really really nice and went around the entire crowd asking people their names and how they were...and taking pictures and signing autographs. We were so in shock that we couldn't even manage to ask for a picture with her or an autograph...the mere fact that Tori Amos was standing right in front of us and saying our names completely overwhelmed us. But, the memory of hugging her will always be with us. When she first exited the limo and came to greet the crowd a guy said "Tori, you look nervous." To which she replied, "That's because I am." The girl next to us said "I know the words to every single one of your songs!" Tori said "Wow, I don't. My mind is like a goldfish and I forget the words all the time" or something to that effect. The girl then asked if it was at all possible for her to play 'Here. In My Head' and Tori then told her to write down the lyrics for her and present them to the security guard. Seeing the emotions of Tori fans around us was an amazing memory, as well. There were people who were actually sobbing in the crowd because they were so happy to finally meet her. The most amazing sight was this one girl who was at the opposite side of the crowd from where she started and cried the entire time...The sight of her when Tori finally managed to hug her was enough to make your heart melt. Another amazing moment was when Tori separated the crowd to tell one girl that she was "radiating with beauty," and the girl was barely able to utter back "so are you." It was moments like these that show how someone such as Tori can touch so many lives. (I mean Tori has touched my life in a way that I thought no one could... and well it's still hard to believe but whenever I listen to her music I'm taken to another world... a beautiful world... ) **Note: It is possible to get tickets for the club tour the day of the concert. I drove up there with my friend who already had a ticket hoping that I would be able to buy one from someone there. I thought it was hopeless until my friend went up and asked someone for me and the girls behind him said that they had an extra ticket, which I bought from them. But, no matter what don't get discouraged and just keep asking around. **

When we arrived, they were giving numbers to people in the order that they got there, so we were 96 and the people we were with were 28 and 144. This was done by a fan and not the Roxy and proved to be ineffective, because they stopped numbering after 180 and the Roxy split us up into 4 different lines according to last name to check vouchers. Make sure you have the exact same ID as the one that you used when you bought tickets. Although this may not be the case for all shows, it was for Atlanta. One guy was denied entrance into the show due to the fact that he got a new license and didn't have the original to show at the door. The Roxy was a fairly small venue with really cool purple walls. We were given the choice of either balcony or floor. We chose floor and stood first row right in front of the left speakers. We came to one conclusion, though...They really really really should have a height rule. We are fairly short and it was just our luck to get behind guys who were over 6'3". But, despite this we still enjoyed the show with some ducking and moving around. Just to be in the same room with Tori was enough for us. The crowd was both fair and unfair. There were a few rude people who tried to shove their way to the front, but all in all the crowd was rather good. The opening act, David Poe, was rather boring...and, umm...We thought he was horrible. But, Tori was a whole other story....

Black Dove (January): One of the new songs and completely and utterly amazing...a great way to start off the show. Tori was amazing in her musical talents during this song. She played both the keyboard and the piano at the same time...one hand for each, straddling the piano bench, facing the audience...What really stood out were the lyrics "I have to get to Texas"...

Cruel: This one was also amazing except in its own way. The piano and lyrics were so extremely powerful that you could actually feel the emotion and the pure energy in the room, as throughout the rest of the show...but especially during this song.

After Cruel, she turned to the crowd and said hello and asked us how we were and told us we were wonderful. Then, she introduced the band. Starting with Caton, then Matt Chamberlain the drummer who she called "the Beat Person" and then finally the bassist whose name we cannot remember.

Tear In Your Hand: She opened this one with "Here's one you might remember..." and then she began to play. This was one of the highlights of the night for us. Imagine this song with a full band...The power of it was amazing.

Liquid Diamonds: This song was a total blur for both of us...

Precious Things: Another personal highlight of the night for us. This song was completely incredible with a full band. The power of Tori's voice made the song all too wonderful. The energy you felt when she sang "with their nine-inch nails and the little fascist panties tucked inside the heart of every nice grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl" was unbelievable.

Jackie's Strength: This song literally brought tears to our eyes...You could really feel Tori's pain in the song. Caton played on guitar and the bass was replaced with a cello. The spotlight was on Tori the entire time.

Northern Lad: Wow, amazing...a really really great song...

This is when Tori called for "Secret Time" and the band left for a while...and it was just Tori and her piano.

Icicle: This song was another personal highlight...except during the beginning, she had to stop in mid-lyric to stop a fight in the balcony...she told them to "be nice" and said "Why don't you just swap tongues?" and sent Joel up there to make sure everything was all right. We think it was during this song, but we can't quite remember, that she addressed her memory being like a goldfish's like she had told us about before the show. She said "I stay focused and then I'm like 'bloop, bloop'" as she did this cute little thing with her hands...It was very adorable. People sang along during this song and when she started the "Getting off, getting off" part everyone was encouraged to join...The energy that everyone contributed made this very powerful. This song was pure magic...

Here. In My Head: We guess the girl got the lyrics for the song to Tori, because she sang it. It was an amazing song...amazing amazing amazing...

Putting the Damage On: The twilight mix of this song...it was astounding. It was beautiful with a full band.

Spark: This song is truly incredible live. We like it better performed than all previously recorded versions. The switch between keyboard and piano was great. But, we noticed that there's one line that we've heard sung three different ways. This time she sang "just giving my soul to the ice cream assassin."

Iiiee: This was an amazing song...but a new one, so we don't really know it all that well...

The Waitress: Wow...This song was just...positively amazing. She added new lyrics stretching the song to last at least 7 minutes or so. She repeated the chorus "I believe in peace, bitch" over and over. She started the song off loud and then by the third refrain she was screaming. The combination of the band and Tori was wonderful. This new version is truly incredible...

She's Your Cocaine: This was another new song...and also great...

Doughnut Song: This song was basically the same as normal with the exception of a few repeated verses...but it was also exceptional.

Mother: This is by far the best version of 'Mother' that we have ever heard. The band, once again, left for this song and it was just her and her piano. Throughout the entire song she had green lights shining on her which made it seem unreal. This song was breathtaking...We completely loved it.

God: This song was absolutely wonderful with a full band and it truly did it justice. She added the lyrics "you dropped the bible on me Jesus" or something like that to the song. This song was enough to make you want to live forever in this moment...It was that moving.

Horses: This song was basically the same as sung on the album, except maybe a little slower. Wow...It was great...Very beautiful...

And, this was the end of the show. This was definitely the best show that we have ever seen. It even outdid the last time that we saw Tori. She was incredible with a full band and such a small audience. We both felt that this was the best day/night of our entire lives. Nothing could ever compare to it...

I just want to thank jenn for driving me 6 hours to see the show. Without her I never would have been able to meet/see Tori. I would also like to thank Maggie, Madeline, and Alicia who sold me their extra ticket. If you ever read this, just know that I appreciated it very much...

and i just want to thank scott, tracey, and nathan... for everything. you all made for one of the most wonderful nights of my life... and i can't thank you enough for that.

And thank you TORI... for everything...


From will brooks

April 21, 1998 - first off, love the site. incredible job you've done.

second, about atlanta: from what i heard, the reported fight went as follows --- some guy spilled some beer on some girl..., words ensued, and some (actually many) punches were thrown. someone called for security. both people were escorted out.

tori said, "whatever happened, why don't you two just swap tongues." and "let's not kill each other."

after telling her security guy to make sure everything was allright, she went on with icicle.

as for stipe, yes, he was there.

she was very nice to everyone there and took plenty of time to sign autographs, take pictures, and meet and greet the crowd.

her final encore (of 3) was an incredible new version of horses.


From Nadyne Mielke (precious-things mailing list post)

April 21, 1998 - (This post was in response to the fact that Tori did not sing "Me and a Gun" at the start of the club tour.)

I asked Tori about this at the Atlanta meet'n'greet. She said that MaaG was "on vacation" for the club tour. Whether or not that means she'll be brought back out for the full tour, I dunno.


From Jenn (precious-things mailing list post)

April 21, 1998 - Wow! That was totally awesome. :) Aside from the bitch who was beside me at the start of the show, the crowd occaisionaly pushing forward to the point of painfulness, the two? fights, and the girl in front of me passing out, it was awesome. (Though my legs are slightly sore from standing on my tip-toes to see :)

I'm really bad with setlists, so I can't relay that to anyone. :( But I must say the new songs did make me want to shake a little bootie. :) The band is definately a good addition to the show, if anyone is still concerned about that. The performance was much improved since the Letterman show. (Sorry, no flames, but I thought it was a weak musical performance. Letterman that is.) I loved the new band versions of the old songs as well. Precious Things and God were just f*cking awesome. ("You have to bow down to me, Jesus."-God) I don't want to say fortunately, but I was pleased to hear Tori with just her piano on Mother and Icicle and ....geez I really can't remember.

But I am pleased to say that after the show she waved at me in the fan line and then I managed to get up to the front and she signed my little piece of paper that has all my new friend's email addresses and telephone numbers on it (so you don't have to worry about me losing it. :)


From MichiruUTP

April 21, 1998 - First off, let me say that all the pain, suffering, humiliation, and discomfort experienced in waiting for tickets and to get into the show were COMPLETELY worth it to have had the experience of seeing Tori at the Roxy. I was very, very sick that day at school...I had been so terrified of getting sick at the concert, and once I got into the theater I was even more upset because I'm only 5'1", and I knew I would have a snowball's chance in hell of seeing Tori at all. The people up front were beyond rude; some of them had the attitude that because they'd been there first they deserved to see her, and they honestly didn't care about those of us who wouldn't see a thing unless we were close to the stage. And the people I encountered up front seemed to be the tallest and the biggest of the audience who were the reason why us little people couldn't see. But I didn't want to start anything, so I moved back until I was in the left corner, second row, between two other girls who were my size and very sweet. I didn't like David Poe's CD that had been handed out when I bought tickets, but I enjoyed his performance immensely and I was really disappointed that he didn't receive the attention and respect he deserved from some members of the audience.

When Tori came on, it was like a dream. Unfortunately, during Tear in Your Hand, the emotion and my sickness and the heat and crowd brought me close to collapse, and I stumbled out of the corner and towards the left wall. Some very kind people gave me water and held me and tried to help me back to my space when I was better, but I didn't want to disturb the people who'd already usurped where I'd been standing in the corner, so I wandered the theater for ten minutes, up to balcony and then down towards the middle right before I found 'my spot'. The people there were so much kinder and gentler; some of them I knew. And I can be almost TOTALLY certain beyond reasonable doubt that David Poe came out from behind the stage and stood right next to me...I almost said hello to him, but decided to let him enjoy the show. A VERY kind man in a beard and a funny shirt lifted me on his back several times, even though I'm sure I hurt him, and I can't thank him enough. I'm so glad I left the front of the stage, because back there the energy was so much more positive that I allowed myself to move and sing with the music and not feel as though I was disturbing anyone. There are no words to describe Tori and the band; they were too amazing to be comprehended. I loved Tori's comment about "swapping tongues and forgiving" when those people started fighting...she never missed a beat. A wonderful night I'll never forget. Thank you to Tori, the band, David, and everyone else who helped to create such a perfect atmosphere.


From peepingtommy

April 21, 1998 - wow, it was great... but you've already gotten so much information on the actual procedure of the show, so instead of reporting for the dent... I'd rather do a bit of assuming... particularly tori's new presence, and that whole icicle thing. she was eating pudding or something on stage in between songs. at one point she said there was too much powder in it or something and for "them" to maybe fix it for her. she was very relaxed and casual, yet completely professional and into her music as well.. maybe this is a symptom of having a lot of love in her life right now. whatever it is, I like it. And then the Icicle thing... she did it solo, w/o band; she had the crowd sing along and there were these blue lights in the crowd while she directed us to do it... it was strangely reminiscent of reading passages out of the bible, or singing hymns in an actual church... It really seemed like the Church of Tori for a few minutes while she asked us to sing with her... and the lyrics that she told us to sing kinda indicated that as well

"well I think the Good Book is missing some pages gonna lay down gonna lay down and when my hand touches myself I can finally rest my head

(she really emphasized this line) ->and when they say take from his body I think I'll take from MINE instead

Getting Off Getting Off while they're all downstairs"

I really liked it... and the message she was conveying by doing this... Go Tori!!!

well, that's my info from the atlanta show... cya.

p.s. (again assuming... but at one point tori mentioned something about having an oxygen tank... I know there's no way to prevent this... and it may just be that it bothered me... but toriphiles that smoke, please don't do it in the show... you can wait a couple hours... just drink a margarita or something... I think that's what tori was commenting on, and I think it might affect her voice...)


From Jessica Grant

April 21, 1998 - I arrived at about 3 o'clock, in time to get a good number for the lineup (101), thanks to Eileen who gave everone numbers to keep the lineup orderly and went around back to wait for Tori. The crowd waiting was really pissing me off, the newcomers working their way to the front of the mob and such. Finally, when her limo pulled up they stuck out the barricades. I walked across the alley to get a view, just as they said "You can lineup now." By a stroke of luck I was able to get RIGHT in front of the barricade. She worked her way down slowly, people kept trying to push me around and I held tight right there! I'd brought Tori half a dozen roses and the crowd was squishing them. I fought to keep the roses from getting squished, to hold onto my camera, CD, and Sharpie, AND keep a tight hold on the barricade so I wouldn't get pushed away. She finally finished up with the girl next to me, was looking at me as I was about to give her the roses and these people behind me were sticking their hands up there with CDs saying "Tori, sign this pleeeeeze!" She looked back at them and said "Hold on a minute!" Looked at me, I gave her the roses, she smiled. I gave her the CD and she said "What's your name sweetie?" I told her and had her sign a CD that someone had passed up to me. She hugged me and the girl beside me took our picture. It was very cool. I've been wating a long time to meet her. Got nudged out of the crowd in the 96 tour.

The concert was phenomenal. I totally agree to what everyone has posted. The people on the floor were SO rude to David Poe. I mean, come one, think, it takes balls to open for Tori, knowing all those fans are rabid to see her.

The little fight happened about 5 seats down on my row. It was so silly. I mean, she was having us sing along to icicle, it was magical, and these folks started fighting. She started playing again, and security kept walking in front of us back and forth, it really ruined the magic of that experience for me.

I will add a couple of things, during God, she had a little vocal break part where she kept singing, "Jesus, you dropped the Bible on me babe." (I think it was dropped the bible, not sure.) And "I'm gonna do it again." It was great.

The version of The Waitress she did was the BOMB!!!! It was so great. Towards the end she did a vocal part, I *think* it was "Hang ten, hold on, I'm gonna go where she goes. " She sang this many times and one time she was getting really into and when she said "I'm gonna go where she goes" she kind of slapped the piano when she said "She". I thought that was cute. She's gonna go where her piano goes....

There wasn't as much interaction with the crowd at this show as I've seen before. She played several songs in a row without speaking to us, but it was a great show. Anyone who still has doubts about how well this thing with the band is gonna work, should not fear. It works very well. They follow HER voice and HER piano playing and it really is a great sound.

By the way, at the venue they have little promo psters of Tori and some of David Poe hanging on the walls and doors. If you ask security, they'll let you take them down and take em home. I got one and it's a great souvenir, considering there are no programs at this tour.

Have fun, enjoy the show, and DON'T fight with each other. You'll just get kicked out and miss the rest of the show.


From j'ason (WeirdyBoi@aol.com)

April 21, 1998 - Oh My GOD, the Atlanta show was by far the best Tori concert I have ever seen in my life. In fact, it's the best concert of anyone I've ever seen. After standing in the huge, tight crowd for 2.5 hours waiting for Tori to come onstage, and enduring David Poe's terribly boring 45-minute set... the lights finally dimmed (at about 9:15) and Tori's band came out onstage. They began playing a nice rhythmic thing as the crowd screamed for "Tori! Tori! Tori!" Then, finally, Tori came out onstage and waved and sat on the bench between the keyboard and piano, facing the audience. She then began to move her hands and body kinda like she did in '96 before Cornflake Girl.. not the all-out dance, though... then the ride began... The band played in all but 3 songs (Icicle, Here. In My Head, & Mother) and all the musicians were brilliant together. Tori was so into the show, as were the other band members. Caton stood through the show, often danceing a bit, really getting into the guitar playing. Facing the stage, Caton was to the right of Tori's baby grand Bosendorfer. the piano's lid was closed, by the way. The drummer was on a raised platform behind the piano, the bassist to the left of the drummer (from the audience's point-of-view). Caton was all smiles throughout the show, you could tell he was enjoying it. He and Tori often exchanged winks and grins, tori would often lean her head back and laugh with delight!!! the band is definitely taking a huge burden off Tori.. but that doesn't mean she's not playing amazingly, still... At times she would be playing the keyboard and piano AT THE SAME TIME!!! And be singing, too. Wow. Facing the audience, it was like she was being crucified by the 2 keyboards, her chest thrust forward, arms spread.... Wow. Now for the setlist:

-Black Dove (January)
so powerful.. wow. i can't say much because.. it's all a blur... i was pouring tears, Caton even grinned at me, he KNOWS this new stuff was kick-ass. It's almost like Tori and Caton are getting revenge for the failure of YKTR. She's not a rock chick, but a rock Queen.

-Cruel
wow, again. hehe. sorry, the new songs... aren't in my head enough to say much detailed stuff.. but the drums were kicking my ass and everyone else's.

-Tear In Your Hand
this song has never been more beautiful.. during this one was when Tori was really grinning at Caton, and him grinning back.. it was great watching their onstage communication.. and Tori's with the other band members, too. She was great. So full of joy and excitement. This version of Tear was very true to the album version.. but better.. it's like.. the intensity of the way Tori was at the end of the last tour.. multiplied!!! Is that possible?!?!? My God, yesssssss.

-Liquid Diamonds
ok, a blur.. amazing, though, i know it. none of the songs were un-amazing.

-Precious Things
Holy shite!!!!! A drum intro, that went on for at least 30 seconds... Then, the piano came in... WOW. The guitar, the wailing.. so true to the album, yet more powerful.. and the lighting was amazing.. The music softened for the "in my peach party dress part," then got Hard and Fast for "with their nine inch nails..." and tori growled the "girrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl" like on the last tour, while the drums and guitar pounded on, making it even more intense, and Tori finished like on the album, but it was longer, she did the "demon-tori" voice, shaking and writhing like she was having a hyper-nervous-breakdown. Her wailing was so perfect... her voice is stronger than it's ever been.

-Jackie's Strength
Beautiful, slow.. not as good as the version on the album, though. the bassist played a cello during this the drummer did his thing, Caton did the guitar part... The cello served as a big bass and cello (for different songs), by the way. interesting.

-Northern Lad
slow ballad. groovy :) it'll grow on me.

-Icicle
the band left the stage and umm... Tori had the audience sing along.. very bizarre.. She stopped in the beginning cause there was a fight in the balcony. she asked Joel to take care of it. She said that the people fighting should swap tongues. hehe. So, during the sing-along, she'd say stuff like, "ok, let's do this part" and grin before we all sang "getting off, getting off" etc. It was wonderful and fun.

-Here in My Head
Then she did a beautiful version of Here. In My Head.. and people were singing along a bit.. this version wasn't really much different than ever before...

-Putting the Damage On
Twilight Mix.. even the chorus was the twilight version, instead of her singing "take it higher," she did like on the remix, the high vocals.. anyway, you know. Not my favourite tori song, but it was tolerable with the band.

-Spark
wow. no vocal distortion at all. beautiful.. the bridge was great.. aside form there being no vocal distortion, it was almost exactly like the album version.

-iieee
bizarre. might i mention.. tori drooled a LOT during the whole show. I mean, a WHOLE LOT. Long strands of drool dripping everywhere... bizarre yet beautiful.

-The Waitress
OHMYGODDDDD!!!!!!!! Amazing new intro, totally new music intro by the band.. Tori slowed down the verses a lot.. but the chorus is so like on the album, except Tori's wailing is so much louder and stronger now, her chest voice and such...After the second chorus, and we all ththe song was about to end.. she started doing some new lines.. like umm, i forgot the words, but it was sooo fitting to the song and it was amazing.. repetitive and powerful, and it went on awhile, the drums and guitar and Tori.. then she went into the chorus a THIRD time, singing it even LOUDEr and more powerfully, screaming, writhing and shaking.. woah... it was sooo apocalyptic. The song is all new, now. It's... it's amazing.

Encore 1

-She's Your Cocaine
Beautiful, great rhythm, lotsa fun.. exactly like on the album.

-The Doughnut Song
this was cool with drums and bass.. aside from that, it was the same as last tour.. but she did the "you can tell me, it's over and it's over..." part over and over (no pun intended), getting louder and louder then going right into the part, "you told me last night.." part, where she messed up on the lyrics... she said "too many... *mumblemumble* too many able fires".. anyway, it was beautiful, i love the song.

-Mother
Solo piano... but it was annoying because people were STILL singing along. and this guy was right behind me singing so loudly and do BADLY and it was so distracting.. ack... her voice, i swear.. it's so easy for her to sing so beautifully now.. her voice is so strong and clear... it's amazing.

Encore 2

-God
woah.... this song is so good without those terrible backing tapes she used in 1994. Caton seemed to be enjoying making random noises on the guitar, the drums were great.. and Finally you could hear the piano in it.. i love the piano in God.. after the "will you even tell her.." part she started doing a NEW part.. something about "you dropped the bible on me, jesus" or something. i'll know for sure in about a week, when i get my tape of the show (shhhh). Yeah, i'll write a better review then, probably. But umm.. the ending just got louder and louder and it's so amazing the things she's added to these older songs tomake them new and so powerful live with the band...

-Horses
WEIRD. Bizarre slow version.. she wailed at the end. remember how she ended Lovesong and Bells for Her on harpsichord in 1996? Well, she ended this similarly, but not with that chest voice.. it was higher. She held long high notes, but in that same fashion. She didn't sing all the lyrics.. It really sounded like some sort of psychadelic remix.

End of Show

Wow. i almost passed out from exhaustion. Actually, one girl DID pass out behiond me, we had to lift her over the railing so a security guard could take her away to get help or whatever she needed. So bizarre to see someone pass out at a Tori show...

I can see Tori doing bigger venues now.. with a mosh pit, too. Scary.. but.. possible.

Ok.. brilliant. The friend who went with me is now an obsessed fan, hehehe. How can you NOT be after seeing this? tori is the most passionate performer I've ever seen. I can't wait till the return to the USA so I can see this again and again and again....


From Aeryn Easterling

April 21, 1998 - I have a couple of things to add to the Atlanta review.... Ý ÝÝÝ The "Tori and band" experience was wonderful...I think everyone had to adjust a little to seeing Tori on stage with not just Steve but another guitarist and (an amazing) drummer...It was not disappointing ,in fact, the band added alot to her old songs ie. Horses , Precious Things, Waitress,etc... the chillbumps never left me. I was on the floor and yes, ability to see was limited but no one was pushing me so I think I got lucky in that sense!!Ý Ý After the show , Tori came outside and stayed much longer than she did at any other show when I saw her on her last tour...She went all the way down the line ( a very long line of fans) hugging people and signing vouchers!! Ý And for the people having Michael Stipe hallucinations ---you're right. He was there in the balcony at first and then when the fight broke out he got pissed off and went backstage. A friend that was with me followed him down the street to his car(a red Volvo wagon) just drooling!!


From Jennifer Whittle

April 21, 1998 - Hi Mike...here's my two cents worth..wish you could've been there!

After spending a total of 18 hours waiting to see Tori (11 hours for tickets, 7 hours in line yesterday), I was not let down at all. I knew Tori was going to be amazing, but I had no idea the music would sound so good--it was like hearing all the old songs for the first time. I was lucky enough to be in the second row, so I could see very well, but I'll be happy when Tori comes back and I can SIT next time. It was so hot and crowded! I won't spend too much time ranting about the rude audience memebers or discussing the set list since others have already done so, but I must say that Precious Things and The Waitress were stunning and it was so nice to SING ALONG with Tori during Icicle...what a nice experience! I hope everyone enjoyed the music as much as I did and I can't wait til she comes back!!!


From Megan Dougherty

April 21, 1998 - Tori's concert in Atlanta was one of the best I've ever been to. The doors were supposed to open up at 6 but instead opened at 6:30 and most of the people were in by about 7:30. I had pretty good seats in the balcony to the left about 250 or 300 feet from the stage which was small.. David Poe opened up and was pretty good although there were people screaming TORI!! while he was doing his set. After he finished some people came on stage and set up some more stuff for Tori, and around 9:10 or 9:15 she came on. She had on a light almost white but it was pink short sleeved shirt and either khaki or blue jeans (I couldn't tell). She had her piano and her keybaord and a mic at each one. She started of with a new song from the album "Blackdove (January)" Wow.. She was playing the piano and keybaord at the same time and the lighting was just astonishing! She played another song and then spoke and said "Hi guys!! This is a song I think you might remember" and someone yelled I Love you Tori! and tori repsonded "I know I love you too.." everytime someone would scream something to her these people in the balcony would yell "shut up!!" or something along those lines and started Tear In Your Hand which sounds EXCELLENT with the band! She played about 2 more songs and introduced the band and spoke again and said "this is the middle song on the album and i just lover her, it's called Jackie's Strength" which was a beautiful song! the band left and it was just her. She spoke and said "ok, they're going toodles now so we can have secret time!" The lighting was just one spotlight on her and the piano at this part and Tori says "Simon Simon, bring that light down you're gonna give me a double chin.." She played a little bit and then said "ok, i might forget some of the words to these songs cause I haven't played them in a while so you can help me out." And she started Icicle which was really nice until a small fight broke out in the balcony and made Tori stop singing and told Joe to go take care of it and the people were thrown out. She finished icicle and spoke again and said something like ok.. let's try this one now, I think i have the brain capacity of a gold fish it's just like..then she laughed and said ok.. and started Here in my head, followed by Putting the damage on. The stage went black and then the band came back out and they stated Spark which was sooo cool with all the lights and everything! The last song she played was the waitress which was really neat with the bright strobe lights also. She then stepped over some speakers and went to the edge and touched some hands with the fans and left. Everyone in the Roxy was screaming her name for her to come back out anf she did again! They started She's Your Cocaine which had excellent lighting as well. After that she started the Doughnut Song and Mother, then she left again.. The crowd stood up and was screaming her name and stomping thier feet on the floor and she came out again and played God and finished with Horses which was really nice also, cause they ahd blue lights and 2 disco balls that made cool designs on the walls. Then she left and didn't come back out.


From Josh Bunnelle

April 21, 1998 - I am a very new Tori fan. I just started listening to her about a year and a half ago, so I have had little time to absorb three albums and a dozen singles or so, but I have had a great time doing so. Well, my virgin Tori experience was among the coolest things ever. The four hour wait for tickets as well as the many hours of standing before the concert were well worth it. I do have to admit that being on the floor was cool if you are tall like myself, but there were so many people around me that could not see at all. I was very disappointed with the behavior of the audience. Everyone was talking during David Poe's performance which is totally insensitive. The worst moment was during Icicle when the fist fight broke out in the balcony. Tori gracefully accepted the outburst with a little humor. To the audience members who felt the need to scream song titles every five minutes I just want to say that we came to hear Tori scream, not you. So I am being negative and complaining, but you know what. None of that stuff even mattered because Tori wiped it all away. She exuded such grace and power, and I have never experienced a performer who gave as much as she did. Her voice, her music, her words were so powerful, and there were moments of complete silence throughout the audience. For those of you who are waiting with baited breath for your concert, believe me that it is well worth the wait. I know that this is my first experience, but the concert is really beyond my ability to describe. My only advice to those who are going to be attending in the next few weeks is to be quiet and respectful. Everyone will have a better time if everyone adheres to simple courtesy. I hope everyone enjoys their experience as much as I did. I can't wait to see her again. I am hooked.

PS Precious Things and Waitress have never been in finer form.


From Maria

April 21, 1998 - I'm new to this internet stuff, so bear with me. I found your site a few days before the club tours were announced, and thank you, you've been a great source of information on Tori.

I wanted to clarify some points on the Atlanta show--we were seated in the balcony at the Roxy, not too far from where the fisticuffs started, and yes, it was disappointing that we couldn't all enjoy Tori in peace, but please remember that those people were the exception, not the rule. All of the people that I met during the show were very polite and friendly (I brought mini-binoculars and was happy to share with people --maybe that's why everyone was so nice to us). I'm sure the floor space was more difficult since it was so crowded, and that's where most of Tori's younger fans were located. The balcony crowd (for the most part, anyway) was a little more mature (with the exception noted above). I'm 30, my husband's 34, and we were seated next to a woman in her 40's, who has seen Tori on every tour in Atlanta. It was great to see the diversity in ages of Tori fans - just goes to show you that her music does transcend age and gender.

The band sounded great! Tori & company really blew me away - it was a magical evening of music. I have to admit, I was skeptical, but Tori really rose to the occasion, and her voice was in fine form.

99X (WNNX, 99.7) has been playing "Spark" for several weeks now, and the Morning X Crew hosted an interview with Tori that aired this morning at 7:30 AM EST. She spoke about her connection with the "other world - fairies, spirits, etc.", her marriage and her miscarriage. She mentioned that MTV would be premiering her video for "Spark" on Wednesday, and she said that the song was about trying to get though a really bad day - she said that you'll see what she means on the video - how you can see that the woman in the video is alive, but just barely, and she's trying to hold on to life with all she's got left. She also talked at length about playing with a band, and the mutual respect that the musicians on the tour have for each other. (I was in my car on the way to work, so didn't get to tape it, but I'm sure someone did - if you can get the actual transcripts she had some amazing things to say). Then, at the conclusion of the interview, 99X played "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - that's the first time I've heard that played on radio. It was great.


From craxon

April 21, 1998 - So i just got back from the Atlanta Show and there are no words. there was one really horrible thing, I was sitting in the balcony and during Icicle four people got in a fist-fight, it was horrible. Tori just sort of told everybody to calm down, told "Joe" to go check on things, and started with the song again. Alot of people keep screaming things out to her which was irritating, but other than those two things...What A Great Show!

the Set List as far as i can remember:
(these may not be in the correct order)

Black Dove (January)
Cruel
Tear In Your Hand
Liquid Diamonds
Prescious Things
Jackie's Strength
Northern Lad
Icicle
Here in My Head
Putting the Damage On
Spark
iieee
The Waitress

Encore 1
She's Your Cocaine
The Dounut Song
Mother

Encore 2
God
Horses


From Melody

April 21, 1998 - I just got back from the show at the Roxy...an amazing experience. The wait outside was hot and bothersome, and the doors opened an hour late due to David Poe's late arrival I suspect (he pulled up at about 6). Though the ticket- buying process last month was quite well-organized, getting into the Roxy tonight was a bit more confusing. After winding through the parking lot and meandering up the alley, we were pushed into 4 lines separated by last names (somewhat chaotic). It seems that few Tori fans have 'R through Z' names; as a result some 'end of the alphabet' folks who had been far behind us in line got in earlier.

The balcony filled up fast, but everyone seemed pretty relaxed...but not for long. I must say that I was quite embarassed by many of the Tori fans there; I've never met ruder people. Quite a few people yelled "Tori" through David Poe's act (not very cool). Afterwards, things got nastier. The people immediately surrounding me were pretty cool, even helping me catch a "window" to see Tori (I'm 5'3"). Those who perpetually shoved, prodded, and kicked--not so fun. Luckily, just when I was at the point of screaming and bolting for the exit, Tori came out and mesmerised me for a couple of hours. She was amazing. The band was amazing. The band was loud, and Tori was even louder (I don't know how she does it). In this show, she also conveniently forgot lyrics and let us sing along--great fun. There's nothing better than a group singalong about touching yourself (Icicle, of course). And that's all I have to say about that (the rest of you can hash out the details). While most twenty-somethings were behaving, the teen crowd was vicious, and I feel sure that any teen girl there would have slit my throat to get an inch closer. At one point, 2 girls crawled on the floor and took me out at the knees--I hope my foot connected. I saw one skirmish in the balcony--even Tori paused for that one--and a couple of girls hit the floor at one point, probably the heat, the excitement, and maybe a little rage.

Overall, my second Tori experience was unbelievable, but the audience did little to help. My suggestions: 1-big-headed guys, before you camp in the front, realize that you're ruining the view for a half-dozen small females. 2-high school kids who are still overtaken by your hormones and the fact that you may get to break curfew, stay home and do your homework (I beg you). C'mon guys, we Toriphiles are supposed to be a peace-loving people. I recommend for future club show spectators, fight for the balcony! Seats are good things. By the way, I'm wondering if anyone else was having Michael Stipe hallucinations (in the balcony)??


From gursky

April 21, 1998 - Regarding Melody's review of the Atlanta show and that seats are good things. Although I was fortunate enough to get a decent spot (2nd row), part of the problem was that people in the first three rows were actually standing on a two-inch wooden platform. This only made the tall people, including myself (6 feet tall), appear that much taller. So while I fortunately had no problem seeing Tori, I knew there were others who couldn't, which was sort of distracting, because on the one hand you truly would like everyone to have a good view, but on the other hand why should I have to give up my hard-earned spot and go stand somewhere farther away. Just because I'm taller doesn't mean I have great eyesight.

So I agree, for shows like Tori's, where there isn't a lot of leverage room in a standing-room-only venue for everyone to see, a seated venue is definitely best.

BTW -- the show was incredible, despite the occasional bad manners out in the audience.

Anyway, although I and others around me tried ducking and giving some "lines of sight" to a few around us, it was tough. It actually distracted from my viewing at times, trying to keep as narrow and low a profile as possible



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