Tonight, Tori's show included Spark, Sugar, Father Lucifer, Girl and Somewhere Over The Rainbow. If you were at the New York City show, please email me with your reviews and/or set list or post your review or comments in the Dent's Concert Reviews forum. (You can post under any name without registering, so it is quick!)

More Details

Tori performed in New York, NY on Saturday, March 8, 2003 at Radio City Music Hall. The opening act was Jeffrey Gaines. This was Tori's third and final night in a row in New York City.

Set List

Many thanks to Matt Page who phoned me with the set list after the show.

Wampum Prayer
a sorta fairytale
Little Amsterdam
Precious Things
Cornflake Girl
Spark
Sweet Sangria
Sugar
Wednesday

Band Leaves

Cooling
Cool On Your Island
Silent All These Years

Band returns

Horses
Girl
God
Father Lucifer
Take To The Sky
I Can't See New York
Iieee

1st Encore

Talula
Tear In Your Hand

2nd Encore

Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Taxi Ride

Reviews

The latest reviews are at the bottom of this page. For more reviews, please check out the Dent's Tour Reviews Forum. Please post your own review if you were at this show!


From Matt Page:

Matt said that Tori really seemed to enjoy her time in New York, and they got an excellent last concert tonight. The set list was poignant and powerful. Tori varied the show quite a bit from her written set list. She was supposed to perform Gold Dust instead of Silent All These Years, and Spring Haze instead of Tear In Your Hand. The last encore was supposed to be Taxi Ride and Amber Waves, but Tori performed Somewhere Over The Rainbow and Taxi Ride instead.


From Robert Coffey:

I think tonight was my favorite of the 3 RadioCity Shows. The set list was amazing and Tori was/is amazing. I wanted to hear Cooling so bad and when she started playing it...well my friend has the bruises on her leg toprove how excited I was. My legs were literally shaking uncontrollably and then when she went into Cool On YourIsland I thought I was gonna die. I was also glad she did Sugar tonight. Somewhere Over The Rainbow was absolutely beautiful. Taxi Ride wasthe perfect last song to endthe 3 shows at Radio City. It's my favorite from Scarlet's Walk. I can't wait'till the next tour, whenever that might be. I just wanna thank Tori for a great three nights..to sum it up in one word...Unbelievable!


From Nicole Calvanico:

Tori was fantastic tonight...even better than her first night at Radio City which I found amazing. I had second mezzanine seats tonight (I was on orchestra the first night) and I must say- there is no BAD seat in Radio City Music Hall!! A quick review-

Fairytale- wasn't as good as Thursday, but still powerful and I just love the lighting during that song. Little Amsterdam- this is my second time seeing her perform this song and the deep darkness of it just blew me away! Precious Things- I am so glad she did this again...it seemed to rock even harder than Thursday's- there was something about her tonight...she was possessed by that music.

I think this is when she spoke to us- I was so mesmerized that I am fuzzy. She loved New York and pretty much sounded like she never wanted to leave us. She said they really loved being the "house band" for the night. I can't remember what else- I was so delirious with glee

Cornflake Girl- I could hear this everytime...especially when she makes the purring noise! Spark- This song especially moved tonight- it seemed like she was moaning at times- poignant. Sweet Sangria- not my favorite of the night, but I really love when she says "why don't you think about that, what you believe in" Sugar- Is it just me or was this song MIND-BLOWINGLY good tonight??? It gave me palpitations Wednesday- I have seen this three times and she seemed to really pay attention to every note tonight...exquisite.

At this point I was beyond caring what she played- it seemed like evry song was my favorite tonight and a privilege to hear. This was the greates improve I ever heard (and seems the most moving of all the posts I read)- And you will hate me for this, but I can't seem to quote it all. She said she someone was there...a girl named- and she said what sounded like Mary...but then stretched it artfully out into America...it was so good- someone with a better memory than me please recount it in detail.

What happened next explains why my head is a blur concerning the first half of the show. After 4 concerts- I finally got to hear one of my favorite Tori songs ever. I have heard many versions of this song but never was I as moved as I was tonight by Cooling- my mother had to hold both my hands I was shaking so hard.

She followed this with Cool On Your Island, telling us very sweetly that she would stop hating her first album so much and that she would even play us a song from it. It was also- EQUISITE.

Silent All These Years- She did some different things with the song and I thought it was wonderful.

There was an intro which led into Horses...very nice

Girl- I was just in Tori bliss at this point- she tooke me somewhere unearthly God- This was masterful- i especially loved the part when she sang "you always go when the wind blows" (blue lights lit up straight to the sky above her and she sounded like a choir all by herself after which point she rocked the hell out of the piano- the sound was tremendous"

Lucifer- what a good move from God to this...she really had it in for religion tonight

Take to the Sky- surpassed Thursday- she was trembling like mad when she did the Carole King lines from "I Feel the earth Move"

I Can't See New York- I think this was the most moving version she has done- she was so into it- almost falling across the piano at the end. The problem is these two girls were yakking away in front of me like they were in a coffee shop. I felt like pulling their hair and asking them if they had any clue what the song was about and did they realize we were in NYC for god's sake???? Some of the people in my section needed to go somewhere else that night- what is with this sudden lack of respect at these concerts??(as annoyed as I sound- it was so PHENOMENAL THAT NO ONE COULD RUIN IT!)

Iieee- again- she threw herself into this one...I think it is such a good follow up to I Can't See New York!

Talula- not one of my favorites- but like I said- everything was great.

Tear In Your Hand- one of my personal favorites- Thursday's version was good- but this one had me crying and I just love the way she waves goodbye during it. (before "Caught a ride with the moon..."

She came out by herself and I grabbed my mother's hand because I knew something special was about to happen. And it did. She played Somewhere Over the Rainbow, which is one of my mother's favorite songs ever. It meant a lot- it was heartbreakingly good.

Taxi Ride ended the night and the energy between Tori and the boys was especially intense on this song. I have to say this concert was the best out of the three shows I saw on this tour (I was also at Wallingford and Thursday night)

Sorry for such a long review! Jeffrey Gaines was great too...he did a protest song and said something quite accurate- dictators (ie Saddam Hussein) are not known to be cooperative but that he will keep his fingers crossed.

As will I!!!

P.S. I forgot to mention the best part- Tori whispered so sincerely "I am going to miss you" before she began "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"- what a great end to my own following of this tour!


From Lori:

Having attended ALL 3 NY shows - tonight was the MOST powerful. She was the most energetic of all three nights. I think being that it was her last night in New York she threw her heart and soul into EVERY song she sang. She pounded on that piano like a mad woman. She was so consistent, one song after the other just blowing the crowd away.

After the usual Wampum Prayer and a Sorta Fairtytale, I was very surprised to hear Little Amsterdam. Stunning!! Powerful performance! Best I have ever seen of this song, playing the piano and keyboards at the same time of course. I'm not sure, I could be wrong, but I think this is when she introduced the band and told us how much she loved New York and how very much she was going to miss us. Precious Things followed with the same intensity and ferocity. She was shaking and throwing her head back. The piano was really an extension of her. Then, right into Cornflake Girl which is always a wonderful piano piece and crowdpleaser. She maintained the intensity right into Spark, which she played Thursday night also but really to perfection tonight. "How many fates turn around in the overtime....etc." was the most dramatic I have ever seen. (Mind you during all of this Tori really worked her voice tonight holding notes, taking dramatic breaths and whispers in all the appropriate places!)

Sweet Sangria, which she did every night, was amazing as always. Then she goes right into Sugar!! Within that first set she really picked her most powerful songs and sang as if her life depended on it. The set ended with Wednesday - always fun.

For the roadside cafe she started with an improv about "traveling with her sign and being called a yankee in other places in which she replied that she had her own sign AND her own mind!" Cooling was exquisite then right into one of my favorites Cool on Your Island. She started to play and then stopped and said, "O.K. I need to talk about this. It wasn't that BAD of an album. I've heard your complaints, I've gotten the letters, but I'm gonna play this song. So what if my hair was 7 feet high?" I love this song SO much and every time I hear it I well up with tears. When she got to the big "Whyyyyyyyy" in the middle she just filled the hall with the most powerful sound you've ever heard. She then did Silent All These Years which was a nice little surprise, not having heard it in a long time. Flawless!

Then!! The band came back and she did an improv into the most stunning version of Horses that I have ever heard! (I was secretly hoping that she would do this song.) Again, she played with such passion and conviction. Girl was great, she worked herself up into a frenzy during the "rushing rivers" part. She continued with the same intensity with God and then Father Lucifer which really was "floating" tonight.

Take to the Sky I have seen at every show I've seen in the last 5 months and it is definitely one of the highlights of this tour! Her banging on the back of the piano with her right hand and her improv with Carole King's "I Feel the Earth Move" has totally redefined that song forever. Again, the most passion tonight. Tori knew this was her last night in New York and she held nothing back and pulled out all the shots. I Can't See New York was really so intimate tonight and when she sang "from the other side" it really made me think of all the people who tragically lost their lives on 9/11 and now are literally on "the other side." To bring us back up from that she tore into Ieee which was fabulous! Again the band and her really giving their all. You knew it was the last song before the encores and you just didn't want it to end.

For the first encore she did Talula which she has so radically transformed into another song and is completely spectacular! Her movement from piano to keyboards as with many of the other songs is just so mind blowing! Then she did Tear in Your Hand which I have REALLY fell in love with on this particular tour. As always she waved "goodbye".

The second encore was a change from the previous two nights in that she usually came back with one more upbeat song and then ended with a beautiful ballad. Tonight she came back and sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow which was when the tears started flowing. Again, I've seen her do this cover many times but tonight was the best. Instead of singing "and the dreams that YOU dare to dream", she sang "and the dreams that WE dare to dream." I think as with all of Scarlet's Walk this was just really a reflection of her love for this country and the dream that we all share that things will work out for the better.

Rather than leaving us in a puddle she ended with Taxi Ride which is just such an incredible song, such a tribute to a wonderful man and a reminder that even though Tori was leaving, she is always on our side and in our hearts.

I left Radio City feeling completely exhilarated and watched all the Taxis with their lights as they whizzed by.


From Tom Reilly:

Tongiht's show was amazing!!! Much more energy than the 3/7 show. Tori was visibly saddened that this would be her last NYC show for a while. I can understand why; she's really big on drawing energy from the place she's in, and there's nowhere I know that has such a unique energy as the city.

Tear in Your Hand rocked! She drew out the "time to wave goodbye now" part more than I've ever heard before - I was moved to tears. (Ironic, dontcha think?)

Sugar and Cooling were nice surprises. But, what made my mouth drop to the floor was Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Besides the fact that she hasn't played this in a really long time (has she?) was that I was just thinking the night before, "What would be a really rare song I would want to hear?", and SOTR came to mind because that was what I requested @ my first show back on 9.10.96 in Poughkeepsie, NY. But then I thought, "Nah, she'd never play THAT!". Total psychic rare song thing (and it's not the first time that happened either.) Since this is definately my last show for a while, it was a really nice way for my Tori concertgoing experiance to come full circle.

Also, I know others are gonna post about this but I'll say it anyway. Before Cool On Your Island, she talked about how she's tired of getting slack for hating herYKTR days. (Personally I think that album is a really good one for it's time and should be given a lot more credit.) I am glad that she now says that she looks back on those days and can be happy.

One more thing, what's the deal with no guitarist. I know Steve and her stopped working together after Venus, but why couldn't she take Adrian with her? I think she's great all the same, but when the songs that are played with the band are missing the guitar parts, I feel the song is missing something, like in Cornflake Girl and Sugar.

That's all for show #11!


From Torinymph02:

I've attended all 3 RCMH shows, and this was by far the most memorable. One word to describe it- Heavenly!! Tori seemed to really enjoy herself, and be very in touch w/ the NY audience~ as she mentioned several times throughout the show how much she loved and missed us. It was a perfect ending to three wonderful nights.

Along w/ the heavenly theme- Tori looked purely Angelic ~Wearing a light pink silky wrap top (a tight black shirt underneath) with angel wings on her back. >< Her usual blue jeans and some wonderfully funky black w/ pink flower boots. She wore a red necklace that draped down her chest, and red sparkly earrings. Her hair was curly, and she wore a silver shimmery barrette in it.

Wampum

Fairytale

Little Amsterdam-- yay Pele! A pleasant surprise beginning-- she went a little crazy Tori towards the end- it was great! (on the bose & rhodes)

Precious things- Haunting. I brought my mother to the show w/ me-- she said what was that part about christian boys and cumming ?-lmao.

Tori spoke to the audience:

"Hey everybody.
How's it going?
So I'm gonna miss you.
We've been the house band for three days. I must say- it's so nice.
Come visit me. I'll make some spaghetti-- It might taste like crap. I've fallen in love with you. It's just the way it is. These are my brothers Jon Evans on bass. This Creature is Matt Chamberlain.

**on a personal note Jon Evans' mother was at the show- she was sitting a row in front of me- orch GG-- I'm pretty sure the intern Ali was sitting next to her. **

Cornflake- Started slow, but worked up.

Spark-- soft sound

Sweet Sangria-- A definite punch beat. my fav SW song!! I love this song live-- & it was especially kicking tonight. Tori began by putting right leg up on her bench and dancing a bit.

Sugar- loved it! Tori really put her heart into it.

Wednesday- fun

Roadside Cafe

Tori sang ~ "i have a little sign you know- that lights up sometimes, and I guess it's good-bye for a while - I guess it's good-bye -- I guess it's good-bye. This little sign she's been to Poland and to Hamburg where they were cussing at us-- You Yankee get out. I said just a minute now.
I have my own mind.
I've got a friend she was a lady & she doesn't think what you're doing to us is okay. And I know her name is America, and she's not okay being pimped out that way."

Cooling-- Sung like a true Angel! (still no brambles)

Tori spoke again
"Blast from the past!
I wanna talk about that-- I don't think it was so terrible. You've all been ranting at me-- I'm gonna play it for you so... I've heard your anger-- I've got your letters. So my hair was 17 feet high--- this one is for you." she begins-

Cool on you Island- She really belted this one out-- it was wonderful.

Silent all these years-- a little different. She doesn't hit the high notes, but it sounds great.

Horses- tranquil w/ the band. Intro - something like "she must be. She calls you. She must be from those. Two can take."

Girl-- definite energy! on the rhodes.

God- Tori danced a bit before she began this.

Father Lucifer-- amazing sound w/ the band!! loved it!!!

Take to the sky-- on the mark!! carol king ending.

I can't see NY-- wonderful. She really stretched each note as far as it could. The white circling clouds- ( from the lighting) are kind of haunting.

iieee-- especially slamming! They really pounded this out.

1st encore:
Talula-- during the senators part Tori grabbed her tummy & mimicked being pregnant w/ her hands. She also added "tell me who the fuck the father is."

Tear in your hand-- fab! loved it!

2nd encore:
Tori came out alone and said "Gonna miss you"

Somewhere over the rainbow -- So touching. I couldn't help but cry-- I don't think there was a dry eye in the entire radio city.

Taxi Ride- The best I've ever heard it live. Words can't describe -- it was just right.


From Marnie McCasland (tigermilk):

Joel gave me tonight's set list and it was a bit different from the set that actually ran so I thought I'd send it to you:

New York, NY March 8, 2003 Radio City Music Hall

...wampum...
Fairytale
Lil Amsterdam
Precious
Cornflake
Spark
Sweet Sangria
Sugar
Wednesday
-------
Cooling
Cool On Your Island
Gold Dust
Horses
-------
Girl
God
Lucifer
Take to the Sky
I Can't See NY
Iieee
------
Talalula
Spring Haze
------
Taxi
Amber Waves

Gold Dust didn't run of course, and was replaced by Silent All These Years which many (including me) were upset about. Her last two songs were Somewhere Over the Rainbow and Taxi Ride.


From Michael Miller:

I saw the Friday and Saturday shows and have to say Saturday's was more memorable. The set list included Somewhere Over the Rainbow and Tear in Your Hand. When her bandmates left, Tori riffed on a trip to Europe where they told her Yankee Go Home. She said something about how she has a friend named America and she doesn't like being pimped out that way. The crowd loved it. She played an inspired version of God and Cornflake Girl. The set list was longer but the show seemed to go faster. It was a beautiful show and Radio City Music Hall rocks!


From Mark Levine:

Hello! Just a quick little note about the concert...it was a beautiful night, tori sounded really amazing, strong, mature, and definitely rockin'. I was in the 1st mezzanine, and although I could see the stage just fine, i did feel a bit divorced from the matter, it sort of felt like the concert was down there, and i was just watching on a really big screen tv...but the sound was intimate and clear...the lights were emotional and beautiful and perfectly coincided with the music. The experience didn't quite live up to the last time I saw her (which was October '01 in New York) but that was special...this was though definitely one of the best concerts I've seen by her....My only thing was that I really wanted to hear more of the new album or at least old songs that I haven't heard live, the band sounded so great, so new, so integrated that I really wanted to hear the new material...somehow "silent all these years" and "cornflake girl" felt tired, "horses" and "spark" felt lackluster, and although "god" had its moments, give me a little "datura", whip up some "hotel", i wanted to feel "strange", shower me with "gold dust", take me to the lush hills of "virginia"..."tear in your hand"? i mean, i love it, truly love it, but i would have said yes to "yes anastasia". I felt like with this incredible band, and the incredible acoustics, and tori in awesome form, she could have taken some chances, given me something that is going to challenge me. Yeah you can tug on my heartstrings with Over the Rainbow, and yes, we all drew in our breath with the opening notes of "Precious Things" (and that song automatically sends me back to my bedroom in high school, dark and depressed and loving it) The concert was wonderful, how could it not be? It's tori, after all, one of the most gifted artists we have out there, but I guess I'm not so interested in the hits anymore, I wanted her to take another swing at some of the misses, some of the Juarez/Pandora's Aquarium/In the Springtime/Cloud on my Tongue/Mother-y kind of things that really make Tori so outrageously special, bizarre but special...though I have to say "take to the sky" blew me away...


From Jillian DiNunzio:

This night was one of the most incredible nights of my life. This was second Tori concert (1st being Providence) and I've been a huge fan for the past two years. Before the concert, I somehow knew this was going to be a great show, just because it was her third night in NY and I just had a feeling. I don't think I could have asked for a better show; each one of the songs seemed to be a favorite of mine and she just kept throwing them out at me.

The second she stepped out on stage it looked as though an angel was walking out. Her outfit was so beautiful with the long, white, flowing dressing and the feathers, plus the silver ribbons in her hair. I felt as though she was really trying to connect with the audience this night and she even kept mentioning how she was going to miss us. I loved hearing her talk throughout the show and crack jokes- she's so silly.

I remember when she played "Precious Things" I started shaking and my eyes were tearing because I was so excited. She then followed up with "Cornflake Girl," "Spark," and "Sugar" which were all my favorites. When the Roadside Cafe started, I was so anxious. Cooling is my very favorite song and when I heard the first notes of it- I started flipping out. I hardly remember most of it because of was so excited throughout it. I remember the rest of the set just thinking, "god, could she have picked a better selection of songs tonight?" May I also add how cool I thought "iieee" was in concert. When it came time for the encores, I was really interested to see what she would play. In a way it didn't even matter to me because she had already played so many great songs. "Talula" was just wonderful and "Tear in Your Hand" made me so happy, for it brings back so many memories of mine. Then she ran off stage again, so cutely and came back for the last two. I totally did not expect "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and totally started crying, like everyone else in theatre. I remember thinking of hearing this song the night before I left my best friend for college. She played it so beautifully and it was so touching when she whispered, "I'll miss you". Finally, the last song--"Taxi Ride." Wow--it's my favorite song off the new record and I was on my feet by then dancing and singing along.

I feel blessed to have been at this concert. It's two days later and I still feel totally wrapped up in the whole experience. I don't know if I can ever go to another show again because I feel like this was the best show she could have played. So beautiful.


From Courtney:

I was lucky enough to attend all three shows (which, kinda happened purely by luck. We were supposed to go see RENT on saturday, but with all the striking musicians, it freed up some time for more Tori). All of the shows were amazing, and the people were great. I am actually emailing you because I managed to scribble down the improvs from fri. and sat. nights and thought you might be interested.

I was in a much better lit place on saturday:

So I have a sign you know
It lights up sometimes
and I
guess it's good bye for awhile (x3)
this little sign has been to Poland
and hamburg where they were cursing us out
they said you you you yankee girl
and I said "just a minute"
I have my own mind and a friend
she was a lady and she doesn't think what they're doing to her is okay
her name is America, America
and she is not okay
being pimped out that way


From Shannon:

I got the lyrics to the bridge of Father Lucifer after the last show in NY from the paper Tori was reading. Some people mentioned that I should send this to you, so here it is, I don't know if you want it but here you go:

"GO AWAY GIRLS"
BRING GOOD LAUGHS
STEVE MCQUEEN
ALWAYS TAKES HIM BACK
TO A PLACE WHERE HE SAVES
PICTURES OF PICTURES OF HER FACE
"GO AWAY GIRLS"
GO TOO FAST
STEVE MCQUEEN PLAYS-
IT TAKES HIM BACK TO A PLACE
WHERE HE HAS PICTURES OF
PICTURES OF PICTURES OF THAT DAY
"GO AWAY GIRLS"
THEY GO FAST
STEVE MCQUEEN
ALWAYS TAKES HIM BACK
TO A PLACE
WHERE HE HAS TO BRING HER...(then it gets cut off the last word)

this is exactly what it looks like on the paper all capitalized.


Read a review of Tori's Radio City Music Hall concerts from the Village Voice.


From Anthony Pike, Birmingham, UK:

Just got back from a weekend vacation in New York, mainly to see Tori at Radio City Music Hall. We saw Tori at Wolverhampton in the UK in January and decided to time a vacation when she was in New York. Radio City is an excellent venue, very good sound quality. She was excellent - I think we calculated that out of the 23 songs she did in NY, only 10 were done in Wolverhampton. So in two concerts, we heard 36 different songs. So even though we had to buy a couple of airline tickets from the UK to the US - that's not bad value! I must admit I probably preferred the Wolverhampton set list (included Playboy Mommy, Honey, Pancake) to NY, although a close thing. The sound was much better in NY though. The only track I hadn't heard before was Cool on Your Island from Y Kant Tori Read. She seemed very defensive about the album, presumably because she has disowned it in the past.