You can now see the set list and reviews for the Washington D.C. concert at the Warner Theatre. Tori set list included Take To The Sky, Yes, Anastasia, Mother Revolution, Snow Cherries From France, Goodbye Pisces, Putting The Damage On and the covers Boys In The Trees and Madonna's Like A Prayer! If you were at this show and want to send The Dent a review, please email Mikewhy at mikewhy@iglou.com with your review or comments. You can also post your review of the show on The Dent's Original Sinsuality Tour Forum. It would be nice to get as many different viewpoints about this show as possible!

More Details

Tori performed in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, April 6, 2005 at the Warner Theatre. Tori's special guest was Matt Nathanson and the show started at 8:00PM.

Set List

Special thanks to Matt Page for calling me with the set list after the show!


Original Sinsuality
Angels
Take To The Sky
Josephine
Yes, Anastasia
Mother Revolution
Rattlesnakes

Boys In The Trees (Carly Simon cover)
Like A Prayer (Madonna cover)

Marys Of The Sea
Snow Cherries From France
Jackie's Strength
Mother
Bells For Her
The Beekeeper

1st Encore

Goodbye Pisces
China

2nd Encore

The Power Of Orange Knickers
Putting The Damage On

Reviews

The latest reviews are at the bottom of this page. If you were at this show and want to send The Dent a review, please email Mikewhy at mikewhy@iglou.com with your review or comments.

You can also go to the Original Sinsuality Concert Review Forum and post about your experiences as well, or read additional reviews.


From Matt Page:

Tori performed another great show tonight in DC. She followed her written set list closely, although she was supposed to begin the second encore with Another Girl's Paradise, but did The Power Of Orange Knickers instead. When Tori began cover Like The Prayer, the audience exploded in disbelief and amazement, and started screaming in joy. It was very well received!

At one point during the show someone yelled out "I love you" and Tori replied something like "love you back". Then some guy yells, "I love you more" to which Tori replied, "I bet you do" and then began playing Take To The Sky. Before singing Boys In The Trees, Tori mentioned that she drove around the DC area and saw Mr. Smith's bar where she used to play and waved. She also mentioned Rockville, MD and said she remembers playing Boys In The Trees over and over in Rockville.

Tori messed up during Snow Cherries From France and started singing an improv to the music of that song, saying she screwed up and did not have time to properly rehearse because of having to do "too much fucking radio" and asked the audience to forgive her "brain fart".

Tori really nailed the ending of Yes, Anastasia, singing very high and clear.


From Thomas Kercheval:

This was my first Tori show, but I've been a fan since the first album, which, like so many of you I'm sure, just burrowed its way into the deep areas of my soul that only an elite group of music has ever penetrated. However, for reasons not worth getting into, I just seemed to miss her everytime she toured in the area where I lived, and, to be honest, my passion for her music waned a bit with some of the albums after Pele. I bought everything, but at times I thought she'd become a bit self indulgent and sometimes the music would strike me as a bit too bloated, for lack of a better word.

Anyway, The Beekeeper album really reignited my love for her unique gift, and this concert tonight will I'm sure inspire me to rethink a lot of her catalog that I might not have paid as close attention to as those first three albums.

Following the sets of earlier shows, I knew she was changing things up a lot each night, which I love. As you can see by the set list, this performance was no exception. The Warner Theatre was the perfect setting, beautifully ornate and intimate. When the curtain rose, and there stood Tori, there was quite simply a magic there that just can't be captured on a recording. Even before she'd played a note, I just knew this would be something special.

Those of you who've seen tons of shows will probably be uttering a big "Duh" right now when I say that she was simply stunning. Voice was perfect, playing was perfect, not a note missed (that I could tell) and she had total control over the room, even though she rarely spoke to the crowd. And the way she switched between piano and organ, and often played both at the same time, was just jaw-droppingly impressive. The talent this woman has is just immense.

"Josephine" was a welcome surprise, but the first BIG surprise was "Yes, Anastasia." Wow, the solo rendition of this breathed totally new life into the song for me. Her voice was incredible, and the unique songwriting structure that's her trademark really shone through when the song was stripped of everything but its raw emotion. The "Like a Prayer" cover brought huge cheers. I've always thought that was a beautiful song waiting to be discovered, and Tori unearthed it tonight. It was both humorous and moving at the same time, if that makes sense. People laughed when they recognized it, but then, as Tori made it her own, the crowd was taken in by the beauty of the song itself and the performance.

But NOTHING could prepare me for the last three songs that closed the first part of the show. "Mother," "Bells for Her" and "The Beekeeper." Wow. What a combo. A one-two to the body and then a big knockout haymaker. It was just intense beyond words. In fact, a girl sitting next to me was just about sobbing throughout the first two of these songs. It really touched me, actually, because this girl was trying very hard to hold it back - she wasn't one of those drunken fools you see at shows who make idiots of themselves (yes, there were some here), and she wasn't a Tori sheep who simply cries at the sight of her "idol." She was crying because the songs obviously meant something so dear to her; perhaps helped her through a dark time, a time she might have been remembering. She was just quietly having a moment of her own, and, without hopefully sounding like some sort of flower child here, it wasreally beautiful. That's what music should do - touch people in that sort of way, and that was a completely pure display of the power of music and specifically Tori's music.

"The Beekeeper" was incredibly haunting, moreso than on the album with the new arrangement and use of the organ. Just an unbelievable song.

Anyway, to wrap this novel up, as the show was about to end, I had one bit of disappointment. Nothing from "Pele," which is an album that perhaps means more to me than any of Tori's albums, as it was an album that really helped ME during a darker time in my life. I'd seen that she'd played "Not the Red Baron," "Horses," "Twinkle" and others the last few shows, and I was disappointed that it looked like I wasn't going to hear anything from that album. But when "Orange Knickers" ended, and she was still at the stool, I thought there was a shot. And when the opening chords for "Putting the Damage" on made themselves known, well, it was a perfect ending for truly one of the best - and definitely the mostunique - shows I"ve ever attended. Why else would I be up at this hour writing a ridiculously long review?

I can't wait to catch her with the full band. Thanks, Tori. I'm back in the fold.


From Adrian Terry:

There is so much to say and I can only hope I can get it all down properly. It has been two hours since the concert ended and I'm still flying. This was my 9th Tori show and I have to say that I have never come out of a concert feeling this much euphoria!

First, a few disclaimers for anyone who's interested in daily tidbits. The tickets for this show were EXTREMELY hard to come by. My amazing boyfriend won us 6th row end seats on Ebay barely a week before the concert. And thank goodness, because I wouldn't have missed this show for the world. I took my first solo MARC train ride to meet my boyfriend in DC, (he works there), and after dinner at Union Station we took a leisurely stroll the ten blocks or so to the venue.

The Warner Theater is not only gorgeous on its own, but it was the best venue I have ever seen Tori at, even moreso than Merriweather Post out in Columbia near to where I live, which holds a special place in my heart. This place was meant for her. The acoustics, the architecture, the comfy seats...everything was perfect. Some very nice gals sat in front of us and we talked with them before the show and during the intermission before Tori came on. The one thing that bothered me was the staff at the Warner. While effective in keeping the peace and pace of the show, they were talking too loudly during the performance and kept flashing a too-bright flashlight in people's faces for no reason at all.

But, that aside, I have to say this was the BEST Tori show I have ever been to. I'm sitting here sipping my Cherry Coke and nibbling on Mint Oreos, (an amazing combo), and I'm still grinning from ear to ear. I'm using facial muscles I haven't used in forever. I think that's why this show has effected me so much and so well. Life has been so hectic and overwrought for me lately, not bad mind you, but just a lot to handle and juggle. And just when I need her most, there's my Tori again to save my life.

Now then, on to the show itself. It started promptly enough at 8.02 or so with Matt Nathanson, who was adorable and wonderful. Excellent stage presence and catchy songs. I enjoy a guy who comes out and hammers a guitar passionately and has a joyous take on being included as the opening act to such a tour. Kudos and Thumbs up Matt! I've got to find his CD.

Tori's show didn't start till almost 9.15, which worried me since I was afraid the show might be cut short like the one in Fairfax was back in 2002. But, DC came through this time, and since the Metro runs till after midnight, I guess there was no strict curfew on the venue.

As for the setlist, I'll go song-by-song and do my best to keep the personal anecdotes short.

1 Original Sinsuality - The show theme and opener. A little longer than the album version, and more passionate. Very nice way to get started. Short and to the point.

2 Angels - I LOVE this song and have been playing the daylights out of it on my IPod. I had a feeling this song might show up given its subject matter. It's so true and so powerful in its simplicity. It was split between the organ and the piano. Tori switches back and forth so marvelously and flawlessly. It set the tone for the first half of the show, which seemed to be somewhat political in nature. Go figure in DC. :)

3 Take To The Sky - Speaking of flying...I never get tired of this song. I could see a glimpse of a younger Tori standing up to generations of wrongdoers with each verse. The audience really came alive here too. It rocks now and always will.

4 Josephine - Kinda surprised to hear this one, but with the political theme it fits quite well. Napoleon's story is interesting to remember in our current climate. This song has such beauty, even in its sadness. There's a lesson to be learned in it, no doubt.

5 Yes, Anastasia - This is one of those songs I play and sing along very loudly with when I am feeling challenged. I had never heard it live before tonight. And despite the fact that Tori only plays the last part of the original 9-minute opus, the power is not diminished. Given my current life status, I was charged when Tori looked straight at me with the line "We'll see how brave you are" each time. It didn't feel like a challenge from her, it felt like encouragement.

6 Mother Revolution - A classic case of a song not hitting home until it's performed and experienced live. The organ came back to pair with the piano for this one. The two instruments are so complimentary to one another. Like old friends, or long lost cousins. Reminded me of the pairing in 1996 with the harpsichord. I'm really digging this song now.

7 Rattlesnakes - I'm sure most of Tori's fan have heard this one before, but this was my first time. Love the Rhodes' sound. The melancholy quality it brings amidst its gorgeous tone. Loving it. The song was more drawn out than I expected, but it helped drive home the dark emotional backstory.

8 Boys In The Trees - I have limited exposure to Carly Simon, but this song is a real gem. I'd never heard it before, but I adore the lyrics. Gonna be tracking this down for myself soon. I love finding new songs to love!!

9 Like A Prayer - OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! Short story time. I have loved two women in this life outside of my family: Tori and Madonna. On this night of all nights to hear this amazing song of one from the mouth of the other...I can't describe it. I was holding myself so tightly while she played. Tears sprung up, but joyful ones. Perfect subject matter for Tori to tackle in a song. It suits her so well. With Madonna caught up in the Kabalah stuff as of late, I find myself turning to Tori more and more. And here, she brought my love of one woman to herself. Like the joining of the two Marys she talks about...for me, this was one of those life-defining moments. I couldn't be happier...

10 Marys Of The Sea - OK, if anyone doubted Tori's professionalism, let it stand that the lights and screen went out on stage for about 10 seconds in this song, and she didn't flinch. The song was flawless. She added an extra chorus or two. Very dramatic switching between the instruments.

11 Snow Cherries From France - Tonight, I was in the first audience to ever get to hear this song, to my knowledge. The improv when she forgot the lyrics was priceless. She is the greatest performer around, I'm convinced. She made up lyrics on the spot about her day. So cute to watch her throw glances back at the sound booth.

12 Jackie's Strength - The first single to be performed in the show. I was noticing she isn't playing a lot of her big hits. Not that I'm complaining at all, just an interesting tidbit, Anyway, lovely, lovely performance. It seemed to build on the theme set up by "Marys Of The Sea." It struck me as being about closeness and relationships, whether it be a holy figure, a husband, a mother or a best friend...the power of devotion is alive and well.

13 Mother - I had never heard this song in a show before and it was, along with "Like A Prayer," the highlight of the show for me. I remember when I was first getting into Tori's music in my senior year of high school in 1995. I was at a sleepover party at a friend's house and we were all in her basement with the candles burning and listening to the "Little Earthquakes" album. For some reason, "Mother" sticks out clearly in my mind from that time. For a few minutes tonight, I was with my old friends again, in Jessi's basement and my whole life was in front of me...

14 Bells For Her - GORGEOUS version on the Rhodes. The tones sounded just like bells in a steeple. Despite the whispering of some of my audience neighbors, I was gripped by this. The closeness between women friends is amazing to me.

15 The Beekeeper - Very long, emotional version of this song. Tori seemed to evoke the child within, scared of losing her mother, facing one's own mortality, losing a brother. Once again, she has the strength to meet life head on, and in turn inspire us, the audience to do so as well. Don't be afraid.

16 Goodbye Pisces - The first song of the encore, and the first time this was performed on this tour. Just before this song, after Tori left the stage at the end of the main set, a gaggle of people bumrushed the stage, and the staff of the Warner, along with some older audience members, jumped up and went on alert. No need, the people just wanted to be that much closer to their goddess...It was so poetic, watching these people leaning over the edge of stage as Tori sang this sweet song. From our 6th row end seats, my boyfriend and I could still see clearly and try to catch Tori's eye to smile and wave and thank her for tonight.

17 China - I want to cover this song someday. It perfectly sums up the distance that creeps into relationships over time. I've loved the illusions and metaphors since I first heard the song. I'd never heard this one either, if you can believe it, so I was beyond the happiness pale at this point. I remember my first boyfriend leaning on me the first day we were together, and this song was playing in the background on a stereo. Tonight was a night of memory.

18 The Power Of Orange Knickers - This and "Parasol" are my favorite songs on the new album. So great to hear it by Tori solo on the piano. Love the wordplay. Felt like an emotional ice cream after the banquet that was this show.

19 Putting The Damage On - A special surprise to end with. I haven't heard it in a show since 1996. I was imagining the Brass in my head as she played. There is so much ache in this song. But, again, the beauty within the sadness shone through. I didn't want it to ever end.

So, there you have it. I've been writing for almost an hour now. I just don't want to let go of tonight. I feel re-energized. I feel blissful. And I feel a little less alone. :) As I'm writing, I'm smiling over my shoulder at my T-shirt purchase this evening. The white tour shirt with the apple on the cover, evoking the Garden of Eden, Mount Olympus and Snow White. I'm counting the seconds till they announce the Summer tour dates.

Tori, if you ever get to read this, you are my angel and I love you. Thank you from the bottom of my worn out heart for tonight.


From Jason Schlemer:

This show was great!!!. It was a sort of odd mixture of songs, often having a political theme running through them of course. There is one good thing about having Tori play my hometown: She is political. There is one bad thing about Tori playing my hometown: She is political. While many of the songs a la "Mother Revolution", "Take To The Sky", "Angels", and many more fit so well into the vibe of what D.C is known for, politics, the downside is that sometimes I think Tori doesn't quite realize that most of the people in the crowd are not involved in politics and are as regular as the crowd in Clearwater, Boston, Detroit, etc. So sometimes I don't think there is as strong an emotional connection as some of the other cities get. However, that is not to say that tonight's show was not supreme. Tori appeared in a pink shimmery top and a very flowing light pink skirt that was somewhat transclucent. Original Sinsuality and Angels were very similar to the previous shows. As she said her hellos, . A girl shouted "I love you" and Tori said "Love you back" just as a guy yelled "I love you more" and she sexily and quizzically paused and said "You probably do". She then went right into "Take To The Sky" and played it as usually except near the end she must have said "This house is like, is like, is like, is like, is like..." 15 to 20 times or so before belting out the end. "Josephine" was excellent as always, and she knew all the words!. "Rattlesnakes" was the usual version like 01'. It was one I could have done without but, can't win em all.

She strongly played "Yes Anastasia". The whole performance of the song was fierce. It was the fiercest of the whole night. And with the exception of Dallas or Austin 03', it was the best "Yes Anastasia" I have ever heard. The piano was really accented and heavy. Very forceful. Of course "Mother Revolution" was excellent. It is one of my faves from the new record, particularly solo like this. She added the organ on it, which was different then the radio solo performances. I loved it! It was a major highlight for me. The covers: what is there really to say! Both were awesome. "Boys In The Trees" is one of my faves and I was honored to hear it since it is one of her rare covers. She said she drove by Mr.Smith's yesterday, a bar she used to play in Georgetown. "Some of you probably know I cut my teeth in this town." she said. She said she waved hello to the girl in the window from way back when and then said "This is song I used to play over and over back in Rockville""Like A Prayer" was a major surprise. I guess someone requested this. I honestly thought she was going to play "Live to Tell" but she started playing and began singing "Life is a mystery....". The entire theatre went nuts. She even rocked out some while playing it. I love "Like A Prayer" and I feel really fortunate that I got to see the one and only Tori Amos perform it. "Marys of the Sea" (another fave of The Beekeeper) was good, just like the other performances for those who have heard Clearwater.

Let me say I hate "Snow Cherries From France" on TOAL. Hate it. We're not friends. It just never worked out. After hearing it live, we are more than friends now. I LOVED IT! It was one of my favorite moments of the whole night. She sang the first line and then looked at the audience blank and was like "How does it go?" She was laughing. She then kept playing the song and to the tune of "Snow Cherries" sang something like (paraphrasing here) "went past Jefferson today and saw the cherry blossoms [this week is the beginning of the Cherry Blossom Festival, a big D.C thing every April] thought I would be clever and sing this song. I have never done this before and I didn't rehearse as much as I should because I was doing radio all day, all fucking day, so I am having a brain fart." She stopped playing and grabbed the lyrics hidden inside the Bosey and said "You don't see this here" then began singing the song as it is. And it was quite beautiful. Her whole improv was set to the melody of "Snow Cherries". It was really funny and nice. I liked seeing her so silly. She seemed like a little girl and was really cute. I hope someone booted it (along with Like A Prayer). She went into "Jackie's Strength" and I could tell she was struggling to remember the words. There were quite a few pauses. I felt bad for her at one point because I thought she was gonna completely blank out, but she got it and made it through.

The rest of the show was pretty standard. "Goodbye Pisces" seemed really brief and over before you know it, but nice to hear since she hadn't played it yet. "China" a blast from the past was flowing and emotional. Orange Knickers also seemed to be over before you know it. "Putting the Damage On" was beautiful as always. I personally thought the show felt a tad short, but that is probably just me. I wished she would have talked more. I like it when she talks. It's very personable and interesting and funny a lot of the time. The nieces and nephews were there. I didn't see Mom and Dad as was sitting in the middle so probably not close enough, but I am sure there were there. Tori Amos looked absolutely stunning in her dress. Very striking and her hair is very long and flowing. She really is a striking and beautiful women. She looked like a goddess tonight in her dress with her hair curling down her back. Overall, a good show. My only complaint is that the crowd cheered everytime she started a song as if the didn't know it or it was rare. I can understand it for the covers or for a rare song, but there was a lot of yelling everytime she began and it became annoying after awhile. Hoping that she will open up a little more as the tour progresses (except it is so short!). I am looking forward to NYC and Philly, but there is no place like home, no matter how good the setlist!


From Lupa:

Her entrance was awesome... lights went down, curtain went up and she was standing under a single beam of light in front of her bosey. She wore a white and pink dress, very flowing and beautiful.

Original Sinsuality - beautiful live.

Let's see, angels was a great second song where she went between the bosey and the organ, sometimes both at the same time. just stunning and she had a lot of passion, head bowed not looking at either board while she played... totally into it. To me this was the politically charged song of the night and you could hear it in her voice...

mother revolution was with the bosey and organ, also stunning.

Like a prayer blew my mind! I dare say she did it better than Madonna... honestly, my mind is still blown...

Bells for Her - this song does it to me every time. Just lovely.

She didn't do any improves BUT she forgot the second line to snow cherries... just giggled and kept playing while improving the lyrics about how she thought she'd be clever about singing about snow cherries (the Cherry Blossom Festival is going on right now in DC) and how she didn't rehearse as much as she'd like to because she was doing "fucking" radio all day.

Goodbye Pieces - incredible. I almost wish that she'd reversed China and Pieces for continuity... but I loved the airy sound of the melody.

There is so much more to say... but no words. By far one of the best Tori concerts I've been to.


From Lorraine Eakin:

Wow! If Atlanta was the "show for the South," this was definitely the show for our nation's Capitol. Her setlist was a mixture of the political (Angels, Mother Revolution), the historical (Josephine, Yes Anastasia, Jackie's Strength), and the personal (Mother, Bells for Her, Take to the Sky). I think she did a lovely job incorporating her personal experiences growing up here with the collective experience of living in and responding to our history and politics.

The audience was very loud and interactive - lots of clapping and spontaneous cheering in the middle of songs. But I think it came from genuine excitement and appreciation (and not pure obnoxiousness) so it didn't bother me - it was very high energy, and I think Tori fed off that. Well, okay, there may have been a few obnoxious people...

Josephine and Yes, Anastasia were, for me, the crux of the show. I've been waiting to see Anastasia for 14 shows, from Syracuse to Atlanta, and it finally happened in my backyard! What an amazing song - no bootleg can capture what it's like to see her perform it. I almost feel she steps out of herself when she performs it - it's eerie, but amazing at the same time. And Josephine is a lovely complement; I think it was perfectly chosen to proceed it.

Mother Revolution is played mostly on the piano, with the chorus played on the organ. I'm still coming to terms with the organ. It still feels a bit jarring to me...time will tell if I come around to it.

Just before Tori's Piano Bar she said, "Some of you know, I cut my teeth singing in this town. We drove by Mr. Smith's and I waved to the redheaded girl, who wasn't a redhead yet, who was in the window. I fell in love with some songs then. And this was a song that I would play, somewhere in Rockville, for hours and hours and hours." - I'm paraphrasing, but that was the gist of it. Boys In The Trees was a great, Tori-esque song, and I loved it. I never expected it to be followed by Like A Prayer! That was a real treat. I thought it was really funny she chose to do that song, and I kept giggling, especially when she'd juxtapose the words or skip a section. I remember her saying in an interview that Like a Prayer was her favorite Madonna song. Lots of fun!

The remainder of the set was very emotional, but pretty mellow too. Snow Cherries From France made her first appearance, and Tori blew the first verse, which was great, because she launched into an entirely improvised verse about how she wanted to be clever and do this song after seeing the cherry blossoms, but she didn't have time to rehearse. Then she asked us not to watch what she was doing and pulled the lyrics out of the Bosey! After that she nailed it, and it was lovely.

I got a little sentimental during Jackie's Strength, as my best friend Jackie is getting married next summer. It was a lovely version - she took her time and seemed to get very emotional herself at the end. It doesn't seem a surprise that Mother would follow Jackie, but I was knocked off my seat when she began it. Everyone has "that Tori song" that goes beyond being your favorite song - it's a part of your makeup, a part of who you are. You may go months or years without listening to it, and other songs capture your fancy, but "that song" is still in you. That's what Mother is to me. I haven't seen it since my first show in Delaware in '98 (how lucky to see your favorite Tori song at your first show!) and it was a really special moment for me. The last bits of the song (when she draws out the "mother...mother...the car is..heeeeeeeerrre") were crystal clear and brought tears to my eyes. It was a more bass-y version than usual - it sounded like she only played the song with her left hand. Very powerful!

The rest of the show was a bit lost on me - lovely and enjoyable, but nothing like what had preceded it. I kind of felt like Goodbye Pisces is the new, lesser version of China (even the same imagery), so to see her follow it with China was kind of like saying "Okay, that was the fake version, here's the real version of that song right here".

The 2nd encore was identical to the 1st Clearwater encore. Even so, I stayed til the end. I have this paranoid fear that if I leave a show early she'll decide to do another encore and end with, like, the Wrong Band or Gold Dust or a cover of Nuthin but a G Thang, and I'll miss it. C?est la vie. The show overall was much more than I expected, and Yes Anastasia alone was worth the price of admission!


From lita:

my boyfriend and i were running late and we missed the opening act. we were still on the metro at 8:30. we were scared we wouldn't make it. they didn't check us because we didn't have a bag or anything with us. everything was in our pockets and i just had a book. when i walked in i noticed a table with cell phones with tickets attached to them, so they were taking phones away.. but they never checked me. (i did see some people with their phones/camera in the theatre, but they snuck them in. i also saw people being told to put their stuff away DURING the concert..)

so we went inside to sit in row L and it was SO CLOSE. it seemed closer than the last show when we were 5th row. aww man it was soooo close..and the theatre itself was so beautiful and all. it was a really intimate setting.

tori started with original sinsuality. it was surreal. she came out wearing this translucent flowing light pink outfit by Bora Aksu. her new body guard, smitty, was at the right of the stage for most of the concert.

the next song was angels. at the booksigning, a guy that was in line with me told me about a close friend of his who died and that the song angels came out years after his friend's death, but he felt that the song really helped him deal with the death of his friend. at the signing when he talked to tori, he told her about the story and he asked her if she could play that song for him at the dc show and she told him she would, and she did. she remembered for him. this song was beautiful, too. she did this little leg cross thing during the song that was funny.

she talked a little bit, saying how she was surprised to come to dc and how it felt like SUMMER TIME. yes, it got up to around 90something yesterday!! someone screamed "i love you" and she said "love you back" and some guy said "i love you more" and she said "i bet you do.." and i thought it was great.

she played take to the sky. did the whole smacking piano thing and the audience had to annoying-ly clap along, but it still was a good performance.

next was josephine. this was a treat.

yes, anastasia was probably my favorite of the night, seeing as how i have been waiting for this song!! it seemed shorter than the original, but maybe that's just me. it was awesome, especially when she got to the 'we'll see' line when she holds it out..

mother revolution was next, and tori played the bose. and the organ for this one, and sometimes she played both simultaneously. it was awesome. this was a worldwide debut of this song..

rattlesnakes, tori moved over to the left of the stage and i had a perfect view. it was beautiful, something about this performance was different than the last time i saw rattlesnakes..

tori came back over to the piano and spoke about the town, rockville, mr. smith's bar..it was nostalgic for tori. she seemed very comfortable and it was like home.

the piano bar started and tori played carly simon's 'boys in the trees' and then madonna's 'like a prayer' these were fun songs.

next was marys of the sea. she played the bose. and the organ for this one too. during this song, the light went out on stage. i dont know if it's because smitty stood in front of it (just kidding!), or what. but she still played through it like it was no thing.

she started playing snow cherries from france, and she forgot how it goes, so she improvised a bit and then started over. she said she rehearsed it and promised she'd play it, since she saw the cherry blossoms in dc and all.. she played the song and it was very pretty. i think this was another debut..?

jackie's strength..not much to say about this, it was a great performance.

mother was very surreal.

bells for her, tori came back to the left of the stage. this was very eerie feeling for me, but i loved the performance of this one.

she then turned, still on the left, and played the beekeeper. this was amazing.

she did the whole 'send this message to michael' thing during the song. very touching.

the first encore was goodbye to pisces (another debut!) followed by china. i liked the placement of these two songs. i think they relate somehow. there was something special about china..

the second encore was the power of orange knickers, where tori shook her head during the 'shame on me' part, and then the last song of the night was putting the damage on. wonderful.

the entire concert was wonderful and i was blown away.

anyway. it was really hard trying to walk out of the venue because it was so small, i never felt so close to toriphilles in my life!!

i'm glad i got to experience this show with all who went!


From cochitin:

I know you guys are all big-time Toriphiles or whatever, and so am I. But let's be brutallyhonest here: The Warner show was NOT great.

1. The Warner Theatre people did not open the doors untilclose to8 p.m., the START time of the show. So people cued up for a mile just to wait to get in the doors, only to disocover thatby the time you made it into the theater, the opening act had finished its set (8:30 p.m.). They should have opened the doors at 7 p.m. It makes no sense to start the show at 8 and open the doors at 8. NO SENSE. When I asked management about this I was told that it was the band, not the venue, that had delayed the opening. I am open to hearing other explanations.

2. The set list was awful (although I have to admit that "Orange Knickers" sounds much better live than it doeson the album). With the kinds of songs that she is performing on this tour, she might as well have called this the "Original Obscurity" tour. She did not even play the single from "Beekeeper". Again, nonsensical. She did sound AMAZING, though, and I am glad to have caught her again on one of her "raw" tours (just her and the Bosendorfer, etc.). But I have to say that this may be my last Tori show (and this is my 6th or 7th).

3. She was not very chatty or into the audience, as she has been in past shows. Also, a couple of times it soundedas ifshe had a backing tape going (weird noises, echoes, choruses that perhaps only someone who was seated in the front row -- I was --could hear). But the WORST part of the show was the fact thatshe allowed miscellaneous people to "rush the stage" during the last four songs. Not only was this extremely annoying, but it was also extremely dangerous. There was a PREGNANT BLIND WOMAN next to me WITH A SEEING EYE DOG; they almost got crushed in the stampede. I do not understand why she condones this behavior; perhaps she wants her fans "in the back" to see her up close. But allowing this rush to the stage only endangers the people in the front. If she wants this kind of fan behavior, then she should play general admission shows at venues that are perhaps less civilized than the Warner Theatre. Again, it made NO sense (to me) to endanger the lives of the people in the first 3 rows and allow this ridiculous behavior. Not to mention that I do not appreciate standing in line for HOURS to get my tickets, and then standing in line for an HOUR again to get into the venue, just for Tori to decide that she is going to allow people to overtake my seat. Talk about putting the damage on.

From Richard Handal, H.G. as posted to various Tori mailing lists:

Oh, RIGHT; *now* I remember why I love going to Tori Amos concerts. It had been since just before Thanksgiving 2002 that I'd attended one. If last night's D.C. show is any indication, and I have every reason to suspect it is, this isn't merely a concert tour, this is a traveling music, keyboard, and piano clinic.

What an astonishing experience. Thoroughly mesmerized. It took me a few minutes before I was finally able to leave behind me the enormous amount of distracting tension that seems almost inevitably associated with attending the shows, but once I got my groove on, I went on along off with her for the rest of the night.

And what a glorious voyage it was. As I begin writing this exactly two hours hence, I'm still in the thick of lingering excitement and emotion. The epiphany came as the waning "Josephine" faded toward memory, being abruptly and chillingly usurped by a powerful left hand as "Yes, Anastasia" was revealed. A music teacher friend of mine left voicemail for me as she was driving home in which she mentioned the start of "Yes, Anastasia" as her signal moment of the concert, too. I will quote her:

OH . . . MY . . . GOD.

For those of you who believe it makes little difference what sort of piano is being played, I will assure you that those low end power chords on almost any other piano will not be taking your body and tossing it about as did this Boesendorfer when "Yes, Anastasia" began--and you will not be feeling those same chills even the next morning. The Moscow connection to the just ended "Josephine" immediately clicked, and that upped the ante with respect to feeling connected with self, universe, and everything through this gloriously foreboding music.

Turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream; you will understand that these songs are connected one with the other, and that you are connected with *them*. For those prepared to receive it, the sense of being tuned in to this music and of being in harmony with the world tags along with one's attendance at these concerts. Music is capable of doing nothing that's more worthwhile than this. Let us rejoice for this music and pay it all of its due respect, as we are indeed blessed by it.

I've witnessed Tori perform "Boys In The Trees" before, but not with this easy sense of determined longing. She painted the picture when she introduced it of having played it over and over again when she lived fifteen miles away in Rockville, and surely she'd used it as a sonic fetish to lure boys, as might have been possible, to drop down from trees into her life. The sweet tenderness of this teenage yearning was supplanted when she next began Madonna's hit, "Like a Prayer." What a riot: it was at once a performance that was powerful and *highly* valid musically, and it also served as a supplementary "fuck you" to her recent interview mentions of the current generation of neo-vaudevillian pop stars who dance always, and sing only when they can manage it.

No small part of the clinic was in the song "The Beekeeper," which was rendered on the same type of chord organ my aging aunt has to this day in her living room. I assure you that few people ever managed to coax such sets of tones out of a device like this as does Tori. In comparison to anything I ever heard my aunt play, this performance didn't bear any.

And musicians take note: none of the higher glory of what Tori's doing can be achieved with a drum machine or sampled loops running inexorably down their road to nowhere. No, this is music that derives its deep emotion and ridiculous amount of expression from impeccably brilliant but always natural phrasing, dynamics, and rubato. Surely, this is the most important lesson to be learned from these concerts by musicians.

In 2001 we came to understand that Tori had determined to play most of her material more slowly, and I wondered then, as I still do, whether much or most of the reasoning behind this decision was due to the physical toll that the pyrotechnics, of the kind we came to accept as normal on the 1996 Dew Drop Inn Tour, had come to take on her body. We'll likely never know the answer to this, but as I said when I returned my music teacher friend's call late last night, the musical justification for this exists in spades, and it matters little to me if she may have begun performing slower versions of her songs, in part, because it's less taxing on her body. I think back to an interview I read a couple years ago which had Jonsi of Sigur Ros saying something to the effect of "anything that's good is even better when slowed down." There's much to be said in support of this idea, and the opportunity to be taken on a longer, deeper ride during a song serves, to me, to be as much evidence as I'd ever care to have that even if Tori were playing with bionic arms, it would have been a well-reasoned decision to slow down the songs as she's done.

It's the same concept that explains why 78rpm records can have more presence than 33 1/3rpm LPs: there's more real estate in which to encode information over each equal period of time. If you have X number of notes, bars, chords, accents, and everything else that makes up a work of music, and you decide to allow yourself more time to shape the presentation of all of these things and to allow them to unfold rather than breezing through them, of *course* there's more opportunity for the expression of emotion. Now, you'll still need to know what to *do* with this enriched opportunity for higher levels of expression if you determine you want to avail yourself of it. Tori does. It's wonderful. She owned every note of this concert; if she played it, there was damn good reason for its having been played--and just as it had been.

"Goodbye Pisces," the first encore song, not only led me by the hand down her primrose path, but the easy forcefulness of its shapes took me up hill and down dale in compelling fashion. I looked around and marveled with confusion as to how so many people who had paid a lot of money to attend this concert kept themselves so fully in rein that they sat stonily as if they were watching television in their homes. In case it hadn't occurred to you long ago, television is the natural enemy of music, and if you have acclimated yourself to sitting motionless inside and out while the evil rays wash over you, I'm not sure that you're likely to be reaping many of the benefits of music as are available--in particular this music--and you might as well save yourself some money and stay home. This is music that can move an attentive and empathic listener in more than a few ways, and I suggest if you're to attend any of these concerts, that you fully give yourself unto its power.

By the time "Putting the Damage On" brought us in for a cushioned landing, those of us who had surrendered to this force were ready to dust ourselves off and look around so as to discover this new place in which we found ourselves. I suspect most of us felt we were now somewhere that had been tremendously improved. I know *I* did.


From Sarah:

I've never written in before, but today I'm on cloud 9,000 after seeing Tori in DC. The show was an emotional and heavy one generally, and so special for me because I had requested "Like a Prayer." I didn't think there was a snowball's chance in hell that she would actually play it -- what a shock! We all kind of giggled at first, but it turned out to be quite powerful and gorgeous, of course. She didn't need a gospel choir backing her, because the piano was absolutely roaring on the chorus.

The concert has been well covered, but I thought I would add just a few more comments:

For me, there were roughly two parts to the show: In the first half, there was the power of the mother/woman, and home. The second half tackled different types of separation and loss, beginning with "Snow Cherries From France." I think "Mother Revolution" sums up the vibe -- the power in the lines "what you didn't count on was another mother of a mother revolution," but the sorrow of "you could've had me, boy ... right there beside you."

On Rattlesnakes, Tori was visibly moved by the line "all you need is, love is all you need." She turned and faced the audience head-on while she was singing it, and held an intense stare for several measures. You could hear a pin drop -- or in this case, a lone drunk person laugh.

During "Boys in the Trees," when she sang about "the silent understanding passing down from daughter to daughter" she gave a very serious stare at someone in particular, I'm assuming her mother. This show seemed very much for and about her.

Tori looked beautiful as usual, with her hair down and in curls. She was wearing a silky pink top (with one Scarlet-era butterfly sleeve and one normal cap sleeve) and a pleated white skirt. I think she's looking a bit like flower for this tour.

All in all, such a treat. Playing the piano, this woman can do more with her left hand than a lot of people can with both -- as highlighted when she plays the Hammond and the Bosie simultaneously. And vocally, she was a powerhouse last night. Wow.


From Jason Scott:

For those of us around DC and Baltimore that cannot see shows in other cities this night was really special! I have found that when Tori is here she really plays a generic set (if I have to sit through "Somewhere over the Rainbow" one more time I will scream.) However, tonight I didn't notice her parents there (I am assuming they have moved to her home in Florida) so I think that maybe since they weren't there she probably didn't have to play certain song that they like. She appears to be doing a bit from each album on these shows, however "Scarlet's Walk" was unrepresented. And the Orange lighting during "The Power Of Orange Knickers" was a nice touch, and then staying on through "Putting the Damage On" for the "orange rind" lyric, just awesome!!! My best Tori show since the very first time I saw her in '96. All the people that didn't get to see "Like a Prayer"(whichI think, judging by its reception, might show up on a later tour)and "Snow Cherries From France" played live for the very first time really missed out. AMAZING!!!


From A. Bilal:

(takes deep breath...)

This is probably one of my favorite Tori shows...ever. It was definitely memorable. Let's see...I made it to the meet and greet, and met Lin and Rosewynd from the turbidblue.com forums. (You guys rock! Hope you enjoyed DC!) I got to meet Tori and Smitty (the new bodyguard)...Smitty said he remembered me from the booksigning, and was all winking at me...it was total flirtation, hehe. Next time he'll hopefully upgrade my shit. Anyhoo, I met Tori again, and she was awesome, and she signed my ticket, and I got to take a couple of pics with her. Then, the TurbidBlue forum guys and a couple of other fans (like this girl Marina from Australia...she was awesome) went on a brief tour of DC, led by yours truly. We went to the White House (it smelled like sh*t), and we saw the president of Ukraine get his appointment outside (I yelled to him that Ukraine ROCKED!, then felt real stupid...lol), oh and I took the guys to this sandwich spot nearby and we had a lil' Tori lunch. Oh, and the restaurant played A Sorta Fairytale, which had me rockin out at the place, I started doin' the runnin man, it was great...

Wow, haven't even got to the concert yet.

Oh, and in the theater, there were these silly ass girls with these beers (they didn't look older than 17, btw), and this guy came past and said "Hey, a toast" (get it, a lil' Tori joke), and they were like, "It's not toast, it's a beer..." [Insert stupid drunk girl jokes here.] It was the only obnoxiously stupid moment of the evening, well, one of two.

Anyway, show started around 8:10, Matt Nathanson was good, but I'd take Howie Day over him anyday. Tori came on like, an hour later (around 9:10), and started her set which was, awesome.

Original Sinsuality was stunning...and I swear it felt like a 5 or 6-minute version of it. It had this beautiful opening to it. Really clear, powerful vocals on this one.

Angels...first off. This is one of my FAVORITE Tori songs...ever, guys. Some of you know that this song is very personal to me, as I lost a very good friend of mine in 1996 in a rafting accident in the Potomac River, in Cabin John, MD. I was hoping she played this song live, and I never thought it would sound like this. At this point in the show my liquid diamonds were just flowing...I couldn't help it, it was just...I knew this would be a personal moment for me. (I had several throughout the show)

Take To The Sky was awesome, I was pulling it back together, and trying to dance in my seat, but I was gonna knock over my drink, so I figured I'd just chill...lol.

Josephine was beautiful, I love Tori's voice so much..she sounds better than she ever did before.

Yes, Anastacia...was the second knockout, because she hadn't done it yet on this tour, and I was happy to be getting it in DC. It was simply gorgeous, and she made the audience feel just...

Mother Revolution followed, and I kind of expected this song, because I remembered seeing it was kind of written for Bush...(Lucky me, I guessed the kind of man, that you would turn out to be...) Also a first on this tour.

Rattlesnakes followed...and I was MORE than happy to hear it, since it gained a new position as one of my favorite SLG's. I hadn't heard it since 01 in DC, but even then it wasn't recieved like tonight. It sounded beautiful. This bootleg is going to be killer...

Then came Piano Bar time, and it was as you know, awesome.

Boys in the Trees was BEAUTIFUL as all hell, I knew it instantly from the boots I'd heard, but damn this song is awesome...("do you stand in back afraid that you'll intrude?")

Like A Prayer was...totally unexpected for me, at least. This was, in my opinion, much better than Madonna's studio version, probably because of the intimacy of the theater, and just the atmosphere of it all...can't say any of Madonna's recent tours are "intimate".

Next came, MARYS OF THE FRIGGIN' SEA! Yeah baby! I love this song, and live it was just beautiful with the darker, chamber kind of sound. The storytelling in that song is so...vivid and gorgeous. LOVED IT!

Then something so unexpected and wonderful happened...Tori debuted Snow Cherries From France. And the audience went bananas, cause she forgot the second line to it...it was so perfect. Her improv was sooo cute, she was talking about how she went to the Jefferson Memorial here in DC (where most of the Cherry Blossoms are), and doing "f*cking radio all day", and to excuse her brain fart...lol The song was soooooo good...much better live than on record.

Jackie's Strength came afterwards, and it was gorgeous, as usual. One of my favorites from the masterpiece of the Choirgirl Hotel. I was so glad to hear anything from that album, but it was sooo special for me. It felt like she was singing just for me.

Then came a very sentimental moment for me...Tori performed my favorite song from Little Earthquakes, Mother. Yes, I started flowing again...it was just that beautiful. I mean, I know she did the song in Orlando, and several times before hand, but tonight was just...riveting. I can't properly explain what I was feeling, I just reached back to when I needed that song and it came through for me, and I realized the gravity of hearing it live.

Apparently, she wanted me to keep flowing, so after Mother, she went right into Bells for Her, which was the version I prefer, solo, very quiet, like on the album.It reminded me of lost friendships, and in my case, a lost relationship. This was the first song that really dug its nails into my ugly breakup situation, and I have to say it was thaat damn gripping that I was covering my face to not interrupt anyone else's experience.

[Note: During this song, this security guard b*tch was standing by the stairs in the balcony when all of a sudden she just says kinda loud, "Who the hell is that with a camera?", right in the middle of "Cant stop what's coming"....god, it was soooo rude. The theater was so quiet, and she just rudely said that shit. Who gives a f*ck about a camera, its Tori playing, dont interrupt that.]

Then, she ended the set with The Beekeeper, which was just...stunning as we all know. I could hear this version all night and be happy. It's just that good, honestly. Very funeral-like, drawn-out, but very emotional. When she left the stage, everybody rushed the stage to get ready for the encores.

Now for the encores, I have come to the conclusion that Tori knows me personally, because three of the four songs in the encore spoke directly to me and my ugly breakup situation, resulting in massive amounts of tears to be shed from a grown ass man in the balcony of the Warner Theater.

She did Goodbye Pisces live for the first time on this tour, and it was spectacular. I have been listening to this song for the past two days, helping me get over the situation, but that night it really was just reminding me of what a piece of sh*t he is, and how fortunate I am to have found Tori's music. I'm tearing up now, just writing about it.

Then she followed that up with China...now, I have never been a HUGE fan of China, but do you know that tonight it had me flowing rivers in the balcony. I thought I was gonna drown...lol. Another breakup song, (which I forgot to put on my playlist) but I was really just thinking about how f*cked up this whole thing has been.

She left again...and came back with The Power of Orange Knickers...hehe. GREAT SONG! I tried to pull it back together, I mean, I was apologizing to the people next to me, I was sobbing kind of hard.

She finished the set with...Putting the Damage On. To put things short, she put the damage on, and boy, did she look pretty doing it. I let everything go that night. All of the pent up rage from the situation, and all of the stress he'd caused. Gone. It was like I was being relieved of a heavy load, and boy, did it feel good.

Can't wait for New York, but I'm emotionally drained from this set.

From Jamie:

This was my first show, and it was an amazing experience. The venue was great, the audience was polite [no screaming alcoholics], and Tori's performance was top-notch. Further, Matt Nathanson was great. He's got a wonderful voice, looks hot wiggling behind his guitar, and can really work with a crowd. The show rocked my socks; my only qualm was with the setlist. It seemed like a) a very "recycled" setlist and b) an exceedinly safe setlist. Seven of the songs have been performed [excluding the staples] in the previous shows, which is surprising, considering she's got a catalogue of over 200.

I won't do a song-by-song, just a highlights review.

OS: The piano intro was beautiful, and I literally got chills by the second time she sang the "Yaldaboath" line. I was really anticipating this one, and she did NOT disappoint.

Angels: I know a lot of people aren't big fans of this song, but the performance was stunning, and this is one of the best examples of the organ being a good move for Tori.

Anastasia: After TTtS and Josephine came on, I had the distinct feeling that she would make an appearance, and, like clockwork, she did! This was one song I really was excited to see--an intense and gorgeous performance. I think this performance of the final "we'll see" was one of the best, vocally, and also one of the most extended. Superb.

Mother Revolution: Just wanted to mention how wonderful the organ is on this.

Like a Prayer: A cute little treat; I just wish she had used the organ on it--would have been perfect for this song. But I suppose the organ is officially excluded from the piano bar. I couldn't even recognize the song for a the first 30 seconds over the roar of the audience. Clearly a popular choice.

Marys of the Sea: My favorite song from the new album, I was thrilled to see that this was, despite the Atlanta set, a new staple. The piano is excellent on it, and her voice was beautiful.

Snow Cherries: I don't even really like this song all that much, and I thought this was one of my favorite moments of the evening. Her mess-up and subsequent improv was lively and adorable.

Bells for Her: The rhodes really works with this song. It was chilling.

All in all, great show. I just hope that she takes a few more risks with the rest of the sets. Otherwise, we'll be hearing Rattlesnakes, Leather, and China nightly.


From Chad:

Mike- What a day-What a *day!* I drove through the night to Washington from my home in Upstate NY, arriving just as the sun was coming up. Seeing the White House, Lincoln Memorial, etc. bathed in the early morning sunlight was beautiful. I saw some brilliant cherry blossoms, and thought of snow cherries (!). I had the Beekeeper on in my discman all day long as i explored the area, and it provided a nice soundtrack. I stopped by the Theatre at about 2pm....met a few people... had a really nice conversation with a kid from Washington for an hour or two while we waited for the meet and greet. I'd promised myself i wasn't going to do meet and greets given the fact that I've already met T and that that meeting was immaculate, and... well, pretty close to my subjective definition of perfect. But, there weren't that many of us, and I strongly suspected we'd be lined up one by one, and we'd each have decent face time.

Alas, it was a dissapointment. And not because i didn't get to talk to T personally. they brought us- into the atrium just beyond the front entrance, and placed a table between us and Tori. Tori looked radiant and beautiful, and was friendly, polite, etc.- no suprise there, but I was dissapointed that there were so many clamoring for her attention. As I saw it she was being treated like an object. I suppose that's all part of what celebrity is anyways...but... well, it was still unsettling for me to see it. I kinda backed away after a bit. I wasn't really interested in another autograph, nor another picture. I wouldn't be able to tell her what i wanted anyways, and it would only taint my other meeting with her wayyyyyy back in 96.

Now for the show!!! I purposely avioded getting any info about this tour, nothing about the set design, set lists, etc.- I wanted to be suprised- and suprised I was!!!!

I was curious to see how she would enter the stage, and the curtain being raised revealing Tori standing just behind it was clever, and not what I was expecting. I always like the little bow type greeting thing she does and how she places one hand in the other... its elegant and charming.

ORIGINAL SINSUALITY- A great way to start the show...the theme of going back seemingly before time began to set the stage, the song's only a few minutes long, and that helps too.

ANGELS- A song I absolutely adore. I kept thinking of Bush. I like it when she added the organ during the chorus. Very nice.

TAKE TO THE SKY- Always a treat. I'm so glad something so ancient in her catalog still makes a regular apperance. I like that everyone claps along- its fun. She did the usual felating of the mic/ humping of the piano during 'take it/take it/ take it boys' during the latter part of the song- *magic*

JOSEPHINE- I heard a great live version of this once, and seeing it for myself was no dissapointment. I love when T uses French words in her music- it makes it that much more sensual :)

ANASTASIA- One of my top five, always incredible to hear it. Personally, I'll never get over the dynamic this song took on in 96, but tonight T nailed it. She pounded the lower register, cascading thundering notes throughout the number. She held the final 'seeeee...how brave you are' for *awhile* and kept hitting the same few notes as she held the one 'seee'- it was dramatic and impressive. I wish she'd do the 'all your dollies have friends' and play around with the spot between that and 'thought she deserved...' like she used to....I guess hearing/seeing too many live shows has made spoiled a bit!!!!

MOTHER REVOLUTION- One of the better #'s from BK. Loved the usage of the organ. I didn't realize that the organs could be manipulated to make different sounds- it was a treat seeing Tori tweak knobs and push levers and stuff.

RATTLESNAKES- I was sitting in row 6, on the left hand side, and the Rhodes was to the edge of stage right, so for this one and Bells Tori was sitting *directly* in front of me and those sitting around me. I'm one of those wierdos who really loves *LOVES* Strange Little Girls, and I was hoping to hear at least one # from it. As she played, I cried and cried....and sobbed.... I'd never knew the line about 'all you need is love/ love is my only dissapointment' or somethingl ike that, actually existed....but i definitely heard it tonight. I went through an awful, miserable break up this past winter, and this song kind of led me to some catharsis. This song was definitley the highlight of the evening for me. After the song was over this girl sitting next to me handed over a tissue- it was adorable and sweet.

BOYS IN THE TREES- I'd never heard this one live before, but I really enjoyed it. Tori mentioned in Piece/Piece that if Elton John hadn't been around she might have written some songs that he actually has already. I think this one falls into that same catagory- it has T written all over it.

LIKE A PRAYER- Okay, so my empty reserve of tears was tapped during this one. I really can't relate to those who call seemingly out of character covers like this one 'cute' or who laugh throughout them. As far as I'm concerned, Tori adds legitimacy to them, and recreates them with a certain solemn and exquisite heaviness. I was thrilled to be lucky enough to hear this one. It was wonderful. It made me think of my aunt and uncle's old house in the country, and the old piano they have there.... *shrugs*

MARYS OF THE SEA- Again, usage of organ was splendid

SNOW CHERRIES FROM FRANCE- The forgetting the words/improv about forgetting the words, etc./ tossing aside the lyric sheet was pure *magic*- I was watching her as her face lit up, realizing she couldn't remember the words, it was adorable. During the song someone shouted out 'YOU BET' in response to one of the lyrical questions. NOT CUTE- NO ONE'S IMPRESSED

JACKIE'S STRENGTH- Another Washington #... Angels, Snow Cherries, Boys in the Trees... I think I remember even hearing that Anastasia came to her during the 92 tour when she was playing Maryland/DC...she was sick and says she had a vision of Anastasia. At this point, I was sure she was going to close with Goldust.

MOTHER- Brilliant...except the girl on my *other* side kept singing... BOOOO!!- i hate that

BELLS FOR HER- The 96 arrangement on the harpsichord will never be topped, as far as I'm concerned, but this was a treat, again at the Rhodes, with us on the left sitting in T's lap :)

THE BEEKEEPER- I also had an exellent view of Tori during this one, I like the fact that she uses just one organ in so many ways to create the song. Beautiful, hypnotic in a way... 1st Encore

PISCES/CHINA- I got right up front of the stage- only one row of people ahead of me. I was like, ten feet away from Tori. It was wonderful. She looks even more poised and focused up close. Sometimes her eyes gaze downwards, or upwards. The intensity in her eyes then is chilling.---- Some usher was trying to get us to move because we were blocking the front row. Smitty was standing stage left and tried to get his attention to tell him to stop. I thought that was cool. 2nd Encore

KNICKERS/DAMAGE- I was realllly hoping to her Knickers solo and I cried... beautiful. Damage was great, although I was hyped up for goldust.

I feel that having spent the day looking around Washington, taking it all in, gave me a more complete experience with the show, gave it an additional perspective. All the Washington themed numbers she played made more sense somehow, and....well, all in all, I got the most out of my day in that town-- as much as I possibly could.

The only other overall comment I have about the show is that.... Tori seems really solemn and stoic. I mean, even during the encores she gave us in front just a quick nod and wave. I mean, I'm not complaining- If we had anymore of this woman I think she'd be missing a limb or something. I think its probably just a function of her having done years and years of shows...a natural outworking and such. Who knows.. I feel fortunate to have seen one show on the solo tour, and even more lucky I'm seeing T again in Philly!!! I'm enjoying the rapture.


Read a review of this show from The Washington Post.


From Sylvia Longmire:

This was my fourth Tori concert, and I'm going to commit what most fans would consider an atrocity...I'm going to give it a bad review. Let me give you some background. I've been playing the piano since I was seven years old (23 years) and singing since I was 19. My first real exposure to Tori's music was when Boys for Pele came out. I promptly purchased the sheet music book and learned the whole thing. The first song I ever sang to was Hello Mr Zebra, and Caught A Lite Sneeze is still my favorite Tori song, both to hear and play. I'm not saying I have a better ear than the average bear for her shows. However, I will say I'm entirely more picky, and I won't say every show was fantastic and amazing just because I'm a huge fan.

That being said, I was extremely happy with much of her set list selection. Some of my favorite songs to play were on her list, including Yes, Anastasia and Mother. There were quite a few rarities, and I thought that was really cool. However, I was also extremely disappointed that almost none of the "big" songs were on the list: Cornflake Girl, Little Earthquakes, etc. Even Sleeps With Butterflies was passed over, and she played that song on "Live with Regis and Kelly!" I've seen her both plugged and unplugged, and I know most of her plugged songs (including all those) can be played unplugged....I know because she's done it before, and so have I. And what was up with passing over Scarlet's Walk? How I would have loved to hear I Can't See New York, or Sorta Fairytale. I know it's a toss up, with so many songs to choose from, so it was fair to hear unlikely songs.

As for the performance itself, it was sparse at best. I felt hardly any connection between her and the crowd....minimal talking, not a whole lot of emotion from her part. Normally she really get's into it...sweating, grinding the piano, and all those weird little body movements she makes in the middle of songs. Only minimal showmanship here. One of the things I love about her shows is that she usually modifies her songs in live shows to make them more interesting, or at least substantially different from hearing them on a CD. Not so much of that here either, which was disappointing. With the exception of her cover-up for flubbing the lyrics to Snowcherries from France, which was genius on such short notice.

So overall, I'd give the show a C+. B for song selection, C for showmanship, C for audience connection, and A- for song quality. Despite all that, I'd still pay whatever they asked to see her in concert until she stops touring. I'm anxious to see her in another plugged show. The Rolling Stone review of The Beekeeper pretty much said she had totally mellowed out, and the album was pretty bland. I'd say that about her concerts, but I hope to be surprised on the next tour.