You can now see the set list and reviews for the New York, NY concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Tori set list included Blood Roses, Sweet The Sting, Icicle, Toast, and the covers Growin' Up (Bruce Springsteen) and Vincent (Starry Starry Night). 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 New York, NY on Friday, April 8, 2005 at the Hammerstein Ballroom. 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
Blood Roses
Sweet The Sting
Icicle
Take To The Sky
Toast
Bells For Her

Growin' Up (Bruce Springsteen cover)
Vincent (Starry Starry Night) - (Don McLean cover)

Parasol
Seaside
Happy Phantom
Jamaica Inn
Yes, Anastasia
The Beekeeper

1st Encore

Winter
Cooling

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 seemed a little tired tonight, but still performed a good show. Tonight's show debuted Toast for the first time on tour, and it was very emotional and had a long and wonderful piano intro. Tori's official set list had Tori's Surprise on it for the first cover, which turned out to be the song Growin' Up by Bruce Springsteen. That song appeared on his 1973 album "Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ". Before singing it, Tori told a story about a girl who all the boys creamed for, and something about New Jersey. Tori once again did a wonderful job on Yes, Anastasia. Tori also said something about being glad she is over 40 now.


From Jeffrey:

Wow - the theme of this song was sex sex sex!

Ha ha.

She was a bit frisky tonight. Some lyrics about really wanting to get it on tonight with husband during "Damage" of all things!

"Winter" was quite emotional tonight with an added "Michael" lyric toward the end there.

"Orange Knickers" and "Damage" seem to be taking over as the closers...I think this is interesting. Truly a marriage of personal terrorism and mass destruction on a macroscopic scale....

"Toast" was wonderful.

Loved "Vincent" into "Parasol" - picture perfect, ehehe. "Blood Roses" seemed a lot stronger tonight than in DC but vice versa for "Anastasia".

Still waiting for her to try W. for criminal charges in his own church for "Witness" - will probably have to wait for the DC summer show though for that.

Until Hartford...


From Elijah D.:

Tori's performance at the Hammerstein ballroom was very very fierce in a reserved kind of way; i agree that she seemed slightly tired and just a bit weary but she definitely sparked up some life consistently throughout. Winter became such a heart-punching-bag because of an interjection towards the end about Michael which transformed the entire song into not only about growing up but also a reminder that one still has to grow up even when one is in their 40s. Happy Phantom kicked so much ass and it is cool that she's doing all these throwbacks towards the old days. Tori's performance of Yes, Anastasia was awesome in that this was my first time hearing that first-person live but i've heard her do it better. When she did it in Texas for instance. The absolutely flooring song had to have been The Beekeeper. I love the album versionmuchly but the live version is in-fuckin-credible. the way it is delivered live seems very much like Tori is helming a service from her own private church, as if the audience are the witnesses to a sermon given inside the Church of Bees. the ending to The Beekeeper is so visceral by the way the vocals and the organ are tampered and synchronized in their wailing vibrato. other reviewers have already mentioned how physical the end to that song is by the sheer vibrations that are sent rushing through the body from the speakers. combine that with the honey-yellow flood lights that are on at that particular time and the sheer numbers of the crowd and you have a macro-version of being inside the honeycombs of a beehive with all the other ears-with-feet-worker-bees.

for those who are lucky enough to catch her on this theatre tour, you are going to be floored.

also, i rarely get to see concerts where the opening band is a band i love as much as the headliner.

Matt Nathanson is a really cool guy from San Fran and is just hysterically funny and awe-inspiringly talented. I've gone to like 6 of his concerts now and was totally surprised that he would be opening for Tori.


From Jason:

I felt tonight's show was far superior than the show in DC. Tori was in an exceptionally good mood it seemed although she didn't speak very much (which seems to be the standard these days). She performed a long and drawn out Blood Roses on the organ that was exceptional. It is a completely different arrangement, than any she has down before. She was belting the lyrics out loudly, flinging her hair about while yelling "sometimes he sucks you deep". It was reminiscent of some of the older tours and I loved it. It was great. She said hello and said told NYC that she was feeling "sexy sexy sexy" tonight. She told a short story about how when she turned 40 "a long time ago" that things got much better for her. For the women under 30 they don't know what they're missing, implying having greater orgasms when you reach 40. She went right into Sweet The Sting, that is so AMAZING live. It is actually rather good just on the piano. It has a different vibe than the record and is sexy, lush, mysterious, and emotional just at the piano alone. I really would like to have a copy of it.

A major highlight of the evening was Toast. It was the 2nd debut for the evening. What was wonderful about it was that Tori played this very 2 min. introduction that was so stunning and emotional. She was VERY into it, sort of in a trance while she wailed the keys. The song is gorgeous live and I prefer without the guitar. Before "Growin Up" she told us this story of a girl in her high school who all the boys loved. Tori said she could see why but she "found more intriguing" was that this girl could play the piano. She went onto say this girl who had all the boys creaming was in love with this singer, this guy who Tori described as "sounding like a Reuben sandwich". This girl from Tori's high school went to New Jersey to find "the sandwich guy". Tori ended up seeing this girl (who I believe Tori said was in the audience tonight) play the piano in New Jersey and she was playing this song. She went right into "Growin Up". Vincent was gorgeous as always. The rest of songs have been played already on the tour. "Anastasia" was not quite as strong as DC, but still was excellent. Tori's voice has been so pristine and she is singing beautifully. The show seemed to be comprised of the New York Underground, as everyone there was very colorful, fashionable, and in love with T. Also, there were lots of die hards there as I recognized many from the forums. Before "The Beekeeper" was concluded, many fans prepared themselves to rush the stage for the encores. As soon as the lights went out, about a 100 people rushed the stage, and this caused some confusion with the event staff, but they got to stay in the end. "Cooling" is my most favorite song of Tori's so I was ecstatic that she played it, as all the times I have seen Tori I have only heard "Cooling" twice. At the end of the show during "Putting the Damage On" Tori was in the middle of the song at the "poodle and a ..." section when she just straight up forgot the words, stopped, looked at the audience, and said "fucking hell". She started the song in the "take it high, high..." section but instead said "I wish I was high, high,high...". She then finished the song as it normally is. There was a song (I can't remember which one) where Tori changed a line and said something about Michael, but I couldn't make out what it was. I suppose it was a tribute to her brother.

The Hammerstein is an interesting venue. The stage is HUGE. It is super tall and wide as well. My complaints about this tour so far are that the stage is a mess. The two keyboard stations are really unnecessary as the Rhodes barely gets used, and the second organ only gets played for "The Beekeeper". The stations are side by side and it just looks cluttered and cramped with Tori squeezed in the between everything. The Hammerstein Ballroom had a huge stage, but they still set the stations really close to one another. Secondly, the lighting is horrible. Usually Tori has such incredible lighting, but this time a good portion of the show is just Tori lit by this spotlight that literally just lights her body. It is hard to see the piano and the organ at times because such limited lighting is used. Furthermore, the spotlight shines a light on Tori that ends up being literally as wide as her shoulders so it keeps the rest of the stage dark. It just seems awkward. While I have enjoyed the shows so far, they seem different than her previous shows. They are much more subdued, and seem more like a recital than a Tori Amos concert. I just can't quite explain it, but I feel something is missing. Tori just seems different to me onstage than she used to be. Maybe it is just me.I don't mean to put a damper on anyone else's experience. I guess it will take some time getting used to this new format and setlists structure. I am hoping that the shows will feel more intimate as the tour continues. I am really excited about Philly on Monday as it in a great venue, and I'm sure as always she will sound absolutely stellar.


From Robert:

Tori's New York City show was my third of this tour, and in a lot of ways it was my favorite; I'd like to state for the record that I don't think Tori was "tired" at all. This show certainly wasn't a "powerhouse" set by any means, but neither Tori's voice--which I might add is, on this tour, the best I've heard it since my very first concert on the Dew Drop Inn Tour--nor playing nor mannerisms once showed signs of fatigue. Onto the show itself.

I went in underwhelmed due to the commonly known face of New York City setlist monotony. I was proven wrong from the very start, with the surprising "Blood Roses", an amazing, energetic, and sexually charged performance. I've not seen that song performed live since 1999 and it was a real treat; much better than the Atlanta version I heard (via the phone). I found myself immediately intrigued in finding what the thread was. Sex was there, yes, even before Tori's little chat time during which she told the "sex" story and launched right into a surprisingly sultry, 1940's-ish sounding vrsion of "Sweet the Sting" just on the Bose (I half expected her to launch into the chorus on the Hammond at any point). The excellent "Icicle" continued the sex theme, as did "Take to the Sky", but she then threw us a double bone with the PHENOMENAL debut of "Toast" and a poignant "Bells for Her."

It was at this point I began to think the "sex" theme was a bit superfluous, and perhaps the show was simply theme around sex inasmuch as that it was a part of the getting older she'd described, a theme that was very explicitly echoes in "Growin' Up" and to an extension "Vincent", a "Tori's Piano Bar" that seemed a bit weak to be honest, the only real bummer to an otherwise exquisitite show.

The highlights of the second half, which seemed to focus on betrayal/destruction, for me included "Parasol" and "Jamaica Inn", whose arrangement on this tour with the organ is truly astonishing, even better than the nearly flawless album version. I fail to see why so many Tori fans dislike this song. "Yes Anastasia" was also nothing short of perfect, Tori hitting the high notes flawlessly.

The encores were wonderfully performed albeit a bit typical. The "getting older" theme was again highlightedere, especially with the emotional "Winter", which included lyrics about Michael (which I could NOT decipher for my life) in place of "hair is grey..." Tori's fuck up and subsequent "(I wish I was) high high hiiiiiiiiiiigh" during "Damage" an all-time highlight for me. There was an adorable couple of two girls next to me which Tori stared at throughout the encores which was really touching.

On an exciting personal note, I was given Tori's piano setlist at the end of the night--and then had it taken away! Why? Duncan told me Tori's needed it for future reference, because it had the keys written on it. She's such a goofball! Anyway, in exchange for this, he got me another copy signed right on the spot "Springsteen Sandwich <3 Tori Amos" and gave me the bottle of oil used to anoint the stage (which seems to have Jasmine. among other things, in it). Very cool!

For all you fashion buffs, Tori was wearing a light mint-colored sleeveless dress (very similar to what she wore in Clearwater) which was kind of tattered-looking at the ends. The top part had stripes of darker mint. She sported wedge-heeled open toe shoes which were white with black trim and white fishnet stockings.

All in all, my favorite show experience of the tour thus far.


From DasHopkinsFan:

Tori's performance last night was really incredible! You now know the set list so I'll just talk about some of the more interestingparts.She played Putting the Damage On, which is one of my all time favorites, as the last song of the evening. During the song she started to mess up the words, instead of "don't make me scratch on you door", she sang "don't make me knock on you door" which made me think 'Oh?' so she continues to play and completely messes up and says "oh fucking hell!" well the audience was in stitches, she then went back to the "high, high" bitandgoes "I wish I was high, high" It was really great! Before Sweet the Sting, she goes "I'm feeling sexy, sexy, sexy!" and goes on to tell how she turned forty a long time ago and things get much better!

I don't know what everyone else thinks, but I think the organ makes things sound very morbid. While it was appropriate on a lot of songs, it made me feel a little uncomfortable sometimes. Also instead of the beautiful back drop she had On Scarlet's Walk, she now has this silver hexagonal frame that has images projected onto it, but the images put me in mind of screen savers, and looked a little silly. I didn't have anyproblems with the station arrangement, I thought it was nice because peoplecould getdifferent views of her as she moved about.Really wonderful!


Heather Mele:

Last night was magical for me, as a 13 year Tori fan who saw her first show at my college, SUNY Purchase, for ten bucks. I have NEVER missed a NYC show and have traveled to other cities for shows and I disagree with some of the other reviews; Tori didn't seem tired at all--she was exuding sensuality and friskiness. There were tender moments with references to her brother, Michael and they were emotional for all of us.

I have a story I want to share, because as a veteran Tori fan, I have never missed a single NYC show.

Needless to say, Hammerstein Ballroom is a smaller venue for Tori (which I love to see her perform in, especially when it's just Miss Thang and her girls, the piano, organ and harpsichord).

I couldn't get a ticket to save my life; I tried to work all my connections. No tickets. My friend Erik called me from the box office saying there were 10 tickets left in the top last rows. When I received this phone call I was in my pajamas, my hair a wreck and tired from working all day. I shifted into high gear, put my best heels on for Miss T and red lipstick and took a cab from Brooklyn to the Hammerstein ballroom. The 10 tickets were sold out and the box office mavens were rude and dismissive. Security came over to me like I was a criminal as the opening chords of the first song were starting up and I could hear the applause. My heart was racing and I had tears in my eyes. The security guard was literally pushing me out the door, I asked if I could at least purchase some merchandise and he said no and pushed me out the door, slamming it behind me.

I was in despair. I have had a bad year so far (uncle committed suicide, my dad's been in a coma for a month, etc). It confirmed for me that my little black cloud was still hovering.

I stood away from all the other stragglers begging strangers for tickets. I didn't have the energy to beg and compete with my other sad Tori fans for tickets that might turn out to be fake anyway. I sat away from the front of the Ballroom, as security was eyeing me like I might try to break down the door or sneak in. I sat to the side, my red lipstick pointless and I smoked cigarette after cigarette for what seemed like forever. I didn't know what to do. I was frozen and just so so sad. A man came rushing out of the Hammerstein Ballroom. He asked if I needed a ticket. I told him I was not going to buy from a scalper. He said, "I'm Tori's manager, here, I have to go, just take this and run inside." I could not believe it. "Is this for real? How much do you want for it?" I asked him as he rushed down the street. "I don't want any money! Just go, it's the VIP section, just run in!" I did what he told me and looked down at the ticket. It said comp, Box 1, Row 1, Seat 1. I was rushed into the seat by security and sat down just as she began with "Icicle."

For me, the show was amazing, seeing just Miss T was ON FIRE. I thought the highlights were "Yes, Anastasia," her voice was so strong, so powerful and just gorgeous. I wished there had been more from the Venus album and some Pele, but I feel so lucky to have just been there in the best seat in the house that every song, every second, every note was magic and I am forever grateful to John Witherspoon, her manager, for giving me his ticket.


From Heather Singmaster:

I loved the show, but since everyone already reviewed I will just give the full details on what happened during Damage, cause I thought (and I think Tori did too) that it was hilarious. Instead of singing "I only just turned around for a poodle" she started singing "I only just fooled around" and I was thinking, WHAT is she gonna say? But she realized she was about to say she fooled around with a poodle and stopped, laughed and said "Fucking Hell" and then went back to start with "High, I wish I was, High." Very cute.


From Nico:

Okay, I'll just say it right off the bat, so you'll know what kind of review this will be. I was horribly underwhelmed and let down last night by Tori's performance.

Things Tori couldn't have helped that may have lead to my disliking the show:

1. Hammerstein Ballroom did not assign seats until after the "general admission" seats were sold. Had I known that they would have put chairs on the floor, I would've bought those tickets. Instead, I was in the back row of the first mezz, with bad sightlines and annoying chatty neighbors.

2. Well, come to think of it, that was it.

On with the show. I actually felt like the organ detracted from the beauty of most of the songs she played on it. It was flat, heavy, and not nearly as impressive as it could have been. And if it WAS as impressive as it could have been, she shouldn't have played it. And I feel like the energy that the organ took out of the songs she played on it detracted from the energy of her other songs. All in all, the set was very blah, very slow, very draining.

However, there WERE highlights:

HAPPY PHANTOM was a wonderful treat--I'd never heard this song live before and was ecstatic. Unfortunately, besides TAKE TO THE SKY, it was the only song with any fun life in it (and I have to say, I'm sick of hearing "Take to the Sky"). SEASIDE was also a nice surprise. Beautifully performed.

Basically, I feel like the venue was crap, and the setlist was crap as well. I didn't appreciate hearing so many new songs (JAMAICA INN was painful to hear on the organ--as if the song wasn't dull enough already, she had to dull it down further with the organ), and I REALLY didn't appreciate hearing nothing from CHOIRGIRL, VENUS, SCARLET'S WALK, or even STRANGE LITTLE GIRLS (which I hardly even like, but "Rattlesnakes" or "Real Men" would have been nice). And the encores were a bit too predictable.

So, my overall feeling:

-Some highlights, some nice choices, and she seemed to be in a good mood.
-Bad setlist--too much new, no songs from FOUR of her albums, too few upbeat, fun songs

Maybe next time, with the band, I'll be more impressed.


From Andrea:

This is my first time writing in and I hope to maybe show a different perspective on this particular show. Tori did not seem physically tired to me...it appeared she was emotionally overwhelmed. Before 'Tori's Piano Bar' there was a definite strong sexual pull in the songs. As soon as she played 'Toast' I knew this was going to be ajourney about her most recent experiences. (Her mother's earlier near fatal illness and the death of her brother, Michael) I feel honored to have been at ashow where it seemed she was really working through some difficult emotions right in front of her devoted fans. It was as if she knew she could trust us to be okay with going to the dark side for a little while. I thought 'Growin Up' and 'Starry, Starry Night' were just breathtaking.

I have never heard 'Yes, Anastasia' played live. It is my favorite Tori song. Absolutely incredible! Her voice was so perfect in EVERY song, even the ones she forgot the words to. I don't know if anyone else noticed, but during 'Blood Roses' she sang, "They've cut out the throat of the throat of lune"...instead of "They've cut of the flute..." Perhaps it was on purpose. And of course her adorable "Oh fucking hell!" when she was having a bit of trouble with the lyrics for 'Putting the Damage On'. How many artists can make you laugh, cry, grieve and have hope at the same time? Not many.

The organ is something to get used to. I agree with that, but it is a beautiful instrument with sucha unique sound. 'Sweet the Sting' was sexy as hell. 'Happy Phantom' just rocked! I also wish to know what she said about Michael during 'Winter'. She was obviously thinking of him a lot during the show. Perhaps during the entire show, and that could be the reason she seemed as some people said "tired".

I thought the entire set list was wonderful and once again she put on an unforgettable show.I will never forget it. Thanks Tori!


From Amanda:

I would be quite content if Tori never played another show at Hammerstein. What a horrid venue for her show! I will get all this out of the way, because she doesn't have much to do with it (as someone else has already observed) and I would like to move on to her performance. But come now! Why couldn't they have booked the Beacon Theater? I understand that this means little to the fans who were blessed with floor seats...but no one said that Tori devotion had anything to do with seat placement! I ended up in the second balcony, in the very last row...with a pole obstructing my view of the stage if I did not contort myself into an uncomfortable position. Also, whenever you're towards the back, the ambiance is completely wrecked by doors opening and closing and the light flooding in, people needing concessions or the bathroom or what have you. So I felt completely cheated by the venue. I'm happy to pay good money to see Tori for seats that aren't the finest, but I would think that a comfortable seat with a decent view is a basic amenity.

Now then! : ) I wanted all that said because I am certain it contributed to my relatively dull experience (in comparison to other New York Tori shows I've seen!)

I agree with the reviewer who wasn't all too pleased with the setlist. I feel as if I shouldn't have kept track of what she has played so far on previous dates this tour...because that ruined it for me! When I saw that she has played "girls" that I have never heard her play live and would have LOVED to hear- Sister Janet, Mother (one of my favorites), even Carbon...I was a bit disappointed upon leaving. I felt like I was having unfortunate Scarlet's Walk New York deja vu...having heard Putting the Damage On for an encore then & also Take to they Sky two nights in a row...and it was exciting then...less of a pleasant surprise this time. There were very few surprises, actually. However...

Sweet the Sting sounded phenomenally sensual and earthy on the Bosey, and from what I could tellfrom my little crow's nest, Tori was very involved and, well, turned on by it. Icicle is always magnificent live, andshe belted out "I could have...I should have..." etc. in her lower register which sounded great. Toast was heartfelt with a terrific prolonged intro...but again, good-bye ambiance as many people in my area designated that time for filing out for things (and I don't know anything about the six-sided projection screen...yes, that was obstructed too).

I thought the organ detracted from certain songs as well...I think Parasol is one of the best tracks off the Beekeeper, so maybe I'm partial to it in any arrangement. But I did NOT like it for the verse portions of Jamaica Inn...it sounded like the organ wouldn't move as quickly as Tori needed to sing. I enjoyed Blood Roses for the most part, but again, the organ sort of blurred every movement, which is a shame because there aresome fabulous turns on the harpsichord in the original version (and I think she made a wee mistake and sang "you've cut out the throat from the throat of the loon" but perhaps I misheard). Bells for Her seemed to go on forever.

I did find the (other) organ to be effective during the Beekeeper...though I think the hypnotic beat from the album will serve it very well should it be used live in the summer.

I thought The Power of Orange Knickers was done well also...her voice sounded lovely during "this secret kiss."

I could say more, but I'm feeling it might be time to wind down. I did notice that I seemed to enjoy a lot of the newer songs more, which is unusual. It was good to hear Yes, Anastasia but I suppose because of time constraints she only played half of it...and so I missed a lot of the parts that I love!

So all in all, my least favorite Tori show I've yet been to! The very first time I saw Tori perform she was solo, and I was floored (and this even though I wasn't seated there, haha!). This show, I believe, suffered from a poor venue and a mix of songs that didn't sound very good together or offer any surprises.

Ah well. Perhaps in the summer?


From John Moore:

I thought the show was a 7 on a scale of 1-10. It's Tori and it was great to see her live any day or night. There were some issues I had though, particularly with the setlist. I agreed with other posters that she played too many slow songs. I think she was going for a certain effect though which I got, but I wanted to feel a little more high energy along with the mellowness. "Toast" was absolutely beautiful. I hated "The Beekeeper" without all of the studio effects which gives it its life (that undulating organ effect is NECESSARY). I also would have loved to hear "Witness", but I can wait to hear the full effect this summer. I really wanted her to play something more upbeat to leave us with during the two encores, but she played "Winter", then "Cooling", "Orange Knickers" kind of picked up the pace, but then she went back down with "Putting the Damage On." I thought it seemed dragged out towards the end and I noticed people leaving during the second encore. Of course I stayed to soak it all in and get my money's worth. I also noticed the word flub on "Blood Roses"..."cut out the throat from the throat of the loon", but nobody's perfect and maybe it WAS on purpose. I hated the venue and my seats. I was two rows from the back on the floor and the light coming in and feeling of emptiness behind me, ruined the effect of being at a concert surrounded by like minds. I saw a show at the Beacon last year that was much better and I was all the way in the back in the balcony. That's my spill, overall it was better than average, but not fantastic. Can't wait for the whole band this summer!!!


Read a review of this show from Newsday.


From Tom:

I'm going to start with some comments about side issues mentioned by some of the other reviewers before I get to my own comments.

First of all I was surprised as everybody else that the show was seated. Clearly the tickets, when sold initially, indicated General Admission, which is standard stuff for Hammerstein so I just assumed...! One reviewer mentioned her view was obstructed. I was in the second balcony over on the right side. My view was not obstructed per se but I could not see part of the right side of the stage. I believe the same reviewer said the Beacon Theatre would have been a better choice. I totally agree with this. At the Beacon there are very few bad sight lines (no poles) and the front of both the Mezzanine and Upper balcony sections are over (about) row 20 or so downstairs.

Another reviewer disliked the sound at Hammerstein. I found it acceptable overall as most of the other shows I've seen there are full on electric and I usually have to wear earplugs to save what's left of my hearing. This volume at this show was totally acceptable.

That being said the venue it self is all wood, concrete and plaster so the sound bounces. In the balconies in particular the sound will bounce off the back wall which can muddy things up. In defense of the venue itself the last place I saw Tori play indoors in NYC was Radio City. I been to shows in nearly every venue in NYC and Radio City, hands down, is the best sounding live music venue.

On the music side one person noted that despite all the various keyboards on stage most of the songs were played at the piano or the B-3 (organ). On the other hand just looking at the set lists from other shows that obviously could change from night to night.

There were various comments about the use of B-3 in relation to the songs (mostly negative). My perspective comes from many years as musician. The roots of the B-3 sound in the last 50-60 years go back to the jazz trios in the 50's where the both the bass lines and the melody, etc., were being handled by the keyboard player. Most of the rock players in the sixties (I.e., Jon Lord w/Deep Purple; Gregg Rolie w/Santana and Ray Manzarek w/The Doors [tho' he didn't actually play a B-3]) took a combination of the jazz attitude and mixed it in with the blues (and in the case of Lord and Manzarek their own classical instruction/training).

Tori approaches the B-3 from an entirely different angle and her "sound" is decidedly darker than the "standard" B-3 approach. It seems to me she's still figuring out what the instrument can do (and the B-3 is an amazingly versatile instrument). I happen to like her approach and sound it but that's neither here nor there I guess.

As for the show itself I enjoyed it. Highlights for me were Blood Roses, Sweet The Sting, Vincent, Parasol, The Beekeeper, Cooling and Putting The Damage On.

My overall impression of the show was that it was intense and challenging, which was no more or less than what I expected. I should point out this the first time I've seen Tori play solo so perhaps that colored my opinion as well. I would like to hear these new songs with the band. I'm sure that will change the approach and sound (in particular the songs on the B-3). Like a couple of other posts here I also got a kick out of Matt Nathason.