The set list tonight was phenomenal! It included Father Lucifer, Rattlesnakes, Bliss, Live To Tell (solo), Girl, Mary (with band), Spark and Putting The Damage On. If you were at the Pittsburgh show, please email me with your reviews and/or set list or post your review or comments in the Dent's Concert Reviews forum. (You can post under any name without registering, so it is quick!)

More Details

Tori performed in Pittsburgh, PA on Sunday, March 16, 2003 at the A.J. Palumbo Center. The opening act was Rhett Miller.

Set List

I, Mikewhy, attended this show and recorded the set list:

Wampum Prayer
a sorta fairytale
God
Father Lucifer
Cornflake Girl
Rattlesnakes
In The Springtime Of His Voodoo
Bliss
Wednesday

Band Leaves

Leather
Live To Tell (Madonna cover!)
Baker Baker

Band returns

Amber Waves
Girl
Mary
Sweet Sangria
Precious Things
I Can't See New York
Iieee

1st Encore

Talula
Spark

2nd Encore

Taxi RIde
Putting The Damage On

Reviews

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


From Mikewhy:

Tori did Live To Tell!

Sorry, I was excited! This was an amazing show. The set list was in many ways surprising and Tori once again seemed to be in a great mood. Amanda and I kept remarking how many times she would smile during songs. During Mary she was showing all her teeth! There were so many great facial expressions tonight, as well as body language. For instance, during Mary, Tori literally grabbed her breasts during the line "Fill their mouths with some acid rain," which surprised many of us! She was really on fire tonight! There were several times when she blew kisses to the audience. She seemed to REALLY love Pittsburgh.

Tori first spoke to us after Father Lucifer. She said, "Hey everybody, how's it going?" She said something about having promised to come back to Pittsburgh. She introduced the band and began Cornflake Girl. At the start of the Roadside Cafe, Tori performed an improv with lyrics that included, "So today I had a good one... in the sun... all day laughing... had a good one."

Tori then launched into one of the nicest versions of Leather I have ever heard. Then she almost whispered to us, "I'm going to do something a little different now...a special Pittsburgh treat." She then stunned me by playing Live To Tell. I was so startle by her playing this song that I loudly exclaimed, "Jesus", and then was appalled by how loud I sounded!

After I was already surprised by hearing Father Lucifer, Rattlesnakes and Live To Tell, I was further amazed to hear the trio of songs, Amber Waves, Girl and Mary together. Mary sounded so good tonight! This show was almost a completely different concert than the one in Louisville. She really mixed things up.

For the last song, Tori looked like she was about to play her Wurlitzer. Then she started to give puzzled looks to Jon and Matt, at one point saying, "Matt?". Then she said, "Oh, we're going to do something else...okay" and began Putting The Damage On. It sounded really emotional and effective tonight. It was the perfect ending to an amazing show. (I did not get to see her written set list tonight. Can anyone tell me how it may have varied from what Tori actually played?)

Sadly, I did not make it to the meet & greet today and therefore I have no photos to share with you. But the show alone was incredible. I also enjoyed meeting more of you there. Thanks for coming up and saying hello! Pittsburgh was truly an unforgettable evening.


From trd:

here is my review of tori's show in pitts. i have to say it was the best show. i have seen tori so many times and so many times on this tour. the set list was incredible. i almost fell out of my seat when she played live to tell by maddy. it was so beautiful. i just love how she changes the arrangements up on this tour. father lucifer was a great example, and one can't forget taula. tori was is such a good mood tonight full of energy. she rock out the whole place. i think because the venue was different than what she has been playing. i haven't heard spark in such a longtime and it was right on time. i just looking forward to seeing her in erie.


From Mark:

My daughter and I got a set list from a staff guy on the way out. The only change was at the end when she played Putting the Damage On. She was originallly supposed to play Hey Jupiter. Something happened with Matt and she decided to make the change.


From Mike Goldman:

The last song of the show was supposed to be Jupiter. Saw the setlist, as a few of us were standing around after the show and it was given to someone, but I didn't get more than a glance at it.

By the way, I'm pretty certain she said something like, "Fuck. It's not working? Oh, we're going to do something else, then, ok?"

Anyhow, great, great show.


From Gaggan:

BTW, I saw a guy come on stage at the second last song and frantically work on some equipment. Then when Tori tried to start the last song, she said, "Isn't that working? Ok, fuck that, we'll just do something else" very good humoredly.

Tori rocks.


From Holly:

The pittsburgh show was probably one of the better tori shows I've seen. The choice of songs was absolutely amazing but I couldn't see anything. I thought that the crowd was extremely rude and my good, 6th row seats, were made into terrible seats because I couldn't see over anyone. People were drunk and moving around too much. Any event that lets you have alcohol can't be good. I really enjoyed the songs though. tori of course was awesome, but the crowd ruined it.

I also was at the meet and greet and it was one of the best meet and greets I've ever been at. Everyone was very nice and ended up being orderly. Tori was very cute with everyone and even spent a minute paying attention to a baby that joel took in his arms from someone. With good weather and lots of nice toriphiles, it was a great day :)


From TorizFire:

I would just like to say that the Pittsburgh show rocked! I felt that Tori and the crowd needed a song or two to get into it, but when it happened, it took off! I can't give you the chronological set list; I misplaced it, but I will review what comes to me. Be patient with me please, I just got home and I've been up for over a day.

Tori entered the stage in a gorgeous, shiny, pink outfit. I particularly liked the big, flowing sleeves. John Evans also looked very snazzy in his scarlet colored suit. Sorry Matt...couldn't see your outfit. Tori started with Wampum prayer, and I believe that she played A Sorta Fairytale next. Both songs were Tori's usual wonderful performance, but nothing beyond that really. I believe she played Father Lucifer next, and I am pleased to say that she performed all three parts to her bridge. Father Lucifer is one of my favorite girls, and the bridge of the song is what completely hooked me to Tori. So it was extra special to me....I cried. God was next I believe, and by this time everyone was really into it.

Tori was very animated last night. She danced around a lot, and it appeared that she felt very sexy. I think she was absolutely adorable....in a very sexy way. My memory is out of order here, so I'll give you a run down of some of my favorite parts. Cornflake Girl was spectacular, she really, really put a lot of energy and embellishment into it, and the crowd absolutely loved it. From Scarlet's Walk, Tori played A sorta Fairytale, Wednesday (a personal favorite), Amber Waves, I can't See New York (it was gorgeous), Sweet Sangria, and that's all. Unless, she played more in her encores...which sadly, I had to miss. From Boys for Pele, she played..In the Springtime of his VooDoo(the crowd loved it) Father Lucifer, and Talula. From Venus and Back she played Bliss. From Little Earthquakes Girl, Precious Things, and Leather(awesome) The highlight of the evening was Tori's "Pittsburgh Treat" Live to Tell...I have never heard this done before, and it was lovely. She also played a pretty, original intro to one of the songs in the Roadside Cafe.

She also played Rattlesnakes, Baker Baker, and that's all I got for now. It was a tremendous show, and I can't wait to see her again. Until then...love and Fairy Kisses


From Sam:

WOW!!! The full show was great and fantastic, but the WYEP Club Cafe radio broadcast was OUT OF THIS WORLD. If you listened on the radio OR web you know she played (sans band): "some kinda fairytale, upside down, pancake, cooling, crucify, and strange" mixed in with some Q&A that was broadcast and some (non-broadcast) Q&A afterwords. IT WAS AMAZING to be there in such a small space and experience the performance.

Club cafe is tiny (80 - 100 people tops) with great acoustics. Tori described it as playing a living room. She seemed to be in a great mood AND was extremely expressive.

Wish everyone could have been there!


From Amanda Morris:

Though the venue was really really crappy, the show was one that I enjoyed so much, and I am so glad that we drove up for it.

We went in to our seats and of course someone was sitting in them, so we got an usher to deal with that right away. †I got another bad feeling just listening to those around me as I waited for the show to start. †The girls beside me were talking about being determined to stand up stating that she thought most people there would want to stand up anyway (wrong!), and the two guys behind me were drinking a lot and talking about wanting to stand because they had drunk too much to be sitting. †I had a bad feeling....I really really did not want to stand, but did not want my front row spot taken. †Michael and I decided that if everyone else stood, we would have to too in order to prevent our spots from being overtaken by stage rushers. †My feet were hurting so bad from walking around downtown all day and I was really dreading that.

Wampum Prayer began, and everyone around me stayed seated, so I thought that they actually would sit for at least the main set. But as soon as that curtain fell after Wampum Prayer, they all stood and lunged forward. Michael and I did the same to keep our spots. I was hoping that they would sit once Tori got to her piano and began playing, but they did not. I can sort of understand them wanting to stand in the front row just because the view for those of us in the front WAS better if we stood, but I did not want to because I was tired and because I know what it is like to try to see above people's heads and fail, and I wanted to sit so those behind me could see better. But everyone around me was determined to stand, and I guess majority rules. So we stood up the whole time. And honestly, it did give me a better view, but I did feel bad for those behind who might have been struggling to see.

Father Lucifer was left off the set list the night before when I was in Louisville, and I was quite happy to hear it. It was no "Lucy Girl" but I really really enjoyed it. It was around this song that I also noticed how hard Tori was working up there. Under certain times when the light would hit her, I could see her entire viewable chest and neck were just layered in sweat already.

She did a ton of dancing and long exaggerated movements the whole show. At one point, she put on her lip gloss, which I had seen her do numerous times, but this time she seemed so much more exaggerated about it and she was really dancing a lot as she put it on.

Once the band left she sang an improv about how good of a day she had had. I guess she really liked Pittsburgh from her improv. She then began solo time at the piano and sang one of the best versions of Leather I have seen.

Then she whispered into the micorphone that she was going to do something a little different, which of course, got a huge response from the audience, and she smiled at bit into her microphone, and told us it was a special treat for Pittsburgh. Then she sang a song that I honestly did not have a clue of what it was at first. Most of the audience was cheering and I had no idea what it was. I then realized that I actually recognized it the words, but could not place it directly. Michael leaned in to whisper to me that it was "Live to Tell." I was so in shock and it was so beautiful and Tori looked so wonderful and so much in a good mood as she was singing it.

A major highlight for me was Mary. That song has never really been one of my all time favorites and so I have never had a huge desire to hear/see that one live, but I am so happy that I did get to see it live. It was one of my all time favorite parts of the show, only tieing with "Live to Tell." She really really got into this one. I was as dead center as I could be...directly in line with her piano bench and could see her entire body really well, and it was so worth it on this song. During the whole line, "fill their mouths with some acid rain" Tori stopped playing her piano and grabbed her breasts. In a way, it was kind of weird and, being so close, I almost wondered if I should look away. But then I realized, she was performing for a few thousand people, so I watched in awe.

I loved the duo of Talula and Spark. I had not gotten to hear Spark since 1998, and I was really happy to hear it. There were a few parts of the song (can't remember which ones exactly) where I thought she would be singing much faster than she actually did. It was strange at first, but I actually quite enjoyed it.

For the last song, she was doing some dancing a lot as she was facing her keyboard/whurly. I think Matt was supposed to have started playing the drums, but did not. Tori leaned toward him, and asked him something, then said, "Oh, we're gonna do something else?...okay." and they proceeded with a beautiful Putting the Damage On to end the show.

What an amazing show. This was one of my favorite band shows, not my all time favorite, but in the top three or so.


Read a review of the Pittsburgh show from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


From Jim Mathers:

On Sunday, March 16 I was off to my 12th Tori concert. This one was in Pittsburgh at the same facility that I met Tori in 1996. The first order of business was what to wear. I have a perceived perspective of what persona is expected at these concerts and a realization that what I am (a 62 year old Physicist) is not part of that persona. After 5 outfits I finally made my best attempt at an acceptable persona and gave up on among others the quantum mechanics tee shirt.

Again it was an all day affair at the A.J. Polumbo Center. The center is a sports arena where the basketball events are held. It was the first warm day after 4 months of continuous depressing cold winter weather everybody was in high spirits. I was at the meet and greet by 1:00 PM and meeting the fans. I met several new people and some that were at the Columbus show. There was the couple a couple from the south side of Pittsburgh, the young lady with the excellent photo of Tori, the engineer from Detroit I met in Columbus, my friend from Butler, PA, and others. Another one I met was young lady who had taken her 5-month baby Madelyn all the way from Baltimore, MD with high hopes for Tori to meet her. All if us had gone though preparations on what we would say to Tori if we should meet her. We spent so much time with her listening to her albums. In her case it was through Madelyn.

Soon they were ready to send the fans to the barricades for when Tori arrives. The fans were positioning themselves for the mad dash to get the front row. Later this week it finally dawned on me of what this whole process resembles. We as humans tend to duplicate our own cellular processing and the meet and greet resembles the human reproduction process. Everyone starts off at the same point and the strongest and fastest get to the final barricade first and meets Tori. This is the same process as the sperm charging off to get to the egg and only the strongest win. I call this process the sperm game, a classic example of survival of the fittest. In the real sperm game only one wins but in this game about 20% win. I have played this sperm game 7 times now and never won. When I met her 7 years ago, there was no sperm game and everyone got to meet her. I am successful in life but do not have the aggression to play this game successfully and only the aggressive meet her. If I am reincarnated as a sperm cell I am screwed. Others at the meet and greet either do not have the personality or refused to play this game. For me, I just wave at her when she is looking in my direction indicating, "Hey look, I exist!" and am satisfied.

Madelyn' mom with her baby was ready to play the sperm game when security informed her that baby was not allowed into the crowd. A look of tragedy came across her face and by the time she handed Madelyn to her friend she lost the sperm game. Alas, all was not lost. When Tori was in front of her but out of reach, she asked Tori to see Madelyn and suddenly defeat was turned into victory. Tori steeped to one side and the girlfriend took Madelyn to Tori. Mom stood there with her camera with tears running down her face.

A few minutes later another male fan who lost the sperm game hollers out that he has a 14 year old son but with no success. (I see now that I will have to work out a deal with my daughter about borrowing my presently 1-month-old granddaughter Morgan for a future meet and great.) After Tori left, Mom came down still in tears and symbolic of the 21st century, out came the cell phone spreading the news far and wide.

I am very thankful Tori makes an effort to see the fans at each concert. Seven years ago Tori spent 2 hours in the lot meeting fans and she was probably late for sound check and the fatigue factor from this will wear her down over a long tour. The sperm game limits the time she is out there but my point is maybe there is some other random method that fans can met her and still control her exposure time.

For the last 10 years I was a part of the Tori community. However, I have had limited success in meeting others in the Pittsburgh area. All of a sudden after the meet and greet I was off to the local pizza place with 10 other Toripiles including the engineer from Detroit and I enjoyed myself to no end. I can see why my wife gets nervous when I go to these things with all of these pretty girls.

Before the concert I met the two other most famous people there. Mike Why and his girlfriend were standing outside. Once inside, I found my seat halfway in the back to one side. Sitting there before the show I started to look at the faces of the continual flow of Toriphiles marching by. Maybe I was trying to look through past the faces and ascertain the soul of a Toriphile. After a while I noticed a very definite common denominator. Were they all a victim of the same perceived expected persona or as I suspect, when Tori is looking out into the audience, she is looking in a mirror at herself. Thus, there is a continuum Tori's running around there.

Once the music started I thanked God I had my earplugs. I suspect the guy from the cell phone commercials moonlights at sound check and the sound people go to the farthest extremes of the facility seeing if the can hear "Can you hear me now!" If not, they turn the sound louder forgetting the people closer. . Larry, our senior buyer from work attended this concert and he was up in peanut heaven and the sound level was acceptable. But for me, I spend most of my time adjusting the penetration of the earplugs into my ears trying to control the sound level to a somewhat comfortable level. As my stockbroker pointed out, Tori's power is in the subtle variations in tones. To me it was all lost in the hissing of the amplifiers. In a theater like the Palace in Columbus where I saw Tori last November, the place is designed to carry sound throughout the facility and blasting the amplifiers is not required but here the sound level was exceeding my saturation point even with earplugs. The pre-med student from WV next to me spent most of the concert with his fingers in his ears. He knew the consequence of loud sounds as does our previous President, Billy, who is undergoing treatment for excessive sound exposure.

In Columbus Tori's purpose seemed to be push Scarlet's Walk but by now most of the fans that would buy the album already have and after the first two songs, the next ten were from her previous work in contrast to her show in Columbus. All in all, I enjoyed the concert even with the poor sound quality. No magic happened but from her music this time. But my real reason to attend was the people and this made it a high point of the year.