&fileYou can now see the set list and reviews for the Toronto, Ontario concert. Tori's only Canadian show on the Lottapianos tour included the songs Father Lucifer, Take To The Sky, Carbon (solo), Running To Stand Still (solo) and Siren. If you were at this show and want to send The Dent a review, please email Mikewhy at mikewhy@iglou.com with your comments. You can also post about your concert experience at the Concert Reviews Forum. It would be nice to get as many different viewpoints about the show as possible.

More Details

Tori performed in Toronto, Ontario Canada on Wednesday, August 13, 2003 at the Molson Amphitheatre. Tori's special guest was Ben Folds and the show started at 7:00PM.

Set List

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


Wampum Prayer
a sorta fairytale
Little Earthquakes
Sweet Sangria
God
Bells For Her
Father Lucifer
Take To The Sky
Wednesday

Band Leaves

Cooling
Carbon
Running To Stand Still

Band returns

Putting The Damage On
Cornflake Girl
Amber Waves
Siren
Professional Widow
I Can't See New York
Precious Things

1st Encore

Bliss
Rattlesnakes

2nd Encore

Tombigbee
Tear In Your Hand
Hey Jupiter

Reviews

The latest reviews are at the bottom of this page, and I am adding reviews all the time. 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 Concert Reviews Forum and post about your experiences as well, or read additional reviews.


From Matt Page:

Matt said that Tori sounded good and that the venue had excellent sound. The set list had no real surprises, but there was a difference in how Tori performed the U2 cover 'Running To Stand Still' this time as compared to the first time in Denver. In Denver, she was really belting out the song in a powerful way, while in Toronto, the performance was more muted, soft and emotional.

Tori did a cute improv before God talking about going over the U.S./Canadian border. They apparently crossed the border early in the morning while Tash was still asleep and she did not want anyone to wake her. She kept singing "shh, shh" at this point. Then there was something about Tori having to remember the name of everyone on the crew, and then she said something about how she has to remember to not say "fuck" around immigration officials at the border. She also talked about another time that they crossed the border and how people boarded the bus and her saying something like "get the fuck off my bus" and acting like a lioness to protect her little girl.

Tori also did a dark little improv before Carbon like she usually does. If anyone has full details about any of her improvs, please email The Dent.


From Amanda Van Pypen:

Tonight's show was my first show of the lottapianos tour. Tori seemed like she was in a weird mood right from the start. As soon as she started into ASF it was like ok, here we go, this is how it is gonna be. which was alright because I think her mood brought out certian songs such as Professional Widow, Bells and Father Lucifer. The show seemed to do a bit of a turn when she did her roadside part. Cooling was amazing. She seemed really into it. At one point I thought she was choking back some tears. Carbon was also really great. The improv at the beginning was beautiful. I love Tori with the band but see seemed to be enjoying being on her own and i would have liked to have seen more of just her. Precious was a great end to the set. Also her improv about the border was very fun. Professional Widow was a real highlight as was Tear in your hand.

ps Ben Folds was amazing!


From Cyrus Mody:

She was sensational...she was classy...she was Tori to a T. The energy of the crowd and that push forth by Amos was truly a unique experience for me. My friend saw her for the first time and said these words:

"I've taken 13 years of conservatory piano and I can not touch her talent. She is truly blessed."

No more needs to be said.


From Mike:

I got to the show about 30 minutes before Ben Folds got on stage. I wanted to set up my taping gear so I could tape both the Ben Folds and Tori set. Ben got on stage and played an hour of some of the best music I've heard. He completely surprised me, whether it be his successful sing-alongs, his hilarious anecdotes, or just the songs in general - his performance was incredible. I highly suggest everyone go to see him.

Tori was on stage by 8:30 because the venue had a curfew of 11:00. She opened with the typical Wampum > Fairytale followed by Little Earthquakes. There was an improv before God where she spoke about the boarder troubles. I was a little surprised to hear Bells For Her. The Roadside Cafe element of the show was great ... Cooling, Carbon, then Running to Stand Still, which is a favourite U2 song of mine. The rest of the main set was pretty typical.

The encore started with Bliss then into (my favourite song of the night:) Rattlesnakes. The second encore was Tombigbee, then Tear In Your Hand which I thought was going to be the closing song. I thought it would have been more appropriate then Hey Jupiter, but she still ended up playing that. The show was good overall, nothing special. I was much more impressed by this show then the one in November.


From Viki:

I have a few more details about the improve at the Toronto show. She started off talking to us about crossing the border, and how she had a baby sleeping on the bus and then she went shhhhhhhh and started to play this really neat tune, and the song was funny. it was about how they got pulled over and the bus driver got out, then got back on and said to tori she had to get out and tell the boarder guys the name of every one on her crew and the said "fucking hell, i can't remember the names of my songs. is there anything else i can do?" and her driver says "don't say fuck to the man" just shhhhhhhh

Then she sang about how when they left canada last fall, the american boarder patrol came on and shined the flashlight in their faces, and she said "mother fucker get of my bus!" and then she went on that she was a lioness, but would be polite and just shhhhhhhh, so they let her in. It was an amazing little tune.



Read a review of this show from the Toronto Sun



From Chelle:

Tonight's show was yet again AMAZING, what else can you expect right? I think that Ben Folds was a great opening, he was really funny, and surpassed my expectations. I had listened to a few of his songs (with and without the "Five") and I just passed it off, but last night, he showed really great talent! When Tori finally came on, she started off with Wampum Prayer, and then right before God, she sang this little improv about crossing the boarder, which was great because it provided humour and somehow reminded us (well me,) that she is human, not just a piano/singer goddess! Tori Amos is still my favourite person to see live, I always leave with a new sense of inspiration and love. With my RCM Gr.10 exam this Friday (tomorrow) I really needed to hear her, and restore my faith in music. For those "album listeners", all I have to say is to GO OUT AND SEE HER LIVE, YOU WILL LEAVE A DIFFERENT PERSON.


From Laura:

My friend and I arrived at the venue early and we heard the sound check. It was heavenly; we were sitting on a grassy hill under a tree, overlooking a pond, hearing Tori playing. About 30 other people gathered to listen too.

Ben Folds was super -- what an entertainer! He has a great voice and his songs and very clever and fun.

Tori was of course amazing. When she walked onto the stage the entire audience was mesmerized; she was ethereal in a flowing white top (with capri-length jeans and high high heals of course!).

The show was very energetic, and Tori and the band seemed to be having a great time. She did a cute improv about crossing the border into Canada (I think others have summarized it well already). I love hearing Take To The Sky with the I Feel The Earth Move ending, and it's amazing watching her go from the keyboards to the piano in less than a second in Sweet Sangria and Amber Waves; her musicianship is second-to-none. Jon and Matt are also incredible musicians; I think that Tori sounds terrific with the band! Tori's voice was in top-form too.

She played a number of songs I haven't seen her play live before, including Father Lucifer, Siren, TomBigBee, and Professional Widow (which was a lot of fun!). Running To Stand Still was a real treat; her take on that song is very nice. The "girrrrrrrrrrrrl" in Precious Things was the best I've heard! The show was quite long -- Tori came on stage at 8:30 and the show ended at 11 pm.

I love how she varies the set list from show to show; she really seems to be having fun on stage and putting on a terrific show. On to Rochester Hills tomorrow!


From Erin Letson:

This was my first time seeing Tori live and she did not disappoint! It was wonderful to go to a concert where the performer played for two and a half hours straight; it truly amazed me how she kept pounding/belting out her songs.

Father Lucifer and Take to the Sky were my favourites from the first part. I liked how she kept switching from her Bosendorfer to the smaller pianos (don't know what they're called). As always, Matt Chamberlain was amazing!

I was praying for Cooling to be played, as it is one of my faves, and sure enough she started her solo set off with that. Yah! Carbon and Running to Stand Still were awesome as well...and I was hoping for Putting the Damage On and there it came. This song sounded extra-beautiful tonight.

When the band returned, the set continued to get more and more awesome. I was happy to hear Amber Waves, as I am a big fan of that song. Precious Things rocked out big time!

And then came the first encore (how time flies when you're at a Tori concert!)...I was waiting for Bliss to come, so I was happy to hear it.

Rattlesnakes was also great. The second encore was the best part for me...as she played Tear in My Hand, I was like, "This is a great song, but I wish she would've played Hey Jupiter."...lo and behold Tori must have read my mind :)

Her story about crossing the border was fun, but I didn't quite understand it all...something about not saying fuck to the man at the border...

All in all, extremely satisfying show...I couldn't have asked for more, really!


From Justin:

While not a terribly big Tori Amos fan, my girlfriend is so off I went...

I will say this however, the woman is a machine, I didn't see her take a sip of water, it was song after song, she hardly stopped to let the audience applaud her! And she looked like she was having fun!


From Rachella:

Well, it was my fourth time seeing Tori, and it did not disappoint. Ben Folds was a terrific opener, and I was so impressed I'm going to have to go see him again. Tori had the best energy I've seen in the four times I've seen her, and to put it simply, it was a wickedly amazing show. A few highlights for me-

Little Earthquakes - I never thought about this song, so I was a bit surprised, and it brought tears to my eyes, especially at the "give me life" part. It was wonderful.

Bells For Her - despite the police officers chatting loudly near me, this song was beautiful, even with the bass and drums.

Father Lucifer - one of my favourite songs Tori and I am thrilled that I heard it. She gave the finger when she sang "girls that eat pizza and never gain weight". Amazing.

Take to the Sky - even better than when I heard it in October. it was the crazy energy that Tori possessed tonight that drove this song. It had people dancing in their seats.

Cooling - another song that brought me to tears. It is just so so beautiful.

Carbon - one of my favourites on SW, although when she started the song, I thought that it was Here In My Head, which almost made me cry. I loved Carbon, but HIMY is one of my favourites. But I guess you can't be that disappointed with Carbon.

Running to Stand Still - I didn't know what song this was but I was struck at it's beauty and Tori's connection to it.

Cornflake Girl - always a party

Siren - one that I have always wanted to hear, it was pretty amazing

Professional Widow - the highlight of the night for me. My friend Kelly and I freaked out. Totally unexpected for us, it just blew us away. It was crazy and insane, and I loved every single minute of it. This was the best song of the concert, hands down.

Bliss - this one rocks live. I like it better than the album version.

Rattlesnakes - I didn't think I'd hear anything from SLG, but Rattlesnakes is my favourite song from the album, so I was happy to hear it.

Tombigbee - I was thrilled to hear this song. It was a song with full-out energy and devotion, and it blew me away. It's one of my favourite b-sides.

Tear In Your Hand - I know I've been saying a lot of these songs are my favourites, so I might as well add another! TIYH has always been a favourite, since the start, and it nearly brought me to tears, especially when we all waved goodbye. I thought it was the perfect closer. But then came

Hey Jupiter - the Dakota version is so so incredibly beautiful, this song definately brought tears to my eyes. Just amazing, and a lovely way to end the concert.

My only complaint is that where I was sitting (I'm not sure about anyone else) the bass and drums got a little loud, and drowned the piano out. But despite that, this concert has been a highlight of my summer.


From Michelle Retterath:

Last night's concert was amazing! It really taught me that it doesn't matter what you think you want to hear--you're in for a treat no matter what.

Little Earthquakes brought me to tears. It was so beautiful. I felt like I was hearing it for the first time.

Tori's voice throughout the concert was fresh and strong. She became emotional during Bells for Her and Cooling especially. Looking at the screens, I was quite sure I saw tears welling up.

I didn't care that there were no debuts because I honestly loved it all. Professional Widow has always been one of my least favourite songs, but last night it really rocked. It was definitely a highlight.

Father Lucifer, when she flipped off the audience, was priceless.

Cooling was wonderful, as I've said before. I felt like Tori's voice was just perfect. Running to Stand Still was inspiring, and Carbon brought on a wonderful piano intro that really brought out the maestro in her.

Amber Waves had this great juxtaposition of really soft and really rocking. I surprised myself by getting into it.

Siren was a little slow for my taste, but when she hit the "never was one for a prissy girl..." it blossomed.

Precious Things was a bit different than in November. I can't put my finger on the change, but it was wonderful. My mom, who usually likes the slower songs, said it was her favourite of the night.

In the first encore, Tori came out holding burning sage that was wafting smoke. Maybe she wanted to fend off the bugs? lol Oh well, it looked really cool.

Tombigbee was a lot of fun--I'm falling in love with this one.

Tear In Your Hand was beautiful, and seemed to be the perfect closer...then she did Hey Jupiter! Even after a two hour concert, her voice was still soaring.

During Bliss a couple girls got up to dance, and when my friend and I asked them to please sit, they did...I thought that was really good of them. I know the setlist made me want to dance, too, but I was just too sweaty and dehydrated to stand up. lol

The audience as a whole had a really great vibe (at least around me.) We all just swayed in our seats and enjoyed it. There was one guy in the 100's twirling around to Cornflake Girl with a security guy chasing him. lol

I was really euphoric by the end. A great night.


From Ryan in Ontario:

Tori's show the other night at the Molson Amphitheatre was fantastic. It was my 5th time seeing her, first on the Lottapianos tour. I agree that "Professional Widow" was by far the highlight of my night, and the Carole King cover "I Feel the Earth Move" really evolved so naturally and almost mistically from "Take to the Sky"...sorry for overusing common tori media blibs like "mystic". It wasn't the most powerful Tori show I've seen because everyone seemed to be in a pissy mood in Toronto. You had to pay $15 for parking at the venue, go through a security check, and pass 3 different blockades of ticket-takers before getting to your seat. Cops were everywhere so you couldn't spark up a joint. The heat and bugs were almost unbearable, and no water fountains anywhere meant $3.50 for a bottle of water ($6.50) for beer. (I'm one of those broke-ass Canadians, so this is a big deal). Anyway, great show, I was glad to hear "Rattlesnakes", "Tear in your Hand", and "Hey Jupiter" as the last song. Wasn't a fan of her hair tonight, but she looked hot anway. Ben Folds did a great job, but as much talking as he does on stage I'm surprised he never mentioned "Chopsticks" (..."that way we can fuck and watch tv") was a Liz Phair cover. Toriphiles in the city of Toronto (and elsewhere in Ontario and abroad) can thank their lucky stars the show was on the 13th and not the 14th of August 2003. The black out has really shut us down right now. I live in Hamilton, which is all dark and probably choatic right now, but I'm camped out here in cozy Burlington for the night, which has it's power back on. I hope this doesn't last for long.


Read a review of this show from ChartAttack.com.


From Catherine Jackson:

Well, I purchased my two tickets two days before the concert.. THANK GOD!!! I saw Tori in November and was in complete awe of her. I swore to myself that I would never miss another Tori concert again because to this day I am still kicking myself about not going to see her back in 1999 when she was touring with Alanis... Regardless, the unspeakable almost happened again! However, I feel I made the best choice in purchasing my two tickets and sacrificing my credit rating.... but who cares! Not only did I get to see Tori again, I was able to take along a very dear friend of mine who only knew of Tori from our drives in to work and me making her listen to her over and over and over...

In a nutshell, Tori is the only performer to actually make me cry while playing live! I lost it during Little Earthqukes which was absolutely breathtaking, Siren (because this is the song that made me fall in love with her) and Bliss. I feel so blessed to not only have seen her live twice, but just for her musical therapy that I will carry with me throughout my life. I will be more than glad to share the wealth of beauty, creativity, emotion and honesty her music inspires within me with anyone that is willing to listen...

I would like to share with you all a new Tori tradition I have started... When I saw Tori in November, I brought a girlfriend of mine who knew and loved Tori just as much as I do. It was a wonderful experience and I am so glad that we were able to share our first Tori concert together. For this one however, I felt the need to bring in a new recruit... my car pool buddy, my confidante and one of my dearest friends was the Chosen One. Although she was skeptical at first, and I opted to pay for her ticket just so she could come and experience what I've been raving about for the past 9 months, what a thrill it was to watch her reactions to Tori, how she played and sang and interacted with us, her loving audience. The Chosen One is now a fan for life and I only plan on continuing this tradition, to pick one of my unsuspecting friends who needs a lot of light in their life and introduce them to the beauty and wonder of Tori Amos live in concert.

As you may have noticed, this isn't really a review of the concert, but more a reflection of the experience...this is how I remember my Tori concerts, not just set lists and lighting, but how the people around me were responding to such a wonderful artist and performer and I am so grateful and blessed to have seen her again.

Thank you Tori for coming to Toronto and we hope to see you soon!


From michael dailey:

I'm 37 and have been to many different concerts. Tori's show made me feel the most emotion I have EVER felt at a live performance. Go see her!


From Jenn in NS:

This was my first time seeing Tori in concert, and she did not dissappoint!

My boyfriend and I arrived a little early and got to hear Tori performing a sound check. It was amazing! We sat on a bank underneath a tree and listened to her for at least 45 minutes. By the time it was over, a small crowd had formed.

The concert, of course, was even better. I was expecting to hear more songs from Scarlet, being the most recent album, but was excited to hear a good mix of her songs.  Siren was awesome! I also really enjoyed the last encore when she played Tear in Your Hand, and then Hey Jupiter. But, I must say I was blown away by her rendition of I Can't See New York. Amazing - it sent chills down my spine.

I can't even describe the feeling of being there and watching her play live. It was well worth making the trip from Nova Scotia.