A review of Tori's August 13th Toronto, Ontario concert appeared in the August 14, 2003 edition of the Toronto Sun.

More Details

Thanks to Laurel Galbraith for letting me know about this. You can read the review online at www.canoe.ca or below:


Piano lesson
... but what Tori Amos does can't be taught

By JASON MacNEIL
Toronto Sun

TORONTO -- Tori Amos can often do more with two hands and two pianos than four hands can do with one.

For over two hours last night at the Molson Amphitheatre, the singer, days shy of turning 40, showed her faithful fans why this trek has been dubbed the Lotta Pianos tour. From the opening A Sorta Fairytale, from her latest release Scarlet's Walk, Amos said next to nothing between songs, relying on her fingers to do the talking.

Wearing something from Stevie Nicks' closet under jeans and black top, Amos warmed the mainly twentysomething female audience early on with Little Earthquakes from her 1996 Boys For Pele album.

"Hi everybody, how's it going?" Amos said before ad-libbing an impromptu song regarding crossing the border and customs agents, one of the few lighter moments of the night.

With her lyrics, Amos creates rich and vivid images, which can be all-consuming at times to listeners. Tracks such as Father Lucifer and Bells For Her, which has a certain Celtic feeling behind it, had most sitting and singing along or swaying in their seats.

Rounded out by bassist John Evans and drummer Matt Chamberlain, Amos was the focal point for the evening. Occasionally playing her black, baby grand piano with her left hand and one of two keyboards with her right, Amos mixed lesser-known songs with favourites such as Cornflake Girl, the rather radio-friendly Amber Waves and the alluring Professional Widow.

Halfway through the show, Amos did three songs solo as a "Roadside Cafe" sign was lowered from above. A cover of U2's Running To Stand Still was the highlight of the trio.

For the most part though, the singer's voice ebbed and flowed depending on her choice of material, resembling Jane Siberry or Mary Margaret O'Hara at times. The ragtime feel of Wednesday was only surpassed by Take To The Sky, which veered partially into Carole King's I Feel The Earth Move.

Amos also spent part of the song slapping her piano, resulting in fans clapping along.

As Amos finished her main set and concluded with encores, the audience that filled half of the seated section had begun to thin out.

Nonetheless it's quite apparent that Amos will only add to her growing body of work.

Opening up for Amos was another fine piano player in Ben Folds.

Looking like he just left a frat house party, the quirky and funny musician was the perfect complement to the headliner's more serious tone.

Songs such as Philosophy, Army and Zak And Sara were crowd pleasers.