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Amos plays eclectic material at Syracuse show
By Mike Mutolo

Friday night at the Landmark Theatre, Tori Amos sang "A Sorta Fairytale with You" and that's exactly what she provided.

Amos, who recently kicked off the second half of a U.S. tour for her new album Scarlet's Walk was in top form. She got the crowd moving with her siren-like vocals and piano-bench straddling dances.

As soon as Amos stepped on stage the excitement level in the air skyrocketed. As soon as she took her seat, the crowd went wild and Amos responded with her usual subtle smile and wave.

Those who expected to hear mostly new material got a different kind of show. Out of her 23-song set Amos played only 8 from her current album, performing material that spanned her entire career.

The crowd responded to favorites from her debut album Little Earthquakes including "Crucify" and "Girl."

In a rare extended version of "Crucify," Amos provided a heavy bass some fans didn't recognize. Amos also included "Cornflake Girl" from Under the Pink, and the techno- and noise-inspired "To Venus and Back."

The songs Amos did play from her new album show how much she has grown as an artist in her 20-year career. During "Sweet Sangria," "Pancake" and "Virginia," Amos showed both sides of the story with her lyrics, stretching the borders of the surreal and reality while singing about the exploitation of Native Americans, women, homosexuals and porn stars.

"Lieee" starts out rather slow and morphs into something that would make any heavy metal rocker proud. In contrast, "Wednesday" fuses her traditional style with a more upbeat sound that isn't found in much of her other work.

But it wasn't until her band members left the stage that Amos showed her true talents. Sitting alone with a single spotlight calling attention to her fiery red hair, Amos gave a four-song solo in a portion she called "Roadside Cafe."

The crowd was breathless during "Leather," when Amos lightly played the piano and swayed her hips cross legged on the bench, occasionally flipping her hair. Amos also showed her ability to haunt fans during an chilly improv number about Clara the Ghost, the ghost of a dead aspiring actress that supposedly haunts the Landmark Theatre.

Amos' dedication to her fans was clear from her two energetic encores, though it was disappointing to see a few of the fans dancing during Amos' song "Taxi Ride" in which she honors one of her late friends.

Amos closed out the show with the heart-touching song "Playboy Mommy" about a miscarriage she suffered. The crowd stood in complete silence out of respect (except for the few naive individuals still dancing) as Amos played her last magical note to a mesmerized audience.