North American Plugged '98 Tour
Santa Barbara, CA
September 20, 1998

Updated December 23, 1998

Check Out The Reviews And Set Lists Page

Tori performed in Santa Barbara, CA on September 20, 1998 at the County Bowl during the main North American leg of her Plugged '98 tour.

Set List

Tori performed Famous Blue Raincoat and Twinkle solo. I would like to thank Matt Page for calling me on the phone with the set list. Lacey Adam was the first to email me the set list.

Precious Things
iieee
Little Earthquakes
God
Black-Dove (January)
Bells For Her
Famous Blue Raincoat (solo)
Twinkle (solo)
Purple People
Spark
Hotel
The Waitress

1st Encore:
Cornflake Girl
Raspberry Swirl

2nd Encore:
Liquid Diamonds

Reviews

The most recently added reviews are first.

September 23, 1998 - I was at the Santa Barbara show and was lucky enough to be in the pit right behind the red haired girl who threw the pooh bear on stage for Tori. I was full of happy surprise and emotional shock when she palyed Famous Blue Raincoat because that is a very special song, but also becuase I never in a million years thought I would hear her play that live, not at one of the shows I was at anyway. Then for her to play Twinkle - which I have been to known to listen to on repeat for hours and hours - well, let me just say that by that point my sleave was soaked through. I knew I would be going to the first Greek show, and that I would have B section seats, so I only watched Tori and disregarded all the other stage stuff going on. Also, I could tell the people around me were also really into her and very respectful. Being in the pit was also great because the experience still felt intimate and personal even though there were definitely more distractions. I have to say this: the music was intense and powerful and full of energy and emotion; the other musicians onstage really added to the phenomenon of Tori's presence and her expression. Some of the old songs that have been revamped sounded incredible and I was really moved and sent to another realm while watching and listening to Tori. I left the county bowl feeling excited, inspired and empowered, which is how her music makes me feel whenever I listen to it, but I felt those things all the more from hearing it live.

From Mike Foley

September 23, 1998 - About me--I'm almost 50 years old and discovered Tori Amos about a month ago. I was so blown away, I went to the Santa Barbara show Sept 20. I wasn't disappointed--yeah, there were some lighting problems but the band pulled it off without a hitch. She's got class musicians working with her and as far as Tori herself goes--what can I say? Amazing performance--and I've seen a hell of a lot of shows in my time on this planet. Damn--what an artist!

My quest now is to see her again ASAP--maybe I'll run over to Vegas or something. But for anyone who hasn't discovered Tori Amos or seen her live, take it from me--DO IT RIGHT AWAY. Thanks again for a class website.

From Sara Adamson

September 23, 1998 - I was really hoping to meet Tori at this meet and greet so I went down at about 9:30. I was number 12. The same people were there from before, more friendly this time. A lot of people didn't like the whole numbering thing, and I can understand both sides. Mainly I wanted to meet Tori so I was just going with the flow. So anyway, at 2 they came and told us there would be no meet and greet. It was a terrific disappointment, but what can you do. We hung around in Santa Barbara the rest of the day, I got a nice Tori poster I hadn't seen before, the picture of her with the Junkie's Baddy Powder shirt on, it's very cute blown up like that. The guy at the shop also I had a ton of boots, even two from 98 but I was too broke from the travelling. Anyway, we skipped the Devlins and got there about 8. Our seats were a huge improvement over the Pond. We could see great! The binoculars only made it even better. Tori came out at 8:15, looking adorable in a green sparkly sarap thing. The way the set started was startlingly close to the Pond and it kinda tripped me out at first. After God she spoke to us, saying "we don't get to be outdoors a lot and we really like it." Then she said "I know some of you have been with us on the tour and we love you to death" and then she introduced the band. Then she went into Black-Dove and that was pretty awesome, Bells For Her another thrill. Famous Blue Raincoat completely blew me away though. I love Leonard Cohen and I love that she hadn't played it. She did an amazing job. Twinkle also amazed me. I just couldn't believe she was playing that, also since she hadn't played any Pele girls at either of these shows. I couldn't believe she played Purple People, when it started I completely thought it was Playboy Mommy, but I was so wrong. This song is great live. Next was Spark and the lights went out, that really sucked. They came back on after about a full minute. Following that with Hotel was great. I never really cared much for the song on the album but in concert, it really rocks the place. She hit the high notes beautifully. The end of the show, The Waitress, was the really long version. At the end she was really jamming. She was saying like "I believe in peace/I believe in God/I believe in nothing" and stuff like that, going on and on. It was intense. Steve was dancing a lot tonight. First encore, she came on and did Cornflake Girl which pleased the crowd. Raspberry Swirl next was great, everyone seemed to get up and dance. The lights were all wild and everyone was dancing with Tori. She ran off the stage and we clapped and clapped until she came back on. I honestly couldn't believe she did Liquid Diamonds, my top favorite song on Choirgirl. Absolutely thrilling. It was incredible, a perfect ending to a wonderful show. I just adored it.

From jeni

September 23, 1998 - well, it was an another amazing show here in Santa Barbara. Everyone else basically covered what I was going to say, but I must correct what someone said about what she was wearing. She was not wearing blue jeans, but a pair of grey pants with some black leather boots. She did not do the meet and greet at the beginning of the show, but she did after. It was amazing! The crowed started singing to Tori, "cum by yah Tori, cum by yah..." i'm sure everybody knows the words to the original song, but just in case you don't, its supposed to be, "cum by yah my lord, cum by yah..." all the staff guarding the rail started smiling and we got a couple of chuckles out from them too. She is indeed a godess...

From ~Chucky K

September 22, 1998 - What can I say? Tori sounded just beautiful Sunday night. I saw her at the Pond in Anaheim and although her setlist was a little better there, she didn't even measure up to the performance she put on in Santa Barbara. You could tell that she was in the mood to perform. The whole atmosphere was perfect. (Tori even mentioned about how she loves being outside) The weather couldn't have been better. Just as it seemed like it was going to rain, Tori didn't let it.

The fans here were also much better than at the Pond. No unnecesarry (Hanson fan) screaming here...just a few beachballs and balloons that got on my nerves. I was soooooo happy to hear her do Purple People. It sounded so much better than the recording! Bells For Her was also surprising to me. She was so nervous about doing Famous Blue Raincoat for the first time on this tour but it was the most "perfect" song of the night.

I'll never forget the way she skipped off the stage with a giant Pooh Bear stuffed animal that someone gave her.

The highlight of the evening for me was when she did a whole third of Spark in complete darkness. Although I was so confused and nervous about the lighting being messed up, there was this sense of amazement running through my head. I kept thinking, "Wow! They sound even better in the dark (not one instrumental mistake) and they can't see a thing they are doing!" What an amazing group of artists Tori and her band are.

From HELLKATZ

September 22, 1998 - I just came back from a trip to Santa Barbara to see Tori in probably the best show I have ever seen. This was the fourth Tori show I have been to this year and I have to say it was simply amazing. I was so happy that she played Famous Blue Raincoat and Hotel. She was dressed almost exactly like she was at the Oakland show except instead of a red sequence dress thingy it was green sequence dress thingy. During Spark the lights went out. At first I thought maybe it was part of the show, but after a little bit I realized they just plain went out. Tori was great though, she didn't miss a beat. She continued playing the song like there was no problem at all. Some lights finally came on and Tori looked like she was about to laugh. They were not able to get all the lights back on, but I was probably the only person who noticed because I have been to a few other shows. The lights went out again during Waitress, but I think the lights going out added to the song, especially when Tori added the line "...I want to kill this light switch..." It was so funny. I just wanted to add that before Tori sang Famous Blue Raincoat she mentioned that she hadn't played it on the tour yet and she lifted her left hand where she had all the lyrics to the song written on it, and she said something about her hands not being very big so if she forgets some of the lyrics than she wanted us to yell them out to her. Tori hands are actually rather long so she had no problem with the song. Since I was one of the RAINN auction winners my friend and I went backstage to go see Tori. Tori was so wonderful and we slightly joked about the light problems. That was my wonderful day and I have to say once again that the concert was simply AMAZING!!!

From Bethani Cloud

September 21, 1998 - September 20, 1998- What a sweet Sunday. From the hour I woke up this morning, I knew that my day would end with the long anticipated Tori show at the Bowl. Ever since I missed her on the Dew Drop Inn tour, I have been choking myself and hoping for this tour! After the Devlins played; a very cute and charming group indeed, the band came out and after a few minutes Tori appeared in a dazzling green sequin top/dress. Her hair looked so good with its newly permed perkiness and deeply glowing redness. She launched into Precious Things and I was in tears. The song was played with such explosion and it crawled right inside of me. Iieee was next and it was really fun. Little Earthquakes followed and I'm glad it showed up because it's one of my favorites!! I was suprised with GOD which was next- it sounds so different live than on the album! Black Dove and Bells For Her are not on my top shelf but it was fantastic nonetheless. For Private time, Tori said how she has not played this on the tour yet and went into Famous Blue Raincoat. I had to ask some grrrls behind me what the song was because I had never heard it before. The intro into Twinkle was magical and I remember thinking "she is not playing this" and I feel it was the most passionate song. The band returned and they played Purple People which is also new to me. The crowd went wild when Spark showed up and it really got us excited. Hotel was next and I thought it was like painted windows. The song is there but it's kinda hard to see through it if the light isn't shining on it. You know? There was a few really nice Toriphile grrls behind me and we were naming songs we were hoping for before Tori came on and this girl was set on hearing Waitress. I'm sure she was stoked because that was the closing song. Tori was like "And I Hate, and I hate, and I Hate" and I could feel the vibe. It was so cool! It seemed to go on and on, perhaps an extended version. The first encore was Cornflake girl and that rocked!!! I jumped up and saw everyone going wild. Raspberry Swirl was cute with Tori's little hips just swirling on her bench. She looked like she was having fun. I had to swirl my hips with her! The very last song was Liquid Diamonds which is an underwater song indeed. I just can't believe that My first Tori experience is already over but I've got my Raspberry Swirl Grrl necklace and I'm as happy as a hummingbird.*

From Justin Kittzman

September 21, 1998 - Fog machines billowed out the thick mist that set the mood of the evening and the band started with heavy bass riff's and an almost primal drum beat. She was born to my eyes wearing a green sequien vest and long sleeve black shirt with blue jeans. After doing her usual greeting, she starts right in to Precious Things. She played right on through into Iieee and had a very melodic and emotional iprov in the middle of the song. A very nice version of Little Earthquakes followed. After was God which had noticed imediatly with the intro she had improv'ed. Next was black dove and then came my Writing song, Bells for Her. Meanwhile a complete light show was going on, cuting through the thick fog with its bright beams. When I looked behind me to see the light cast on the crowd it was just as beautiful as the show on stage, all of these people who had come to see tori were having viberant red, green, and blue lights showering them. Back on stage the lights dimed and just light peter pan when the crowd claped our beloved faerie came back to our sight to have her special time with the spectators. She brefly spoke of this being the first time she had played this song on the tour and I was graced by a song I have not heard before, Famous Blue Raincoat. Twinkle followed which was not one of my favorites i will admit but i enjoyed it anyway. Next to come was Purple People, which i was delighted to hear. Spark was exelent and the entire crowd roared at its conclusion. She played Hotel after that, which I was told to be the second time she had played that on the tour. And the waitress concluded the offical concert. She is a wonderful show-woman and added little imprompts such as I just want to kill this lightswitch.

After she finished the band took their bows and walked off stage. Again the magical power of the claping crowd brought our faerie back out to play three more songs: Cornflake Girl was the first.

Second was Raspberry Swirl. I imediatly knew something was up when the drummer put on a lightup alien headband. And began pounding on what apeard to be an oil drum. She finished the encore's with another very well done live rendition of Liquid Diamonds. After the concert I hoped to give her a poem I wrote but was not able to:

Toriphile

Just another faceless faithful follower
Just a tiger tamed by the tune.
Keys please play for me.
Drop down to my knee.
Faerries fly free.
Love leeps from your fingers.
Thick sweet music fills the air.
A bakery of songs.
A diary of poems.
Just another one for you.
Just the world to me.
My heart skips a beat when we finaly meet.
Loving, unconditional, Ears With Feet.

From Lacey Adam

September 21, 1998 - This show was AMAZING!!!! The Devlins were actually really good. They said how they had been to Santa Barbara before with an all girl bill and they were back with "well, not just a girl, it's Tori, isn't it?" That got lots of cheers. During i i e e e Tori was saying things like "you took away my little girl, I don't know why" It was very powerful. Before she sang God she said how she loved playing outside and did a little intro, something like, "you need a woman, said yes, in your head" Before Famous Blue Tori said how she'd never done this song on this tour and how she might not remember all the words "so scream them out loud if I forget." During Spark, when she sings "how many . . ." the lights went out. Completely. But when she sang"afraid of a light in the dark" they came on, so I figured it was part of the show. But then during The Waitress during the first "I believe in peace" they went out AGAIN. They came back on and Tori sings the line "I want to kill this light switch. . ." it was so funny! Everyone was dancing to Raspberry Swirl!! It was so cool to look behind me and see this mass of people moving around! I think Tori enjoyed it too. This show was so great, I had such a great time and I hope to do it again!! (oh, and I thought we were the first to hear Hotel, but I guess not . . . she played it, like, four times during soundcheck. She also played Father Lucifer, Putting the Damage On, and Purple People.)

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