Sessions At West 54th February 6, 1999

On February 6, 1999, Tori appeared on the PBS show Sessions At West 54th. Some PBS stations did not carry this program and other aired it at different dates and times. Tori taped this show on Saturday night, November 14 in New York City in mid-town Manhattan. For more information about the program, check out the Sessions At West 54th Web Site. (UPDATE: This web site is no longer functional!) Unlike most of their episodes, this one dedicated the entire hour just to Tori!

Tori recorded 14 songs during the taping and 7 were shown during the program, along with several interview segments with host David Byrne. The songs that were shown on the program were the following in this order:

• Precious Things
• iieee
• Past The Mission
• Caught A Lite Sneeze
• Take To The Sky (solo)
• Cooling (solo)
• The Waitress

Look below for photos from the show, as well as a complete transcript/rundown of the program from Toriphile Kristy.

The U.S. satellite service DirecTV aired a special Sessions Preview with Tori on Friday, January 22, 1999, and repeated it throughout late January and early February. This was a preview of the full Sessions At West 54th. The preview included clips from Precious Things, iieee, Past The Mission, and Caught A Lite Sneeze. They also showed part of Tori's interview.

This show aired in Australia (I think for the first time) on May 27, 2001 on Channel 9 nationally.

The Trio cable network in the U.S. continues to show the Tori episode of Sessions At West 54th fairly frequently. One of the songs from this episode, Past The Mission, is also featured in a special Best Of Sessions At West 54th episode, which is also shown on Trio from time to time.

I really enjoyed the show. While the performance did not have the energy and momentum of some of the live shows I saw during the Plugged '98 tour, it was still excellent for a TV program and did give people a taste of what the live show is like. The stage had no lighting and was rather dark, which is why some of the photos on this page are dark. Below you can see several screen shots from Sessions. I also have several reports from people who were at the recording of the show and the exact set list of what she played during the taping. As you can see, Tori actually sang Cooling after The Waitress.

Photos From the Show

Precious Things

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iieee

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Past The Mission

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Caught A Lite Sneeze

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Take To The Sky (solo)

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Cooling (solo)

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The Waitress

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Interview

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Complete Transcript of The Program

Many thanks to Kristy for sending this to The Dent and to melissa j. mcdaniel for her help as well!

This part was spoken by a woman's voice over the opening montage of the show. They also showed clips of Tori playing:"Coming up next it's Sessions at West 54th. Tonight on sessions Tori Amos. Her bold musical statement and striking personal revelations has built one of the music worlds most fervent, dedicated following. See why in this special presentation of Tori Amos including interviews by David Byrne. Up next on Sessions at West 54th."

David Byrne: Her songs of personal release and deep down rebellion dig own and have touched a huge audience. Although she is known for moving audiences with just herself and a piano, tonight she is joined by her brand new band and expanded sound. Please welcome Tori Amos!

Jon, Matt, and Caton walk out and start playing the opening for Precious Things. It si an extended opening lie the one on the live version of the To Venus and Back cd. Tori comes walking out and crouched down at the audience. She then stats playing Precious Things. She is wearing black pants, a black shirt that is form fitting and off the shoulders and a glittery top that looks like the front half of a dress over the shirt and pants. Her hair is red and shoulder length and is in really small, tight curls. Very cute. I love her hair like that! She is very energetic during this song and makes lots of hand gestures. When she does the long "giiirrrrllll" she grabs her crotch.

Then the band goes into Iieee and Tori does a sexy dance with the piano during the into. She sings this one really beautifully while alternating from the piano to the keyboard. When she says the line "there's gotta be a sacrifice" she makes a motion with her hands over her stomach referring to her miscarried pregnancy. Again, lots of energy and moving around while playing the piano. She also does this really amazing aside in the middle of the song when the band stops playing and she plays a little solo on the piano and then the band comes in and continues to play. She ads the lyrics during this part and they go like this:

I know you understand
understand the way i feel
you tell me, you tell me, you tell me in my face
I know you understand the way I feel
you took, you took, you took my little girl
I know you understand the way i feel
if you understand then why, why, why

She really sang the why as loud as she could with such conviction and feeling. I think this is the most beautiful version of Iieee I have ever heard with the added lyrics. Absolutely STUNNING and INCREDIBLE!

Then Tori said "Hi everybody, how's it going?" And then a commercial break. After the commercial Tori and the band played Past the Mission. Very energetic and played with lots of smiles. Tori made lots of looks at Matt and grabbed the mic quite a bit. Tore barely sat on her bench for then entire song. She changes from the piano to the keyboard when she sang the chorus "Hey they found a body..." then switches back to the piano after the chorus. This was a really beautiful version of the song.

Next came Caught a Lite Sneeze. Tori sang this one with tons of energy! She sings the part "this spire is hot" to the top of her lungs. It was great. She can barely sit on her piano bench for this one as well. A really gorgeous version. Tori also made some really cute glances to the camera as well.

Next came the first part of the interview.
DB: Do you think when you changed your name or what they call in the old days took a stage name, do you think that was a kind of a way of self determination od saying I'm gonna be reborn as this new person?

T: Well, I think it is also correcting a serious mistake my mother made. I mean, I am screaming from the womb (looks up when she says this) "No mother, Myra Ellen" that's the worst. I hated that name especially what boys can do as a 9 year old with the word Myra. On the East coast with their accents, they are horrible anyway, but Myra. Myra it was just the worst. Everybody called me Ellen instead, but Elywn because they drop the L's. I gotta tell you I wanted to torch them too. And so I went through some really bad names when I was going through my name change period. I almost became Sammy J. (laughs).

DB: That's not bad.

T: Ok thanks because I was watching Dallas, or no Dynasty.

DB: I didn't know that was one of the characters.

T: Yeah, Sammy J she was Heather Locklears character or anyway I was getting into the whole Sammy J thing and thank God one of my friends boyfriends came and just said "you're a Tori" and I said "you know what, you are right."

Next, Tori did a solo set and started with Take to the Sky with the slapping the piano and everything. She was in good spirits with this one and accentuated her words when she sang. Lots of smiles and getting sexy with the piano bench, you know the classic Tori moves.

Then a pause for a commercial break.

After the commercial, Tori did Cooling solo. Really gorgeous version sung beautifully. It was the same version as the one on the To Venus and Back live cd. Tori again was full of smiles and looked a lot at the camera.

Another interview:
DB: I wanna ask about RAINN that you founded right?

T: Yeah, with other people.

DB: What's the ongoing work? We know about benefit concerts and that kind of thing, but what's the ongoing work?

T: Well, what RAINN really is, is it's a group of people that make sure the phone line is running. It's a 1-800 number and the number is 1-800-656-HOPE, and uh RAINN picks up the bill that when people call from anywhere in America to a rape crisis center. The rape crisis center can't afford the collect calls you know, they're just they're funded and they have to take care of their bills. And there are about 600 rape crisis centers now that the phone line takes the caller to a counselor at one of these places and RAINN is able to do that and it works out of the DC rape center. That's where the hub of RAINN is, part of the DC rape crisis center is RAINN now.

DB: Knowing that an ear on the other end of the telephone exists, does that help people call and say what's happened to them?

T: Well, I have been told that we've now had over 225,000 calls since 1994. That's a lot, a quarter of a million people. That's the good news and the bad news. But I've had people come up to me and say that they were really helped by RAINN because it's not like just a friend who is sitting there going "yeah yeah" or kinda going like this to watch the tv show or they've heard it enough and you feel like you're imposing and those people at the other end of the telephone are really there to talk about that, and to direct you. Some people need medical attention, some people need legal advice, some peple need therapy they really do, some people are very ill you know, very ill.

DB: The decision to work with a band was that influenced by people doing dance remixes of some of the songs?

T: Well, you know a couple things happened. Before all that happened on Boys for Pele, Manu Katche played drums, you know Manu...

DB: Yeah.

T: ...and he goes to me "listen," I used to record almost all the tracks piano vocal or piano harpsichord live to tape and that all the musicians would play on top of that rhythm because I had kinda trouble, not with all drummers, but I had trouble kinda surrendering that and trying to find you know finding the time when the songs didn't get pushed.

DB: Yeah, and it's a lot to surrender to make room for other people's parts.

T: And I trust this drummer that he knows your internal rhythm and who this, the songs i call them girls, who this particular one is and when she wants to pull back and when she wants to push, you know, I've always said you don't fuck (they bleeped that out) to a metronome... you can believe that, and the thing is I was going "Manu, I don't think I am ready" and he said "listen I'm not talking about me" and this is why I loved him so much, he said "but you need to find a drummer that you can trust, that for some reason you have that thing." Because he is one of the greatest drummers int he world, and he said "it's not about that, it's about some kind of secret language you have." And Eric Rosse who produced Under the Pink and who I lived with for a long time called me up after I lost the baby and just said "I know a guy." And he said "this is Matt Chamberlain, you've got to play with him." He worked with Matt's band and um Matt came to the Tropics and we rented a drum set and we just jammed and it was like "I know you," and he goes "I know you" and that was it. I think that was a real huge turn around.

Next a commercial break.

The last song of the show was a reall kick ass version of The Waitress. Everyone really got into this one. Tori really got down to this one, she all over the place while performing. She was sitting, standing, bouncing and even threw her leg up a bit. Matt was playing the drums like a madman and Caton was hitting the electric guitar strings like crazy. Tori smiled and sj=hook her head a lot at Matt and Caton. They did a really rocking extended version of this song. She also sang "I believe in peace, bitch" really clearly. She also added lyrics at the end of the song. They went like this:

I believe in peace yes
I believe she is the devil
I believe in something
I believe in something
I believe in that girl
I believe in goodness
I believe in her darkness
but I believe she's a devil girl

I believe in that girl
I believe in her goodness
i believe in her darkness
i believe in her
i believe in something
i believe in something

I believe in that girl
I believe in her goodness
i believe in her darkness
i believe in her
i believe in something
i believe in something

I believe in something
i believe in something
i believe in that girl

but i believe she is a devil bitch

And at the end Tori grabbed the mic and was doing the breathing sigh thing so much I thought she was going to hyperventilate.

Details About The Taping Of This Program

From Richard Handal

Richard told me that there was no special lighting on the set, which seemed to him to be rather sterile. Tori took a few questions from the audience during the taping. Richard watched the taping on a TV monitor at the venue and told me exactly what Tori performed:

Precious Things
iieee
Past The Mission
Caught A Lite Sneeze
Pandora's Aquarium
Take To The Sky (solo)
Hey Jupiter (solo)
Northern Lad
Crucify
Spark
The Waitress


Cooling (solo)
Raspberry Swirl
Cornflake Girl

From Meg M.

I was at West 54th as well. I was the girl who asked Tori what she would be doing if she wasn't doing music. I have to say that that was the greatest expirience of my entire life. Tori actually took my question and answered me. She was warm and receptive. She talked right to me, not at me like some people, and she seemed to take a great interest in giving me more than a one word answer. She mulled over my question, chatting and laughing for about five minutes. I was so excited I could hardly speak. She played beautifull that night and made me cry. I waited FIVE hours outside the studio, tickets in hand, hoping to get a glimpse of her (I had met her the night before) but she never came out. She is the greatest thing to ever happen to this plane of existence and any other planes out there. I am so thankful that I had this experience. It changed my whole outlook, being so close to her (I was 2nd row about 5 ft. away and directly in front of the piano.) I just love her for all she has done.

From Amanda Hughes

I just got back from a fabulous Sessions at West 54th. I was lucky and I got to be in the studio during the sound check. Tori performed iieee, Cornflake Girl, Precious Things, Hey Jupiter, and Past the Mission. I can't think of anything else.

Here is the set list from the taping as best I can remember:

Precious Things
iieee
Past the Mission
Caught a Lite Sneeze
Pandora's Aquarium
Take to the Sky (solo)
Hey Jupiter (solo)
Northern Lad
Crucify
Spark
The Waitress

Cooling (solo)
Raspberry Swirl
Cornflake Girl

Tori seemed to be in a good mood. She chatted a little bit with the audience and said that it was strange that the audience was lit. Now we were exposed. She told us about her yummy strawberry lip gloss, and during some down time she told the audience to ask her questions. Someone one asked her what she would be doing if she wasn't a musician, and Tori told us that she would either be involved in sewage or wine. She told us about her fascination with sewage. She said she wasn't a good cook, but Caton disagreed. Apparently she is quite the sandwich maker.

All the performances were fantastic. Everyone really seemed on tonight. Precious things had a great grrrrrrrrrrl. Past the Mission with the band is fabulous. Hey Jupiter was incredibly beautiful. The Waitress was her usual volatile self, hang ten honey. She told us that Raspberry swirl worked really well with the light show, but it wasn't there so just imagine. She did the slow intro to Cornflake Girl.

There was no meet and greet before or after the show. She is doing 6 shows in a row, so Joel asked us to please give her a night off. The show should air in the next month or two, and it will be quite a treat.

From Michael Curry (posted to the Precious-Things mailing list)

I wish I was one of those people who could give a detailed accounting of every moment, but my memory simply isn't that good. (hopefully someone else has already sent a set list to the other Mike). I'll just share a few impressions.

The taping started late (which I'm told is rather the norm), but the long wait on the sidewalk was well worth it. We were seated in the back row, but in this case that meant the fourth row so we were plenty close. I think the studio held about 250 people, but I'm not at all sure of that number. Suffice it to say that it was a very small and intimate setting. As those who have seen the show know, the seating is arranged so that the audience sits in a circle with the performers in the middle, and while we were in the back we were also seated so that Tori was facing us, so those glimpse of her we were able to catch while craning our necks to look over and around those seated in front of us were always very worthwhile glimpses. We were also in front of the sound board and got to hear Mark tapping his foot and making other noises during many of the songs.

Tori was in great spirits and seemed to really be enjoying herself, and that was reflected in her performance. Prior to last night I had only seen three shows on this tour, more because I didn't want to deal with Tori's audiences than because I didn't want to see Tori, and this show easily surpassed all of them. I think this was because of the combination of a brilliant performance by Tori (and the band) and the quiet that was enforced by the setting. The audience expressed it's appreciation enthusiastically between the songs, but was hushed during the songs themselves and while Tori was talking.

As for the set list, as I said I don't trust my memory enough to try to give a complete listing, but I will share some of the highlights, which for me were those songs she did without the band. She apparently hadn't decided in advance what songs she was going to do (a fact reflected by the set the camera woman behind me had), so after some thought she started out with "Take To The Sky"!!! When that was done she talked a bit about how it seemed her favorite songs didn't make the albums (as "Take" hadn't made LE) and then launched into a wonderful performance of "Hey, Jupiter." I was a bit sad that she only did two solo songs (since the set list had her down as doing "3 or 4"), but when she came back at the end of the show she played one of the songs I had most wanted to hear, "Cooling". All the songs with the band were great too, but those are the ones I'm not 100% sure on, so I'll let someone else (maybe woj) talk about those.

In effect the taping was just like a regular (though of course extremely intimate) concert. There were a couple of short breaks that wouldn't have happened at a regular show, with Tori getting her makeup touched up and a few technical changes being made, but there were no retakes or anything like that. During one of the breaks Tori offered to take a couple of questions from the audience, and fortunately there were a couple of people whose brains didn't freeze up. The first question was, "How are you enjoying married life?" and after saying that her husband didn't want her to talk about it she whispered into the mike, "It's fantastic!" The second question was about what she would be doing is she wasn't doing music, and after some thought Tori said that it would probably be something with sewage or wine and then went on to explain what she meant. It was pretty amusing and I'm really looking forward to seeing what she had to say to David Byrne during the interview segments (which had been taped earlier in the day).

It was a really amazing evening and I feel very lucky to have had the chance to be there.

From SideShowSteve

Great show Sat night.Tori and her band were awesome.

I got the tix from a friend of mine who is the backup singer for Liz Phair. We got excellent seats(not really a bad spot in the house.)I imagine we will be on camera a lot because we were in the front row right behind her.

After a short introduction by host David Byrne, Tori & co. ripped into a fourteen song set (with a couple of short breaks)

The songs in order were as follows.Titles with "*" were performed solo.

"PRECIOUS THINGS"
"IIEEE"
"PAST THE MISSION"
"CAUGHT A LITE SNEEZE"
"PANDORA'S AQUARIUM"
"TAKE TO THE SKY" *
"HEY JUPITER" *
"NORTHERN LAD"
"CRUCIFY"
"SPARK"
"THE WAITRESS"
"CORNFLAKE GIRL" "RASBERRY SWIRL"

There was also a song which she introduced as one that didn't make it to Pele or choirgirl.I didn't recognize it and she didn't give the title.:(

She was dressed in a tight black shirt revealing her shoulders,black pants and a silvery,sparkly apron type of garment.

We waited by the bus afterwards but she was rushed out by some beefy fellow so I only got a wave hello and a pic of the side of her head.(ah well......next time)

All in all ..great night,great vibe,great people;a captivating performance by one of today's most vital and talented artists(if not THE most) I've been looking for a good Tori chat room;perhaps you can direct me so that I can share my experience with many.

Please give me feedback, comments, or suggestions about my site. Email me (Michael Whitehead) at mikewhy@iglou.com