North American Club Tour
Los Angeles, CA
May 6, 1998

Updated September 23, 1998

Check Out The Reviews And Set Lists Page

Tori performed her 12th and final concert of the North American club tour in Los Angeles, CA on May 6, 1998 at the Wilshire Theatre. The venue was changed at the last minute from the El Rey to the Wilshire Theater. The reason for the venue change had to do with fire codes. Tori said something about them not all being able to fit at the El Rey!

Set List

Kim H. was the first to send me this set list. She called me at home after the show.

Black Dove (January)
iieee
Precious Things
Liquid Diamonds
Cornflake Girl
Jackie's Strength
Tear In Your Hand
Icicle
Silent All These Years
Northern Lad
Spark
Cruel
Waitress

1st Encore:

She's Your Cocaine
God

2nd Encore:

Horses

Reviews

The most recently added reviews are first.

From The Orange County Register

September 23, 1998 - A review of this concert appeared in the May 8, 1998 edition of the Orange County Register.

Theme is change as Tori Amos plays to adoring crowd

REVIEW: The singer-songwriter expands to a quartet, plays new works and ditches her signature closer Ñ after switching venues.

By JULIE LAING
Special to the Register

Where: The Wilshire Theatre, Beverly Hills
When: Wednesday

Vocalist and pianist Tori Amos is accustomed to a solo spotlight onstage. But expanding that light to include guitar, bass and drums was an overdue and welcome move at Wednesday night's Wilshire Theatre show, moved hastily from the El Rey down the street.

The final night of a "sneak preview" club tour, the nearly two-hour performance gave Amos and her band a chance to test their wings before a fans-only crowd. With only a few wobbles, the quartet soared.

Amos still found space to play inside the confines of a group, kicking up the power and tension on a run of songs from her new release, "From the Choirgirl Hotel." She also pulled out old favorites, turning memories of stripped-down live tunes into full-blown rock.

Amos seemed stiff as she took the band through opener "Black-Dove (January)," but soon her self-satisfied, catlike smile broke through. Her rhythmic piano work slipped neatly into a mix of haunting guitar, bass and heavy drums.

The band's talent peaked on "Precious Things," which reeled with a newfound power, like a fighter given brass knuckles. Even the childlike "Horses," in the second encore, moved into the nasty grown-up's world with a slow and surreal electric touch.

Yet Amos made it clear that she was still the star of the show. The vocalist moved through the set with a ferocious mix of the sexy and the sultry. The band melted into the background visually as she twisted and danced on her piano bench, juggling between synthesizer and piano.

But the quiet moments were the best. Her new ballad "Jackie's Strength" was a beautiful prayer and the highlight of the night. Emotional power brought the singer near tears after she sent the band offstage for "Silent All These Years."

Amos went from one extreme to the other, keeping the ballads for herself and giving the rock to the group. The noise seemed overboard in places, and Amos lacked the sparkling rhythmic feel that came from just her and her piano in the past.

The fans didn't seem to mind, though. The marquee reading "Tonight Tori Amos" should has also said "Fanatics Only." Some concert-goers had been lined up at the El Rey at 9 a.m., then walked to the Wilshire after a fire marshal shut down the smaller venue during the afternoon soundcheck because of the amount of equipment and crowd expected. When coffeehouse crooner David Poe opened the concert an hour late, people were still lined up outside and slowly trickling in the door.

But Amos gave them their money's worth. When she closed her set with the sing-along chant "I Believe in Me" instead of her traditional "Me and a Gun," Amos made it clear she had moved on, and wanted her fans to share in it.

From Christ (RAM8081)

September 2, 1998 - to clear up a few things: the fire marshall (tori described him as "the man with the little red hat") told them it was a fire hazard to have so many people in the el rey. neil gaiman was at the show. eric rosse was also as the show (THIS is what shocked me)

pre show: i had to walk a mile to get from the el rey to the wilshire theatre, carrying erin's birthday mini-cake. not un, lemme tell ya :) then we go over to wait for tori..i stay towards the back, not wanting to get trampled or anything signed, i just wanted to see her. they kick us off the stairs, actually forcing me in front on the crowd. so we wait...and we wait, and we watch them set up the equipment..and it's four..and tori comes maybe 7:15 or so. and she takes her time going down, and joel was extremely patient with everyone. and in our area, she gave a lot of personal messages to people she just met and people she recognised. i asked her why she hasn't played pandora, and she said they didn't know how! same with hotel and rapberry swirl. but she did promise me they'd know em by the summer.it was an extremely emotional moment, you just had to stand in awe of it. i end up getting my tori pass signed, and she in general gets everyone. doors didnt opne until, well, late.

show: now, i had heard complaints about david poe, but he was funny, friendly, and he put on an enjoyable show. he took people talking during his set in stride, and was totally nonchalant about them cutting him short (i think they did? he played only 4-5 songs)

then we find out..we can stand at the barricade, everyone rushes down, i am maybe two behind the front and can see perfectally between two people in the center. she was gorgeous. she played

*black dove (january) first, in which she took to staring at erin. i am not too fond of this song, but live, it kicks ass.

*iieee was a definite night highlight. you could recognise the song before she played it..she had her little colour-coded keys to make the background vocals...and she like, bowed and grooved to the other players. she did this for all the songs with heavy rythem, it was cute.

*precious things-best phrase..she gets "demonic on my ass" she did an improv at the end but she was saying ti so fast and slurred i couldnt understand..i almost thought it was the old "wash this thing" one..

*liquid diamonds-i have heard the album for the past two weeks, and i was still slow in recognizing this. i dont think it's as long live, it's enjoyable.

*cornflake girl-pretty much the album version, only it rocks out a little more. caton was singing along, it was funny. a few short improvs, but nothing like the old "darling i know you're here with me" one..

*jackie's strength-lights focused only on her, she looks gorgeous, she tells the audience this is one of her favourites off the new reocrd, someone yells "mine, too!" and she says "oh, really? it's only been out one day!" and later the other members light up when they come into the song. she was staring at one girl in particular for the entire song (yay joy :))

*tear in your hand-standard, except that neil was in the audience (balcony) and she looked up to him and waved during "me and neil'll be hanging out with the dream king"

(secret time)

*icicle-nice lil intro, the usual singalong whispering "i know you know this" i thought it'd be annoying and the crowd wouldnt stop, but they were actually REALLY good about it.

*saty-nice version, changes one line to "with these jeans of hers with her name still on it" no one knwos if it was a slip or intentional.

*northern lad-gorgeous live version, but this song is good any way. looks up to the balcony a LOT, i couldnt help but feel like maybe she was looking up at eric, esp during the "if you could see me now" and then she'd do a sly smile.

*spark-she said something along the lines of it being familiar..she messed up, something about the mike, and started over again

*cruel-more of the rythem dancing grooving towards the other band members. beautiful song any way you put it. "sh-sh-shock me sane" line was capturing. she also did a banshee-like yell.

*the waitress-caton and tori had a lot of fun with this one, the now usual improv bright white lights flashing

*first encore, *she's your cocaine: i thought she was going to swallow the mike a couple times for this one. everyone dancing a little. *god-more like the album with the band, the now usual improv verse..

*second encore, horses: dark, i dont know if i neccesarily like it, but tori's stage presence, the disco balls, and the blue lights make it that much better.

the lighting was nothing short of FANTASTIC. the lighting crew did such a kickass job. and the crew did NOT go to sleep inbetween wednesday (forget the fact they had to set up TWICE) and thursday's show. at 3:45, they were running a soundcheck.

From Gina Cogswell

May 19, 1998 - Here's the inside scoop (maybe you're interested) on what happened in L.A. that caused the venue switch from the El Rey Theater to the Wilshire Theater on May 6. As you know, the location was changed at the very last minute and was confusing for many, and for me, the reason I didn't get to see the show.

Tori's crew had spent two days setting up the stage at the El Rey. They were all ready to play there, and I was ready to see them because, you see, my boyfriend has a friend who works at the theater so we were on the guest list. Anyway, somebody made a big mistake and sold 900 tickets for the show, exceeding the capacity of the theater (499!). In addition, 100 people were on the theater's guest list (including my boyfriend & me).

The property that neighbors the El Rey on both sides is owned by one family who apparently have been at war with the theater's owner for years--some dispute over a fence that's either unsightly or restricts the neighbors full access to their property. The neighbors went through the proper channels and presented the situation to the L.A. Municipal Court, trying to get the show cancelled. They were in court until 2 PM on May 6 trying to come to a resolution! The fire marshall wanted only 450 people at the show, and of course with Tori fans this just isn't going to happen, so the only thing that could be done was to change the venue.

The Wilshire Theater, I believe, holds about 1400 people but is not nearly as nice as the El Rey. It's a shame that the show got moved. The crew was still tearing down the stage at 4 PM! Anyway, since we're not friends of Tori (unfortunately), and we didn't have actual tickets, we didn't get to go to the show at the Wilshire :o(

From Lissa

May 19, 1998 - I'm a bit late for writing a review, but I just got home from LA last night. My friend, Khrystyna, and I arrived at The El Rey at about 1:30. There were maybe twenty or thirty people lined up along the outside of the building with blankets and umbrellas. We started to sit down and one of the security people told us to go around to the other side of the building. Because Khrystyna hadn't brought a picture ID with her to The Greek when tickets were bought, her friend Andy had been the one to buy the tickets and since the voucher was in his name, only one other person could go in with him so we desperately had to find another ticket for either me or Khrystyna. We made a little sign that said "We need a Tori ticket! Please!" and Khrystyna was holding it up most of the time. She's a pretty noticable person, seeing as she has pink hair so we got a lot of sympathy from other EWF who happened to walk by. After we'd been sitting there for about 30 minutes, they moved the venue to the Wilshire. It was never really announced by anyone, at least not very loudly, so people were just getting up and walking down the street and we had no idea what was going on. Finally someone told us so we headed down the street too. It was about a mile away, give or take a few blocks. We were some of the last people walking to get there so we ended up at the end of the lines again anyway. Since neither of us had a voucher in our name, we decided to go around the other side of the building with a couple other people to wait for Tori. We sat around there for about an hour before other people started noticing that a crowd was gathering. Then more and more people joined us. They put up baracades and Khrystyna and I were thrilled to be in the first row. :) Then a truck arrived to set up the equipment and they forced us to move the baracade back and Khrystyna and I lost our places up front. :( We ended up about two or three people back from the baracades, but that was fine with me because I knew I would still have a pretty good view of Tori and all I wanted was to just catch a glimpse of her up close. I have to the say that the people all around us were some of the nicest people I've ever met in my life. Most were really polite and talkative and it made the 4 hours that we stood waiting there go by a lot faster. We all talked about the new cd, the older stuff, magazine articles, Caton, and everything else Tori related. It was wonderful to be in a crowd of people who all shared a common love - Tori. We got to see Mark a couple of times and he had these great shorts on that showed a lot of personality. From what I saw of him from fifteen feet away, he looked really nice. We continued to wait and to pass the time we all sang Tori songs together. We were horrible singers, but it was a wonderful congregation. Then Caton showed up and gave some autographs. I got the back insert of my Little Earthquakes cd signed by him so I was pretty happy. About 7:00, after they had already opened doors (and we still didn't have tickets or our voucher person), Tori finally showed up in a limo. It was the most indescribeable experience. She got out and looked so serene. She had no makeup on and she looked just like an angel to me. I could feel the tears welling up into my eyes as I watched her move from person to person, trying to get as much signed as possible and still trying to talk to as many people as she could. She got lots of gifts that made her really happy and it was wonderful to watch her face break into a beautiful Tori smile. Someone gave her this beautiful little candle that said "Congratulations Tori" or something like that on the side. It had a little picture of her and Mark at their wedding on the lid. Other people gave her flowers and necklaces and the usual things. I could go on for hours about the wonderful things I heard her say to everyone, but that would make this review *really* long. After Tori went inside, Khrystyna and I found Andy (her friend with the voucher) right away. We went around the other side of the building to get into line. We were still desperately seeking a ticket and we found a few that were ranging from $200-500 and we only had $175 to spend on a ticket. I know that is *a lot* but I'd came all the way from Tucson to see the concert and I wasn't going to miss it. We waited in line for about ten minutes and we were about to just leave because we couldn't decide which one of us would have to wait in the car for two hours, while the other one got to experience Tori, when someone came up to us and told us that someone was selling a ticket for $180. We went to the person and begged them to let us have it for $175 and he was just horrible about it. He rudely told us that the price was $180 and that if we couldn't pay it, he'd find someone who could. Then some wonderfully nice EWF waiting in line, gave us $5 and saved us. Then the realization hit me. We all had tickets and we were going to see TORI! We all joined the person who's voucher I was going to get in on in line and waited eagerly for the doors to open. They opened about 8:15 I'm assuming, since I didn't have a watch with me. Finally we were all in. We found a seat behind the soundboard, which was an okay view. I really wished I could've been down on the floor with people, but after running around all day and standing for hours and hours, I really didn't think I could handle standing much more. We sat for awhile and listened to David Poe perform. He was alright, but I was really only interested in Tori coming out. Finally it was time. They went out on stage and began to play Black Dove (January). I know other reviews have the set lists and some descriptions of the songs, so I won't go into that. I will say that this was the most intense concert I've ever been to and I think the band behind Tori only adds to the beauty of her music and presence. There was a secret time for those who wanted the old intimacy of a Tori concert and I was thankful for that, but I have to say that I really enjoyed the new songs live. I think more of the intense love for the whole experience came from not just it being Tori, but the fact that we put all of this time, energy, and money into the search for the ticket and it finally paid off in the end and was wonderful. Well, I think I'm done now. I'll see all of you in LA and Anahiem in September! :))

From FlynDchmn

May 13, 1998 - I left San Diego at about 8:30am with my friend Jason Silver driving, and got to the El Rey at about 10:30 where there were already about 15 people waiting including my friends, David, Jeff, Nick, Aaron, Dor, Kati, who had been there for quite some time. And the crew was loading the place up. So we sat around, looked at pictures of the SF show that Dor took, and i had a few from Florida. I noticed that people had numbers on their hands, and the last person with a # was 17, so i wrote something that looked like an 18 on my hand. So more friends came, Sary and Chris, and we played Trivial Pusuit, which i knew some...that surprised me. So then security said they would be making two lines, one on each side of the entrance, one line starting with peoples last names A-M (according to the last name on the voucher), and the other N-Z. So the # system was pretty much not needed anymore (or so we thought) and then ErinDolll (it was her birthday) and Val showed up but they had to stay in the other line as did Nick's cousin Joy and her friend. So then some people went to Koo Koo Roo's for food and when they came back around 2pm, me and Kati decided to look for other food, so we walked down the street and found a Jack in the Box and ordered stuff to go, and as we started walking back we hear this car on the other side of the street honking like crazy, and it's Dor and her car is full of people, and this guy gets out, whom i recognized as Matt, and he's yelling to come on, and me and Kati are like looking at the traffic going, "what the hell??" and then he screams at us that the venue was moved! And suddenly there was a break in traffic and me and Kati darted across the street, and Kati got in, and i looked inside, and there was Dor driving, Aaron in the passenger seat, Jason was in the back with Kati and someone whom i later learned was Paul, Matts friend, and Matt like, shoved himself in the back where there was all the blankets and stuff thats in the back of cars, and i was like, how the hell am i gonna fit? but i managed to, albeit my back was against the roof of the car. So they had changed the venue to the Wilshire which was about a mile or two further down the street. And we turned the corner right before, to find parking, and we went down the block and we couldnt find any, so we decided to get out and hold a place in line while Dor found parking. So here we are, running to get there, and i think i pulled a muscle in my right knee or something, and i get there first and there's already about 10 people there, most of which i didnt recognize, but there were still 2 lines on either side of the entrance. Dor was able to find a parking lot nearby, and then eventually more and more people showed up, most of whom had walked from the El Rey.

We had started hearing rumors as to why the venue was switched....someone at the El Rey got pissed, all the stuff wouldnt fit onstage, just all these different things going by. Then someone broke out the sidewalk chalk and we had a little fun. I wrote "Flying Dutchman are you out there?" right in the front of the entrance between the 2 lines, and someone drew a big face next to it. Then people found out she was going to be going through the side entrance (whereas she was going to be going through the front at the El Rey) so people decided they wanted to re-install the number system, starting with the people that had been at the El Rey in the morning and had numbers. Well, the other line was totally cool with it, but OUR line (A-M) was not, the people in front of us we like "well, we were here first", and we were like "well you werent at the El Rey at 10 in the morning, or even slept there like some people", so it was this ongoing fued, and security said they didnt care, so there was nothing anyone could really do (funny how when i got to the Wilshire there was 2 people in front and by the time we wanted to reinstall the # system there were about 10). So then Adam and his friend Erica came, Adam was my guest for the voucher, and Erica was supposed to have someone else's, but we had found out a few days ago, that they had given it to someone else, and Erica flew all the way from Kansas to be here, so we tried to find someone with a ticket but couldnt. Also there was a rumor that because the Wilshire was bigger, they *might* be selling a few more tickets after they let everyone in, but they didnt after all. But noone knew anything, we didnt, security didnt, the people at the box office didnt, it was so chaotic. I kept making treks back and forth from the front entrance to the side entrance, where i saw Christina/RAM/christ and her friend Melissa had shown up, and there were about 40 people on the side at about 6pm. Both lines up front had extended way further. The A-M line was the biggest and just continued on down the block.

Around 7 or 730 people from the side had come back to the front and said Tori had just arrived and was now soundchecking. And Adam didnt want to go in and leave Erica all alone, so i said "well i can give my extra ticket to Jessen, who also needed one, but Jessen decided to let his friend Claire have it, and she hadnt seen Tori before so she was really excited. There had been barriers up now and security was putting more up front, they sort of made an "H" in the entrance...each leg was close to a wall to let the two lines through, and then there was connecting barriers between them. Security also said that people on the guest list had to still get in one of the 2 lines, which pissed many people off, but the people (like us) up front loved it. So by 8, many people had gathered up front, a mixture between people who needed tickets and people on the guest list (who refused to get in line, and when they refused to move security said they could get in after everyone in the lines had been let in, which satisfied the people on the guest list, but i guess they didnt realize that it meant the same thing as being at the end of the line, whatever).

By this time the sky was dark and the lights had been lit at the Wilshire, and around 8:30 they started checking vouchers and letting people in to collect their tickets and get inside (the Wilshire had seat whereas the El Rey did not, thank god), so after about 3 vouchers in my line had been checked, i looked at the crowd in front and right infront of me along the barrier, only on the other side was Neil Gaiman, and i blurted out "neil!" and he just looked at me and then tried to get John Witherspoon's attention, but everyone around me was like stunned too. So they check my voucher, which seemed like forever, i walk in, they check my voucher again, give me 2 tickets, and i'm in!(no security checking me for anything!) So me and Claire dashed to the seats where we got yelled at (they can bite me) and we sat down right next to David in the 5th row! We were so close, and i looked, and im my row was David Jeff Jason Kati and Dor, off to the right and then on the left Sary Chris his sister and her guest had also made it to our row! Val Nick and Dolll had got front row, and i heard that Eric Rosse was here! And eventually David was able to get a seat up front too.

Not even half the theatre was filled and David Poe came out. He was much better then when i had seen him in Florida, he seemed more calm and at home. So then after he was done people were going up front to the bar/lobby, and i walked out, and saw Jason and Jeff at the bar and i go up to them and Jason says "Maynard from Tool is right behind you", and i'm like yeah right, so i turn around and there he is; Maynard from Tool, at the bar. It was such a weird and crazy night. So i come back to the seats, and i see that there are people up front, standing against the barricade that was there, and Joel was right next to me, and i asked him "are you going to let people stand up there?" and he simply said "yeah" so i told Jason and Jeff in the lobby and made a b-line straight for the front, where i also told Sary and Chris in their seats, where i was behind Nick who was behing Joy and ErinDolll who were up front, and i was right next to christ, and i saw that Val was up front too, right next to Erin. We were SO close, it was amazing, this was the closest i have ever been (and probably will be) to any Tori show. I couldnt find Claire, but i was sure she made it to the front too.

The lights dimmed and everyone cheered and stood up from their seats where they stodd for the whole show. The band came out and shortly after Tori. I still could not believe how close i was, i mean, i could see the whites of her eyes, the pores on her skin, the little logo on her tanktop (ok i'll stop now). Seriously tho, the set list for the whole show was pretty generic, i had heard everything but Icicle and SATY in FL, but it was just so amazing to see her this close, especially after everything we had been through. After Liquid Diamonds she said hi, and that she had been sitting, listening in on other woman's gossips and they didnt think she was listening and Johnny came up to her and said "we're not playing the El Rey tonight" and she told him "oh.....what are we doing tonight?", and he said "we're playing the Wilshire" then she continued with "apparently a little man in a red hat said you all couldn't come see it and that wasn't ok with us so here we are". She also waved out to Neil when she sang the line "Me and Neil'll be hanging out with the Dream King". And then the best part of her talking to the audience was after the band left, and Tori talked about being on steroids and craving gillete razors, then she said it must have been the DC pollen and that maybe thats why Clinton is having all these problems and then she imitated Beavis and gestured with her hands grabbing "butts titties buttes titties huhuhuh". She played Icicle and SATY in the "secret time" and Icicle made me cry during the "i could have, i should have, i didn't know" part, just watching her expressions made me die, and then SATY was one of mine and RAM/christ's fave (remember the *ner*). Also she messed up at the beginning of Spark but ehy continued and she started over again. Everyone was grooving and swaying to the songs with a band, how can you not? at the end of Waitress, after the improv right before it ends, she cupped the microphone and in a deep breathe was belting out "the waitress" but she drew it out and kept taking breathes so it sounded like "the-he-he wa-ay-ay-ay-ay-tre-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-ess". Then the whole band bowed and left, and she came out and played the encores, and before the first encore, she said how they'll be back in the fall, and how she'll miss us all till then.

After the show, Erin asked Marcel if she could get a set list, and he gave her Tori's set list which had some of her drool/spit/Evian on it, and i touched it but then was grossed out, and we saw that China was actually on the set instead of SATY (oh yeah, on Tori's request hand, was an "L." and "C.", Leather and China, and also a smudge of lip gloss from a set that Val had given her before the show). After the show we had decided to meet near the stage entrance to sort of gather up and decided what we were going to do about the Breakfast With Tori thing in the morning. Erin, Val, Nick, Christ, and Melissa left to go there right after the show, and David went home. There weren't that many people there after the show. I saw that Adam, Erica and Jessen were up close, and Kati made her way up there, and Dor was behind her, and i was next to Dor, but i could turn around and talk to Sary and others. People left and the crowd grew a bit smaller, Joel came out and said that she would be out in 15 minutes....well half an hour later she came out, and made her way through the line, and when she got to Kati they hugged, and tehn she talked to Dor briefly and she was signing things, so i took out my ticket stub, and reached threw with my hand, and she saw it, looked up and recognized me! and her eyes lit up and she asked "oh hi how are you?" and I (being really delerious and honest at the time) replied "i'm really tired and my knees hurt, but other than that i'm real good", she said "oh yeah" (which actually sounded like it was from Fargo, "oh yaw"), and i said "i'll see you in Colorado", she said "yeah?", and i said "Red Rocks!" and gave her a thumbs up (*ner*) and she pointed and said "ok!" and then moved on and on, and I made my way out and sat down on the concrete until she was gone and everyone started to dispurse. Adam and Erica were going to go sleep in their car and go to the Breakfast thing, and Sary and Chris left before i could say bye, and Jason was going to go sleep at home and then later drive back to SD. At first i wasnt sure if i was going to go to the Breakfast thing or not, but then i decided to.

From Ticketmaster's Live! Daily

May 12, 1998 - A review of this concert appeared online at Ticketmaster's web site in the Live! Daily section during the week of May 8-14, 1998. Thanks to Vicky P. for alerting me to this review.

This review is also online at the Ticketmaster web site.

Review: Tori Amos Previews Powerful Material In Intimate Showcase

By Michelle Wong

Tori Amos' first tour with a full band officially begins in Europe in two weeks, though the release of a new album this week proved the perfect occassion to sneak in a whirlwind North American club tour. The last show of that 12-date tour took place Wednesday in Los Angeles. Originally booked to play the El Rey Theatre, Amos and her band relocated down the street to the much larger Wilshire Theatre at the last minute due to fire marshall restraints.

Fans gathered outside the theatre early in the day, clutching flowers and photos of their idol. At 7:15 p.m., the moment many had been hoping for became real as Amos emerged from the side of the theatre, greeting fans for over a * hour while signing autographs, taking pictures and giving hugs. Known for reaching out to her fans in ways that are heart-touching for many, Amos' actions demontrated how she engages their affection and loyalty with not only her music, but also with her genuine efforts to make contact.

Amos' just released (May 5) fourth studio album, from the choirgirl hotel, focuses on her recent marriage and unfortunate miscarriage. The new songs find Amos embarking on another chapter in her career and a new, more gothic sound, supported on the album and tour by a new band featuring Matt Chamberlin on drums, Steve Caton on guitar and Jon Adams on bass.

At 10 p.m., Amos hit the stage -- baby grand piano on one side and electric keyboards on the other -- and opened the show with the mesmerizing and danceable "Black Dove (January)" from her new album. Her voice, as clear and strong as ever, hit all the notes both high and low without a crack. The stage presentation was minimal, with only a few blinding lights that changed from beautiful blues to bright flashing yellows during "Spark."

The adoring audience responded to the material with cheers and words of affection for Amos between songs, drawing occassional responses from the stage. The tight band added an air of change and excitement, clearly affecting Amos, who appeared to escape into her own music, exploring new levels of emotion with her voice. As the show progressed, the band left the stage as Tori performed "Tear In Your Hand," Icicle," and "Silent All These Years" alone at the piano. Slowly moving into a sultry version of "Waitress," Tori jerked to the intense music, pounding on the piano and breathing heavily, using her voice as an instrument.

Shaking hands and waving to the crowd, Tori thanked the audience graciously and left the stage, returning for two more encores, finally closing the night with "Horses" from "Boys For Pele." As the theatre emptied, a satisfied crowd began buzzing with anticipation of her next trip to Southern California in the fall. Live! Daily will report on tour info and ticketing information throughout the tour as it becomes available.

From Kerry

May 13, 1998 - I was at the LA show at the Wilshire and the reason for the move from the El Rey to the Wilshire was because, as Tori put it, "the man in the little red hat said so" implying the fire marshall. So I guess it would have been a fire hazard if all of us were squished in the El Rey.

Also: Neil Gaiman, Maynard from Tool, and Eric Rosse were all at the show!

From Matt H.

May 7, 1998 - Tori showed up dead on the money from the back of the stage at 08:00 PST.Ê There were roughly about 1500 people there.Ê I drove by at 06:12 and there were about 150 people already there.Ê By the time 8:30 had hit there were even more people.Ê I amdefinitely glad that I went to this show.Ê Tori had a Q&A Session going on which was broadcast on the air and the Internet.Ê Then she would play a song.

Kevin & Bean had called Tori a potty mouth as she was feeling rather sprite for the morning.Ê Her secret being a Chineese Elixir.Ê She had promised Kevin & Bean that she wouldn't curse on the air and the first song to start off she had said "Oh Shit." as the microphone on her keyboard was maladjusted.

She also had the Bosey there for this show.Ê Was this the case for the rest of the tour?

First Q&A

Why the venue was changed from the El Rey.Ê Cause the fire marshall would only allow a capacity of 400 at the El Rey.Ê 900 Tickets were distributed.

After Oh Shit. ÊÊÊ

Black-Dove (January)

Break for Q&A ÊÊÊ

Spark

More Q&A

Then off to a station break.Ê Don't know if you heard this as it was a cut to commercial.

Audinece wanted a intermission song.Ê She said OK.

So she said, "Let's do Cocaine"

Then a, "Oh fuck this!, How about Waitress?" ÊÊÊ

Waitress

Then some more fan questions.Ê One in particular interest about the relation to Black-Dove v. Black-Swan.Ê Another duality which Tori admittedly said was rather dark.Ê Another funny comment was that she gets poop in the brain, by KevinÊ and Bean.Ê That's how the music comes and has had writers block at times.

She's Your Cocaine (She had promised to play this song for someone in the audience.)

Kevin and Bean as well as Tori also mentioned the real dates for the Onsale for both the Greek and the Pond.Ê This will be on sale at 05.15.98 at 15:00 at all the usual TicketMaster Locations.Ê I guess the internet is wrong this time.

Last Song : ÊÊÊ

Cornflake Girl

I got interviewed by KTLA Channel 5 cause I was killing time surfing the net before the show.Ê Cellular Modems are great toys.Ê They got a picture of your site on my screen. I don't think this is Syndicated, just local.Ê The News Lady asked me what I was doing with my computer. I said surfing the net.Ê Checking email, wasting bandwidth, etc..

The screaming at this show was rather appropriate.Ê I was glad to see this at a minumum when Tori started playing.Ê In all this was great and I am definitely going to send Atlantic Records an Email as well as post on thier newsgroup for taking care of Los Angeles.Ê I am no longer disgruntled about my ticket buying experience, due to this.Ê Many thanks to Tori and Atlantic and even KROQ whom I had despised since they did that hype over the tickets.

From Kim H.

May 7, 1998 - TORI___IS____ROCKING !!!!

This review will be brief and incoherent. Proceed at your own caution. I am at this point seriously sleep deprived. Will send a better longer one later... to replace this one.

First of all tho, i liked David Poe ! Maybe he responded to respect ? Our audience, maybe cos we actually had seats and some room, as opposed to being crammed in like sardines (thanks to a last minute venue change which sounded like it was ordered by some inspector-- also i heard the stuff didn't fit on the El Rey's tiny stage) and fainting from heat exhaustion. We were exhausted but also happy to see the beautiful theater with ROOM and SEATS ! And people responded pretty well to him. He joked with the audience and had a nice voice and played guitar well. In general he was well liked i'd say.

Tori came out a bit later, she opened with Black Dove/January and i was wishing i'd have saved film in my camera.... prolly wouldn't have done much good tho as we were sitting right by all the security they seemed to hang out near the corner of the stage... but she was looking our way for the longest time and with the lights behind her it would have been great. But there are shots like that on tori.com too.

Sorry if right now my memory is hazy, i'll do a better musical review later...

The band was great, Caton occasionally sipped from a can of COKE ! (my fave) on a small black table onstage, there was also a wine glass with water in it, that i never saw him drink from, they were relaxed in other words and the drummer and the other guitarist especially, seemed to make faces and smile at each other a lot whereas Caton mostly interacted with Tori. I swear he reminds me more and more of Lindsey Buckingham both in appearance and the way he struts on stage etc. and creeps up to Tori as he plays, at one point i thought, Lindsey and Stevie ?! *LOL*

Then it was iiiee and i was mostly just getting used to the idea, I'M HERE !!! YAYYY !! Plus i don't have my cd yet so i didn't know the songs very well.

The sound was LOUD but then i was close to a speaker. But the Wilshire theater isn't tiny so i think this new loudness is gonna be part of the new sound. More than a few times i thought this new Tori for want of a better phrase, was like as if her YKTR rock-chick self was wed to her swee'pea faerie self and the woman who was their progeny KICKS SOME....

The woman onstage is the real difference. To backup band or not to backup band, to jam or not to jam, to me the real new stuff is Tori herself. Once i thought, i can't imagine anyone messing with this woman... maybe thru the fire and anger of Boys for Pele was forged this person i saw onstage Wednesday nite, a person of steel, and strength. Strength is really the word which comes to mind both in her Spark video and onstage. I could imagine her taking some hooligan by the scruff of the neck and just shaking him and tossing him aside. Effortlessly. That is the first time i have felt that. In other shows i've felt, yes she had strength but also vulnerability even more. I don't know if the rock sound added to this perception, but in past Tori and the piano shows, it was as if everyone in the audience felt their every breath was united and affecting what took place in the songs. There was this synergy. This 'new Tori' is kicking butt and taking down names. She is running her own show.

And it's neither good nor bad, it just is. I liked it actually. To live is to change, it's good to see her rocking out, nothing has been lost and much gained IMHO. It's too hard to put into words, i'll try again when i rewrite however.

OK then next up was Precious Things. She did a girrrrl but not like last tour, not so growly, altho she did the growls later in the song where she shakes like she's possessed, but in general she had high energy throughout and not merely on a spot or two.

Next, Liquid Diamonds, i liked it but thought it was Cruel at first. Need to listen to this more before i can really comment. The speaker was so loud on this one i couldn't understand a word she sang.

Then she spoke to us, about what a funky funny day it was, "a bit weird", and how she isn't feeling too well she was in the hospital and we didn't wanna hear about all that grossness, but she was eating a lot of 'baked potaytahs' and she was eating chicken soup and pretending to read while eavesdropping to the table next to her "and you'd never believe what these women will talk about" when "Johnny" came up and said guess what Tori we're not at the El Rey any more. She said, apparently some guy in a little red hat had said "all of you couldn't come see it and that wasn't ok with us so..." (huge cheer-- actually some got in who were ticket searching all day so they must have opened up extra seating after all). Then she intro'd the band.

Then, Cornflake Girl. During each "peel out the watchword" the lights all went blue it was really pretty. There were swirling spotlights behind the band and they'd change colors. When she sang "rabbit" she went, "i forgot my song" but she didn't skip a beat and kept going. The next time "peel out the watchword" came up there were the blue lights and an echo sound effect that was neat.

Then she said, while playing piano, "this is one you'll recognize off the new cd, it's one of my favorites" apparently someone said something so she said "Yours too ? How do you know what i'm gonna play ? It just came out yes-ter-day..." She smiled and played and sang Jackie's Strength. It was the first time i'd heard it, live or on cd. I like discovering songs this way ! The song is very pretty, and since i'm a year older than Tori, brought back my own memories of David Cassidy lunchboxes (when it wasn't nostalgia ;o) ). Kewl.

Then, Tear in your hand, and when she said, if you need me i'll be hangin out with the dreamking she waved to the balcony, well i think that was because NEIL GAIMAN was in the audience that nite ! When i was in the lobby before the show, i heard people talking and pointing and i didn't look, thinking it might embarrass someone but i did ask "who ?" and was told, Neil Gaiman he's here. So, that's why she waved i think. :) ALtho a lot of the audience waved back thinking it meant them. I dunno...

The song was very nicely done... sorry to be bland... it was tho...

Then she spoke about how she'd been on steroids and had to give them up cos "i was beginning to need a F*ing Gilette razor !" she said, stroking her neck like it had stubble. Everyone laughed. Then she said it was the DC pollen and that it drove her nuts and then she mentioned Clinton and how she calls him Beavis now, (oh yeh she said maybe that has been what's causing his problems too or something LOL) then she imitated, if you can imagine the cartoon Beavis but with a slight southern accent a la Clinton, while she moved her hands like she was grabbing someone: "butts, titties, butts titties, heh heh" it was pretty funny.

Then she sang Icicle and when she got to the "my hand" part she sang " i know you all want to sing along" and we did. But it was so loud i coudln't hear anyone. :) Not that i'm complaining -- specially as to my own voice.

Then, Silent all these years, on the setlist it had been China. To tell u the truth after hours in lineup i was getting sleepy, i've heard this one lots, she was great all nite but, well maybe tomorrow things will be more cogent. I do remember when she sang "bleed real soon" she moved her pelvis up a bit and the girls in the audience seemed to cheer that line and Tori sang the "how does that thought grab you" with, again, maturity yet the old wryness.

Then, Northern Lad, again the words were a bit muddled together by the loudness of the speaker. But, a nice song. The band had filed back in (oh, it had left for the previous two songs) as it began then rocked out with her as the song wore on.

Then, Spark, with orange lights, the song made me cry. Just a bit. If i'd been able to sit (they let people stand by the stage, making everyone else on the whole floor have to stand too) i would have noticed more cos i wouldn't have been spending all my energy holding myself up... it was a looong day....

Cruel. It began with purple lights and Tori hanging her head down, her thick wavy hair hanging in tendrils making her look like an underwater mermaid having a good think. Then she put her arms behind her and moved back and forth on the piano bench. I like this song.

Then a slow smoky intro to The Waitress. I like the new arrangements, the 'girls' have a bit more bite with other backing instruments to showcase them. She has a new lyric something like "hang ten i'm gonna get me one, hang ten honey i'm gonna go where she goes" that was neat. She banged on the piano and Caton interacted really well with her. The drummer and other guitarist interacted with her and sort of shot silly looks to each other, they were having fun it was nice to see.

Then she did all this heavy breathing, a cappella, i think, almost like her breath was an instrument, then stopped. Then all four bowed and left the stage.

FIRST ENCORE: she came back and said, Arrrr. Like a baby lion. Then, Mwah ! a kiss to us. Then she said that this was the last date of her sneak peek tour and she'd miss us (and here she seemed to choke up) and quickly added, "but we'll be back in the summer so we'll see you then".

Then She's Your Cocaine. To me this song sounds like someone is going nananannanana like little kids say. That's the rhythm of it. Interesting.

Then the 'other' guitarist changed guitars, and Tori crossed arms in front of her and danced on the piano bench, then they played "God".

They all left again. After a bit they returned, then to a steady marching beat, she began to sing "Horses" but where the older version was wistful like saying "don't hurt me let me live, i'll be good" this new one was like, "hey i GOT some horses and i'm gonna be fine i'm marching to new territory now move aside".

That was it ! Norwegian Wood was the exit song played over the speakers (John Lennon on tape).

When i'm rested i'll do better, including the stuff about the change of venue, the people i saw there in line, etc. Now i'm gonna try and go to the Palace ! *sigh*

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