North American Club Tour
New York, NY
April 23, 1998
Updated July 15, 1998
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North American Club Tour
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Check Out The Reviews And Set Lists Page
Tori performed her fourth concert of the North American club tour in New York, NY on April 23, 1998 at the Irving Plaza. The photo you see to the right is actually from this New York City concert. It and many others like it can be seen much larger at Tori's Official site  Set ListThe photo to the right shows Tori singing "iieee" from this show. It was taken from a RealVideo clip available at www.tori.com
Lizzy in da' Bronx was the first to post the set list online...to the Torinews mailing list. Black Dove (January) 1st Encore: God 2nd Encore: Silent All These Years More Photos
The webmaster of the Irving Plaza web site has informed me that they have some really nice photos of Tori ReviewsFrom jcJuly 15, 1998 - Anyway, I was reading a review of the April 23, 1998 show (New York) on your page where someone had said that an empty milk carton was thrown onto the stage. It wasn't an empty milk carton, it was a box of herbal mint tea! My girlfriend tossed it up there, so i'm pretty sure that information is accurate! :) From DanielleMay 13, 1998 - I was at the NYC show. The concert itself was more than amazing. Tori was more beautiful than ever. If you go to www.tori.com there is a pretty picture of her during the concert and you can see the glitter by her eyes. Before the show, I went over to meet her but I couldn't get in line because there were too many people. I stayed on the opposite side. I was crying so hard! Right before she went into the building, she turned around and saw me crying and waved to me with the sweetest look on her face :) The only thing that sucked was--- THE FANS!!! One request guys, if you are going to see her on the rest of this tour, don't be a poop head. I was 4 people from the stage and was smushed all night from every direction. Please guys and gals, do not push. If you are not by the stage-so what. You will hear her and it will be great. Do not push. It was horrible. Please. For everyone else's sake. OH and if you are TALL DO NOT go to the front. From wild koba (posted to the RDTRN mailing list)May 13, 1998 - first of all, i gotta say......she just rocked. i think that while writing this album, someone must've given her a dictionary with the word "groove" in it. some of these songs (which i barely know by name, save for 'spark") just had some sick fucking GROOVES to go with it. the band: wow. caton just looked like he was having a real good orgasm at some points. the sounds that were coming out of that guitar were something. very nice mix of guitar-playing styles. kinda frippish at one point, at others laid back like david rhodes, etc. that chamberlain guy can play. he's not manu katche, but his beats were more solid than the testicles of a bull. real nice touch with those mallets, too. very impressive. the bass guy: again, nothing too flashy, but there were a couple of songs were he stood out, and it was pretty surprising. he would go into these passages where he'd play distorted bass and help caton make the weird noises. seems like a smart enough bassist to play more interesting bass lines that root-3rd- root. tori: looks like she's loving this band thing. the interplay on the part of the band was at ties brillliant, and she's the beneficiary of this. and ooh, that kurzweil synth was making me hard than that bull chamberlain was playing like. and her voice- amazing considering she was on steroids after losing her voice (she mentioned it at one point, hope she gets better). tori's eye thing: reminds me of my experience eating nachos with the hot sauce at cozymel's. "ewww i don't like it, but let me try some more...hmm...i don't know if i don't like it, i should try again." the first time i was able to see her was something else. she just turned to the crowd and gave this psychotic glare, and i'm still not sure if i liked it or didn't. all i know is that some chick gave me a dirty look after i told deb that we were at a marilyn manson show. the new songs: the first song ("black dove"?) is going to be some tune. is it the 1st one? the dynamics used throughout were something. i really liked it when the band would just explode in your face, and just bring it down a notch. they did this all night, but here, it was most evident. there's another song, which i wish i knew the name, that was just incredible. dissonances out to wazoo, it was just plain ugly, but it hurt sooooooo good. the old songs: i think my favorite parts of the show involved her doing some of the old songs with the band. "precious things" was vicious. so was "waitress". i never really cared for "tear in your hand", but that was also very well done. 2 of the 3 encores, though were just UNFUCKINGBELIVABLEHOLYSHITICAMEONMYHEAD. i won't spoil it in the event some people are still waiting to see her, but man, i almost died. the fans: despite the fact that some people were just total fucking assholes trying to ruin everyone's day, they don't bother me. i just point my helmet at them and keep em away. too many goddamn immature people convinced they would just absolutely DIE without getting a glimpse of her or yell "i love you tori" as loud as they could (which i think is funny in itself- more on that when i'm bored). shut up. as tori herself once put it, "i'm here to do my job, now let me do my job." all the pushing and shoving doesn't suit me at all. but fuck em, i had a good time anyways. overall- this "prog skater rock" experiment was fascinating. i think this band will only get more fierce as the summer rolls along. it seems like they're just saying "fuck it- let's see what we can pull off tonight- let's do (insert old song here) and see how it sounds". this experimentation, this apparent lack of fear of fucking up is refreshing, and i hope tori pushes this further. From the New York PostMay 4, 1998 - The following article appeared in the April 25, 1998 edition of the New York Post. You can also read this article at the New York Post web site NIGHT OF TORI IN HER GLORY By DAN AQUILANTE AGAINST the odds of never really having a hit song or the accompanying radio/TV video play, Tori Amos has managed to attract a large and impressive cult following. At the nicely renovated Irving Plaza, the dry and happy crowd inside packed the club to its limit, while fans outside endured the rain looking for that miracle ticket to get into Tori's touring shrine. Amos' devotion was reciprocal: first, by playing a club as intimate as Irving P., and second, by insisting that the place use the painstaking voucher ticket system that almost completely snuffs scalpers. It worked; the scalpers were axed, to leave the music for the fans. Knowing how crowded the club was, Amos didn't delay in taking the stage. When she did, the shrieking cheers, outstretched hands and pandemonium were the kind usually reserved for the likes of rock's Jagger-nauts, not singer/songwriters. The concert was as risky a show as any performer would want to play, with half of the songs coming off of Amos' "From the Choirgirl Hotel" (an album that won't be released until the first week in May). Of the concert's first seven tunes, five were from the "Choirgirl" hymnbook. In a way, it was reminiscent of how Eric Clapton built his recent Madison Square Garden show - choosing new material for his first six selections. Where a program of new tunes derailed the Clapton concert for many Slowhand fans, Amos' unwrapping her untested material was refreshing. The last time she played NYC, her show was dull, lacking the power and pizazz of a rock show. This time out, Tori and her backing quartet came out rocking, making her infamous penchant for unicorn music seem more like a myth. Amos gets plenty of credit for the propulsive quality of this concert. Her new tunes are the edgiest of her career, and she performed them with the requisite abandon. The arrangements she has scored for those tunes will quell any naysayer ready to accuse the copper-topped singer of making sissy girl-music. Hitch that to Amos' band addition, Matt Chamberlain, an explosive drummer with a stick-breaking attack. In the blur of the beat, Chamberlain looks and sounds as if he has more than the human standard of two arms. Many forget, or don't realize, that the piano is a percussion instrument, but that may be why the partnership he and Amos have hammered out on new songs like "Iiiee" (played early) and "She's Your Cocaine" (played late) were among the night's most powerful. Of the older tunes, "Icicle," an autobiographical, autoerotic tune, was easily the best of her past perky compositions. Amos' finale, "Silent," where she quietly coaxed and twinkled the piano and dreamily crooned the lyrics, was the evening's prettiest number. Amos, who is a petite woman, looks even more waiflike when she's wedged between the keyboards of her big black bruiser grand piano and a synthesizer. While she is a singer with swaggering, emotive vocals, the larger the hall, the harder it will be for her to keep the audience's attention focused. Part of the problem is being trapped by the piano, lashed to the bench - it just doesn't make for the most visually stimulating concert staging. The closeness between fans and their flame at cozy Irving Plaza eliminated the static nature of a piano-bound performance. It will be interesting to see if Amos can achieve the same concert quality when she returns to Skyscraper Park later this summer for a date at Madison Square Garden. From Positive Paul (to the rec.music.tori-amos newsgroup)April 28, 1998 - Its the Day after Irving Plaza. I'm exhausted, but will do my best to summarize the experience. First off, due to very cool circumstances, i was able to get into the VIP section, and although my friend is dating a security guard, he said we couldn't get backstage because she had really tight security. Which was a minor downer as backstage was kinda "promised".... Of course since I didn't know this friend that well, I didn't get my hopes up too high. Missed David Poe completely. But I had a great view from the balcony (except that I coudn't see the bassist). But Tori was clear as day. The floor crowd was packed in. Amazingly tight. Oh by the way, I've no idea what the new songs are called. So, forgive that part, alright.... 1. So, the lights dim, crowd goes wild. She comes out and the play what I assume is called JANUARY GIRL. She was wearing kakhi pants, black top and shoes, and glitter like on Letterman. ANd she seemed in great form. 2. The next song must have been IIEEE, coz that was the chorus part. And the new songs simply rock. They sound so good. If only one could make out the lyrics while being overwhelmed. 3. This may have blended into a song called SACRIFICE? I feel badly not knowing the song titles, here, but I could always update...or be corrected. 4. Next she did a rocking version of PRECIOUS THNGS. I was worried as to how the new sngs would sound with the band, but it was like Tori x 10. The band has been great all the way through; really tight, really sharp. And Precious Things was practically orgasmic. 5. Then another new song, which I'm calling I GUESS I'M...because it sounded like she said that a lot. Then she finally spoke to us. She thanked us for coming and intro'd the band. 6. Then she played TEAR IN YOUR HAND, which starteed out with just guitars. It was one of those "I know this song, but" moments. And when it finally kicked in...tremendous. 7. Then she said "This is a song about me getting lost on my wedding day." And she played what I assume is JACKIE'S STRENGTH. 8. She then played what I think is called BECAUSE OF THE RAIN or something like that (again apologies for not knowing the new sng titles, maybe thse who know can figure out what the songs actually are). Then the boys left for a "secret" time. Someone shouted "I love you Tori" and she said "Love You Back" which got a big cheer and then as she was playing the intro for ICICLE, someone shouted "Tell us a story". And Tori said, [paraphrasing] "You want a story...I'm losing my voice, so I'm taking steroids. And I have a steamer back there as well. I spilled the steam machine on my lap and I took more steroids. I'm losing my mind. I'm craving everything. I don't know how bodybuilders do it." 9. Then she played ICICLE. And at the "When my hand touches myself" part she said I know you know this part, and the crowd sang along. 10. Then she played UPSIDE DOWN. Which was really great too. Although the band is great, it was fantastic to get Tori alone for a few songs. I didn't know she was going to do that (didn't read any tour spoilers) so it was a thrill and a half. Then the boys came back 11. They played PUTTING THE DAMAGE ON. Which was another of those, "wait I know this" moments. It was so thrilling to hear new songs and then old songs done differnetly. 12. Then came SPARK. It sounded great. Since I watched the video about 5 times before the show I had the song in my head, and it was superb. 13. Then the funkiest Tori song ever. I think its CRUEL. But its got a tremnedous bass line, and really noisy guitar licks, mostly just sound effects. Almost no paino. Just totally noist and crazy. What a great great live song. I can only hope the album version matches up to this, Because t blew my mind. I didn't think Tori could sound like that. She then looked out and said "Come back and see us this summer." And the crowd went crazy again. 14. The she played WAITRESS. And the band really adds to this song. The "I believe in Peace, bitch" part was so powerful. And the fuzzy basas line was great. She added an improv part at the end of the song which in my delirious state sounded like: Did I Did I have Then she left and came back for the encore: 15. Noisy guitars and drums, sounds familiar, ah yes, it's GOD. And the guitarist was making some great sound effects. There was another imporv after this song which sounded like, "You got it bad for me, Jesus." repeated over and over. [Note From Mikewhy: Tori was actually singing "You dropped the bomb on me, Jesus" to the tune of a popular Gap Band song.] 16. Then she played HORSES. Or what was the lyrics for HORSES. The music was so different and it sounded so good. Much slower than the album. And not nearly as pianoish. It just seemed to be like all of the urgency had been taken out of the song. But not in bad way, its as if the song was now relaxed and comfortable. Unbelievable. Then she left again 17. And she closed with Silent ALl These Years. The crowd went crazy, everybody sang along, and to be honest I do't even remmeber if the band came out with her for the song. Bt it sounded great. And I'm totally psyched So, if anyone wants to fill in proper song titles from the lines I've given please do. Sorry if this is the worst concert review ever, just wanted to give you all a feel for what she did. The band is great, the made some amazing music fora four piece. The bassist was great, wish I could have seen him better. From Sean Hooks (to the rec.music.tori-amos newsgroup)April 28, 1998 - After an erratic set from David Poe that varied from not bad bordering on hey this is pretty good to over-slow and makes you hope it's the last song before Tori comes, there was an extended intermission and the stage crew went to work. About 9:20 or so Tori came out, after the band who had already started to jam the chords to... Black Dove(January): Seems to be the standard opener. I'm unimpressed so far but I as a live concert afficionado of sorts, prefer when bands or artists don't come right out with something of really high quality, save that for later, the first song is a time to adjust to the artist being on stage and get over the adulation that comes with just physically seeing someone you've waited many hours for, in the case. And also in this case, who is, to me, pretty nice to absorb visually. But again, average song, cool, show has started. iiiee: Didn't expect this one so early. It is cool but people made it out to be either some insanely major departure or this really hard rock tune. It's neither, it is fast paced and driving. I liked the rhythmic qualities but couldn't gather or hear much lyric except for the "sacrfice" parts. And like Damien said, especially on the new songs Tori seemed to be hard to hear due to the band. Tori also was pointing to her mic a lot, a gesture to the soundboard guy to turn her vocals up. At least 5 times throughout the night I'd say. Precious Things: Perfectly placed within the set. After warming the crowd up with new stuff this kicked ass! Perfectly played by the band I thought. Very culminative and builds so that the audience was literally straining towards the stage in anticipation of certain parts. Tori notably repeated the "beautiful boy, Christian boys" line many times before "So you can make me cum..." Had people majorly pumped. Liquid Diamonds: Eh, unimpressive but then again, couldn't make out hardly any lyrics. The good new album songs came later. Tear in Your Hand: Intoed band first then mentioned that we'd know this one. We did, it was good, very much like the album but that's OK since we've never heard it live with a band before. Powerful, nice, not quite Precious Things but a big reaction of course and deservedly so. Jackie's Strength: Preceded with note by Tori about how it's a song about getting lost at her wedding. Very very nice song. Best of the new stuff that I've heard. Lilting and sensitive, very touching melody, soft endearing lyric. Poignant. Northern Lad: Also very good. Nice slow building, temperate song. Band interfered with Tori's voice here notably but again, I must admit the song impressed me. I forget if it was this one of another of the new songs, but had a line about how "virgins always stay backstage" that got a nice reaction from the audience. (band leaves) Icicle: Preceded by the steroids story as mentioned in Damien's post. Cute. Wish she'd tell more stories although I must admit her crowd interaction skills were severely heightened and beautified by such a small and intimate venue. Irving Plaza is soooo small! Anyway, Icicle was downright excellent. Perfect. Upside Down: Compliments Icicle extremely well as a follow up song. Lighting here was also great, best of the night probably, a dark purple cascade crosslight right after the bright white lights used in Icicle added to this songs dark flavor. Lyrics struck home, especially on the first, "Still comin' out of your mother" and "Baby what have you been smokin." (band returns){I woulda liked a third solo song, why not Tori?} Putting the Damage On: Completed a nice little threesome of older songs. Has always been my personal favorite song off Boys for Pele along with Sparkle(and the live organ version of Prof. Widow w/ Amazing Grace). Here I disagree with Damien. The song's lyrical power remained but the band added another dimension in its swirling tempo. And Tori was experimenting with her "Take it hiii, hiii, hiiiiii"s nicely. Spark: Again excellent setlist placement by Ms. Amos. This song works well near the end of the regular set and is at least somewhat recognizable after 3 older songs. Way better than the Letterman performance. No cheesy distorted lyrics on the keyboard mic. Yay! Good song, like the changes. Cruel: Also good though lyric coherance wasn't the best it was better than some of the new album stuff. She was definitely into it too. Waitress: Knew it was coming, but if you listen close you can tell right away anyways. Gives each member of the band ample showcase in intro before Tori starts playing any chords or singing any lines. The new ending is real nice with the kind of second chorus that this song always needed in my opinion, this song never ended well on albums I thought, left you wanting more, too abrupt. This new version is much better in that sense although it would have been even better if the band would have died down for one last chorus in the end of Tori's vocal alone(well, with the crowd) chanting "I believe in peace..." Also of note was the beginning guitar riffs on this song by Caton and the bassist was very Nine Inch Nails like, and the crowd bobbed and danced more to this song than any other. (end of set) God: Not a bad first encore choice. I was curious to see where she'd go. Not anything chancy, basically the album cut with a few minor differences. Jammed out well. I don't really like this song anymore for some reason and almost always skip it when listening to Under the Pink(to the point I forget it's part of that album, and in a way it's not, but that's another point, I digress) but tonight it had a new resonance, nothing spectacual, but a good one nonetheless. Horses: Here I agree with Damien a lot. This was a minor disappointment. I applaud Tori for taking the song she opened every show with last tour and changing it dramatically, but it loses so much in this souped up context. As disco ball light splinters spun around Irving Plaza and the band was playing the opening, the last type of song I expected was something as previously quiet and introverted as Horses. Seems a tad bit forced but if it has a redeeming quality it's that it was different and surprising. (end of first encore) Silent All These Years: I was waiting for something that hasn't been played in the first three shows and she saved it for last. Didn't play this one all that much last tour, which is fine by me, and I've never heard it live. Most artist's hits lose something because they get overplayed in concert and cease to have meaning to both the performer and the audience. Not here. The song was beautifully rendered, Tori is fine voice, the crowd seeing along, sweet way to end a show Tori, thanks. (end of second encore, end of show) Seemed a tad short. Like I said above, more stories, one or two, and definitely one more Tori alone on the piano song would make these almost perfect shows downright perfect. Like I said, this show is very very close to perfect. The crowd was small, the venue was great, the sound was phenomenal, Tori was in great spirits, it must be so nice to play in front of a super small crowd that respects you and knows the music. She appeared genuinely beamingly happy. Not that an artist can't enjoy playing at a bigger venue, but it's just not the same. Tonight was something special as I'm sure all 12 shows will be. Oh, and to Damien, the thing thrown on stage at the end from the crowd was a milk carton, the smallest size, seemingly empty due to how it floated through the air. Damien was also right about her garb, black tank top, beige cargo pants, better eye make-up than Letterman, the sparkles were much more tasteful looking and less distracting tonight. Hair not too red, kinda short. I hate to be just another person saying how great these shows are, but what else can I say, I am an extremely critical person in every sense I think, and even I can't find a bad thing to say about this show(aside from the very minor objections I've already made above). Go Tori, go Tori, go Tori... From the New York TimesApril 27, 1998 - The following review appeared in the New York Times. Many thanks to Woj for sending it to me. The following article appeared in the april 25, 1998 edition of the new york times, page b14 in the arts & idea section. For Female Expression, The Virility of Tori Amos By Ann Powers Tori Amos took steroids before introducing her new album, "From the Choirgirl Hotel", at Irving Plaza Thursday night. "I'm losing my mind up here," she said after the majestic crescendo that is the climax of the ballad "Northern Lad". The drugs, she explained, boosted her voice, which is suffering from overwork. Whatever contribution they made to Ms. Amos's euphoric stage presence, her real source of power was grounded in her new musical approach. In her seven years as the wizard queen of alternative rock, Ms. Amos has never toured with a band. Her concerts generally featured her alone at the piano. Her highly sensual relationship with that instrument amplifies the feeing she shares her ardently devoted fans: this former child prodigy has long told her secrets to those ivories, and she uses then to send her intimacies outward. Her new songs, however, employ a more expansive sound. She needs accompaniment to complete them. Any questions about whether a conventional rock setup would dilute Ms. Amos's idiosyncratic art were erased the moment she took her place between her piano and synthesizer. Her band -- Steve Caton on guitar, Jon Evans on bass and Matt Chamberlain on drums -- was already cultivating a raucous noise. Ms. Amos let the band support her as she played both keyboards and experimented with vocal techniques, her patented high wails giving way to grunts and syncopated phrasings. A hard-rock element has always been crucial in tempering Ms. Amos's sometimes frilly tone, but on Thursday night she let her virile side dominate. Those steroids were not as strong as the musical arrangements showing the influence of sharp-edged bands like Garbage, as her as the classic art-rock of Peter Gabriel and "Scary Monsters"-era David Bowie. She also incorporated modern funk; her affinity with Prince showed, and during "God", she vamped on "You Dropped Me Like A Bomb" by the Gap Band, substituting "Jesus" for the song's obligatory "Baby". Through all these turns, the band gave Ms. Amos room to move while still challenging her. Reworking old material or trying out her bold new work, Ms. Amos stayed true to her mission: the pursuit of a fully female expression as intense as the heroic rock of bands like Led Zeppelin. This quest takes Ms. Amos into the realm of goddess-oriented legends, but also into a common sexual and emotional history. She has built a mythos of the parlor, the parked car and the basement room, charting the rhythms of womanly sensuality to suit lyrics about orgasm and childbirth, human loss and spiritual ecstasy. Now she is giving greater rein to the masculine side women also possess. Her zeal for this new heroic labor was palpable and potent. It wasn't just the drugs. From Jon Vena & SonicNet Music News Of The WorldApril 24, 1998 - Jon Vena wrote a review of the New York concert that appeared on the SonicNet Web Site Tori Amos 'Pumped Up' For New York Show Backed by a band for the first time, the piano diva delivered an intense performance. Contributing Editor Jon Vena reports: Five songs into her performance at Irving Plaza in New York City on Thursday night, Tori Amos made a surprising revelation: She's popping steroids. "I lost my voice, and my doctors gave me 'roids," the plainly clothed Amos whispered to the crowd, as she sat between her trademark baby grand piano and a synthesizer. "And I don't know how those weight lifters do it, because I'm ... I'm craving things!" Even then, not nearly halfway into her set, the crowd had already made one thing clear: They were craving Tori. Requests echoed from the balconies and the back bar, even from the industry-thick VIP section. Old Tori, new Tori, rare Tori. What the crowd got, much to their delight, was a delicate balance of Tori -- a set heavy on material from her upcoming from the choirgirl hotel album (May 5), plus staples from her first two albums, Little Earthquakes and Under The Pink. One thing became quite apparent during the show: The new Tori Amos has, in a sense, returned to her roots. Gone were the dance and soul elements present on 1996's Boys For Pele. In fact, only one song from that album, "Putting The Damage On," made the evening's set. Instead, through new material and select cuts from her catalog, Amos made it clear that she is currently all about the raw intensity and grrrl power that made her the anti-rock star of the early 1990s. For this short promotional tour (which hit Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Washington, D.C., earlier this week, and continues with shows in Boston, Chicago and then the West Coast next week) and an extended leg this summer, Amos boasts a live band (guitarist Steve Kailen, bassist John Evans and drummer Matt Chamberlain) -- something new for fans used to seeing her perform solo at a single baby grand. On a crowded stage in a crowded room, Amos was reborn, and with her new material and the sound of older songs such as "Icicle" freshened up by the backup band, there's a new strength behind alt.rock's pre-Lilith princess. The eerie opening to choirgirl's first track, "black-dove (january)," was a perfect beginning for the night's performance. She displayed her striking vocal range in a song that echoes and crescendos. On "Precious Things," from Little Earthquakes, the backup band stretched the song's resounding chorus into a thunderstorm of sound, lit by throbbing lights. On a few more new songs, "Northern Lad," "Cruel" and choirgirl's first single, "Spark," Amos displayed a raw intensity that I hadn't experienced since she debuted with Little Earthquakes eight years ago. "Northern Lad," with an a cappella opening and lines such as "It's so fucking cold," is strong, as is "Cruel," which bursts with a grungy intensity reminiscent of "Precious Things" touched with the lucidity of "Bells For Her," from 1994's Under The Pink. For many members of the crowd that packed Irving Plaza (the 700-odd tickets to the show had been bought up in just a few minutes when they went on sale three weeks ago), Amos' performance was an emotional experience. Composed mostly of young women and younger girls, the audience reacted to Amos' every move -- screeching loudly as she sipped from a paper cup, or synchronizing their bellows of "I love you!" to land during pauses in Amos' between-song banter. As Amos told her own stories through her songwriting, audience members reminisced as well, with giggled tales of "I fucked to this album so much in college." Amos looked to the past for the powerful, concluding two-song encore of "God" and "Silent All These Years." One fan, Megan Genneo of White Plains, N.Y., who cried during "Icicle," said that song evoked memories of her late mother. "I listened to Under The Pink when my mother was dying," she said. "I think the only thing that kept me sane was listening to [Amos]. Some days, I'll listen to her, and I'll smile. But right here, right now -- she's up there, and ... it's so emotional." From ToriPyroApril 24, 1998 - I'm actually writing this the day AFTER the show...I felt like my head was spinning when I got home last nite. Now that my thoughts are clear, I can finally make clear comments. I have been to one other Tori show before this one, and this particular show was so amazing. Words can not describe JUST how wonderful it was. It didn't start off to well...with myself going to the wrong train station and ending up getting there at 5 instead of 4...but we still got a good place in line. So we finally got in, checked in our stuff, then went upstairs. I bought my toristuff and anything that my friends who couldn't be there wanted that they had given me the money for. Then we go in.... It's this deconstructed room with a large floor, dimly lit, with a very antique, unpolished look. I thought it was beautiful (I thought those little borders on the balcony was cheezy though). So then, around 8, David Poe comes out, and he's pretty good. But then he starts singing something like "if you're getting abused on the street, i won't let them hurt you, that priveledged is reserved for me." And I just turned to my friend Jack and laughed. I liked him, but I thought his cover songs were better....his original songs consisted of "NO NO NO NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NOOO!!!" as the chorus for one...hee. Ok, so FINALLY, my knees are beginning to ache, but I don't care.....9:30 rolls around, and the lights go down. The whole crowd was completely revived...COMPLETELY! I didn't know what to do because so much has happened since I last went (May 15, 1996) to one of her concerts and the majority of it revolved around Tori. So she finally comes out...and I just burst out crying. Also, since I received the complete lyrics, I read through them, and there was this ONE song that just hit me (like "BAM!"...hee) and I was SO anxious to hear the song...and coincidentally, she played "Black Dove" as the first song. I knew ALL of the lyrics so I recognized it right away. Then she went on and played "iieee" and I have to say this is going to be one of my absolute favorites on this album...that and "Black Dove." iieee is an absolutley amazing song...as well as "Cruel" and "Northern Lad" and, of course, "Spark." She told us a little story about how she is losing her voice, so she was upstairs with all of this tea and steam, and that she's taking steroids for her voice. And she says "I don't know HOW the weightlifters do it, because...I just have such a craving for certain things right now." She then led into a solo of "Icicle" where at the "and when my hand..." verse came up, she turned to us and said "now, I know you know this part....I KNOW you know this part." And the whole crowd began singing along. By that time, I had controlled myself from hysterically crying, and I was just mesmerized. I remember when she sang "The Waitress" and there was like this 10 minute improv. it was absolutely explosive. And then there was the "God" improvs.............''you dropped a bible on me, you dropped a bible on me, oh Jesus, and do it again, you dropped a bible on me." During "Silent All These Years," everyone was respectfully singing along. It was a beautiful ending to a wonderful performance. Unlike the Madison Square Garden show I went to, I was SO close to the stage, and when I saw Tori, I didnt' see a figure from like 200ft. away......I SAW HER! (sigh). I love tori, she is amazing. I didn't get to meet her, and I brought my Tori Stories booklet and a gift for her, but oh well...there is always a next time. I feel priveledged enough that I got to go to this wonderfully intimate show to see my goddess of music play for me and the other hearts and souls that were bared naked on the floor of Irving Plaza. (no, there were no orgies, I'm talking metaphorically here). The show was amazing, and when she comes back to NY in the summer, I will definitely be there, and I can't wait. It's like a drug, one you can never get enough of, but because I am merely 15, there is a small frequency of doses...but she is to give Atlantic about 3/4 more albums...so, you know...more "happy time" for me =) From Dana DunnApril 24, 1998 - WOW! Last night's show at Irving Plaza was SO wonderful! I got there around 3:00, and the line wasn't long at all. Before they opened the doors, though, it seemed as if 40 people cut the line, which really got many of us mad because we were waiting on line in the freezing rain for so long. When I finally got in, I rushed over to the right side of the stage and I was in the second row!! The girl who was right in front of me was only like 5 feet tall, so I could see the entire stage! It was so amazing! I couldn't belive that I was only 10 feet away from Tori's piano! When David Poe came on, everybody seemed to like him - he was really entertaining, sweet and funny. After reading some of the reviews from the previous shows, it seemed like he got more respect from the audience at this show than at the others. Near the end of his performance, everyone started to get cranky cause it was so uncomfortable in that tiny room with hardly any room to move or breath - and everyone was dying to see TORI!! The crowd went absolutely crazy when the lights changed and the band started to come on. When Tori finally came on, everyone was screaming and cheering - it was so increadible. This was by far the most amazing moment I have ever experienced. I could not believe how close she was - it was like I was in a dream. I couldn't breathe, and tears started to form in my eyes. She looked so happy and so beautiful, and put on best performance I have ever seen. Her voice was so strong and beautiful, and the band playing with her was awesome! Precious Things and Tear in Your Hand sounded almost exactly like the album version, because of the other instruments - it sounded great! I LOVED Waitress - the "I believe in peace , bitch" part sounded awesome with the band... I just couldn't get enough of that song. Steve Caton was like only four feet away from me on stage!!!! His guitar playing was really cool. I couldn't believe I was so close!!! When she first said hello to the audience, she mentioned that she needed an oxygen tank up there on stage cause it was so hot and congested in the the room. Everyone cheered and laughed...cause everyone was feeling the same exact way. Right before she started to sing Icicle, someone in the audience shouted "Tell us a story!" As she played the familiar Icicle intro, she said, "You want to hear a story?!" Then she started to explain how she began to lose her voice upstairs before the show, and she used steam to soothe her throught. Then she said that she took steroids to help her with her voice, and she couldn't believe the bizarre cravings she started to get. She went right into a beautiful emotional version of Icicle. She performed pretty much the same songs as the previous shows, except for Silent all these Years. I started to get a little mad cause I came to hear Tori sing - not the audience. Of course everyone knows the lyrics to the song, but so does Tori, and I would have loved to hear her sing it by herself. It seemed like she was rushed off the stage after Silent all these years, and the encores were kind of quick. After she finally left the stage, the lights went on and the background music came on almost immediately. Everyone was disapointed and shouted, "OH Tori!" It was clear that the crowd wanted her to come back. I didn't get to stay and meet her, cause I had to catch a train to get back home. Overall the show was the most spectacular show I have ever seen... I would do anything in the whole entire world to experience it all over again! For those of you who haven't seen her show yet, you are in for the most beautiful, amazing, gorgeous show ever!!!!!! From Erick BattagliaApril 24, 1998 - The New York show was incredible... the best out of the three that i've had the honor to be present at... i got there with my sister and two friends at about 4 and the line was not too long. but waiting for four hours was almost too much to bear. finally David Poe came out and did his thing. i thought that he was actually quite entertaining... of course, i was waiting anxiously for Tori to come out... and that she did at about 9. she was incredible and the band help to emphasize that. i didn't feel that they drowned her out in anyway shape or form. on the contrary, they added a new kind of zest to some already incredible songs, like precious things, tear in your hand, putting the damage on, god, and horses. the new songs were all excellent as well. hearing spark live is just an incredible experience... i can't wait to buy the album and get to know the others better. this show was incredibly lively and the band was just totally into it. the bass player was awesome and so was Matt Chamberlain on drums. Steve Caton was excellent as usual. they couldn't have let her shine anymore. and a great surprise was after the show when i finally got to meet Tori as she was getting into her limo! she asked me how i was doing and i told her that i liked her pants (we were wearing similar cargo pants). she signed postcard promoting her new album and i patted her shoulder. it was incredible. unfortunately her security was being extremely tight about getting her out of there. she wanted so bad to say hi and give everyone a hug... but she was totally rushed out of there, and only got to talk to a few lucky fans. anyway... that's my story. i'll never forget this awesome concert or meeting Tori... From DamianApril 24, 1998 - I'm both exhausted and exhilarated at the same time, but it looks as though the former is winning out, so I'm going to just post this bare-bones review/reaction of Tori's April 23rd NY show. Maybe tomorrow I'll do the full-fledged narrative version, if there's enough public outcry. ;) A few general notes first. Tori was wearing some flimsy black tanktop-ish sort of thing, and either gray or khaki pants with pockets along the side of the pant legs, which I thought looked pretty cool. Since I saw her from the shoulders up for most of the time, I have no idea what sort of shoes she wore. (For those of you who like such details.) Also, she was doing the eye-glitter thing, which I like very much. She was lovely as usual. Mr. Hawley better appreciate what he's got! As for the band, they came pretty close to crossing the line from complementing Tori's piano-playing to drowning it out; in fact, I think they did cross it now and then. But in all they do add a new twist to and enhance her music. Tori's singing, however, was phenomenal, and more than made up for the dearth of Bosie-playing. The setlist was pretty much what she's done for the past three shows; in fact, the only deviation really is the inclusion of 'Silent All These Years'. The guy I struck a conversation up with on the subway got a hold of the actual setlist (and I forgot to ask him how he did it; argh, I always wondered about that), and apparently we got gypped a song. =P She pre-empted 'She's Your Cocaine' with 'God', leaving SATY on its own for the second encore. Thankfully, there was just a couple of minutes in between her encores; I was about ready to collapse, and wouldn't have been able to bear much more in-between waiting. She came on at 9:30, finished up around 11--and I had been in there since shortly before 7.... Without counting my ordeals outside in my search for a ticket. Black-Dove (January) This one didn't make too much of an impression on me. Also, all the wild cheering for this, her opening number, made it difficult for me to concentrate on it, along with my slack-jawed awe as I realised that I was really just twenty-five feet or so away from -Tori-. The song seems nice enough--I'll have to hear the studio version before making any judgement. I want to correlate it to 'Horses', but that's probably only because they both are standard opening numbers.... iieee A quick check with the lyrics website gave me the name to this song; I remember the word "sacrifice". This was a pretty rocking tune, but again I'll probably have to hear the studio version to form an opinion. Also, everyone was vying and jockeying to get closer to the stage, so I had to forgo absolute concentration in favor of fending for myself. =P Tori did a mini-Cornflake Dance beforehand, incidentally. She did that quite a few times tonight, mainly before each of the new songs. She's so cool. *grin* Precious Things Kick-ass. =) Everything just worked so well with this one; also, the "guuuuurl" was short and sweet just like it should be. What on earth possessed you people to -time- her on the DDI Tour? Yeesh. Liquid Diamonds This was pretty meandering, and seemed kind of formless, though most probably because I'm not familiar with it yet. Also, the similar drum intro to each song was already getting a little redundant for me. I love Tori's vocals on this one, though. I also like the dreamy-yet-gritty feel to the song; gotta see how the studio version grabs me. Tear In Your Hand Tori introduced the band before this one (though it may have been before Liquid Diamonds); in any case, she said that she hoped we would recognise this one. And of course we did. =) Since I knew she'd been playing it, I wasn't as pleasantly surprised as I might have been (ya stoopid netfolks ruining it for me *grumble*), but it's always nice to hear. It was a little sluggish, though, and didn't have bounce, but the band filled it out nicely nonetheless. Jackie's Strength Tori started by saying she wrote this song about getting lost on her wedding day. Someone shouted congrats and we all cheered her tying the knot, and she accepted it with one of those cute Tori-waves. Someone had pointed out that this song is similar to 'Marianne', and I agree. I may quite like this one in time. Northern Lad Also a nice one. I had to track down the title, going by the lyrics "girls you've got to know/when it's time to turn the page", which struck me. Kind of put me in mind of 'Putting the Damage On', which was to come later. Icicle The band left now, and it was "secret time" for us. She was just about to go into the song when someone called out for a story. As you know, stories just seem to go with this one. =) She kept playing the opening bars over and over, mulling over what to tell us. Finally she told us she had been a little afraid upstairs, worried that she was losing her voice. She was rather hoarse, at least her speaking voice was; her singing was, however, superb, flawless, etc... So she talked about how she was doing the steam thing, and even taking steroids for it. "You'll have to drag out the Gilette razors for me soon", which I got a good minute later. =) Then she wondered aloud how the bodybuilders dealt with it, since she was getting bizarre cravings (which she didn't specify). And yeah, we sang along with the "when my hand touches myself" part. Sweet. Upside Down Well, the crowd was still in a sing-a-long mood, and basically dueted with Tori on this one. This song was beautiful as always. Putting the Damage On As with 'Tear in Your Hand', this tune seemed a little more sluggish than usual with the band backing it. Still very well done, and I was pleased to hear this live for the first time. Spark Damn I love this song. It had been growing on me, and this incredible performance just clinched it for me. For some reason I want to compare it to CaLS, but probably only because they're both lead singles and involve the switching back-and-forth between keyboards bit. Which reminds me--I miss the harpsichord! *sigh* Cruel All I could think throughout was WOW. Very hard-driving rock, with some of Tori's strongest singing. Unlike anything she's done to date, I think. I only understood the lyrics to the chorus; the rest, for me, was undecipherable, but I loved the manner in which she sang it. Kind of lost its way towards the end though. Can't wait to get a hold of this song on CD. The Waitress Well I had known this one was coming up, so I knew what to look for. I'm not sure if I like this updated/remixed version just yet; the piano-playing was entirely swallowed up, and in fact Tori spent some of it just singing alone. Still, what a performance! We all went nuts, and rightfully so. She sang the added lyrics "I'm going where she's going" as she gestured to the piano, and "I've got to get me one of these" or some such. Disturbingly, these lyrics replaced the final verse--you know, the one where she decides that violence isn't the answer and abandons her killing wish. Ominous? God Fabulous! The piano didn't get swallowed up here, and it's been a long time since I've enjoyed this song. I found myself singing the backing "Hey, whaddya know, whaddya know"'s that were missing. She also improv'd with "You threw the bible at me Jesus" (now that her father wasn't in the audience *grin*), and a devilish "Do it again!" This got us all moving all right. If it means anything, as she came back out for this encore someone flung a box of something or another at the stage, and I think it landed on the Bosey. She snatched it up, regarded it curiously for a moment, then flung it over her shoulder. Wonder what it was? Not to mention some bizarre fruit thing a guy had passed along up to the stage earlier in the night; it kind of looked like an elongated pear, though what significance it might have had I have no idea. Horses Okay, you've all raved about this revamped version, but it left me rather cold. All it shares with the original are the lyrics, and it just isn't the same without that tinkling piano. Also, the bassline and drumming were getting very familiar at this point; it blurred into the new material's sound without much effect, or at least that's how it struck me. Probably the song I enjoyed the least of the night. Silent All These Years Okay, I didn't pay money to hear the audience drown out the one I wanted to hear sing! =P Still, it was sweet how Tori beamed down at us like we were star pupils when we beat her to the punch with each verse, and it ended the evening on a very touching note. Unfortunately, my premonitions of hearing 'Girl' backed with the band proved to be unfounded. *sigh* Ditto ItSoHV. Still, in all, what a dynamic concert! May 5 never seemed so far away. Apologies for the blunt, uncolorful nature of this post, but I'm minutes away from blissful unconsciousness. |
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