North American Plugged '98 Tour
Milwaukee, WI
July 15, 1998
Updated July 27, 1998
|
|
North American Plugged '98 Tour
|
|
Check Out The Reviews And Set Lists Page Tori performed in Milwaukee, WI on July 15, 1998 at Mecca Auditorium during the main North American leg of her Plugged '98 tour.  Set ListMany thanks to Danielle Pokorny for being the first to send me the set list! Tori played China and Cloud On My Tongue solo. Special thank yous to Matt Page and Dor who called me on the phone from Milwaukee to make sure I had the set list. Precious Things 1st Encore: 2nd Encore: ReviewsNewest Reviews Are At The Top... From StuartJuly 27, 1998 - Hi everyone, I'm from Florida, but I just got back from an 11-day trip to Wisconsin where I saw my first Tori concert in Milwaukee. No, I'm not a "Sparkie," I've been a huge fan for several years now, but I unfortunately missed her on the DDI tour due to many complications. Missing that tour was a great pain for me, but I was hoping this show would make up for it... going into that night, no one really knew what to expect. Like Toriphiles all over the world, I left this particular concert in tears. But not tears of joy, but rather those of sorrow... Tori is undoubtedly an incredibly gifted performer, but on that night, she simply disappointed. Now don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the show. There were definitely high points. But I left without the soaring feelings of wonder so often experienced by fans at these shows. When she opened with Precious Things, I was absolutely blown away. I mean, she broke the rules for us! And then iieee, wow. There was a LONG and gorgeous piano solo near the end that added so much to the already-wonderful song, and the lighting was fantastic. Cornflake Girl was standard, and I was overjoyed when she led into Honey, my old all-time favorite b-side (before Cooling). Crucify and Space Dog was cool gems from the past, but then she dismissed the band and I really truly got excited. She started some kind of improv, some chords that was quite familiar. I had definitely heard this music before, but.. where? "He-e-e-re...." she sang. That set off bells and whistles in my head, but in the excitement, it still wasn't registering. Then, right before she led into China, I realized that most of that "improv" had been lifted straight from Graveyard! Cloud On My Tongue was touching, but it was laced with my own personal disappointment that we weren't going to hear anything less standard--or any of the beautiful piano ballads from Pele. Up until then, the chow had been pretty good. Nothing to knock my socks off except maybe Honey. But then came JS, Cruel, Spark, and The Waitress. JS was better than the studio version, IMO, Cruel was great, Spark, as has been well documented, lacked energy, and The Waitress.... well, it's not a showstopper. Then for the first encore, she opened with She's Your Cocaine, the one song I hoped with all my heart she WOULDN'T play. I mean, this was going to be the only show on the tour I would get to see, and I only would get to hear 16 (which would turn out to be 15 for some reason) songs by her, and I was hoping this wouldn't be one. Raspberry Swirl was fun, but lamentable for the same reason as above. It would have been great to DANCE to it, it's an awesome song for that, but no one around me was even moving in the slightest! =/ I broke it down in my seat, but I wish Tori fans were a little bit more open to getting their whole bodies into her music... (I had been to the B-52's concert the night before and I danced so hard that my eyes were burning from sweat and I could barely walk afterwards.) Horses ended up being the only song from BFP... if you can even call it that in its new form. I don't know. I guess I sound totally self-serving from all this, but I was genuinely disappointed by the set. I was hoping to get over it, but when I got home today and checked the sets from other shows and saw all the fabulous songs she's been playing--including the debut of CALS, the song I was hoping more than any other to hear--my eyes teared up just a tiny bit again. So, I guess things didn't work out for me, but I hope, Toriphiles, that you will be able to enjoy the rest of her tour in ways I wasn't able to... Tori has certainly had innumerable wonderful shows, and will certainly continue to make history with them. I hope you aren't upset with me for bitching pointlessly about this one down concert. From Lorin DoddJuly 22, 1998 - As in the past 5 Tori concerts I've seen, Tori was amazing as she began the North American tour in Milwaukee. However, I felt the crowd's karma left something to be desired. I truly think seating in the center arena would have been a better idea than G.A. I was on the side seats in the front, and people were constantly walking to the floor and back to their seats, deciding which was a better view. Plus, I think the fact that anyone could have gotten a ticket without really trying because of the size of the venue drew many who had heard "Spark" on the radio and were bored that night. The intimacy and intensity were lessened. Although the concert was still magical, I think a few less faeries turned out for this one. I hope they catch up to the rest of the shows! From Danny (Posted to the RDTRN mailing list)July 18, 1998 - The Milwaukke concert kicked ass!!! Tori said it was the first in her US tour and let me tell you all something... Tori with Guitars and Drums and occasional cello was phenomenal. I loved her. She opened with Precious Things and I really think that was meant for full band performance after i listened to it there. It was a rather big emotional roller coaster for me... its not too often to see someone you admire up on stage... And I saw her husband in the Sound pit fiddlin with the mixing boards. It was just too much to put into words... They had an opening band called The Devlins... an Irish group apparently, but they were nothing compared to Tori... She did two encores and it looked like she was gonna do a third, but unfortunately it didn't happen... If any of you get a chance to see her this time around... i would highly recommend it.... From Mairie WatsonJuly 18, 1998 - At about 4:30, Tori arrived in her tour bus by the back door of the Mecca Auditorium. She or someone on her bus had a jester puppet and was playing with it waving to all of the people outside the window. When Steve Caton got off of the bus, he basically just waved and went inside. Then someone near me shouted "Hey Steve, aren't you gonna socialize?" and Caton turned around and waved and smiled, then went inside. A few minutes later Tori got off the bus, and of course people scrambled to receive hugs and pictures and autographs and give her flowers and presents. Lots of people were there, so the front ones were really lucky. She looked so cute in her overalls. After a minute or two, the girl in front of me was crying, and her friend pulled her forward a little and got Tori's attention, and when Tori saw that she was crying, she said "Oohh.. Do I look that bad?" It started to drizzle, so Joel the blonde bodyguard guy made Tori go in and there were shouts of "I love yous" and stuff. And Tori told us to have fun at the concert and she'd see us later. Then it started to pour. Everyone out there got soaking wet, as we ran to our cars or for some nearby shelter. We came back to the auditorium at about 6pm, and they let people into the small lobby, and from there we could hear Tori doing her sound check. During the sound check, the songs I could hear were: "Little Amsterdam" They didn't open the doors to let people get seated until about 7pm. We finally got in and they checked everyone's bags and purses for cameras or recording devices. The Devlins went on at about 7:45 and played 6 pretty cool songs until 8:20. Tori's drummer, Matt Chamberlain, drummed for them because their drummer was ill. He did pretty good for never having played with them before! Tori went on at 8:50 and opened up with "Precious Things." She had an incredible light show with smoke and bubbles which added to the energy that Tori and the band created. Next she played "iieee" and during the part where she sings "sa- sa- sacrifice" she made a sort of stabbing motion with her fists, aimed at her belly. Then she addressed the audience: "Hi everybody how ya doin'? So this is the first show of the American tour. I know this is a little different from our other shows, so just think of this as a huge living room. And to those people waaaaay back there, I remember going to shows and I waited a little bit long to get my tickets.. And well I know how ya feel." Then she introduced Matt, Jon, and Steve.. And they played "Cornflake Girl." She didn't do the "oh my darling" part like she has in the past. Then she said "well some people asked me to play this and it's one of our favorites," and she played "Honey," and Jon played on an upright bass. Then she played "Crucify" and "Space Dog." She excused the band and said "It's just you and me" and sang "I'm not sure what I'm gonna play yet but let's see what comes along..." Then played "China," which someone requested during the Meet & Greet and "Cloud on my Tongue," with a really weird intro. Then the guys came back out and she played "Jackie's Strength," "Cruel," "Spark," "The Waitress." During "Jackie's Strength," Jon brought out the upright bass again, and for "The Waitress," Tori only played the piano during the chorus ("I believe in peace, Bitch") parts. Then she left.. and for the first Encore, she played "She's Your Cocaine" and during the part where she usually sings "uh uh uh uh uh UH, uh uh uh uh uh UH" she sang "sh sh sh shake it SHAKE, sh sh sh shake it SHAKE!" Next came a heart-pounding (of course) version of "Raspberry Swirl." And for the second encore, she played her new version of "Horses." And that was it. It was a great concert. Everyone I heard from afterwards was absolutely giddy and thrilled. So there you have it in a nutshell. It was the best Tori concert I have ever been to, but this Sunday's Chicago concert could change that, eh? From Rocktropolis Allstar Daily Music NewsJuly 18, 1998 - The following Milwaukee concert review appeared in July 16, 1998 edition of the Rocktropolis Allstar Daily Music News, which is a web site MORE IS LESS IN TORI AMOS' MILWAUKEE TOUR OPENER
The thousands of teenage girls crowding the Milwaukee Arena Wednesday
(July 15) evening for the first night of Tori Amos' North American tour,
many of them with bottle- red hair and suitably Tori-like outfits, may have
been too young to remember the Tori of old (or the Tori of 1996, even),
back when Amos used to deliver the world's most gloriously profane piano
recitals.
Amos is now touring for the first time with a full band, and the more
nostalgic in the audience (or at least, those over the age of 15) might
have found themselves longing for the days when she would tour with just a
piano. During these shows, upon which Amos forged her considerable
reputation, every song was an aria of Callas- like proportions, and her
piano bench a phallic substitute.
Now backed by an accomplished, if unwelcome, all- male guitar- bass- and-
drums three- piece, Amos' show seemed more like a traditional rock and roll
concert, with all the might and bombast that would imply. However
unwelcome, the band lent a sturdier, more grounded air to some of her more
flittery numbers. As a result, songs like "Cornflake Girl," "Crucify
Myself," and "Cloud on My Tongue" sounded more assured (a voice- track-
augmented "Jackie's Strength" and a slightly plodding "Spark" less so).
Previously the very definition of the indulgent artiste, whatever was
excessive about Amos seemed more bearable when rounded out (or perhaps
merely drowned out) by a full band. Her somewhat unorthodox phrasing and
enunciation didn't seem as annoying, and her aggressively ethereal air
seemed charming, not fey.
Amos, wearing a what- was- she- thinking combination of black pants, a
black top, pointy heels and a sequined apron/ kerchief/ thing, was never in
finer voice and ever agreeable (though she spoke little, the crowd regarded
her every utterance as Scriptural). Wednesday night was one of her first
playing arena- sized venues. "Just think of it as being like a huge living
room," she said helpfully, although the hall was tiny by arena standards
(just over 4,000 seats, compared to the 10,000+ venues she'll play later in
the tour), and only about three- quarters filled.
Amos may have felt the move to larger rooms necessitated a fuller sound
(it doesn't), but the full-band treatment -- not to mention the standard-
issue arena laser light show -- robbed her of much of her originality. The
rooms and the sound may be larger, but Amos seemed smaller, diminished
somehow.
During the lesser parts of her set, she was reduced to being simply
another female frontwoman -- albeit one with an excessive flair for drama,
and really good shoes. Given that many songs went on a good two minutes
longer than they should, and some even verged on light techno, the band
hasn't succeeded in tempering all Amos' indulgences, either. Tellingly, the
biggest applause of the night came went they went away, leaving her to
perform an affecting solo section in the middle of the show. Hopefully,
they won't take it personally.
-Allison Stewart From Arielle CaronJuly 18, 1998 - Well, the Milwaukee show was amazing as everyone else already said. I'm glad I wasn't daydreaming and she really did play "Honey"- it was my request before the show. I couldn't believe she actually played it for me, so I had to check at the Meet & Greet, but sure enough! So I'm having a good day/week/year. Tori seemed to be well-rested because she spent a good bit of time at the meet & greets (before AND after- she left when she said "food is calling"), and she was just so emotional during the show. After the show, Caton came out first and was actually talking to fans (wow!) and I reached out my hand and said "Steve! I have the biggest crush on you, please hold my hand!" and then he did, so my mood was improved further! The show, though.. (stay on track, Arielle!) was great. What can I say, the opening show... she talked to us, she said "just pretend it's a big living room" and "we're playing to you guys in the back too!"- so the big venue thing that everyone worried about is not really a problem. From Jason L. (Posted to the rec.music.tori-amos newsgroup)July 18, 1998 - I had the lucky privelage of getting to meet Tori after a friend of mine (who isn't a big Tori fan like me) won tickets to her show and the "passes" to meet her beforehand after the sound-check. I should probably say that Ive had a 4 foot Tori poster in my living room for the past few years, own everyone of her cd's including a few bootlegs, and generally have followed her career on a daily basis. I also saw her Under the Pink concert (had to skip the Boys For Pele tour --ugh) which I still to this day think was the best concert Ive ever seen, and Ive seen alot of them. Needless to say I was dumbfounded when this dropped into my lap just a mere two days ago when my friend won this contest on a local radio station. A small group of about 15 of us were escorted into the auditorium and Tori came out wearing bib overhauls, said a few words and started playing two songs solo for us....first one was 'Cooling' and the second one was 'Icicle'...very coool. Unfortunately they wouldn't let us take any pictures...which I can understand...hard to see those keys when you've got white dots in your vision... After that they led us into a small room, lined us up and that was it. Ive met another musical celebrity so I had a little experience with this and wasn't TOO nervous :-) Still, Im a shy guy and didn't say a whole lot...Got a nice picture together with her and an autograph on one of my favorite pics of her. (If anyone has the double-cd set called 'Upside Down', the cover is the picture I have) Lots of Tori-hugs were given out and a few girls were crying they were so happy...was real nice to see. Tori was completely polite and generous with her time. As for the show! Hmm. I loved it totally, especially 'Cruel', and an extended sorta-bluesy version of 'The Waitress'. She opened with 'Precious Things', and also did 'China'. Somebody post a set-list please, I can't remember what order they came in..I was surprised that she didn't do any cover songs however....She did do 'Honey', a b-side single though...Some others she did: Cornflake Girl And argh, thats all I can think of right now. One of the drawbacks I guess of having the first show on the tour is that you could tell they may have some tweaking to do yet, as it seemed Tori's voice got drowned out a bit...I kinda missed it being like her Under the Pink tour when you could hear a pin drop on alot of her songs, but still she made up for this by rockin the house especially with 'Cruel' and 'The Waitress'.... Welp thats all I got to say...dont check this newsgroup as often as I do so forgive me if I didnt use the typical acronyms in the subject line. Thanks for reading! PS. The T-shirts are really cool this tour...Nothing gaudy or too attention-getting...I picked up the black one with the blueish picture of Tori laying on her side and all these lyrics around her... From Hanna P. (Posted to Precious Things mailing list)July 18, 1998 - Oh-My-God, it was so so so very amazing, amazing amazing amazing, but this was also my first time seeing Tori, she did a great great job, excellent, excellent, wow. She was playing that keyboard and piano at the same time!!! It was so so much fun. The opening band is a band from Ireland, something like The Drexlins and they were really good too. It was such a great show, it didn't seem like it lasted how long it did, but it did. It was about 1 hour and 45 minutes maybe, it seemed like 10 minutes, oh, I could have listened to it forever. I hope you all have fun seeing her... By the way, if you were at the concert you might've seen me, I was wearing these lime green and white checked pants with a white camisole and for a long time I was carrying around a black t-shirt. (a tori shirt obviously) and I was dancing a lot, so that was me. I have short hair too, if that helps, and I'm amybe 5'5, it was so fun though. I'm sure some of you saw me. From Koren Ziemienski (Posted to the rec.music.tori-amos newsgroup)July 18, 1998 - So, my health improved sufficiently for me to go to the Tori concert here in Milwaukee last night, with Christopher and six of our friends. :^D It was definitely a rose-and-torn sort of night, so whoever that idea belongs to, I'm borrowing it for my post. Rose: The show fucking *rawked*. Dear goddess, that woman can fill a space with her presence. There were bubbles, and there was smoke, and most of all there was Tori, right in the middle of it all, wearing a black cotton bodysuit with what looked like a beaded, sparkly apron w/flowery designs over it. It was breathtaking. My friend Lara and I literally stood there gaping like goldfish, just absorbing her. The band was amazing as well! Thorn: We found, much to our chagrin, that general admission was a bad idea. Very bad. There was such a crowd crush that at least one girl passed out, and another was injured. I literally could not move my arms once Tori came onstage, and it got worse. I found at one point that I couldn't take a complete breath. I've been to plenty of gen-ad shows before, and this was by far the worst. Maybe it was the space, maybe it was the crowd, maybe it was the fact that people just aren't used to being able to move around at Tori shows. *blech* Rose: Opening band was great. They're called The Devlins, and are a little like Duncan Sheik but more real and cuter. This was their first American concert, and they were obviously nervous, but did very well. The poor lead singer picked up this stuffed bear from somewhere that he thought Tori had given him, but it was really *for* Tori, and he made a total fool of himself onstage, but we all forgave him and wanted to give him things. *grin* Go get their album, it's called "Waiting". Thorn: Awful lycra-swathed, "PLAY SPARK"-screaming, pancake makeup-slathered, out-for-themselves bitches. *korengrowl* I found it incredibly ironic that during Cornflake Girl, there was a big catfight off to my right, in which a lovely with pigtails took out another sweet thing in overalls and body glitter. I found myself yelling "don't push! cut it out" in true preschool teacher style. We were constantly plagued by girls who told us they "just needed to get right over there, where the rest of their friends were", which was, of course, in front of us. There was a lot of pushing and shoving and name-calling, which honestly appalled me, considering how Tori feels about this little trogs, and my past Tori concert experience (quite good). Rose: Tori did Raspberry Swirl as an encore, and I got to dance with my luscious friend Ann and my studly fiance to it! Thorn: I had an asthma attack about fifteen minutes into the show and Christopher and I had to fight our way out of the teeming masses to get me to fresh(er) air. Rose: Once there, and sufficiently recovered, we realized that we could see Tori and the band quite well, and remained in our new spot for the rest of the show. Most of the groovier people were out on the fringes anyway, and we all grinned and did our own little spasmodic arm-waving head swaying dances. :) Thorn: The Wisconsin Center is a non-smoking building, and half the audience was smoking. I don't care if that happens at most concerts, if I'm so squished that I can tell what kind of shampoo the girl in front of me used that morning, I don't want people around me smoking! And how did they lift their arms to get those cigarettes to their mouths?? *boggle* Rose: Tori looked good. Healthy and stuff, and happy and psyched to be there. She was glowing. And her aura filled the whole place. I could feel angels, faeries, the works, who had come just to hear her. *sigh* Rose: I looked over at my friend Brad, and he was standing in this circle of clear space, eyes closed, hands behind his back, head moving, completely caught up in the experience, and I thought "this is what it's about". So enjoy yourselves, folks, be nice to those around you, and don't push. Remember who you're there to see. Koren, proud owner of one little strappy Tori shirt and a whole lot of memories... From BillyJuly 18, 1998 - I finally got some sleep, so this is a more coherent version of the Meet-n-Greet Tori session, if you want to add it to my original submission. Most of what people are saying about the main shiw is accurate...in a nutshell it was phenomenal! We were let into the lobby of the Mecca, where we could here Tori warming up. You could even feel the bass at times. I definitely heard Little Amsterdam and I think Northern Lad. About 20 minutes later one of her body guards and a little man from Atlantic Records let us into the hall way, right out side of the main audiTORIum. You could hear her doing Spark. The bass from it was incredible from where we were standing. While we were waiting, I messed around with the little man from Atlantic. He was wearing an all Access pass, and I asked how I could get one. He said I needed to be an executive at a record company like him. So, I asked if he had any opening, cuz I was hirable. He said after today, he might! So, I got the feeling some things were going crazy in parts we couldn't see. They let us in, and we got to stand right in fron of the stage. I was right in the stone center, Tori was literally 6 feet away. I think I could smell her Bose! She walked out from back stage and said hi to us all, and sat down. She was wearing black sandals, cut off overalls and a melon colored low cut tshirt. She looked great. Sher started singing some pre-la-la-la gibberish stuff and then went into Coolings. It was great, halfway into the song, she messed up and said "OK, I fucked it up, Let me start it from this verse, and away she went with the rest of the song. I personally didn't notice a fuck up..but she is the expert. After finishing that, she started talking to us again. She pointed up to the speakers above our heads and said that her noise was what we heard coming out of there, and not to worry that they wouldn't fall on us. She then told us that there were amries over there(pointed off stage) and armies behind us, that only she could hear at her piano. So what we were hearing and she was hearing was two totally different things. In short a lesson about sound crews (armies) a-la Tori! It was very funny. She then went into a version of Icicle...she was way passionate about it...grinding on the bench, lots of energy. She kept looking down at us too. Gave me shivers I tell you. I accidently bought an outside disposable camera that had no flash, so while she was playing I snapped about 8 pictures since there was no flash to distract her. Hopefully they will turn out! Keep your fingers crossed. After finishing that, she said she needed to fix something, and motioned to the bodyguard to take us away. They led us to another room, where we waited for about 10 minutes, then in walked Tori. We lined up, and she spoke to each of us, posed for pictures, gave autographs. I must say when it was my turn to "hang with her", I got two hugs, she called me honey (then sang the song Honey in concert...hmmm coincidence:))got to smell her hair (most wonderful scent), got a few pix taken, got an autograph and gave her a letter. In short, the most wonderful experience I've ever had. July 16, 1998 - So I am still in awe over the Milwaukee show...I think I can remember the set list, but not too many details...they still need to soak in. I also got to go backstage for the meet-n-greet thing!!!! It was such a good day for me in Milwaukee. For the Sound check we heard her in the hall playing Little Amsterdam, I think Northern lad, and Spark. We then got to go into the stage area where she played Cooling and Icicle. After that we met her behind stage. She was way friendly, it was the first time I had ever met her. She gave me a hug and called me honey! She let us take pictures and signed autographs. For the concert, she started with Precious Things, then went into iieee, Cornflake girl, Honey, Crucify, China, Cloud on my Tongue, Jackie's Strength, Cruel, SPace Dog, Spark, the Waitress encore of She's your Cocaine and Raspberry Swirl, second encore of Horses. She didn't talk much to the crowd tonight, but made up for it with her energy. She played for an hour and a half. Incredible is all I say!!! Oh, and I would like to publicly apologize to the prudish woman sitting next to me who kept checking her watch. She had a hard time accepting my yelling and singing at appropriate times. From Gerry HaneyJuly 18, 1998 - I was able to get a good glance at the Original set list (not the one that was played) and here it is: Precious Things Here is the set list actually PLAYED: Precious Things Encore #1 Encore #2 Overall I was looking forward to the show (very much so). I didn't know how the whole band thing was going to work. Tori rocked!! I think Rasberry Swirl will be the next dance hit for her (you would have to be brain dead - or a Mariah Carey fan - not to see it). From ~Sarah~July 16, 1998 - Wow. I just got back from the Milwaukee show. And it was...amazing, though I can't compare it to any other of her shows since...it was my first one ever! From what I remember, this is what...happened. :o) For those who are concerned about fashion, the guys wore basic black shirt and pants, except for John who wore a light button down shirt. Tori came out in black pants and a black shirt. Then over that, she had on a sparkly...apron type of thing. She looked beautiful. Anyways... Precious Things--Tori opened with this. I was kinda surprised cuz from what I'd heard--I expected Black-Dove to begin with. Even so, it was amazing. Like everyone's said, the band definitely adds something to this song! Tori's "Grrrrrrl" toward the end was great! iieee--Not my favorite song, but it's a lot better in concert than it is on the CD. The vocals were amazing and Tori did some improv lyrics...which I don't remember. *sigh* Tori started addressing the crowd. She said Hi and that it's their first night back in the US doing a show. She also said that the show's going to be a little bit different, but that we should pretend that it's just someone's big living room. Cornflake Girl--The crowd went nuts of course. This was the first of the more widely known Tori songs that she played. Caton was just rocking on the guitar and Tori's playing near the end of the song--wow. Crucify--I'm glad she's doing this one in concert. It's been a favorite of mine and the band really complimented it. Honey--Someone asked for this, Tori said. She also stated that it was one of their favorites to play. And it was absolutely gorgeous! *Secret Time* China--Before playing this, Tori was just playing on the piano, singing. And then she made the mistake of saying she didn't know what she was going to do yet. That led to a whole bunch of requests from the audience, and she went into this song. Cloud on My Tongue--Beautiful. That's all there is to say. Jackie's Strength--The band came back, John had his string bass, and they launched into this. Cruel--I couldn't help but watch Caton most of the time during this song! It was great...he'd just start dancing in place when he wasn't playing. Tori was really getting into it, too--playing and singing. Space Dog--Surprisingly, the crowd stayed fairly quiet at the end when it's just Tori singing. That itself was gorgeous, but then the band came back into the song, and it just blew me away. Spark--Another crowd pleaser. :o) My favorite part is the "How many fates..." Tori just goes wild. The Waitress--I didn't recognize this at first. It sounds a little different from the album version--they jam a lot more. Tori does a lot more with the piano, and with vocals. She added some more lyrics, but...*sigh* I forgot those, too. Encore: She's Your Cocaine--I think I may like this song more after hearing it live. Tori sounded great at that climax toward the end of the song. Raspberry Swirl--Watch the percussion in this song! It is just awesome! Matt started to bang away on some old...metal barrel or something and it just sounded great. The lights were flashing all over and Tori rocked on the Bosey. 2nd Encore: Horses--Wow. I wasn't expecting this to be so different. I know people have said it, but wow. I really liked it, though. It was the only BfP song she did. Those are all the songs...but just not in the right order. The show, IMHO, was fantastic. Her voice sounded great and the band was obviously having a great time on stage. The crowd was good, too. I was right up in front, and no one was shoving or squishing anyone, which was great considering it was General Admission for the whole floor. There was only one really obnoxious guy yelling during the Devlin's performance...who I, personally, liked. Other than him, everyone was well-behaved. From Matt PageJuly 16, 1998 - Matt saw the official set list and told me that she was supposed to sing Leather instead of China. She was also supposed to sing Liquid Diamonds between Honey and Crucify, but decided not to. The show was a little short compared to some of the others this year. They also added some reverb to Tori's vocals during Crucify and Jackie's Strength which allowed Tori to sing in harmony with herself! From Ben M.July 16, 1998 - I just got back from the concert in Milwaukee. Tori was unbelievable. Here is the set list as best as I can remember it. With Band
Without Band
With Band
First Encore With Band
Final Encore With Band Tori absolutely rocked tonight. I know there may have been some worries about her voice, because she had to take steroids, but don't worry any more. Her voice is as strong as it has ever been. I also know that there are some people who are worried how Tori would adjust to playing arenas. Again, there is no need to worry. This was my third time seeing her. Once during the UTP tour and once on the BFP tour. This show was much louder than the other two shows I saw. For comparison I saw the Page, Plant show here in Milwaukee back in June and I would say that both shows pretty close in volume. The only instruments that Tori played were the big black Bosendorfer and the keyboard. Another difference was that they were serving alcohol. A note if you are thinking about bootlegging your concert. This was the first Tori show that I saw where they had R.T.M. security there looking through purses and giving a quick pat down. This is a higher energy show from the other tours, so bring your dancin' shoes and have fun. P.S. I keep thinking that I have missed a song somewhere around number 8, but I could be wrong. I did as much as I could to remember all of the songs and in the correct order. From Connie JandaJuly 16, 1998 - Hi, I attended her concert in Milwaukee tonight and came across your web site. I have to say that I enjoyed her concert very much. It was much louder and electric, but still very fun. She did play a few songs with just herself and her piano which was wonderful. I can tell you which songs were played tonight in no particular order: crucify, prescious things, china, the waitress, cornflake girl, horses, spark, cruel, raspberry swirl, jackies strength, iieee, she's your cocaine, cloud on my tongue, northern lad, space dog and liquid diamonds. She is a Piano Playing Goddess..... From Rob FloresJuly 16, 1998 - Just got back from the concert at what is officially called the Auditorium of the Wisconsin Center here in Milwaukee. Anyone there can reaffirm this...Tori rocks. And how. After a stint with The Devlins and a long set-up, she opened with the new version of "Precious Things." Maybe it was just because it was live, but it seemed even more stellar than on past T.V. and bootleg performances. She barely paused before ripping into "Iieee." I thought this was the hardest thing I'd ever heard Tori do live...my feelings were then affirmed when I saw several girls' "gearhead" boyfriends moshing to it. Other highlights included "Spacedog" and "Crucify," not to mention what I feel was the most touching moment of the night - a very true to the studio version of "Honey." Tori then released the band to spend time alone with the Bose and her disciples. Maybe she didn't really know what to play, but finally decided upon "China" and "Cloud on My Tounge," before the band mysteriously reappeared for "Jackie's Strength." The second segment featured "Spark," which garnished hollars from the standing "general audience," but a quiet respect from those in the reserved seats, but Tori rocked on with such gems as "Cruel" and finally finished with a long, much improvised version of "The Waitress." The first encore consisted of "She's Your Cocaine" and "Raspberry Swirl" (what happened to the keyboards on that one?), the second of "?," and the third and final of a strange and yet again somewhat improvised version of "Horses." The light show was nothing less than amazing. It reminded me of the Dew Drop Inn tour to the tenth power. Add three disco balls which all but turned the arena into a planitarim during "Horses" and a host of floor standing lights that were brighter than the sun and you have some idea of what I mean. Tori herself seemed in a bit of a mood at times, almost mocking herself with vocal distortions of certain lyrics. She spoke to the audience maybe once, to tell them that she was grateful to open the tou in Milwaukee. (Earlier in the day, she said on W-LUM Rock 102.1 that it was her tribute to Laverne & Shirley!?) I was one of two people that Tori acknowledged - and I must add that audience remarks were sparse. When he began her time alone at the piano, she started playing a silly song making up lyrics about how she didn't know what to play. I screamed as loud as I could "Purple People!" Tori looked over hershoulder with a shocked and frightened look, but the funny thing was three other audience members backed me up, one man crying, "Hear him!" (Tori...if you are reading this, I didn't mean to alarm you. It seemed like you would welcome a request and she is my favorite.) All in all, an enjoyable night. I'm wearing m "Raspberry Swirl Girl" necklace with pride, and hope that others will too. From Danielle PokornyJuly 16, 1998 - A great show, although I was quite suprised by the set list! No Black-Dove, lots of UtP.
I'm sure I've missed something, but I'm sure you will hear a lot more about the show! From JCJuly 16, 1998 - Hi,this has been an incredible night in Milwaukee. Tori and the band gave a fantastic show. I'm so glad I was able to take part in this special night. Note this was my first ever Tori show. Tori was full of energy(and of course the band too) and even from where I was sitting I could feel it, it definatly reverberated. She rocked and then some. I hope this doesn't sound lame, its just hard sometimes to find the right words. Tori was wearing a long silvery glittery dress, I wasin't able to see her shoes though from where I was sitting. sorry guys. During the beginning of the show she mentioned to the audience in the very back (I was one of um ;) that she was playing for us too and that thats where she usually would have to sit when she went to a concert. saying that she was sometimes a slow-poke at getting her tickets..this was very sweet. I tried to memorize the setlist and I do have all the songs she played, but I think it might not be in the exact order (I know.I know.. bummer right) But I'm giving it a go :) She started off with Precious Things - Rocked hard, I was completly blown away...thats my tori :) iieee - an awesome song! Sounds incredible live Cornflake Girl- I was shaking my hips to this one..Tori was going for broke Crucify- whoa..I was in complete nirvana, thanks tori Honey- This is the only b-side she played tonight, and it left a mark Cruel- This one was really thumping...It sounded so pure and naughty and beautiful all rolled into one..drums were really kickin SpaceDog- This one really touched me..One of my favorite songs..this girl was on her own, but then every one of um were The Waitress was superb..it was breaking plates and other things as well. This is where it was just her and the bogie..at first she didin't know what to play so she was playing the piano and singing that she didin't know what she was going to sing next..It was funny China- Beautiful..Beautiful..heartwrenching.the hair on my arms were standing on end...First time I've heard it with just the piano Cloud on my Tongue- She started off this song with some new words..I can't quite put my finger on them but this was probably just one of her on the spot jams. COMT though was breathtaking of course..Like all her songs it came thru strong The band came back out and they went into Jackies Strength- another very beautiful tori ballad..I'm glad she played this one Spark- I knew it..I was waiting for it and she indeed played it. With all the energy in the world ...another rocking number First Encore She's Your Cocaine- This really sounded diffrent live..It was very immediate and powerful.. Raspberry Swirl- whoa..stop everything..If any song, This one brought the house down. People were really dancing to this one...I would have danced too but from where I was sitting if I even tried I would have flipped over. She came back for a second encore and played Horses- Incredible with drums..though I do prefer the solo piano version better. This version still left a big spot. I love when she experiments with her songs..It brings so much freshness to the pieces Well that wraps it up..Overall excellent..I hope you do find the correct order unless I screwed something up..I did in fact after the show wait by the bus..where a smallvcrowd had already gathered..I didn't get to meet with tori directly but I did get her to sign my Little Earthquakes booklet, ( I was waving it high and she reaced up and grabbed it :) p.s. Oops I totally forgot to mention The Devlins (shame on me :) They were pretty good too.. close to to the end they thanked Tori for letting them tour with her, it was very sweet ok..this is JC saying over and out (hope this helps) From JoshJuly 16, 1998 - So I just got back from my first ever Tori show and it was amazing. Here is what she played: Precious Things iieee Cornflake Girl Honey Crucify Space Dog China (solo) Cloud on my Tongue (solo) Jackie's Strength Cruel Spark the Waitress 1st encore She's your Cocaine Raspberry Swirl 2nd encore Horses In my opinion the show was really good. To start off the Devlins played about a 35 min set which included Matt Chamberlain as the drummer because their drummer was sick. It was really funny to watch because Matt didn't have too much of a clue and was pretty much making up the drum beats as he went. So for Tori... The pre-show meet and greet was relatively small (only about 40-50 people). Tori seemed to be in a pretty good mood but the greet was cut a little short due to a down pore of rain. Tori played Cooling in the soundcheck (I think at least) but it never made it into the show. Tori also had Liquid Diamonds on the setlist (instead of Space Dog I believe) but never played that. Tori only played for approximately 90 min (only 15 songs) which is pretty short for her but personally I ws very satisfied with what I saw. That's all that comes to mind right now. I'd like to thank all the wonderful EwF that I meet down there. You made my "first time" very memorable. From Daisy Melanie & Lenny GreenJuly 16, 1998 - Just got back from the concert--what a long drive after all that excitment! I figured that Id share a few things a bout the concert that I noticed--maybe you will find them interesting. Hope so! First off, Matt Chamberlin played for the Devlins...I guess that their drummer was sick. Tori was wearing black pants and an off the shoulder black top with a sparkly silver front piece that hung like a big scarf. She had strappy black heels on (ok, it was interesting to me!) Cornflake Girl was particularly rockin', it seemed that Tori felt more free to do embellishments on the piano cuz the guys were carrrying the song along. I really enjoyed that. Also, during "peel out the watchword" she prodded the piano with her middle finger. Space Dog was cool with the band also, but much was lost because the Mecca (or whatever the hell its called now) has poor acoustics. Often the band drowned out Tori and the piano altogether. Jackies Strength was fab--I dont care much for the studio version, but live it was great! Cruel went on forever in a big orgy of swirling sound that would take the devil to heaven--intense. Waitress was very eerie and psychotic, I like this version better--you actually imagine her pulling out the cleaver dispite belief in peace. Raspberry Swirl unfortunately was not great--partly due to acoustics I imagine. And nobody was dancing to that song! I guess I expected the general admission folks to be boppin to that one. Tori did a lot of posing with her hands behind her back as if they were tied like in the video for Spark. She did not speak with the audience at all--except to say that the concert was also for the people in the bad seats...we should all think of the Mecca as a big living room...and she played China because someone asked her to. Sorry for the typos and the incoherence--I gotta get to bed! Tori had a lot of energy and did a lot of "heavy breathing" (like she does at the end of Shes Your Cocaine). The concerts arent like they were when it was the "girl and piano" thing, but you could still feel the currents. She is phenom any way you slice it. The crowd was very polite--almost too reserved (IMHO). oops it was honey that was requested sorry. |
|
Go Back To The Reviews And Set Lists Page
Please give me feedback, comments, or suggestions about my site. Email me (Michael Whitehead) at mikewhy@iglou.com |
