North American Plugged '98 Tour
Wallingford, CT
August 4, 1998
Updated August 10, 1998
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North American Plugged '98 Tour
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Check Out The Reviews And Set Lists Page Tori performed in Wallingford, CT on August 4, 1998 at the Oakdale Theatre during the main North American leg of her Plugged '98 tour.  Set ListTori performed Mother, Hear, In My Head and Happy Phantom solo. Many thanks to Matt Page, Richard Handal, and Elyse for calling me with this set list from Wallingford. Rob and Marie Conigliaro were the first to email me the set list. Precious Things 1st Encore: 2nd Encore: |
ReviewsFrom Onlyamouse (the mousie - This was posted on the rec.music.tori-amos newsgroup)August 10, 1998 - Well, it's two days after the Wallingford CT concert and i'm sure no one's gonna want to read this now but i haven't had a chance until now to write this: Where to start? I noticed that none of the reviews i have read so far here or at the Dent mentioned the meet & greet. I was wondering if it was too late to send a snippet to the Dent about it since few others have [Note from Mikewhy: It is NEVER too late to send me a review!]. I was very sick throughout the meet&greet, having not been exposed to sun for more than 5 minutes in over a year; feeling claustrophobic from the crowd, and a hurting stomach. I spent the two hours before she arrived sitting weakly on my box. Yes, The Box! that was mine, if you were there. Then she came... and i only got a few quick glimpses of her between the heads of people but it was still quite thrilling. Anyway, my friend, "the very tall man with the sunglasses" stood on my box and became very popular for helping pass items over the crowd to get signed and passed back again. my other friend, his sister, was the one who passed up her BELT! They were probably the two most memorable people in our section of the crowd but i was just some sick, quiet girl in black, no one memorable. oh well. We think we got some pcitures but i don't know yet. Then she was gone, and i was feeling Quite Sick and stunned and a little sad that i didn't get a better view of her and i turned around and there was this magical stranger there! He said "this is your first concert?" dazed and about to pass out, i nodded. "i read your post, here." And handed me one of the programs (those big pretty things) that she had signed! I was so shocked and overjoyed and i don't remember if i thanked him or not. And then he was gone. If you're out there, i don't know how to thank you properly, that was so wonderful, i'm at a loss for words! This is getting quite long despite my attempts otherwise
(which is why it reads pretty hurriedly) So i hope you're still
reading, i'm just now getting to the concert! She started with Precious Things and i started shaking &
crying. Just the fact of being there and how incredible she
was and the energy and everything! I was so emotional, i
couldn't even move to applaud. I wasn't any better through
God. maybe worse, i don't really remember. I was worried
when she started Playboy Mommy because that song gets
to me as it is! But i was surprisingly okay through it, for
some reason i didn't feel as much of an impact with it, it was
almost lacking something emotionally but not enough to make
me complain, not at all!
iieee wasn't one of my favourite songs before this concert,
but now it means more to me. No one else has commented
on this! but during one of the last times she sang "why does
there gotta be a sacrifice?" she had her hand at her stomach..
you know..... i can't quite explain it, but it shook me fully. I
liked the added part in the middle but i have no idea what she
sang there? i only remember the word "understand" but.. it was
just incredible. I have a whole new appreciation for this song now.
Caught a Lite Sneeze was ok, but i was distracted during it when
i realized my friend was more fascinated by the light effects than
by anything else. I do have to admit the swirlies and other effects
on the wall were incredible but not worth tearing my eyes away
from her. Liquid Diamonds.. hm. i definitely decided my fav. part
of this song is the part with the lyrics that aren't in the book.
Then the band went away for secret time and she explained it,&
made a cute little "ha" at the end. I was calming down by this
point and curled up in those tiny tiny seats for Mother. I don't
remember crying here, but i know it gave me such chills and filled
me with such intense emotions i don't even know how to explain.
Here. In my head was a big surprise and was very very nice.
But then the band came back and she did Doughnut Song which
is a big sensitive spot for me and i held up through the first half,
but there was this *wonderful!* part in the middle where she went
into "you can tell me it's over.." and from there to the end i lost it.
I was visibly shaking and my eyeliner ran and everything I liked the Waitress even if the last two verses were squished
together into one, and i couldn't make out almost any of the added
stuff at the end. She threw in some orgasmic breathing here at the
end which i'm not sure fit with the song (although maybe i'd think
otherwise if i understood the extra part better) but i liked it lots.
I don't remember my comments about She's Your Cocaine! Serves
me right for waiting two days to post. I was glad she played it,tho,
especially since it was the first encore which let me know that
there'd only be a few more songs left, and i wanted that to be one
of them. (not as much as i would have liked to hear Cooling,but
that's ok...)
I was feeling quite nice by the time Little Amsterdam started,& was
crouched in my chair rocking in time to the beat. She made a very
cute growl/purr in the beginning of this song, and i just felt mellow
and happy and very "into" the song.
Second encore, she came back and started playing somethign i
didn't recognize. But then it went into Happy Phantom! i was as
thrilled as i think everyone else was. (which was Very It ended with Pandora's Aquarium, and i think this is the where
the disco balls were used big time and the whole place was filled
with sparkles. The song sounded pretty much the same live to me,
very very pretty. Then they were gone! it was over! They piped a
remix of Raspberry Swirl while everyone left and it was very
interesting, very slow and i think in a few weeks i'm going to be
having to search around for the import.
Oh, i bought the Raspberry Swirl Girl necklace and the Liquid
Diamonds t-shirt. And i'm STILL tired and stunned but a VERY
happy mousie and this was the most incredible experience! August 10, 1998 - A leader-of-us-all, woj, said:
> moments after sending off my review of the springfield show on monday (Jesus.) Well, I'm not defensive about needing shows. Sometimes before
show nights when I'm not planning to be in attendance I literally get the
shakes and can't concentrate on anything else--it's like I'm physically
addicted to Tori concerts. I'm not sure how this has come to be, but I'm
goin' with it. Hey--just 5 1/2 hours on a train and a ten-minute cab ride.
Not bad. (People in England are now screaming in disbelief. Three hours
from Wigan to Glasgow is rarely done, I understand. Okay, so I'm a
nutter.)
> again, everyone's beaten me to the punch on the setlist, but let me I got multiple songs on this tour for the first time. I hadn't heard
Sneeze, Doughnut; don't believe I'd heard either Mother nor Head before on
this tour, either. (This was the best version of "Here. In My Head" I ever
heard.) And of course, the single main tangible reason I came up was for
the debut of Pandora. Tori asked me after the show when my current leg of
the tour was gonna be up, and I told her I had just popped up for this one
show, and was going back to D.C. in the morning. I said, "I really wanted
to come up for Pandora." She just laughed. She knew I could tell all the
way from D.C. that Pandora was gonna debut last night. Pretty hysterical.
> the performance was marvelous.
It's funny how after all the shows I've seen, she can STILL manage to pull
out a show with a nearly entirely different feel than all the others. It
began powerfully as a rock show, but, oddly, considering all the
explanation as to how Zeppelin was the main influence on this album and
tour, there was a whole middle section of the show which was as much like
a jazz concert as anything else. Especially of note along those lines was
the elongated, introductory bass solo for Playboy Mommy.
The main words I would use to characterize last night's show would be
"relaxed" and "warm." She wasn't forcing anything all night, and the band
fell in right behind her to reinforce that sensibility. Her piano playing
flowed naturally, not as with some shows I saw on the DDI tour when it
came pouring out of her in great waterfalls, but she was masterfully in
control, and everything was well-articulated. A musicianly night, indeed.
And a quick word to all the folks who think a cello is involved at some
points during these shows--Jon's actually playing a double-bass, aka an
acoustic concert bass or a stand-up bass, not a cello. And he does a great
job with it, too, I will add.
> much as i like the more intimate venues, it was really great to see the I really think these shows make a lot of sense in large venues. She
definitely seemed to have tailored this show down from the huge arena
shows however, which probably explained much of the change in feel for
this show from the three others I'd seen previously on this U.S. leg of
the tour. It'll be interesting to see how similar the shows I expect to
see in a couple other like-sized, non-arena venues over the coming weeks
compare to this Oakdale show.
> afterwards, i was all prepared to throw caution to the wind and drive Hey--I'm the soul of responsibility! You have no idea how much pressure I
was under to go along with folks to Albany. I was nearly kidnapped! But
no, here I am back in the D.C. area. And sooner than I'd expected, since
being given a ride from some lovely people which allowed me to not need to
wait for the 7:12am train from New Haven as I thought I'd have needed to.
I have to say, as much as I wanted to see the concert itself, nothing can
replace meeting friends old and new when going to shows. What wonderful
folks. A lot of them are like family to me.
Be seeing you,
Richard Handal, H.G.
P.S. to all the folks who got the mistaken impression that I thought Tori
wrote Landslide--I *do* know that Stevie Nicks wrote it and performed it
with Fleetwood Mac. That was what I was trying to say all along. August 8, 1998 - I arrived at the theatre initially at noon, but when we saw nobody there (even though there were 5+ cars), we decided to go to lunch and when we
got back, it was 2 pm. Then we were told that everyone was waiting at
the SIDE of the building for the meet'n'greet. And we were like "DOH!"
Ha ha. But nevermind the trivial, it was such a powerful experience.
Tori came on her bus about 5 pm I think. Oakdale security had us (a
crowd of about 50 maybe?) rounded up like cattle. But Tori was
absolutely beautiful. I wasn't able to meet her, but I was close enough
to get fantastic pictures. She was breathtaking- and it was amazing how
quiet everyone became when the lucky ones got a chance to say hello and
to get her autograph. I kept saying to a friend of mind, "Everyone is so
quiet!" I really was amazed. It was like Tori was this sedative,
preparing our energy for the show, readying us. And it was a GREAT show.
I missed the Devlins because I was helping out at the RAINN booth that
was there.
Thank you to everyone who donated!! I think we made over $300+!!
Tori got on stage about 8:45 (or so) and started with Precious Things. I
don't have the complete setlist and I'm sure that someone else has
already÷so÷
She had on the sequined, glittery, apron-thingy that she wore on
Letterman, tight navy blue cargos, and an off-the-shoulder bodysuit. Of
course, she dazzled. The music was great, the band sounded superb. They
really do play well together. You could see Jon Evans getting into it by
lip-singing Caught a Lite Sneeze and Caton "dancing" on stage with his
guitar. And then of course Matt÷I saw a little figurine on his drumset
(anyone else notice?) And near the end of the show, I noticed Caton's
nails. They were painted black!!! Before the encores, I yelled, "I love
your nails Caton!" But I don't think he heard. Let's see what else-the
lighting was awesome. I loved the green and then during Raspberry
Swirl-the bright whites (it was during then right?) It was just an
amazing show- as I'm sure all are to those who attend. The only thing I
was disappointed with was that she never talked-except just that once
when she introduced the band, but she never said, "Hi guys, how are you
doing" or anything like that. Although she DID say, "We'll be on the
road till Christmas, so if you're ever bored, come find us" or something
to that effect. (And then someone walked off with my tour book!!! I
will find you!!!) And at the end of the show she didn't stay that long
to wave goodbye or touch the people's hands near the stage (I was one of
them).
But she was gone. And the lights came back on and people walked away,
but I bet completely exhausted- both emotionally and physically÷.some
hadn't eaten all day! August 8, 1998 - Toriphile Kristen L Byrne sent me this less than flattering review of this show that appeared in August 6, 1998 edition of the New Haven Register newspaper. Tori Amos tries new tricks at Oakdale with mixed results
By Anthony Apuzzo
-Wallinford--- Tori Amos brought her "plugged" tour to the Oakdale
Theatre on Tuesday night. Supporting her latest album, "From the
Choirgirl Hotel," this is the first time that Amos has toured with a
backup band, and the results were mixed.
Those who have seen Amos on past tours might have been a bit taken aback
by the addition of a live band. Songs not previously performed with a
live band kept the audience's attention. Sometimes a song was so
reworked that it could only be recognized by the lyrics.
At times, though, it looked as if Amos herself was not quite used to it
yet. At times, she looked confined, as if she were playing in a
straitjacket. With the three-piece band backing her up, she no longer
had the luxury of changing style or tempo on a whim.
Beginning her set just before 9 p.m., Amos played a very emotional and
short performance. The attentive crowd sat in silence, clinging onto
every word she sang. At times, the audience looked like they were at a
funeral rather than at a concert.
The crowd was dominated by teen-age girls who admire Amos' strength. An
artist known for singing about topics from rape to religion, her lyrics
come straight from the heart. And it's those no-nonsense lyrics that
grab the listener--and are therapeutic for some. It is not uncommon to
see a member of the audience almost in tears because of a song or a lyric
that has helped her or him through some part of their life.
Amos' emotion and heartbreaking stories were moving, but we've heard all
this melodrama before.
Performind such songs as "God, "Caught a Lite Sneeze," and "Space Dog"
Amos delivered a steady mix of old and new material. She paused only a
few times to introduce the members of the band and to express how happy
she was to be performing at the Oakdale again. Filling only an hour,
Amos closed the show with "The Waitress." She and the band waved
goodbye, thus beginning the encore ritual.
She did return--surprise surprise--to perform two encores to quence the
audience's thirst for more. Finally, concluding the show at 10:30, Amos
said her last goodbyes. However, the omissions of songs such a
s"Cornflake Girl," "Me and a Gun," and her signature song, "Silent All
These Year," left quite a few fans unsatisfied. Even "Spark," the first
single off of "Choirgirl," was absent from her set list.
(Anthony Apuzzo of Hamden is a free-lance writer. He also plays bass
for the band Disowned.) August 7, 1998 - Is there a way to ask other toriphiles at the AUG 4 meet and greet something? I had brought a semi-large collage for Tori to sign, and though I was in the
back of the group I sent my collage up there. I heard her say something- but I didn't hear WHAT SHE SAID. I heard people say Awwww so I know she said something. Can anyone (like y'all in the front) tell me what she said? August 7, 1998 - Jessica,
Your complaint August 7, 1998 - I was at the Wallingford CT show at the Oakdale and I totally agree with Phil on all the screaming during songs. I didn't notice *too* much but
there was one woman in front of me who I couldn't stand... she kept
letting out these really long shrieks during songs... and she even
yelled "I LOVE YOU TORI!!!!!!" at the top of her lungs during Doughnut
Song. I mean, come on... Doughnut Song was a fairly quiet performance.
Her stupid shrieking just kind of ruined it. And then there was this guy
behind me who thought it was the funniest thing in the world to mock
people who did yell "I love you Tori" "Tori you're beautiful" and all
that stuff. So I had the woman in front of me shrieking her head off and
the guy behind me yelling "I love you Tori" in a mocking sort of way...
I hope Tori couldn't hear him because I thought it was kind of
insulting. August 6, 1998 - I was at Tori's concert last night with my friend, Shani. She is a
"veteran" Tori fan for the past few years while I've been a fan for
the last year or so. Yesterday was my first Tori concert, Shani's
third. She saw her in August, 1996 at the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel,
NJ and last years RAINN concert at MSG, NYC. I had predicted that Tori
was going to come out in full force because she was over her cold and
had the night off on Monday. If you came to see her rock out, she
didn't disappoint. If you came to see Tori as she was, the girl and
the piano, then you walked away feeling empty like the magic wasn't
there. Which was how Shani felt. She didn't mind the rock but we both
admitted that the drums certainly overpowered the piano and Tori's
singing. Shani said after the concert, "if you go to the New York
Philharmonic to see Isaac Stern play the violin, the rest of the
orchestra compliments him not overpower him." This was how she felt
with Tori. She was very happy to hear Precious Things, iieee, and the
Doughnut Song but missed hearing, Spark (her favorite from the FtCH
disc).
As I said this was my first Tori concert. I enjoyed almost every song
from the played set. I was disappointed that she didn't play Cornflake
Girl, Spark, Black Dove (January), or even Horses. I could've done
without Mother, Here, In My Head and Pandora's Aquarium. Besides
Precious Things the one song I really wanted Tori to play was Space
Dog I felt that the band certainly complimented her.
By the way the Devlins were great. August 6, 1998 - moments after sending off my review of the springfield show on monday night, i received a note from richard handal saying, and i paraphrase,
"gods help me, i'm thinking of coming up from d.c. for the wallingford
show." naturally, i told him that was a silly thing to do, but that it
was perfectly understandable and that he should. a few minutes later,
there was a note with prices for an amtrak ticket from washington to
wallingford. if i hadn't gone to bed, i would have seem the final note
saying that he'd booked a ticket and was going to arrive in wallingford
in the afternoon.
what a silly, silly, silly man...but at least he has his priorities
straight. if he isn't already, he should be an inspiration to us all!
;)
i got home from work and picking up don keller at the train station (an
ex-precious-things subscriber who came up from new york city) around
6:30. meredith arrived a little bit later and, after i left a voice
mail with richard telling him who to look for, we headed out for a
quick dinner and then on to the oakdale theater.
again, we arrived kinda sorta in the middle of the devlins set and hung
out in the lobby beforehand. i recognized richard meandering around
looking for us, so we walked over and chatted with him for a while
(nice to meet you finally!) and then took our seats, which were on the
left side of the mid orchestra, probably 40-50 rows back. while
obviously not the best seats in the house, there really aren't any
awful seats in the oakdale, which is a decent venue as largish theaters
go.
again, everyone's beaten me to the punch on the setlist, but let me
reiterate the general comment of "wow!". i was expecting *some*
variation from the springfield show, but not what amounted to
practically an entirely different set! there were only five repeated
songs ("precious things", "liquid diamonds", "raspberry swirl", "the
waitress" and "little amsterdam"), and, as you all know, a number of
surprises: "happy phantom", "here. in my head", "mother", "space dog"
and, of course, "pandora's aquarium". i would have gladly traded "happy
phantom" or "swirl" for any number of other songs and "little
amsterdam" for another song which has "little" as the first word of its
title, but i don't think i'd tamper too much with the rest of the
setlist. (well, duh!) i was particuarly happy to hear the other songs
from ftcgh which she didn't play two nights earlier in springfield.
the performance was marvelous. having a rest day on monday certainly
seems to have made a difference since her voice sounded great
throughout and not even a tiny bit strained as it was on sunday. i must
say that i've really enjoyed the band shows. i expected that i would,
but it's good to have hunches confirmed.
much as i like the more intimate venues, it was really great to see the
show on the oakdale's large stage. the band was cramped together on
springfield's small stage. at the oakdale, they were able to spread out
and find some breathing space. combined with the full light show (which
didn't fit into the symphony hall), i think the rock band experience
was a lot more effective.
afterwards, i was all prepared to throw caution to the wind and drive
up to albany tonight, but it doesn't look that happened. i guess i need
to work on my handal emulation... ;) August 5, 1998 - when jilla and i got there they numbered us. were numbers 16 and 17. (yes they numbered everyone..blah) so we were laying on the grass..baking in the sun
for 3 hours.then they started lining everyone up in order by number..which i
guess worked out well for the most part..until steve said we could go up to
the barricade..then it was pretty much a free for all..the numbers really
didn't mean anything. i ended up in the second row..with 2
people in front of me..but my hand was on the barricade..so when she got there
i squeezed myself into the front. she got there around 4. and started on the
opposite side of me. i took a bunch of pictures..i know they came out
good..i'm getting them developed tomorrow. so she got near me..and i was
like..in shock..i don't know..i was acting so lame..i couldn't talk. jilla
got her UTP signed..then she signed my LE..but i didn't say anything...then
i finally forced myself to ask to get a picture taken with her...and she said
yes. well i probably wouldn't have asked but jilla was bugging me. so i got
that :) ;) :) i wish i could have talked to her..i don't know..i freaked. it
made me mad..because i wish i didn't do that. she had cute navy shoes with
like a plastic silver looking thing on them..she had a purple shirt on and a
skirt with some sort of design. but i saw on her hand A. Pie and
Head. so i was like OMG here. in my head..i wanted that so much. and
american pie was a request. so i took more pictures..and she left.
we didn't stay for the sound check this time...because i wasn't sure if you
could hear it outside the oakdale..but i guess you would. we got back around
7. and i looked for ben but he wasn't there yet.
so i sat through another 40 min of the devlins..it was more annoying this time
because i think they had the same exact set as they did sunday. so it was
boring..i don't like them. and this stupid asshole next to me was being loud
and he asked me like 90 times what band was up there..i was like DEV-LINS.
and there were other assholes behind me who were like "waiting? we're wating
for this to end" and
they were being really rude and obnoxious. so i was worried about how they
would act during the show. she came out around 10 of 9. i couldn't really
tell what she was wearing because i was on the side..12th row..so had a really
good view of the backside of the piano. heh. she had black..or navy pants
on..an off the shoulder shirt..and maybe the same lace sparkly thing she wore
on sunday. oh yeah..well you know how the piano is open? well the
lid was kind of blocking my view..so it looked like she had one of those
censors over her eyes. because the lid was covering them. it was
distracting.
Precious Things: amazing. wonderful. i really really like it with the
band..it makes the song so much more powerful. the lights are so bright. i
snuck my camera in..so i took pictures..although i don't think they are
good..because of the piano lid covering her eyes.
God: i really liked this with the band too. it really adds to the song i
think. i loved it. it was so intense..i had such a huge smile on my face.
Playboy Mommy: so beautiful. this is where mr. asshole started annoying me.
he started SINGING. and this dude did NOT have a good voice. i was ready to
smack him. but he stopped..so it was good..i calmed down. but yeah..the song
was beautiful..i loved it live..soo much.
iieee: now this kicked ASS. god i loved it soo much..so much more than
cruel. and i thought i would like cruel better live. she did a bit of
improv..i don't remember what she said though..she was really into it..and so
were the band..it was wonderful.
caught a lite sneeze: i have the same opinion on this as i did sunday. i
didn't like it too much..the piano got lost in the guitars and drums.
liquid diamonds: very good. wonderful...i loved it just as much as i did
sunday.
mother: wow..i've always loved mother. wowowow..it was soo beautiful. mr.
asshole ruined it for me though..bitch starts singing again! uugghhhh and i'm
giving him the dirtiest looks..but he's drunk and singing to the guy next to
him..i swear to god this guy practically ruined the whole show for me. "i
like the daaaancing" wow..i love it.
here. in my head: ok..i lost it here..crying. blah. i wanted this soo bad.
it's the only one i really lost it on though..unlike sunday. i was able to
pay more attention today..than act zombish. but it was sooo incredibly amazing
"and spring brings fresh little puddles" ahh my favorite line from that song.
fuckass was singing again..but i blocked him out.
doughnut song: now i wasn't sure how i would react to this one with the
band..but it was so beautiful. i loved it..i think it was one of my favorites
of the whole night...i can't describe it really. it was amazing
though..definately one of my favorites.
spacedog: the lights on this one rocked. wow..it was so fun. and caton was
making these weird sounds on the guitar..well i think it was him..i'm not
sure..but it was so cool. i loved it.
raspberry swirl: i noticed the lights a lot more tonight than i did
sunday...maybe because i was closer tonight. the lights are kinda
freaky...and i still think i like it live..i don't love it..but it's fun..i
was smiling. but..a bunch of girls like..got up and started dancing..and they
were blocking everyone's view..it was soo stupid..god i wanted to smack
them..i mean yeah..fine..if everyone was standing..but they weren't. so that
bugged me..at
least no one in front of me was standing.
Waitress: wow..i loved it just as much tonight as i did sunday. and she did
this heavy breathing thing...that i think she did on swirl too...or maybe it
was cocaine. i love waitress so much with the band.
1st encore (people started standing and rushing to the stage) and i had to get
away from the stupid ass next to me..so i stood in the isle..besides everyone
was standing anyway.
(the set list was exact..she didn't change anything..except she reversed
cocaine and amsterdam)
she's your cocaine: wow. i really liked it. a lot more than swirl..this one
is definately one to dance to. it was really great..and everyone was up by
the stage..it was neat.
little amsterdam: same opinon as sunday..i don't like it..even though i might
have liked it a little more today..i still don't like it. blah..oh well.
2nd encore
happy phantom: she did it solo. it was cute. i moved up a little more at
this point..not too close because i did'nt want to be crowded and not be albe
to see..besides i could see from where i was. i liked it a lot.
pandora's aquarium: omg..sooo wonderful. beautiful. paaaaandora..and
usually i HATE this part..but i loved it for some reason tonight...it was a
lot like the album version..and the mirror balls were going..wow..definately a
lot better than having to listen to horses last. wowowow..amazing. August 5, 1998 - Let me first say that McDonald's has one too many braindead employees..never go there when you are in a hurry..and if you do, use a few choice words if needed. That aside, here goes.
We finally arrive at the oakdale and park...go in and get a program (which is really beautiful and actually impressed me). Then we find our seats. HA..they were SUCH good seats..and what made them even better for me was the fact that I didnt go through any hassle getting them. We sit down..and not even 10 minutes later..I feel this tap on my shoulder. YAY! its christina >from l.a. (ram8081 on aol) and she managed to come to the show. the coolest part is that she even managed to get the seat DIRECTLY behind me..she got it the day of. When you read this, you are going to think the review is quite negative. Tori was PHENOMENAL. so that stated, let these simply reflect as personal opinions and views from a musician, not just another person. so that stated.. *huh huh huh let's go*
Precious Things - this was really impressive for two reasons: a) the depth of the sound in the *these precious things* section...and the little sounds that went on during the quieter sections of the song..when for instance..the guys were playing..but it was more her...the whole *peach party dress* section. Impressive.
God - kinda mundane to me...but that doesnt mean it wasnt really good. just kinda *routine* I suppose.
Playboy Mommy - now, I really didnt expect this to phase me. But I got all weepy eyed...me crying. I didnt expect it.
iieee - stomach grabbing, foot stomping. After the middle piano break, she did some really good improv. The first lines were standard from other concert reviews I had read and recordings I had heard..*i know you understand, you understand the way i'm feeling.* then she threw in this *but you took it back...you took my little girl* ouch. it was really moving.
Caught A Lite Sneeze - not particularly impressive with the band. good. but nothing like what I had imagined.
Liquid Diamonds - this really amazed me. I dont care for this song on the album...I think it sounds better either live or with no band at all. but this was REALLY really good..especially since she did the part that she does on the album at the end...the *my daddy's gone*...if you listen to that part, it might make you think lyrically of *the pool*.
Mother (solo)- she started this with a really off the wall intro I thought..it was like she knew what she was doing..and the audience (or i rather) could recognize it..but it wasnt fluid..it was just sorta random. anyways..the bass on the bosey really stood out in this piano. this song is what made me realize..I am not obsessed with *her* anymore..its more with her *talent*.
Here, In My Head (solo)- this was REALLY REALLY REALLY good. she gave the middle section *hey do you know..what this is doing to me* a cool little twist. all in all it was really touching. something I noticed though..even with the solo stuff..there was no projection..no connection. the songs were executed beautifully..but the feeling just didnt seem to be there.
Doughnut Song - my favorite possibly of all tori songs..and now with the rhythm and caton's solo. really swanky bluesy and just down and out good. this was my highlight.
Space Dog - fun rhythm to move to..but it really didnt do anything for me. I dunno why.
Raspberry Swirl - now I am sorry...I have actually warmed up to this on the cd..but this just BUGGED me so much. Number one, it gave people that could NOT dance a reason to stand and block the view of the stage..number two, it gave people a reason to make things bounce that should NOT bounce, and number three, for a minute I thought I was watching a filming of a scene with the riddler from batman. the percussion should be MUCH louder on this and it should have something to it. it just felt empty.
The Waitress - monoemotional. no levels for me. It was almost as if the mindset was *I finally have a band and this is called plugged so we are going to do it loud loud loud*. I enjoyed this song, but it was a bit drawn out.
1st Encore:
She's Your Cocaine - very long intro. problems with the kurzweil it seemed, mic for her voice on the kurzweil side was WAY down level wise when she started the *and is it true* section. I was impressed to hear her nail the high notes at the end...*PLEASE dont help me with this*. good stuff.
Little Amsterdam - this song was impressive on the dew drop inn tour. now its sort of the same vein as the waitress...monoemotional. monotone. something that I cannot really put into words correctly. I actually went to the potty otherwise I wouldve burst.
2nd Encore:
Happy Phantom (solo)- when she first started this, I thought *maybe she is gonna deviate from the set list*., but i think the improv was to intentionally throw people off..it actually made me think of *merman* for a second. strange.
Pandora's Aquarium - ahhhhh this was SOOOOO good. for many reasons obviously, the disco balls, the sound, the fact that its the first time she played it (she was gonna in springfield ma if I remember correctly but did landslide instead).
Throughout the concert, I thought her voice sounded really good considering that she is most likely still recovering from whatever illness she had. other than a great performace overall, that is it. I will report back after I see her in poughkeepsie in november (thanks christina)!!!
Ben ps. on the way out, we heard the swirl mixes..they sounded TONS better than the original. =) August 5, 1998 - me and my friends arrived at the oakdale around 12:30 and we walked around the building until we saw alot of people. then some very nice guy
came up to us 5 girls and wrote numbers on our hands. i was #20, not bad
considering i was #27 when we waited for tickets. anyways so we just
pretty much sat there in the hot sun and fried until like 3:00 when
they set up barricades and we got (in line) against the barricades. i
was rite against them. i had no clue what to expect so i just stood
there. tori's blue bus arrived at 4:05. she walked around at 4:10 and i
freaked out.her outfit was adorable. i loved her skirt. i took tons of
pictures and she walked down the barricades and signed everything. i
passed my winter single to her and she signed it :) . then she is rite
in front of me and i think i am in shock because i couldnt say anything.
i had so much i wanted to say but it wouldnt come out. then i looked up
at her and she stared rite at me. then she said "Hi, how are you?" to
me. of course i went numb. but i said fine and asked her how she was
feeling. and she said "much better". i couldnt believe it. of all the
people rite in front of her that were screaming at her she looked at
little ole me and talked to me. so i handed her my letter and the
raspbery lipgloss. and then she moved down the line and i couldnt see
her. after she left as we were walking back tears started to come to my
eyes.
around 6:30 we went inside and found the 2 other people who met us
there. immediatly i went over and bought my tori tank top and necklace
and tour book. i wish i could have bought more, there was alot of nice
stuff. so we went in and found our seats. 7th row!!! the devlins were
good. then at like 8:50 the curtain dropped and tori ran out. she was
wering blue jeans with strappy heels, a gold glittery vest,black tubetop
with off shoulder sleeves. ok heres the setlist:
#1. Precious Things- this song was awesome. it was the perfect opener.
she was saying "you turned your back on me jesus" at the end.
#2. God- this song is one of my alltime fav.'s. all i can say is that it
was incredible.
#3. Playboy Mommy- when i heard the first notes i went crazy. this song
is so moving and so sad. i started to cry a bit. this was one of the
highlites of the nite.she was gripping the microphone at the end. and
there was some growling
~she introduced the band, i love matt, hes such a doll~
#4.iiiee- this song was great(im running out of adjectives). the end was
awesome. i could really here the piano during this one.
#5. caught a lite sneeze- oh my god. i love this song. its my fav. off
bfp. this song brought tears to my eyes, i couldnt believe she played
it.i could really here the piano during this one.
#6.Liquid Running-the piano playing was superb....
~quiet time~
#7. Mother-(solo) now tori had told us during the meet&grett that she
was gonna play this but i couldnt believe it. i think i sorta collapsed
into my chair and closed my eyes and i was in heaven.
#8.Here in my head- now i hate to admit this but i wasnt sure what song
this was. i have it at home but i hadnt listened to it in a while. but
it was great non the less. the lights were all red and it looked real
kewl.
~band comes back~
#9. donut song- i was not expecting her to play this so i was shocked to
hear it. it was great. tori was swaying back and forth.
#10.Space Dog- this song was amazing. it sounded exactly like it does on
the albulm.
#11. Raspberry Swirl- oh my god. i could not believe this song. i
thought i was in a disco at first. it was so incredible. people were
dancing in the aisles and some looked possesed. it was so unlike any of
her other songs. i loved it.
#12. Waitress- i knew she was gong to play this... i love the new
version. in the end she was saying 'something' instead of peace
~1st encore~ everyone rushes stage, i got rite against the speakers.~
#13.Shes your cocaine- everyone was dancing and swaying down next to the
stage. i was crushed a few times but no harm done.now this isnt in my
opinion one of her best songs but it sounds alot better live.
#14. Little Amsterdam- i had such a horrible headache from being pressed
against the speakers, by now that i cant remember this song now. i think
she growled.
~2nd encore~
#15. HAPPY PHANTOM!!!- i could not believe it.me& my friends were talkin
about this song before the concert but i didnt think she would play it.
everyone was clapping in the beginning which was ok cept i couldnt here
tori as well. but tori took little pauses and it subsided. this was the
highlite of the nite.
#16. Pandora's aquarium- this was a great ending to the best nite of my
life. sounds even better live.
and then tori was gone
this was my first tori concert and it was exactly how i imagined it. the
only disappiontment was she didnt play winter. which i requested along
with alot of others at the meet&greet. but it was still the best nite of
my life. also the best birthday gift ever! today(5th) is my bday. the
setlist was awesome. she played all my favorites, no one could ask for
more. but tori didnt talk much to the audience at all. :( i have to say
that i was impressed on how well everyone behaved. it was so much more
civiized then any other concert i've been too. August 5, 1998 - I see the Dent is already proclaiming "Pandora comes out in
Wallingford to dance with the Happy Phantom!" and yeah that's just
what happened. =) So here's my account.... For starters, to the
fashion mavens out there I apologise, since I didn't really take notice
of Tori's outfit for once (dark slacks is all I recall), especially
since I was stunned with each song she unveiled tonight. It's as if
she took my little mental checklist of what I've been hoping to hear,
and went down the list one by one! I'm still amazed.
PRECIOUS THINGS, GOD PLAYBOY MOMMY iieee CAUGHT A LITE SNEEZE LIQUID DIAMONDS MOTHER As for the song, I just was stunned to hear the opening notes.
I had never expected to hear 'Mother' live, and it was absolutely
gorgeous. It made my night. I was also, dunno, proud of everyone
for cheering at appropriate moments--we got to show how glad we were
to hear the song but managed not to interrupt it.
HERE. IN MY HEAD DOUGHNUT SONG SPACE DOG RASPBERRY SWIRL THE WAITRESS SHE'S YOUR COCAINE LITTLE AMSTERDAM HAPPY PHANTOM PANDORA'S AQUARIUM August 5, 1998 - If I told you that Tori Amos would not play Spark, Jackie's Strength,
Black Dove or her "trademark" Cornflake Girl at a concert on this tour,
you'd probably say it wasn't one of her better efforts, right? Well,
let me just say this...if I die today, I'll be a HAPPY PHANTOM!!! I
never thought I'd get to hear Tori play that one live...I mean, how
often does that one pop up these days? Being the first to hear
Pandora's Aquarium was beautiful, too. What a second encore. Space
Dog, Raspberry Swirl (welcome to the Tori DanceFest) and The Waitress
particularly rocked, and it was nice to hear Here. In My Head, Mother,
Doughnut Song, God, and Playboy Mommy too. If she comes back this way
again in the fall, I'm definitely going to see her again. Heck, I might
even consider driving to Poughkeepsie! These small venue concerts are
tough to top.
Going in, I was hoping to hear "Spark," "Crucify," and "Pretty Good
Year." (figured the former was a lock.) Was happy to trade those for
that "Happy Phantom" sing-along I had with my friends. I thought she
did a good job with "iieee," which was different than it is on the
album...it had an added section. The crowd was dancing in the aisles at
"Swirl," something I never thought I'd see at a Tori concert. The
upbeat ending to the main set really got the crowd energized...I thought
this show was better than the one I saw her play in New Haven in 1996
(although I liked that one, too.) I did like the light show...my
friends all commented on how impressed they were with the lighting (and
they hadn't seen Tori before, nor had they been tipped off to look for
it.) What a great show Tori put on for a bunch of people from
Connecticut that she doesn't even know! August 5, 1998 - Hey, my sister and I went to the show in Wallingford tonight. It was amazing and she was exquisitly delicious. It was great how Tori did so many old songs
-- they all blended in quite uniquely. I cried during most of it but when she
started Mother--that was it for me, I was sinking in my own pool of tears.
Happy Phantom was so great -- everyone stood up and clapped and sang along --
there was such a great feeling amongst everyone. I was a little upset that seh
didnt do Jackies Strength since -- thats my song -- but she did a lot of other
stuff that I did not expect so it was all beautiful. :*D .... and if i died
today i'll be the happy phantom ... August 5, 1998 - Unfortunately, i have NO recollection of the setlist, but i think maybe i'll share my experiences here, maybe some of you can relate, maybe some of
the newer fans will just hate me but...
The first time i saw Tori play was on the LE tour, at The Orpheum Theatre
in Boston, i remember her coming on stage and sitting, waiting for silence
from the audience, and we respected that..and she repeated that before every
song..absolute silence. Anyways, i remember hearing the first 8 or 10 notes
of each song, and chills running down my spine. When she played Winter, it
was like my mother had died just then, i got all choked up, and i'm NOT an
emotional person, but she really had that effect on me. It was intimate,
she made us laugh, she joked between songs, told little stories, it was an
extremely personal show, nevermind the fact that when she sang Me and a Gun,
you could have heard a feather drop on the other side of the concert hall...
I just got home from the Wallingford CT show..and i was terribly
dissappointed to say the least, sure maybe i miss "the girl and the piano"
but the experience wasn't the same. With fans screaming and yelling in the
middle of songs (I DESPISE that) and her playing from one song, right into
another, no intimacy, it was lost. I should say, that i don't dislike the
way she sounds with the band, in fact Precious Things was incredible with
them, and i don't dislike the new album either. But the experience wasn't
the same. It was completely material, like watching her on television and
such. Sadly to say, this was the smallest venue on this tour i beleive, and
thats really a shame. But anyways, thats just my 2 cents. I still love her
music, and what she has to say, but i don't like the experience of watching
and hearing her play anymore :(
People say that musicians change, and evolve and whatnot, and sure, i
agree with that, but i miss the girl that used to give me chills, and make
me want to cry with 8 notes and one line into a song... August 5, 1998 - Just returned from my third Tori show of the tour and have to say that over the last two shows, I was able to hear almost the entire FCGH album in her
set. Tori was great tonight as usual and her choices for the set were very
interesting. More telling than anything else were the songs not played
tonight: Spark, Cruel, Jackie's Strength, Black Dove and Cornflake Girl
weren't played. iiee, She's your Cocaine and Pandora's Aquarium found
their way either back into the set or for the first time (P.A.) and Tori
did a wonderful rendition of Mother during private time.
Tori has taken to adding another solo song into the encores as well. She
probably has noticed that the audience seems to respond most positively to
the solo songs. The band has added quite a bit to this tour ( especially
to the Waitress), but I would not be at all surprised to see Tori go
unplugged again the next time around. I'm surely not the only fan who
would welcome this. Two songs in P.T. leave you longing for more.
Well that looks like it for me on this tour. I was able to enjoy Tori both
on the European and American leg of the tour and thought it was one of the
best shows I've ever seen. I guess, I won't be seeing Icicle live as I had
hoped, but Marianne and Mother were two that I was hoping to hear and at
least I got those.
I'm already looking forward to the next tour and maybe I'll find the time
to see Tori again on this one. I'll definitely be following the tour on the
Dent. August 5, 1998 - This is the setlist for Wallingford, CT, August 4th. Tori was wonderful tonight. She was wearing a beige sparkly apron like thing over navy (black?)
pants and a navy (black?) shirt that came off her shoulders. The Devlins were
very good as always.
SET LIST
Precious Things (during "With their nine inch nails..."' she slid her hands up
the insides of her thighs to her crotch)
God (adding, "You dropped that bible on me, sweet Jesus-you'll do it again")
:::At this point she does a little hand dance while sitting at the Bosey:::
Playboy Mommy
:::Another little hand dance:::
Iiee
Caught a Lite Sneeze
Liquid Diamonds
:::Secret (I think she said "Private" though) Time:::
(Solo, the band leaves)
Mother
Here in My Head
(The band comes back)
Space Dog
Rasberry Swirl (with lots of colored lights)
The Waitress (very long, and dramatic, with bright white flashing lights)
1st Encore
She's Your Cocain
Little Amsterdam (She aded a little trill somewhere in the middle of the song)
2nd Encore
Happy Phantom
Pandora (The disco balls came on at this point)
Over all, this show kicked ass, and as my friend Amy put it, "Put the Madison
Square Garden show to shame".
Anyway, I was very happy that she played Here In MyHead. Anyway, I hope
someone made a boot of this concert, even though there was no Landslide. August 5, 1998 - Matt & Richard told me a little about the show over the phone. Richard said that Tori took the stage at 8:52 and the show ended at 10:30. The main set ended at 10:08PM. Matt said that the set list followed the official written set list exactly, except that the written set list had the 2 songs of the first encore reversed. "Pandora's Aquarium" was described as absolutely incredible and was the first time during this tour that this girl has made an appearance! August 5, 1998 - hey i just got back from the wallingford show and it was pretty good.
the crowd seemed a lot different than the earlier shows, it was hardly ever
totally quiet even during the solo songs...i got a pretty decent bootleg tho'. August 5, 1998 - as always she looked beautiful...the band was great (better than i
expected). i got her autograph...it was the best night ive had in sooo
long. i wish i could have told her that, but she had to go. =( Happy phantom was also played solo. |
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