North American Plugged '98 Tour
Dallas, TX
October 4, 1998
Updated November 24, 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 Dallas, TX on October 4, 1998 at the Starplex Amphitheatre during the main North American leg of her Plugged '98 tour.  Set ListTori performed Me and a Gun and Never Seen Blue solo. Thanks to Cornflakeguy for first emailing me about the show, and to Kara-Leah for emailing me the entire set list first. This was the first concert of the Plugged '98 Tour where Tori played the b-side Never Seen Blue. Precious Things 1st Encore: 2nd Encore: |
ReviewsThe most recently added reviews are first. From The Star-TelegramNovember 24, 1998 - The October 5, 1998 edition of the Star-Telegram, a Dallas-Fort Worth newspaper, contained a review of this show. Refreshing change for Amos
By Mark Lowry Dallas -- A deft pianist, Tori Amos has always given amazing solo
performances through her compelling songs, breathy voice and intense stage
presence. So, the big question of her current tour has been, can she pull
off another great show when backed by a live band?
At Starplex Amphitheatre Sunday night, the answer was a resounding yes,
although not in every instance.
Guitarist Steve Caton, percussionist Matt Chamberlain and bassist Jon Evans
were playing loud and strong amid swirling lights and fog when Amos entered
and bowed to her rabid fans. She then went to her throne, the piano bench,
and kicked off a strong set with 'Precious Things' and 'God' before really
settling into the groove with 'Black-Dove (January)' .
The band added a big rhythmic clamor that was refreshing, but often made it
difficult to recognize the songs until Amos starting banging on the 88s, or
in some cases, until she started singing.
A new version of the alluring 'Putting the Damage On' was stunning, and the
new sound also worked for 'The Waitress,' 'Iieee' and 'She's Your Cocaine'
-- to which she added an instrumental snippet from Black Sabbath's 'Sweet
Leaf' -- but it was not so effective on 'Jackie's Strength' and 'Horses,'
songs better served when accompanied only by Amos' introspective voice and
soft-to-furious piano playing.
She sang the a capella rape confessional 'Me and a Gun' more powerfully
than she ever has (and that's saying a lot), but some audacious audience
members nearly destroyed its electricity by screaming "We love you" and
"Toreee" throughout the song.
The highlight was 'Cruel' in which she theatrically pantomimed wringing a
towel and having her hands tied behind her back. At other times, she played
with one hand on the grand piano and one on the synthesizer behind her.
Even with the new additions, there was never any doubt that Amos was the
one in control. She would signal her sound people to change effects and
reverb with giant hand motions, as if she were a conductor orchestrating
the whole event with her baton.
Irish band The Devlins opened the show, and although it took them a few
songs to warm their jangly guitar alternarock to the audience, they hit a
nice stride at the end of the set that 'almost' made you want to hear more,
except that you knew the real treat, Amos, was yet to come.
Send your comments to markl@star-telegram.com From Mark LowryOctober 11, 1998 - I'd like to respond to "caweaver," who seems to think that the yelling during "Me and a Gun" was perfectly fine. First of all, the screams happened throughout the *entire* song, not only after "I must get out of this." She only says that line four times, and two of them are at the very end of the song (when everyone applauded, natch). The screams did make me mad, but not because I thought the yellers were doing it out of disrespect for the situation she had once been in. These people did it more for the "dude, like, I'll be *so cool* if I shout her name out right now at a time when the whole crowd can hear me" reason. In other words, they were attention seekers. And that's more annoying than anything. I'm surprised that I didn't hear a "Toreeeee, you rule! (heh heh heh)" from someone holding up a lighter (god forbid). I did have some friends in the pit who were standing in the very center ... in the very front ... who could see her very well ... and they said that the look on her face during the yells said that she was also annoyed. Yes, she's a big girl and yes, she wouldn't have sung it if she didn't think she couldn't emotionally handle it. And she knows she has support. But sometimes, silence is just best. She knows that (which is probably why she chose the a capella format in the first place), and *most* of the audience knew that. I wasn't crying for her either, but it was a nice, silent moment for me. And it was practically ruined by the attention seekers. There were *plenty* of other moments to show support. From Stacy N. DelmonteOctober 11, 1998 - I just recently got back from the Dallas show. Yes I live in San Francisco but flew to Dallas to see Tori yet again! I have to say they are very addictive and if you can get a cheap flight it's well worth it. I went around 2:30pm for the meet and greet. She showed up around 4pm. Steve gave us water as, at least for me, it was VERY HOT in Texas! She talked to people for a very long time and looked very adorable in her overalls (will send photos later..). The show was fantastic! I was fortunate to get into the pit. She wore her very beautiful red sequin apron with black attire underneath. Never Seen Blue, solo, was a very pleasant surprise. My only negative comment is that for all the people who screamed during any fraction of a pause during Me and a Gun I feel that was very disrespectful. It really looked like it upset Tori as well. I finally stayed for all the encores and decided to still try to get to the meet and greet afterwards. I still got second row afterwards! They, Jon, Matt, Steve Caton, and crew, brought out Steve Sanchez a surprise birthday cake! Once again Tori stayed for a very long time with her fans! It was so incredible...I'm looking on my map now for the next concert I can fly to. From Trish Walraven (Rain)October 11, 1998 - I've got pics up on my journal page at: http://web2.airmail.net/walraven/journal/100498.htm Even with the mosh pit thang they had at the Dallas show on Sunday night, I was able to be very front, very center. I couldn't have been closer to Tori Amos unless I was Steve Caton, you know? And I got to hold her hand later at the meet n greet....I told her that she was the most wonderful boddisattva I've ever known, and in case you don't know what one of those thingamajigs are, in Buddhism it's a person who has postponed their own enlightenment in order to help bring others to deeper understanding. It's why she performs so furiously, it's not *her* pain, it's *our* pain that she sucks out of us and then pours into her performance. She already knows the secret to life, now she's trying to help us, her fans. I would say she's succeeding, one person at a time. She's changing us because we already *had* a desire to be changed when each of us discovered her, and Tori Amos knows how to access the deepest corners where our demons hide and show them to us and make them realize that they're really our friends. From The Dallas Morning NewsOctober 6, 1998 - Beth Winegarner and Cornflakeguy alerted me to a review of this show that appeared in the October 5, 1998 edition of the Dallas Morning News. This article was also available at the Dallas Morning News Web Site Quirk of Art
Amos rocks while staying true to her
offbeat talents
By Thor Christensen / The Dallas Morning News
If there's one artist you'd never expect to see
performing at Coca-Coca Starplex, it's Tori Amos.
With her grand piano and intimate opera- and
cabaret-tinged ballads, the singer would seem as out
of place in a sprawling outdoor amphitheater as
Metallica would be at the Morton H. Meyerson
Symphony Center.
But the most improbable thing about Sunday
night's show was how well she pulled it off.
Her first savvy move was pulling out the first 10
rows of reserved seats, allowing fans to sardine their
way up to the front of the stage, just like in a mosh
pit. More people on their feet means more
excitement - and less folks sitting on their duffs
griping about how much better she would have been
in a small theater.
The fancy lighting and swirling jets of fog
underscored her dramatic melodies nicely, but what
really made the show work was the band. Instead of
performing as a one-woman band, as she has in the
past, Ms. Amos beefed up her songs and rocked up
her arrangements with the expert help of drummer
Matt Chamberlain, guitarist Steve Caton and
bassist Jon Evans.
Mr. Evans' percolating bass lines brought "God"
down to earth, and his great, rubbery riffs in
"Cornflake Girl" kept your mind off of the
impossible puzzle of trying to figure out what the
heck the song is about. Rather than feeling
restricted by the other musicians, Ms. Amos got
looser and wilder than she has on past tours.
"Caught a Lite Sneeze," with its improvised piano
work and angry, expletive-laced ending, was about
as light and wispy as a round of electric-shock
therapy. And Ms. Amos' idiosyncratic voice (equal
parts Beverly Sills and Bono) sounded just as
wonderful as it did when she was playing tiny
nightclubs.
Not everything worked in the cavernous setting.
Hollering fans all but ruined "Me and a Gun," a
hushed a cappella ballad inspired by the singer's
experience with rape.
Yet Ms. Amos' quirky hand gestures and
pantomimes translated well to the big stage. And
while she gabbed less between songs than she did
on past tours, she was still full of her trademark
off-the-wall asides: One bizarre segment started out
on the subject of drooling and ended with a request
for fans to throw her a "bungee" so she could tie her
flowing red locks into a ponytail.
The size of the venues she plays might change, but
the eccentric Tori-isms never go away.
The Devlins, the Irish band which opened the show,
enjoy a far more rabid audience in the U.K. than
they do on this side of the pond, where they're
virtually unknown. But considering all the winning,
radio-friendly tunes they played Sunday night, their
low profile here is a mystery. From Kathy MartinezOctober 6, 1998 - I was at the Dallas Starplex Sunday night for the Tori Concert and I just wanted to share a few of my thoughts. I see that you have a setlist already so I won't go through each song. This was my first Tori concert since I missed her on the DDI tour a couple of years ago. I don't have to go into how much I loved it. Most of you have experienced this. She played many songs from "choirgil" which disappointed me. I was hoping for older stuff (esp. from LE and BfP) but it was still an amazing experience. Precious Things--I was very happy to hear this song with the drawn-out "grrrrl". The crowd went wild when she walked out on the stage and sang this song. It was a great opening. Black Dove--great in concert. I love this song, but she preformed it really well and the "I have to get to Texas" part was an added bonus! :-) I'm sure that everyone on the Texas tour screamed at that particular section of the song. Cornflake Girl--I was thrilled that she played this song. I didn't recognize the improv she did before launching into Cornflake Girl, but I don't believe it was "Graveyard." This was the highlight of the show for me. All of the improvs and the piano work were, as always, absolutely amazing. Cruel-- The energy of the band, Tori's powerful singing and the dramatic lights--I enjoyed this live. Jackie's Strength--so beautiful live. This is not one of my favorite songs from "choirgirl" but I loved the echoes on her voice and just the way it sounded. I have a new appreciation for this song after hearing it performed. Me and a Gun--I was surprised to hear her play this, I didn't expect it. As others have mentioned, I was upset and very disturbed by those memebers of the audience who chose to yell and scream during this song. Very inappropriate and disrespectful. Never Seen Blue-!!! I love the JS single and felt very lucky to hear this b-side. Someone also yelled out, "Thank you, Tori" after the song was over, so I guess someone was able to hear their request. Putting the Damage On--one of the songs I was hoping she would play. The album version is still my favorite but I was surprised at how much I liked it live. The "take it high" part was still wonderful and moving. The Waitress--Tori and the band really let loose on this song. It was stunning--I was worn out just listening! The improvs were fantastic and this song was much better live than on the album, IMHO. Wow! Horses--I've been hearing so much about this new version. Wonderful and a beautiful way to end the evening. I loved it, absolutely fantastic! One thing that surprised me: people in the middle and back sections where I was were actually polite and sat quietly throughout the concert. This was a great relief to me as I was not looking forward to people jostling me and screaming in my ear in an attempt to get as close to the stage as possible. My boyfriend and I were able to sit and enjoy without putting up with all of that nonsense. One thing that annoyed me (besides the screaming during MaaG): the chain smoking and the people smoking pot. It makes things very uncomfortable for those people with allergies or sensitive eyes or asthma. Please, have a little respect for those around you. I know the pot fumes in particular are hard on some people; it is not pleasant to sit for several hours with thick smoke choking the air on all sides. [Note From Mikewhy: I must strongly support Kathy's comments in the paragraph above. Smoking during a concert indoors where there are many non-smokers is one of the most thoughtless and rude things you can do. I have several dear friends who are smokers, but they refrain from doing so during the concert because they care about the enjoyment and health of those around them. If you can't make it though a 100 minute show without a smoke of some sort, you need help.] From caweaverOctober 6, 1998 - I am so irritated with the hypersensitive and paranoid people who assumed the worst when people cheered during Me and a Gun. IT WAS SO OBVIOUS to those of us with a BRAIN that the people were only cheering after she sang, "So I must get out of this." Obviously, these were cheers of encouragement, because she DID GET OUT OF IT. It does not mean, as some people suggested, that we were all retards who had never heard any of Tori's musi besides those songs played on the radio. Tori would not have played the songif she couldn't handle it. IT IS NOT YOUR JOB to judge what would offend her- I don't think she was hurt by the audienc's reaction to the song. How anyone could say that people obviously didn't know what the song was about is DUMB- If you were there, and you were listening,you knew it was about her rape. NO ONE WAS SCREAMING OUT OF DISREPECT. It was with the UTMOST respect, to show that WE ARE GLAD SHE GOT "OUT OF THIS". So, before you pretend that people's reactions THAT YOU DON"T KNOW are inaproppriate and rude, THINK FOR A MINUTE. YOU DON"T NEED TO GET ALL UPSET and assume that people were either (a) ignorant or (b) evil. Some of us who LOVE Tori, and know exactly what the song is about, still cheered at ceratin points to show our SUPPORT. Do you really think Tori just wants us to cry for her? Don't you think she would like us to be supportive instead of just silent? To those of you who said these things about the people making noise during the parts of the song where it is so OBVIOUS she has decided not to be destroyed, not to DIE............ we were only trying to show her our support. SO CALM DOWN! SHe doesn't need you to play vigilante and protect her. She's a big girl. From Sam ShamburgerOctober 5, 1998 - I got to see the Austin, Houston, and Dallas concerts on this tour. The Austin concert was by far the most intense, and my favorite, but you had to deal with the heat and the tightly packed people. At Houston she played my favorite songs like Pretty Good Year and Talula, but at Dallas she played rarer stuff like Me and a Gun and Never Seen Blue. :) You couldn't ask for a better trio of concerts. :) Anyways...here's some particulars about some of the songs at Dallas... Cornflake Girl: Me and a Gun: Never Seen Blue: Caught A Lite Sneeze: I left early to go wait to meet Tori afterwards, so I missed all the encores. Everyone said She's Your Cocaine was particularly good, tho...they did some sort of cover/improv during it, but since i wasn't there i dunno what it was. But leaving early was worth it, cause i was the first one at the barricades :D When Tori came out, we kept seeing her husband wandering around behind the gates, along with Jon, Matt, and Caton. Then as Tori started talking to some of the people along the barricades, the band came out with a birthday cake for Steve, the bodyguard :) and we all sang Steve happy birthday. Someone asked Steve if they were having a party, and Tori said "the party is just beginning from what I hear..." woohoo! :) But, best of all, I got to meet tori!!! :D I tried to meet her at Austin and at Houston (and at College Station in 1996) but i could never fight through the crowd to get to meet her...but this time i didn't have to *whew* When she came up to me, I couldn't think of what to say of course, so I just said "thank you for coming to texas" and she gave me a big hug. :D I asked her if she was coming back to texas on this tour, but she said "nope...we're outta here...we're crying because we really love texas and we're going to miss it". oh well, gotta wait til 2000 i guess. :/ This was definetely a weekend to remember :) I got to meet some really great Ears with Feet and has a wonderful time at all 3 concerts :) I can't wait to see her again! well, anyway, that's about it Mike. The Dallas Morning News has a good
review of her concert. I have a copy, or you can see it on the web at
http://www.dallasnews.com/pop-music-nf/music12.htm oh also...someone said "i'll be seeing you in louisville Tori!" and Tori said "you are? are we playing Louisville?" :) hehehe It made me think of you Mike :) Anyways, thanks for keeping the wondrous Dent going :) It's awesomeawesomeawesome :))) Talk to you later! From Kevin CraysOctober 5, 1998 - What a great weekend...Friday in Austin, Saturday in Houston and closing it out back home in Dallas. Austin was nice, but traffic kept us from getting there before the Devlins, so the place was packed....could barely see a thing, but the audience was quiet around me, so I could hear very clearly, but couldn't really see a thing until half way through the set when the tall people left. Houston was my best view....about 20 rows and dead center....Set list had more differences than similarities.....Song count for the 2 shows 34 songs with 27 unique songs. By dallas, I was very tired....I really wanted to make it to the meet and greet, but the parking was just terrible, and I couldn't make it in time....so much for making that request for 'Thank You.' My seats for the show were-- Ok, so I never saw my seats...I sat in the section behind the mixing area on the aisle....best sound, short of being in section 101 but still the sound was only average...the worst of the three shows....was definitely not as loud as the previous 2 shows, but I was further back. Me And A Gun was a surprise, but the audience hooting and screaming was
completely inapropriate, and seemed to be coming mostly from Women, which
surprised me. I recall when she did this on the last tour--I was in the 2nd row
and I swear she was staring right at me....to say the least that was an
uncomfortable feeling...perhaps because I her security had just taken the film
from my camera As for the comments I've seen about 'Sweet Leaf' and 'Cruel,' they're half
right. They play something like 8 Bars of the song during 'She's your Cocaine.'
4 shows down all that's left is N.O. I hear people talk about one show being
better than the other, but I can't decide....they're all so different.
During this weekend alone I saw 33 different songs!!!
Now if I could just hear Thank You and China in N.O., all would be complete. I also recall that during 'iieee' she did a bit from 'Band on the Run.' October 5, 1998 - I was previledged enought for Dallas to be my first Tori concert ever, and I had a fantastic time. Tori's voice was astounding, though she
reverted to this strange nasal thing a lot (either that or it was the
sound system). If there's one thing I must say, it sure was LOUD!! We
sat smack in front of the biggest speaker I've ever seen in my life, and
after it was all over and I was at home, my ears were still ringing. I
never expected a Tori concert would hurt my ears...
But that aside, my friend Cody and I had a wonderful time. I wished the
set list had been more like the Houston show--a bit more unique and
rare--but due to the nature of the crowd and the atmosphere outside (the
state fair was going on; you could see the lighted ferris wheel from the
theatre) I think Tori was ready to rock Dallas, and rock she did. The
whole concert was like a ride on the midway--ferocious, exciting, wild,
dizzying, and breathless.
The Devlins were only "ok", but the leader guy was kinda cute. He said
they spent about $30 trying to win a stuffed chihuahua at the fair.
Their saving grace was that they were Irish ;).
Precious Things--Brilliant intro. The "grrrrl" part wasn't the possessed
growl like on the RAINN video, but a long wail that lasted forever. Wow.
Then the band roared right into
God--Caton was gettin' jiggy wit his guitar! It's so funny to watch him
when he thinks he's Chuck Berry :D. Tori was dazzling in this evening
dress/black pants combo; I'm not exactly sure what it was, but it was
pretty. Loved the "You dropped the Bible on me, Jesus" part.
Black-Dove (January)--I'm so happy that she played this song, my
favorite from choirgirl. The piano solo was just...mind blowing. The
Texas part sent us all into hysterics, of course ;). After it she
introduced the band and said something to the effect that they were
almost to the 100th date on the tour, and that they just had to get to
Texas.
Cornflake Girl--This was introed by a weird song snippet that I didn't
recognize at all. At first I had the crazy feeling that it was Etienne,
but now I think it was a cover of some sort. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a
b-side. All I can remember is that it had the word "smile" in it twice.
As for CG, it was a crowd pleaser. After it she asked to borrow a
scrunchie so she could get her hair out of her face: "I didn't wash my
hair, and I'm kinda drooling, so it's kind of messhy."
She's so cute!
Liquid Diamonds--Tori's voice was simply lovely. Great song, and they
jammed a bit towards the end.
Putting the Damage On--The only Pele song that the band did well, in my
opinion. I've been wanting to hear the twilite mix of this song, and my
wish came true. Such a beautiful, heart-aching song, with the "high,
high, hiiiiigh" floating away into the night.
Me and a Gun--I didn't expect to hear this one at all. I was so
surprised, and her voice was like something from a dream. It was better
than any version I've heard before. Before it the music was so loud I
couldn't hear myself scream, but then when it was quiet people kept
talking and it was really annoying. Some dumbasses kept hollering during
the song, and some girl in front of me thought it was Soul Train time
(?!?), but the "FLAT ON YOUR STOMACH" part made the place pin-droppingly
quiet.
Never Seen Blue--A bunch of people requested this song before
soundcheck, and I was overjoyed when she played it. It is one of the
most beautiful things I've ever heard. God...words fail me. The
piano...her voice...the recording doesn't do it any justice. I would buy
a bootleg of this show from anybody just for this song.
Jackie's Strength--Evans brought out the cello and Tori did a nice
version of this. By this time I was getting really tired from standing
up, but I couldn't have seen otherwise. Also, someone nearby was smoking
some serious dope. I'll never understand why people have to do that to
enjoy a concert.
Cruel--Awesome. Spine-tingling wails at the end.
Caught a Lite Sneeze--Now I'll admit I never really liked this song to
begin with, but the band treatment just didn't work with CaLS. It was
too heavy and rocky; I think the Pele songs have the worst time
transmitting to the rock scene.
The Waitress--They were on fucking fire!!!! The mist machine behind
Chamberlain was going full blast, so it looked like the stage was flying
like a bat out of hell! The whole placed smelled and felt like a giant
firecracker exploding in the stars. This was Tori gone Metallica. Tori
rocks on! WOO WOO WOO! YEAAAAH! >head banging<
Iieee--Oh Tori, you little demoness you ;). Hard and amazing.
Raspberry Swirl--Everyone just went wacky over this. Chamberlain was
banging his kettle drum like there was no tomorrow, and the lights were
flying around everywhere. By the way, next to the drum set were some
stuffed toys: a Big Bird, Winnie the Pooh, a blue thing (Super Grover?),
and a yellow thing that looked like a Popple. Tori was dancing around
when she came back for...
She's Your Cocaine--God I love this song. The lights turned blue as she
sang "and is it true..." and they all rocked our asses off. At the end
Tori did a freaky junkie scream-jittery thing, like she was going into
withdrawl. Cool.
Horses--This song was NOT the Pele Horses. I don't care what other
people say. It's just a totally different song, the way that they did
it. I liked it all right, but I was hoping for something a bit rarer. Oh
well...beggars can't be choosers. The disco lights were pretty neat,
though.
All in all an amazing concert. A bit more of a "greatest hits" thing,
but that's ok. She could be reciting the Gettysburg Address and I'd
drive 2 hours to hear it :).
Thanks for your site Mikewhy. You're a lifeline to the Tori world. October 5, 1998 - hey! ok so i suppose ill start at the beginning of heh...so me & a bunch of my friends from #tori all got together & had a lil tori groupie trip for all the TX shows..i couldnt make it to the san antonio show but i got all the rest... the austin show kicked ass & we were all in the very front so it was great & so special for me cuz it was my first tori show...i managed to sneak in a camera so im hoping the pix turned out (: then we went to houston & some of us were in the pit 5th row right in front of tori so that was so great too (: then we all went bowling & left at liek 2 & i had to drive all the way back to austin to drop my friend ann off & my friend jeff & i decided to just go to dallas so we culd get there early.. so we did & we didnt sleep at all but we got to starplex at around 10:30 or so & we were the first ones there (we kinda met 3 ppl who came at the same time)..along the way jeff & i stopped by a lovely hick Kmart in the middle of nowhere & he saw this CUTE lil grover...Super Grover (: we waited forever at the place but met some kewl ppl & a then around 3:30 we all lined behind the barricade & i think a little after 4 tori came.. jeff & i were at the VERY front..when tori came out she handed jeff her water bottle & said "pass this around ok?" so we took our sips & i took the bottle top hehe she met some ppl to our right & moved her way over in our direction...she got to me & gave me the BIGGEST smile & said "HI! how r u?!" in the sweetest way someone can say that & then she said i had the most wonderful blue eyes (they r these groovy blue contacts) (: shje asked me my name & we talked a few min & then she extended her arms to me for me to hug her..& i did & i hugged her for a while & she smiled then she signed my little earthquakes piano book & signed my name in it then said "im gunna call u BLUE" so she wrote BLUE in it & drew a smiley face & a ying-yang type symbol & smile & moved on to my friend jeff... jeff gave her the super grover & she loved it & stuffed it into her pocket & they had the cutest conversation about grover & our friend Ash's green rabbit he gave to her that tori mention "was morphing but well" & joel was laughing & it was great... but she said she would take care of the grover & wouldnt let mr Puppet get to him (: after the meet & greet we waited for for a few hours & then the doors opened & we watched all of the snobby dallas ppl & i just laughed... altho i do live here it's still funny how snobby & rude ppl here r the show started i beleive at 7:30 & the devlins played like the same songs they been playing & were pretty OK.. then tori came on i think at around 9 or so... she gave a pretty strong performance & had a pretty nifty set list...but due to the horribly rude audience (getting up & down during songs & leaving to get beer im sure & SCREAMING at the most inappropriate times...especially during Me And A Gun where they were howling & stuff cuz they prolly havunt heard anything by tori except Spark or Jackie on the EDGE (blah!) & decided to go to see "that girl who sings that, & thought that Me And A Gun was a sexual song...who knows...but they were very rude & i believe tori shoudl have walked off or at least said something...and like during raspberry swirl my friend Jenifa got up to dance & she said sum guy screamed at her to "sit down or ill break ur fuckin neck!"...thats dallas for ya..) anyways other than that the show was amazing... & altho i was too far back to see, jeff said that his grover was on the speaker during the show & then he FLEW during she's ur cocaine...he was the happiest guy there (: well that was pretty much my dallas experience wrapped up into one lil email hehe (: it was such a wonderful day & i will never forget it... (: o ..in case u were wondering...the guy who yelled THANK YOU TORI! at the end of Never Seen Blue was me (: eddie October 5, 1998 - I was so proud of the Devlins... they finally changed their set...
they didn't seem as good this time as they did before-- they just
seemed like another alternative-type band. But I know that they're
good and I know that I like them... so I'm not sure why I wasn't
thrilled with them then. I think it's because we were sitting in the
fourth to last row on the second level-- but security came and moved
my friend and I up during the break--- to the seventh row. The
SEVENTH row.
She opened up with the Precious Things-God combo at one of the
other shows I saw, and I think it's a fantastic way to... kind of...
get the audience on her side first thing. I really like PT a lot
better live-- it seems a lot more passionate in person-- and I really
like the disgusted sound in her voice when she says "sick".
I heard her doing Black Dove (January) during the soundcheck in
Oklahoma and I thought that I was happy then-- but then I got to see
her do it live-- and in Texas, at that-- and it couldn't have been
any more perfect. (You'll find that phrase is pretty much the only
thing I can say about last night)...
You said that someone mentioned that she played part of
Graveyard... but I swear to you that it was just an introduction to
Cornflake Girl... part of the words were, "And she says that it'll
never happen again, and that's just my hook" (I think it was
hook)... but if you think about CFG and the whole female against
female violence issue, then it really kind of makes sense.
Liquid Diamonds was never one of my favorites, but there's
something about the having the t-shirt that makes me like the song a
lot more-- it's silly, I know... but I also went with the full intent
of getting the Northern Lad t-shirt and ended up with Jackie's
Strength-- so go figure. It was a nice song-- slow, but nice.
She opened up Putting the Damage On by saying, "This is a new
version of this song-- some of you have heard it before, and some of
you haven't... so..." and then she started playing. The main
difference that I noticed (at least vocally) on this song was when
she was singing the series of the word "high"-- each time she sang
it, it was higher pitch-wise.
I think that a good part of the audience felt their heart just
stop when she started singing "Me And A Gun"-- I know mine did-- and
I noticed that all of the people around me were crying, even the
guys. I, like everyone else there, had an overwhelming urge to shoot
the people who were shouting things during the song-- but they were
terribly mistaken if they thought that they would be able to upstage
Tori, because she made it very clear that it wasn't their moment-- if
that makes sense.
She went from there into Never Seen Blue, which
was the first time she played it and it's one of my new favorites--
and it was completely magical to be able to listen to her singing it
live. I was gaping at that point, because I couldn't believe that
she was singing all the songs that I wanted to hear, and the night
couldn't have been any more perfect.
And guys... it was great that she sang Jackie's Strength... but we
also happened to be in the town in which JFK was shot. And I really
don't think that was an accident that she chose that song in this
locale-- kind of like playing "Surrey with a Fringe" in Oklahoma-- we
should know by now that there just aren't coincidences with Tori. So
hearing JS was wonderful... and I'd been waiting to hear it
forever... but realizing where we were made the song a hundred times
more powerful.
I've seen her do Cruel twice already, but I never get tired of
seeing it-- it's really one of the best songs that she performs.
Last night, she kind of spat out the words "cock-cock-cock your mane"
and I liked the hands behind the back thing-- she's so much more
passionate when she's with us...
I was thrilled to hear her play Caught a Lite Sneeze-- but I'm
not really sure, because it's not one of my favorites... I think that
reading the posts on the Dent about other people wanting to hear it
wore off. It was great though-- not that Tori could really be
anything else.
The Waitress was... different-- every time she said the word
"bitch", it seemed to be muffled by the band. She sang the same
interlude in the middle that she had when we were in Nebraska-- and
though I really couldn't hear too many of the words, I really liked
it.
I guess that this is as good of a time as any to mention it... but
smoking at a concert-- well, it's really rude... and not to me-- I
don't really care-- but I agree with Ingrid that the number of
chain-smoking 12-14 year olds is disturbing-- but it's really rude to
be smoking-- and it's rude to Tori-- or any performer for that
matter. So knock it off. Yeah.
The encores were great-- iieee and Raspberry Swirl got the entire
place up and dancing-- but we were already up... and a good number of
us were already dancing-- but you know what I mean.
I was surprised (and delighted) to hear her do She's your
Cocaine-- and Horses was, as usual, different than the album version
(and I miss the line about Neil). I think that the lineup in general
for the whole show as unusual-- it was a more powerful show than any
I've seen before... I mean, Putting the Damage On... Me And A Gun...
Never Seen Blue... it was a very powerful show. And if Tori was
feeding off of the energy in Dallas and the vibes she got... well,
those were SOME vibes. October 5, 1998 - The snippet Tori did before Cornflake Girl was not Graveyard- I didn't recognize it at all. October 5, 1998 - After Black Dove she said her usual hihowareyoudoin. I don't know if it was me or the sound but I thought the music sounded good whereas I had
some trouble understanding her when she spoke. I think she said that it
was their 100th show since May & that over in Europe she'd see people
who whould say "I have to get to Texas!" Then she mentioned how she
liked playing in Texas. I've seen her in Dallas twice and both shows
were very intense compared to other of her shows I've seen. It was
interesting to hear Damage with the band. Matt was able to back off of
the drums just enough, and Jon fingered the stand-up until the bridge
where he bowwed. It's always interesting to hear the songs evolve. The
version of CALS was also new to me. It wasn't the quiet one with the
piano patting accapella thing. She started it on the piano which was
different. She sang a bit of Hurt in there too, and Caton found a cool
riff that Tori seemed to like. The crowd was the worst I've experienced
during Me and a Gun. Lots of talking around us, lots of howling at
breaks in the song. Usually you can hear a pin drop. Really sad.
Also, towards the end of Waitress (or maybe iieee) I could swear I heard
her groove on the "if I ever get out of here..." part of Band on the Run
by Paul McCartney and Wings. I could be crazy, but I think it was
there. This kinda ties into my KC post from a while back, since the
answer to the whole Hey Jupiter thing was John Lennon. October 5, 1998 - Although normally I don't follow very closely which stuffed animals and/or other characters were on stage whenever I read my fellow Toriphiles' concert
reviews, I was disappointed to read that (this being her first Tori concert
experience) Kara-Leah missed the first appearance (to my knowledge) of Super
Grover.
I sat in Section 102 (left side of the audience) on Row F and noticed that
for the majority of the show a crowned Grover doll sat on top of one of the
speakers.
I didn't think much about it until just before the 2nd encore a roadie came
out in the darkness, grabbed the doll and (after a great deal of struggling)
finally managed to attach it to a long black cord.
He then "flew" the doll (whose red cape I could now see indicated that it
was Super Grover) into the lights, and soon after that "She's Your Cocaine"
began.
I wouldn't be surprised if most every other concertgoer last night had
missed it. It was a cute idea, but unfortunately (???) the Super Grover
doll was quite small, not lit by any of the spotlights, and seemed very
difficult for this poor guy (???) to attach to the cord. October 5, 1998 - Tori has been doing the Black Sabbath rip I would guess everytime she plays Cruel. My boyfriend and I noticed it when we went to see her in San Diego,
but I think it's highly unlikely many others did. And yes it was Sweet Leaf. :) October 5, 1998 - Well, here's the info on the Dallas show. I just got home from it. First of all, a set list...
01. Precious Things
Encore One
Encore Two I arrived at Starplex around 3pm, hoping that I'd get to see Tori before the
show, since this was the first show I've ever been to. I was very lucky This is the best concert I have ever experienced... I know it was my first,
but I've never seen her better in any videos or any bootleg CDs. It was
amazing. She opened with Precious Things, and as usual the crowd went wild at
the "girrrrrrrrrrrrrrl" part. Next came God, which was equally amazing. The
entire show was just amazing, far better than I would have dreamed of, but the
real highlights of the show were her new version of the song Putting The
Damage On, when she did Never Seen Blue by herself, and when she closed with
Horses. The crowd seemed to really enjoy The Waitress and Raspberry Swirl as
well. All in all, the show was awesome! October 5, 1998 - I haven't been involved with your site ever, but recently came across it in preparation for the show. (I've been a major fan since LE first came
out and have seen every Dallas how since then).
Anyway, I'm sure you have this already, but here's the set list I had
Precious Things I'm also a writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and was lucky enough
to get the job of reviewing the show. My story will run Tuesday, the URL
is
http://www.star-telegram.com/entertainment/encore/ index.htm Also, I'm positive that during "Cruel" she played a little piece from
Black Sabbath's "Sweat Leaf." A friend of mine, who's a huge metalhead
(but *loves* Tori), and a big BS fan, verified that that's what it was. October 5, 1998 - I went to the Tori show in Dallas tonight. It was my first show! I was totally awestruck..
I got to the Starplex around 3pm, the parking was absolutely horrible and
we had to walk at least a mile (no joke) to the amphitheatre, since we were
sharing parking with the State Fair of Texas. Steve came out and gave
everyone bottled water. There wasn't much, so we just passed the bottles
around. Somebody commented to me that we're all going to get "Tori Germs"
and I said "Hey, it's kinda like communion!" and he laughed. Tori came
out for the Meet and Greet around 4pm. They were doing the numbers system
but I couldn't find the person who was giving the numbers, so I just hopped
into the barricades like everyone else. Everyone lined up the side, then
Dave (who wears his pants inside out!) came by and said that Tori wasn't
going to be coming up that side so I went up front, where I was about 4
people back. I took a lot of pictures, and I think they'll turn out pretty
good - but I didn't get any of me with her. =( She did grab my Limited
Edition Winter single and autograph it for me. She said, "Hi, how are you
doing?" And I couldn't think of anything intelligent to say... "Umm.. I'm
ok." Unlike what I've read about the other Meet and Greets, a lot of us
*did* get out of the way so that others could get to the front. I was one
of them. Unfortunately there was this punk with a huge book that he tried
to get passed up front AFTER Steve said not to pass anything up front
(Because Tori wants to talk to the person who she's signing for) so his
book got passed back and he started throwing a hissy fit. I got out of the
way so he could get in my place and have Tori sign something, and then he
started complaining because she would only sign one thing. Didn't he see
on Ultrasound the other day when she said we can't each take up all her
time? There were a hundred of us there. The same guy always seemed to be
near me, whining, before we got into the show. As soon as I found out he
had Pit tickets (just like me) I decided I was going to try and avoid him
the rest of the night so I could enjoy the show.
The Devlins did NOT impress me. They were good, but they weren't *that* good.
Tori came out in a black body suit with a red sequin apron type thing
(except it wrapped all around her, I don't know what it's called) and she
opened with Precious Things. This song carries SO MUCH energy live and
with the band. The lights were spectacular, and there was smoke
everywhere. Somebody in the Pit started blowing bubbles, which I thought
was cute. Tori carried out "girrrrrrl" for EVER. I totally lost it.
God was a surprise. It didn't sound the same at first, with the band, but
I caught on pretty quickly. =)
Black Dove was much better live than on the album, and there were a lot of
us singing "I have to get to Texas" along with her. After this one, Tori
stopped to tell us a little bit about how this is their last show in Texas,
and how they're approaching their 100th show on this tour. "And we just
had to get to Texas!"
Somewhere around this point, she asked for a "Bungee" for her hair.
Everyone started tossing Scrunchee's at the stage. =) She said, "you're
singing, and you're drooling, and it gets really messy."
Cornflake Girl was everything I expected it to be, and a little more.
There was a LOT of improv in here, at the beginning and toward the end. I
couldn't quite make out what she was singing (I wouldn't say she was
drowned out by the band, but more like they had her voice a lot louder than
everything else actually), though. She kept repeating the last part over
and over and over and over and over and over and over. "Rabbit, where'd
you put the keys?"
Liquid Diamonds. Wow. I didn't really care too much for this song before
I heard it live, but now I'm sticking it on my favorites list. =)
Putting the Damage on sounds pretty cool with the band. I've never heard
any version of this besides the album version so this one was pretty new to
me. :)
Then, the guys left and it was just Tori and us. She started Me and a Gun.
I was so upset because everyone was screaming every time she paused in her
singing. I knew she was crying. She gave the crowd a lot of funny looks,
and finally tilted her head back at one point and she was singing really
softly and then it was, "pushed.. FLAT ON YOUR STOMACH" and we all kind of
jumped. Then there was complete silence, except for Tori's voice.
I really thought I knew all of Tori's songs, and the next one sounded
really familiar, but I really don't know what it's called. It was
beautiful, though, and she looked so happy singing it.
Then, the guys came back for Jackie's Strength. I've seen her do this on
some talk shows but she always cut out the "Sleepovers, Beenie's got some
pot" verse so I was pretty excited to hear the whole song live tonight.
Cruel is a song I just recently got attached to. It took me a while to get
into this one, and I was very pleased to hear this one, too. Caton's
guitar kind of broke in the middle of this (the bar thingie came loose) but
he kept right on playing.
They gave him a new one for Caught a Lite Sneeze. I *didn't* like this
with the band. This is just one of those songs that belongs to Tori's
piano. This song has a new sound to it and it's pretty good, but if I have
to miss the "girl and her piano" for anything, it's definitely for this
song.
I've read a lot about The Waitress. This was just amazing. Lots of
improvs, and the lighting was explosive. I really felt like I was at a
fireworks show and this was the Grand Finale. The band really does this
song a lot of justice, there's just so much power and energy. It was like
ending the show the way it opened. I was breathless.
Tori came back for her first encore to do iieee and Raspberry Swirl. I
never danced so much in my life! In her second encore she did She's Your
Cocaine and we all danced some more. Then all lights were on the disco
balls and I just knew it was time for Horses. Now I know why nobody would
tell me what the new version of Horses is like. It's totally different, I
didn't even recognize it except for the words. It was beautiful. I felt
like I was in heaven. =)
So where were Kenny and Cartman? What happened to Matt's Dealieboppers?
All in all, this was a fantastic show and I am SO glad that I got to go
this time. I hope she comes back in 2000 so I can see her again! October 5, 1998 - I'm not even gonna try to remember the set list......well, ok.....this is a stream of consciousness....
Precious Things, Ieiee, Black Dove, Me and a Gun, Raspberry Swirl, God,
Caught A Lite Sneeze, Cornflake Girl, Jackie's Strength, Cruel, She's
Your Cocaine, The Waitress, Never Seen Blue, Liquid Diamonds, and at
least 2-3 more I can't pin down.
I was surprised with Me and a Gun, I was under the impression that she
was not doing that song very much at all this tour. It would have been a
good idea that she didn't in Dallas, there was a bunch of hooting and
hollaring during it, which of course the girls won't stand for, and that
in turn brought about screams of, "Shut the hell up", and the like. I
did, however notice the screams came whenever Tori said, "...and I must
get out of this." To which there was a 'whoohoo!'. If anything,
hopefully the perpertrators of the 'whoo-hooing' meant that as a sign of
respect and support instead of just ruining her acapella song.
In the Sunday Dallas Morning News, Tori mentions that she has picked a
"double A-side alternative" for her next single release. It will consist
of Raspberry Swirl coupled with Cruel. (Cool!) She also says, "I'm
thinking about, next Christmas, doing a double live album - this tour -
and doing the B-sides." It was a good article, hopefully this Tuesday I
can have it scanned for you. I mention the highlights of information
because it is new information.
Again for the concert, it was outstanding. As far as I'm concerned, the
live album should be this Dallas show. She and the boys were spot on for
every number. Tori was at her wildest, drawing all the dancing, yelling,
lyric changes and all out energy from other shows that I've read about
and put them in this Dallas show.
But.....does Caton usually drink that much wine a night??? He had at
least 4/5 's of the bottle. Needless to say, he was happy. October 5, 1998 - The Goddess reports another fabby Tori experience this makes show #3 for her and show #5 for the side kick. Even got somewhat close to meeting her but, ... you know how that story goes, "first my left foot, then my right behind the other." |
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