North American Plugged '98 Tour
Raleigh, NC
October 18, 1998
Updated March 15, 2000
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North American Plugged '98 Tour
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Check Out The Reviews And Set Lists Page Tori performed in Raleigh, NC on October 18, 1998 at Hardee's Walnut Creek Amphitheater during the main North American leg of her Plugged '98 tour.  Set ListTori performed Famous Blue Raincoat, Never Seen Blue, Graveyard and Song For Eric solo. Thanks to Matt Page for calling me after the show on the phone with the set list. Thanks to Lee Chaix, Kirsten Biondich, Steven Williams and Heather Parsons for all being the first to email me the set list. Precious Things 1st Encore: 2nd Encore: |
ReviewsThe most recently added reviews are first. From The Fayetteville ObserverAdded March 15, 2000 - Richard Handal told me about this nice print review. It was published in The Fayetteville Observer on October 23, 1998. It included the photo you see below by Jay Capers. It was also posted online.
Tori Amos has a new band, new sound
By Jim Washington
How many artists could pull off a concert featuring a) a Leonard Cohen cover b) techno-influenced dance music and c) an a cappella closing song that leaves audience members in tears?
At least one.
Tori Amos and her Bosendorfer grand piano showed a crowd of about 5,000 at the Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in Raleigh Sunday night that a new band and a new sound haven't dulled her emotions, her anger or her intimate relationship with fans.
"A lot of people were hesitant about this tour,'' said longtime fan Adeeba Lodhi, standing near the T-shirt stand before the show. Lodhi, who is 22, and her friends have seen Amos as a solo act in small clubs. This year for the first time she played larger, outdoor venues with a band.
"It used to be just her and a piano, that's it,'' Lodhi said. "Now she's into the electronic thing.''
"She rocks,'' said Megan Mayer, a friend of Lodhi's.
Lodhi and Mayer, wearing maroon and black, thigh boots and granny glasses, fit in with a crowd that was as diverse as Walnut Creek has probably seen this summer.
They were mostly female, a mix of punk girls wearing black eyeliner and black clothes, middle-aged couples dressed for the theater, gay couples and young people in baggy jeans and knit caps. It was a little like a Lilith Fair crowd with a punky edge. Think of thousands of people singing along with the line "I believe in peace, b***ch!'' (from the song "Waitress.'')
Instead of loud-mouthed hucksters trying to unload or pick up a ticket, girls hunched their shoulders, gave a look that apologized for bothering you and asked, "Do you guys need a ticket?''
Kelli Crane stood talking with a group of new friends in the parking lot. Crane is a student at Kennesaw State University in Georgia and took off the semester to follow Tori Amos. Raleigh was her 23rd show of the 1998 tour. She's not sure how many shows she's seen in all. She flew to a Seattle show to start the summer, then alternated work and going to concerts.
"She's magical, a healer,'' Crane said. "Her music helped me through some rough times.''
Crane, a fresh-faced 21-year-old with red hair and bright eyes, has met Amos several times during informal "meet and greet'' sessions before or after concerts. There wasn't one scheduled at Walnut Creek, but it happened after the show anyway.
"She remembered my name,'' Crane said of earlier meetings. "She always does cool things like talking to fans. It's all about making a connection to people. It's not just about her music. I feel like I want to protect her, you know?''
Showing support
Much of the audience, like Crane, seemed to be there to support Amos as much as enjoy a rock concert.
"When I go to a show and I'm with people that really care, not people who have season tickets and are just there, it's really special,'' Crane said.
Inside, The Unbelievable Truth, a mope-rock English band along the lines of Morrisey and Radiohead, played mood music. Their sound is hardly surprising, really, since the lead singer is Andy Yorke, brother of Radiohead singer Thom Yorke. The crowd yelled politely when they left the stage, then oohed and ahhed over each other's Amos souvenirs. It was like a big slumber party with strangers.
The lights went down around 9 p.m. Amos ran lightly out on stage, covered up against the cool night in a black jumpsuit under a red sparkly dress.
The girl-and-piano setup was gone, replaced by a full-on rock and roll show -- laser light show, smoke machines swirled by big fans and sparkling disco balls.
The three-piece band -- Matt Chamberlain on drums, Steve Caton on guitar and Jon Evans on bass -- was in full rock band mode as she opened with "Precious Things,'' "Cruel'' and the rocking "Cornflake Girl.'' The light show made the stage look alternately on fire and underwater.
Amos got her whole body into playing the piano, throwing her head back and forth and sometimes shooting her left hand out into the sky, while her legs jumped wildly up and down like she was trying to crawl inside her instrument.
Between songs Amos, who was born in Newton, told stories about her father, a Methodist minister, and spoke to her brother, Mike, in the audience.
"My father told me he was disappointed in me at Thanksgiving dinner -- it was Thanksgiving, wasn't it, Mike? -- for writing this song about him,'' she said, introducing the song "Father Lucifer.''
"I told him, 'Dad they're all about you, which one are you talking about?' When he told me I said, 'Dad, I wrote that after doing drugs with a shaman in South America. I was trying to find my dark side. The Methodist teachings didn't help much there.'''
Rare songs
Several times during the show the band left the stage and the spotlight was once again on just Amos and her piano. She drew excited murmurs from the audience with some rare songs, including the B-side "Never Seen Blue'' and a cover version of Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat.''
"I don't play this song much, but it's by one of my favorite songwriters and it just wanted to come,'' she said.
About half the crowd sat through the concert until Amos grabbed them by the throat with a rocking "Waitress,'' which led into two encores. The first encore turned the Creek into a giant dance club with two new songs, the techno-electronic "She's Your Cocaine,'' including a sneaky Black Sabbath guitar riff, and "Raspberry Swirl.'' (Sample lyric -- "If you want to know her, boy, you better make her raspberry swirl.'')
For the second encore the band left Tori alone on the stage for a transcendent version of her early song "Tear in Your Hand,'' while giant disco balls reflected a million tiny spots of light around the amphitheatre. She ended with a soulful, a cappella "Song for Eric'' that had many audience members smudging their black eyeliner.
With an endearing two-handed clap/wave, she pressed her hands to her heart, then laid them out in front of her before bounding backstage. From TracyOctober 26, 1998 - I saw Tori in Raleigh, NC (in the exact middle of the 9th row.) I took a friend with me who said, "I have always liked Tori, but I never understood why her fans were so rabid...until now." He was totally blown away (as was I). The ONLY complaint we had was that we were in the center section, and some extremely inconsiderate (and unaware) people in the middle of the first row kept standing up, forcing a whole column of us down the middle of the front-center section to have to stand to see. (We didn't mind during some of the songs--cases in point being Cornflake Girl or Raspberry Swirl...however, during the quieter songs, we REALLY wanted to sit down. And a girl on the other side of my friend was about 5'2" and had to stand on her tiptoes the whole show. And, another friend of mine who was there has serious hip problems and was in severe pain by the end of the show.) Anyway, had the show had more lulls, like previous tours, I would have called out to the people in the front row that the people behind them would really like to watch this beautiful woman sing (I'd ask, rather than rudely screaming for them to sit their asses down)...but, no such luck...anyhow, I'm just venting, since posting anything about Tori concert etiquette on your site would be preaching to the choir...) From SamanthaOctober 22, 1998 - I want to tell all of you at the Dent about something monumental that happened to me this weekend at the October 18th Tori Amos concert in Raleigh. It doesn't involve me detailing set lists or reviews, since I think that has been so wonderfully represented in previous posts about this show. It involves my best friend Lizz. We have been friends for 11 years (met in middle school). Lizz is a fan of Tori Amos, has been for about 5 years now. She has a pretty substantial collection of her CDs/collectibles, and has seen her in concert on more than one occasion, with me always being her loyal Tori concert buddy. We had tickets to the October 18th show at Walnut Crap (I loathe that place) courtesy of her Uncle Gary, who waited in line and sweet talked a Ticketmaster representative to get us 4th row CENTER tickets!!!(THANK YOU UNCLE) Lizz and I decided before the show to make Tori a gift of sorts, so went to Wallmart, and did a Halloween themed gift. We bought (actually Lizz, but I supervised the picks:-) her a little coffin box that had Sylvester and Tweety on it, and filled it with a fake little beanie baby spider named itsy, a tube of orange body glitter, some spider earrings, 2 pictures of us, and two letters: one from her and one from me, that included some raspberry tea (in honor of Raspberry Swirl). Honestly, I'm not a very big Tori fan: I mean I appreciate her music and how much she genuinely cares about her fans.. but I'm not a fan to Lizz's caliber :) Perhaps I'm not the biggest Ears with Feet, but I'm an indirect fan of Tori's because I like what she's done to improve Lizz's self image. I wrote in my letter an overdue thank you Tori for being an indirect source of strength for Lizz, for helping Lizz look beyond her so-called imperfections, to see what a talented, creative and beautiful person she really is. You see, Lizz has never had a great self worth. Tori's music has helped her in many very therapeutic ways that I know a lot of you can identify with. Lizz is an improved person because of Tori's music, and it has made a unique bond between us. Anyways, Lizz attached this note to the top of the coffin box, asking Tori to play the song "Never Seen Blue." We were lucky enough to get the present to her body guard. At the piano solo section of the song, Tori played "Never Seen Blue." I had never been more touched, just knowing that she got our present, and that she cared enough to actually play Lizz's request. Lizz was so touched that she cried a little. It was very moving, and I'm not an overly emotional person. I wanted to jump out of my seat and hug Tori right then :) After the show, we waited by a barricade to actually get the chance to meet Tori. With luck, we did (and we met some really nice people while waiting. Tori shows by far have the most kind fans!) Tori told Lizz she really liked and appreciated her gift, squeezed her hand, and autographed some stuff for the both of us. Her bodyguard even came up to Lizz and said "You got your song." It was the most lucky I've ever felt: to share in a moment of triumph like that for my best friend. I know after reading this letter, you all could have the reaction: who cares, it's just another stupid experience story, and not an actual concert review. It's just another brief brush with greatness. Really, to me, it's not. I want you all to know about the deep bond that great music can create, inspire, and maintain.I had a strange weekend this past weekend, and I had many disappointments in those two prior days..(Friday and Sat) but I put them aside when I saw how happy Lizz was. (And Lizz is rarely ever that happy) That was important, it made that concert "a time." Thanks for reading, I know Tori fans could appreciate this story the best. From john russellOctober 19, 1998 - first off, thanks so much to you and everyone at the Oct. 17 show for thinking of poor Matt. i must admit i'm a bit jealous that i didn't get to hear the tribute especially since it was Merman! but what can you do? i did, however see an amazing show Sunday night! i've seen Tori once before in Charlotte, but considering the shit we went through to get there (we drove all day and got lost in ghetto-ville, finally arriving like 10 minutes before she started playing) and the close to dead crowd, i'd have to say this was the better of the two Tori experiences. my friend Chris and i got there around 5:30, met up with my friend Brock and bought some tee-shirts (i did not find out til later that i had actually bought the baby-doll tee and have no chance of ever fitting into it). i also have a word of advice for all those planning on going to the Creek again: go to the restroom in advance!! the mens room had like these long comunal troughs! i liked the opening act but you know how it is. i wanted to see Tori! so they finished up and it seemed like forever before she actually started. i think they were doing last minute tech stuff. Precious Things: kick ass as usual Cruel: this is my song! i was so happy she played it! i was up and dancing until some girl behind me told me to sit down. Cornflake Girl: another gem. the intro is so beautiful! this must be on the live album! Bells for Her: i love the new arrangement! it just adds a whole new element to this hauntingly beautiful song. even better than the harpsicord version Father Lucifer: i would have to say this was the highlight of the evening. i love the new part in the middle. "take me through that door..." Hotel: for some reason this song no longer grabs me like it used to. oh well. Famous Blue Raincoat: very unexpected but i knew what it was the minute she started playing. big shout out to Brian "In My Head." a lovely song but still i'd have liked to hear a Tori song. Never Seen Blue: beautiful song though not my fave. all together i'd have to say secret time was a bit of a disappointment. Northern Lad: again, a beautiful song but not my personal favorite. shout out to Hi-D and Arnold!!! Talula: this so works on the Bose!! yeah the harpsicord is sorely missed but the piano is so pretty on this one! amazing lights! Spark: a bit lacking in something though i'm not sure what. a great song all the same. The Waitress: this motha fucka blows me away!!! it is impossible to go back to the album version after hearing it live! Encore 1 She's Your Cocaine: love this one. all us little coke heads were on cloud nine. shout out to Ann-Marie! Raspberry Swirl: the whole place was up and dancing for this baby! so much better than in Charlotte. Encore 2 Graveyard: i didn't dare hope for this one. it's one that just has this place in my heart. Tear in Your Hand: beautiful! i even wave at "it's time to wave good-bye now..." the disco ball effect was so pretty!! Song for Eric: another shocker. it reminded me of back when it was just girl and piano. at first i thought she was going to do Me and a Gun, but she couldn't close a show like that. this and Graveyard really made up for secret time. then it was off to the after show meet and greet. now when i say i never expected to see Tori this close i mean it. i had no idea where there would even be a meet and greet. but as luck would have it, it was right down from where we were parked!!! so i was asking around and they said Tori would be out in about 15 minutes but that it was worth the wait. i have to say us Toriphiles are the nicest bunch i know. so i made friends with this girl (shout out to Heather!) and we squeezed our way to through the crowd. i had to run back to the car for the tour book cause all i had for her to sign was my hat and the tape we used to tape the recorder to my friend's leg. everyone was saying we had to be calm and quiet or she would leave. then someone handed a book or something back to someone and i heard "thank you Tori" and i was like "she's there!?!" so i squeezed ever closer and raised my little book over everyone's heads and there she was! all i could think was how pretty she was! and how small she was! she took my book and signed it and said to someone else "would you hand this back to him." and when i got it back my knees where like water and all i could do was stagger back to the car. these nice ladies all reached out and squeezed my arm and smiled at me. i must have looked pretty gone!! all in all a beautiful evening! From KerriOctober 19, 1998 - Tripp and I arrived around noon to the venue, and spoke to this really nice guard who informed us there would be a meet and greet around 5 or so, and that gates would open at 4...but when we got back at that time, it turned out the meet and greet was cancelled for the afternoon and gates didn't open until 5:30 (and there were some not-so-nice guards that time.) I was dissapointed I missed catching up with Heather, but it seemed impossible after that. So after passing some really boring time at shopping centers we got in and such... Alright, skipping to Tori's set: this was beyond wonderful. I really enjoyed the Charlotte show in August, but this didn't compare. The intro to Cornflake Girl blew me away and I almost started crying. I was really surprised to hear Bells for Her; that and Talula I really liked live. Everything she played was seriously sounding fabulous and I'm sooo happy with what she chose to play. I loved all the dancing happening during She's Your Cocaine and Raspberry Swirl. I was really glad she played both; I had been wanting to hear She's Your Cocaine live and Raspberry Swirl seemed so much better without everyone sitting down in an auditorium. The minute the show ended Tripp and I RAN to where the meet and greet would be, and JUST in time cos most of the people coming behind us never got close enough to even see Tori. I sort-of had an asthma attack getting there, and of course didn't have my inhalor with me, but hey, the pain in my lungs was all worth it for a chance to meet Tori, right?? Anyways, this was my first time meeting her, and it really meant so much to me. She was signing autographs for the people in front of me and happened to look at me and said hi, then a minute later she looked at me again and it was like she knew I had something to share with her. I had a letter written to her and attached something I wrote partly brought on after listening to Me And A Gun, so when I handed her the envelope I told her it was a piece of my writing inspired by the song, and then she reached out her hand towards me, and just squeezed it and looked into my eyes for a short while. This may sound silly, but it really felt like a healing process. Just in those few seconds it was almost as if she passed a piece of her strength onto me, and looking into her eyes I was positive she could feel exactly what I had been through. I can't describe the peace I felt when she was holding my hand, it was totally amazing. Earlier I had gotten one picture of her signing autographs, but that was probably blocked pretty much by other people. I want to thank the girl standing in front of me who took a picture of Tori for me on my camera; I haven't taken it to be developed yet but I'm sure that will be way better than the shot I got. From From LizzOctober 19, 1998 - Last night's show was a truly amazing experience for me. A "perfect" setlist, wonderful seats (4th row center!!), and my own Tori-moment to relish forever! I had very high expectations since this was probably my last show for this tour! The day was filled with anticipation, excitment, and confusion. Since I live here in Raleigh, I pretty much figured Walnut Creek would cheat us out of a meet and greet before the show, but always a glutton for punishment, I got my hopes up and staked out the creek anyway. Surprise, surprise, they cancelled it. But at least the security person I talked to was very nice about the situation, and she gave us detailed information on the whereabouts of the m&g after the show. But after my experiences in Richmond and Charlotte, I figured my chances of meeting Tori were slim to none. I was very disappointed. I had put together an early Halloween present for Tori (a little black coffin with some goodies for her, along with letters from myself and my best friend(THANKYOUFRIEND). I had planned to give it to her before the show, but I didn't have a chance since there was not a m&g. But I was excited and determined to get it to her sometime that evening, and my opportunity arose after the opening act! I saw John Witherspoon and Tori's bodyguard (whose name I have never discovered) on the sidelines, and I decide to chance it and give it to one of them. Her bodyguard(?) came over and I asked him if he could give Tori the present before the show, and he (very pleasantly) said that he would. I was so excited!! Tori was actually going to get it! and read our letters! and maybe sing the song I requested!! (I had taped a note to the top of the coffin explaining how I had planned to give this to her at the m&g, and asked if Never Seen Blue could maybe "visit" tonight.) I know it sounds cheesy, but just knowing that I might be able to communicate to Tori through my letter really moved me. The show started and I was on a natural high. I had never been this close for a show before, and it really is a completely different experience. About half of the people were standing up through most of the show, which was very annoying, but it didn't spoil my experience of the show (besides, I had a better view standing up anyway). The setlist was completely amazing. Bells and Lucifer were the two songs I had really hoped that she would play, but didn't think that she would. I now understand what everyone means about not being able to listen to the album versions again. I can't wait for a live album! When secret time came, I was very nervous. I didn't want to get my hopes up (but of course they were!) She played Raincoat, which was a nice treat, and THEN she played it!!!! I am not a very outwardly emotional person, but the fact that she played my song just made the tears flow. The rest of the show was amazing, and after Waitress, we sprinted to the railing for the aftergreet. I couldn't believe we made it to the front! I was sad to miss the encores (especially Tear in Your Hand and Song for Eric), but meeting Tori upfront was more important! It still wasn't as crowded as Charlotte or Richmond had been, but a substantial crowd had formed by the time the show ended. Steve broke down the rules for us, saying that they had gone to a lot of trouble to set this up for us. Then Tori came out, and I am always struck by how tiny she is! It hadn't been a very long wait (about an hour) and she started at our end! While she was speaking to the first two guys on the rack, her bodyguard came up to me and squeezed my hand said he was happy that she had played my song. Tori came over to us, signing Samantha's cd first. She came over to me and I asked her if she had gotten the Halloween goodies (obviously...) and if did she like them?? She grabbed and squeezed my hand and told me that they were wonderful, and I thanked her for the song. I then gave her something to sign (and she signed it to me, which makes me treasure it even more). I tried lean out of the way for others to pass up their stuff, but I could barely move anyway. Watching Tori with everyone at these meetings is always powerful. She really is a very giving and sincere person, and I will treasure this night always! From Tim Preston (posted to the rec.music.tori-amos newsgroup)October 19, 1998 - I guess I'm the first one back from the Raleigh concert to post, so here goes. I don't remember exactly what the setlist was, but it was an *incredible* concert. Tori sounded awesome, the band sounded fantastic, and it was great to actually meet some of you out in rmt-a land face-to-face. I won't bother with a rundown of the whole concert, because I'm up way past my bed-time, so I'll just go over some points that are sticking in my head. - Great setlist - in addition to her standard fare of Spark, Cruel, Cornflake Girl, Raspberry Swirl, She's Your Cocaine, and others, she played Famous Blue Raincoat, Never Seen Blue, Hotel, Talula, Bells For Her, Father Lucifer, Northern Lad, and ended with a triple-whammy of Graveyard, Tear In Your Hand, and Song For Eric, all in one encore. I'm so glad I got to hear Tear In Your Hand, since that particular one has been going through my head these past few weeks for some reason. - People standing up. This was my fifth Tori concert, the third this tour, and my seats were the best I've ever had to any concert ever - 10th row center. So what happens, but I have to stand the whole time to see her. Not everybody was standing, just the nine rows right in front of me (and presumably the people behind me). A couple of seats to my right, and I could have sat for most of the show. When everyone was standing for Precious Things, I was hoping that Tori would have us sit down when she introduced the band. When that didn't happen (which I didn't really think would, but I was hoping), I was hoping that people would sit down when the band left and Tori had her "secret time". No luck - I had to stand the whole damn time. See, the thing is, I've seen her concerts described as a 90-minute orgasm, and that's the best way I can describe the experience for myself. And as anyone who's had sex in the shower can attest, having an orgasm standing up is not nearly as fun. Sure, you'll have one, but it's just not the same when you have to keep some of your mind on not falling over. Oh, well, I'd better stop ranting before this turns into an -S- thread. - Yahoo maps. Maybe I'm not done ranting - never, ever, ever rely on these things. Just trust me on this. Never.... Man, every Tori concert is such an experience that it almost seems sacriligeous to go back to normal life afterwards. Although sleep will be nice... From MattOctober 19, 1998 - this is only my second Tori concert but i now have achived a wonderful feat i got to the ampitherater at about 3:45 hoping desperatly i hadn't missed the meet and greet and i found that i hadn't. they weren't having a before show meet and greet. so i drove with my mom ( i'm only 14 so i had to go with someone who could drive ) to the Olive Garden for a delightful meal and drove back. on the way in my mom, as we were approaching the security check, became apperhensive about trying to sneak in a camera. so about 5-10 min. later i walked passed them a buldge in each pocket( i had a "nice" camera manual focus ) and no one noticed or cared. we got in and there was like a local stage where this woman Meredith Sparks was playing. she reminded me of Beth Orton. then she said, "Hi i'm Merideth Sparks and i am addicted to nicoteen patches. This is the only place i could say that and someone will get it." well after that i got a tour book and i was happy. we walked to our seats which ended up being sorta bad. row 16 on the audience right so the piano, open slightly, covered the top half of her face, illiminating almost all chance of pics. the warm up band was ok but not too good. then we waited. and waited. and waited. while waiting i asked some guards if i could get a letter and poem to tori. the guys said to look for somebody with a pass. i saw this guy with short dark hair and 2 thin wire earrings in his right ear and he said he could give it to her after the show ( if you've been to the m&g you might know who this is). Then the band came on. the started what i knew would be Precious Things. Then on came Tori. Wearing a red sequined apron and the off the shoulder black suit. Precious Things- Wonderful. so much better with the band one of my all time favs the lighting was great some improv Cruel- INCREDIBLE i was hoping to hear this at Charolette and was happy to hear it now, they all went wild it was great lota improv Cornflake Girl- wow she did a lot with this song and did a little intro to it ( if anyone has the words send them to me ) the audience was dancing so far and didn't stop on this one lots of improv Bells For Her - WOAH i don't reallt like the album version but this was mindblowing not incredibly intricate but textured and brilliant Father Lucifer- Told a story. " My dad came to me and said, ' i really don't like this song you wrote about me' but dad i write a lot of my songs about you. then he told her the song and she said ' it wasn't about you' she had some drugs and went on a spritual trip with a shaman and it's about the dark side of religion. then went into a kick ass version of Father Lucifer i love the song and was delighted to hear it. Hotel- wow again i loved this version so much better that the album version Famous Blue Raincoat- i didn't know what the song was at the time but i thought it was georgus ( i know it's not spelled right ) if anyone has this one Real Audio or MP3 contact me Never Seen Blue- very awsome i thought it was wonderful Northern Lad- i thought this song was awsome and incerdible i was so glad she did this Taula - did some improve before and i wasn't sure what it was but when she belted out "Taula, Taula'' i was thankful and loved it Spark- i didn't love this version and the song is kinda boring me because its the only tori song ever played but the song wasn't bad it was pretty good The Waitress- Wow i love the song love the way she played it lots of improv at the end and did the heavy sexual breating at the end she sang " i believe in peace, bitch i believe in the money" or atleast thats what it sounded like if anyone knows what she sang contact me She's Your Cocaine- i was hoping to hear this and was delighted to hear it again there were lots of people dancing Rasberry Swirl- OOOHHHH wow wow wow it was incerdible i loved this so much matt put on his head thingy and was going buck wild on the drums and tori went wild too Graveyard- at first i thought she was gonna play Toodles Mr. Jim but i was sooo happy to hear it live i love that song Tear in Your Hand- i loved this version, made me listen and gave a new meaning to the song Song for Eric- BEST SONG OF THE SHOW i simply loved it just tori's voice and not another sound after the show i sprinted to the backstage area anxoiusly awaiting the arival of her i stood from 10:30 to about 11:15 before she came out i got to meet her i got to speak with her she waved to me and she said i was georgeous ( i guess because of my long, shoulder length red hair) i got my LE book signed and now i can die happy also she said" i loved project pandora"( wink to dink ) and the guy i gave my letter and poem to was i think Arthur cuz he came out and said we had to be quite or tori would leave personal note: there were 2 girls who sat beside me in the show and stood beside me in the m&g( blonde and brunette ) the blonde said she had internet and if you get this contact me thanks to the faeires i prayed to before the show From Panario@aol.comOctober 19, 1998 - Last night's show was my second of the plugged tour. It was fantastic! I had decent seats, so I was able to see Tori in all her glory. She came out and I swear, my heart stopped and stood still. At that moment, I went into a "numbness" and blocked out everything around me and focused all of my energy into Tori and the show. There could have been a fire right behind me, and I never would have noticed! :) But anyway, I must say, this is one of the most energetic shows I have ever seen. She also was pretty talkative, more so than when I saw her in Charlotte back in August. Every song practically burst from her, and I swear she was glowing. During Waitress, me and my boyfriend ran (literally) out to where they told us the m & g would be. There was about four people there already so we just took a place along the back rack. I could hear Tori still playing, and although I knew I was about to meet her, I still wanted to be inside. I chatted with the other people there, giggling nervously, and that's when I heard her playing "Tear In Your Hand"...I almost started crying. That is my absolute favorite song, and I could hear Tori's beautiful voice carrying it out and into the crowd. Well, all of us waited and waited until the show was over and by that time a rather large crowd had gathered. After a while Caton came out with a fishing pole and disappeared into the woods. He came back out after twenty minutes and came over and talked to us for a while. He posed for some pictures and gave a worm to someone. I got my camera out and got it ready, and then Steve came out and told us all to be respectful and to watch our flashes with the camera. He also told the people in the front not to move even if they got something signed. I thought this was really odd, but I told the people right behind me that I would try to move some so they could slip up to meet her. Then out of nowhere she appeared. I had no idea she was so tiny. I was just gazing off into the distance when my boyfriend said, "Pen, there she is!", and I completely panicked! But she was really beautiful up close. And there was this warmth that just radiated from her, so I felt comfortable at once. I took some pictures of her with other people, and then she came up to me. She signed a postcard from the Spark single, and posed for a picture with me. The funny thing was that my boyfriend had trouble with the flash and it took a minute for him to get it to work, so I just had my arm around her, and her arm was around mine...and wow...what can I say? Anyway, then she signed my boyfriend's postcard and he carried on a conversation with her! He asked her what type of synth she uses because he is buying one, and she went on and on about technical things, and then wished him luck with his studio, because "that's really something"...Anyway, so I tried to move to let some people up, but Steve was going uh-uh and things like that, so not a lot was accomplished. So Tori moved on down, signed more things and talked. Then she walked back to her bus with everyone yelling bye and thank you. All in all it was the perfect night, and I am still on cloud nine. :) From Vicki van Essen and Julia BrucknerOctober 19, 1998 - This was Julia's and my first Tori concert ever, and we were both sooooooo fascinated. It rocked. We both know that we're definitely going again ASAP. Too bad we weren't that close up because her presence would have made a much larger impact on us (not that it wasn't already huge!!). Julia's favorite songs were "Song for Eric" and "Cornflake Girl", and mine were Hotel and She's your Cocaine. They were just so jivin'! Everyone got down and it was just the most fun. You really could lose yourself. Julia felt like she was in a daze most of the time, just so wrapped up in it all. So anyway, we don't want to ramble on and on. I'd just like to let all of you first time Tori Concert go-ers know that it's well worth the price ( and the wait). From Matt PageOctober 19, 1998 - Matt called me on the phone after the show and told me that tonight's show was the last outdoor concert of the Plugged '98 tour. Before singing Famous Blue Raincoat, Tori told the audience that Leonard Cohen is one of her favorite songwriters. She also told a story before Father Lucifer. Her dad thought that the song was about him, but Tori said THAT one was NOT about her dad. She then said the song is about finding her dark side. On the official/written set list, Tori had "Cocaine or iieee" listed as the first song of the first encore (she chose Cocaine). She also planned to do only one song for the second encore: Tear In Your Hand. She evidently added Song For Eric at the end. From Richard HandalOctober 19, 1998 - The Unbelievable Truth hit the stage at 7:31PM and their show ended at 8:04PM. Tori began her show at 8:55PM. What time did it end? 10:27PM. The main set ended at 10:05PM. About "Cruel", Richard says it was the most intense "deeper than you can go" (soaring vocal) part he ever saw. During "Father Lucifer" there was some wonderful, visual interaction between Tori and drummer Matt Chamberlain. Tori had an incredible left hand during "Never Seen Blue." From Lee ChaixOctober 19, 1998 - Here's my complete Tori story for tonight - it's a good one, I promise! My friends Scott, Guy, and I arrived at about 8:15pm - we missed the opening act, unfortunately, and we were busy trying to find another gang who had Guy's ticket. After much running around, we found them and proceeded to our seats... second row center! Just sitting that close to the stage got my energy level up, and I couldn't believe I was there. I still can't. Tori came on at about 8:55pm, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, red sparkle apron, black pants, and fun black shoes. The set was as follows: Precious Things: Rocked as always. It's always a treat to hear it. Cruel: I really love the new part in the middle - the entire band seems to get into it. Cornflake Girl: With a beautiful new intro. This song always has so much energy, it's terrific. Bells for Her: WOW! This new arrangement is terrific. I didn't recognize it at first, and was blown away. Father Lucifer: Again, a terrific new arrangement. I especially enjoyed how Tori and the band toyed with the rhythm. The second section, into "everyday's my wedding day," was different, as were the lyrics, but very nice. A pleasant surprise! Tori opened this song with a story about how her father sat her down on Thanksgiving and explained how upset he was that she wrote this song about him. She said (and this is not verbatim, forgive me), "Dad, it's not about you. I took some drugs with a South American shaman, and that's where it came from." Her brother Mike was in the audience, as was mentionned during the story. Hotel: I really wanted to hear this, because I've heard so much about it. Well worth the wait. Famous Blue Raincoat (solo): Tori opened this by saying that this was one of her favorites, that she doesn't play it a lot, but for some reason, it came. Lovely, absolutely lovely. Never Seen Blue (solo): Another wow! I was hoping I'd get to here this, since it's become one of my fave B-Sides. Breathtaking in concert - I hope everyone has bought the Jackie's Strength single, because this song is incredible. Northern Lad: Another beautiful song, it really hit my friend Scott hard. I was so glad to hear it again. Talula: The surprise of the night! This new arrangement is absolutely incredible! I love it on the piano with the band - I thought I would miss the harpsichord, but I didn't. The lighting with this is amazing, too. Spark: Again, wonderful. I echo the sentiments of the Toriphile who said they liked how she changed the bridge a bit. Waitress: Every Plugged show I've been to, I've waited for this song. It was worth it, and seemed a bit longer tonight. I cannot listen to the UtP version anymore, it's just not the same. first encore- She's Your Cocaine: The groove begins. There was a new rock-out part before "and is it true that devils end up like you" part - way cool! Raspberry Swirl: Everyone was up and dancing for this one! And I don't care what anyone says, I like the deely-boppers a lot. second encore- Graveyard: Despite the short length, it was captivating. It lead right into... Tear In Your Hand: Yay! It's a favorite off of LE for me, and was nice to hear again. Song for Eric (solo): This was COMPLETELY unexpected, and that made it all the more beautiful. What a wonderful way to end a concert. But, my concert story does not end there. Sitting in the second row gave me the unique opportunity to interact with the musicians on stage. And I was lucky enough to "make friends" with Caton. What a fun guy to just smile at and be goofy with. Anyway, it was nice to look over at him during the concert and just smile. Well, about 3 or 4 minutes after the concert, I saw him come back on stage. I yelled, "Hi Caton!" and unfortunately everyone in the first few rows went nuts. He smiled and made a shush noise, and proceeded to take his set lists off the stage. There were a whole bunch of people up front asking for them, but he pointed to me. I managed to get up toward the front and he handed it to me. I thanked him, and proceeded to memorize every detail of the preceding 30 seconds as it became one of the most memorable moments of my life. Perhaps it sounds cheesy, I don't know, but I am so grateful for my concert experience and for having the opportunity to meet Steve Caton, one of the best guitar players I've seen. In fact, Tori's band is really the best I've ever seen live, and my musician brother echos that sentiment. Anyway, forgive me my ramblings, but I wanted to get them out before I forgot. I hope everyone else at the show had as wonderful a time as I had. This marks my eighth Tori show and the fifth on the Plugged tour. I'm sorry to see it end, because I probably won't get to see her live for quite a long time. What a way to go out, though! From Tripp GwynOctober 19, 1998 - I'm still getting over tonight!! My second Tori show ever and I get to meet her. Originally the meet and greet was supposed to be at 4:30, but for some reason it was suddenly changed 'till after the show. As soon as Kerri and I heard the RS remix, we ran like all hell to get to the MandG. Luckily we made it just in time. If we would have been a second later it would have been too late. Tori held my hand and just looked into my eyes like she knew there was a deep exchange going on. When she came back I handered her my Hey Jupiter EP which she signed. Kerri got pictures. The concert..MIKE, the concert....I've only been to two shows, but let me tell you, I don't care what anyone thinks. This show was amazing!! I was so worried something might be wrong with Tori. She did perform a lot of songs in Baltimore and it took forever between the opening act (Who BTW are MUCH better than the Devlins, you should check out the Unbelievable Truth's new CD coming out TUES) and Tori's set. But when she came out...OH MAN. She was wearing a red dress. Kerri's mother got us such great seats. I just want to send a big thanks to her! I felt like Tori was looking at me throughout the entire show. I don't have the exact setlist order because I left it in Kerri's car. I do know she played: Talula (This was SOOOO awesome, in the part where it goes "What you want is in the blood a senator" after she said it she added the word Jesse, refering to Republican Senator (And biggot/homophode) Jessie Helms. It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooo funny! Father Lucifer (with funny story about her father, Tori talked to her
Encore 1
Encore 2 All I can say is this was SUCH an awesome show. Tori played Waitress FOREVER!!! She just kept going and going. I've heard 8 live version of waitress and none have been this long. Her voice was so good all night. I could not believe it. She went SO out of her way. I guess you could say you've had a good day when one of your all time life goals is met. THANK YOU TORI! From EvaOctober 19, 1998 - Oh man. What can I say.... This was my fifth show and it blew me away. It was unbelievable. Tears were streaming down my face during the intro to Cornflake Girl... Here are the exact words: You bet your life she will, you swear to Christ she will, and she seems to do you harm. You swear on your life she will, change her mind she will, but she always seems to make it go on.... inside your heart you can't, justify, you can't, but her SMILE... she does it so well.... Some highlights: Father Lucifer--- I had been hoping to hear this FOREVER... this is one of my favorite songs... In the middle of the song she and the band did a bit of something that's not on the album version... I don't know what it was exactly... I was so happy to hear this song! Talula--- absolutely gorgeous... the lights were unbelievable. pink and green starry things... She's Your Cocaine-- she did a bit of "sweet leaf" again for us!!! Ozzy's voice goes "alright now" 4 times..... amazing how they did that! Tear In Your Hand - this is another one of my all-time favorites... I was so surprised to hear it! absolutely beautiful. Well anyway... this was by far the best, most fun show I've ever been to... by FAR. From Heather ParsonsOctober 19, 1998 - Hey all, just got back from the Raleigh show...it was everything I had hoped for. And then some. So, as suspected, the Creek sorda flipped about the Meet and Greet thing, and everyone was told that there would be one at five thirty apparently. Well, being sneaky...heh heh...we got there at about four o'clock and I lied to get in. I told the guy up front in the yellow shirt that I was there for a certain concession company (who I did used to work for...hee hee) and so we got to go to the backstage area. We didn't go in or anything, but sat in the car and watched to see if Steve or Joel or whoever would come out or a golf cart with Tori in it...no such luck. So at about four thirty, we went back up front (being all sneaky by going the back way so the security guy wouldn't suspect anything) and I got out and talked to--I wanna say Matt, 'cos I think he was the one on Ultrasound, but I'm not positive. I was looking for Tripp and Kerri to meet up with them, but I was late as it was, so. We decided to go eat something 'cos Matt (?) told us the M & G would be at 5:30. So we ate, came back and lied again to get in (I know, I'm really bad here, but you do what you got to do). We didn't see Tori, but I did get to listen to most of the soundcheck: She played Pretty Good Year, i i e e e, Spark, and a snippet of Precious Things. Pretty Good Year was absolutely GORGEOUS. We were all squealing (quietly) in our car, not very far from security. I thought we would be caught but we had fake names all ready just in case (of people who we knew for sure were working). Oh, and Caton went fishing in the pond behind the pavilion. There's a big lake thing back there and he was checking it out, disappeared backstage, came back out with a fishing pole. It was so Huck Finn. I loved it. So we got out at 5:30 (when it was legal! lol) and everyone had gathered at the back gate, where the security guy for the Creek was closing the gate on us, and then Joel came out and said that there would not be a M & G in the beginning because of all the people and the gates being open, and of course, the Creek's security shitting a brick. [At the aftershow M & G, Steve (I think his name was Steve, I'm trying to remember, everything's sorda muddled) said that they had to go through HELL to have one at all, so we lucked out, in every sense of the word.] So we all went in, and the show: This was my first Tori show of this tour, and I was so completely mesmerized. I have been really really really looking forward to seeing and hearing her perform with the band, and I was so not-disappointed. Everything about, especially the LIGHTS--my lord, the lights were incredible! I spent the entire show appreciating them mostly (besides the music, of course). They accented every bridge, every chorus so naturally that it was this all-encompassing experience, as if it were all coming from within Tori's head. I truly felt like we were at The Great Big Gig Up In Tori's Head. =) Her voice was top-notch tonight. She hit it all dead-on. I've seen Tori twice before, on the last two tours, and this show rocked my fucking world. The thing is this: Tori has always been a rock star. She's just been waiting for everyone else to catch on. What I saw tonight was everything that this woman was meant to become: a sassy, thumping, primal, bluesy, beautiful, divine rock goddess. She walked out in the black leotard with the glittering red dress/smock/thing, sat at the piano, and she OWNED that pavilion. Fucking owned it. The Creek will be lucky to ever be graced with such a powerful presence again. I was concerned about the acoustics in the venue, because they're usually crappy, but man. She had it tucked into her pocket tonight. And the band was having a ball. Okay, let's get on with it... I'll run down the songs, comment on all of 'em... PRECIOUS THINGS: You could not pick a better song to open this show
with. It sets the tone for the show PERFECTLY. And the lights! CRUEL: I have a newfound appreciation for this song. It wasn't my fave
off of Choirgirl, but now I will listen to it with a way different
perspective. Tori twisted her arms all around her head and in front of
her, straddling her bench, and Jon was having a BALL. (It's Jon, right?
I told you--my brain is FRIED...) One of my fave light shows too.
[Introduced the Band.]
CORNFLAKE GIRL: Everyone went fucking ballistic as soon as the guitar
started, but she did a really cool, bluesy intro to it that I adored,
and I really hope it makes it onto the LIVE album. And the yellow lights
fit.
BELLS FOR HER: At first I was like, "No way...couldn't be what I
think--it IS!" After listening to the sheer sadness in the original
version, accented by the bell-piano which I know has a name but I don't
'member--this one just put a completely different spin on this. This was
probably one of my favorites of the night.
FATHER LUCIFER: Tori began this with the story about her father
resenting it, and the South American shaman thing (which everyone LOVED)
and she talked about her brother Mike being there, and that was no
surprise 'cos he's there every time she's in Raleigh. Supportive older
brother, no doubt. =) I was so happy for Tripp (ya there?) 'cos I know
he wanted to hear this, and I'm really sorry I didn't hook up with him
and Kerri at the show. Okay, enough apologizing! =) This version was
really great, and Tori still managed to make her voice sorda...soar, I
guess is the appropriate term, over the band. Lovely.
HOTEL: Quite possibly my favorite of the night. It was AMAZING! (I know
I keep using the same adjectives over and over...heh heh) The light
flashed magenta and purple on the high-pitched parts, and then to white
purple and magenta on the chorus, which gave me chills. I loved
everything about this, and trust me, "Hotel" is not one of my faves from
that album. It's never struck me, so tonight, I am now an official
"Hotel" fan. =)
Secret "Blue" Time...band leaves...
FAMOUS BLUE RAINCOAT: Tori talked about how this song was written by one
of her favorite songwriters, and that she doesn't play it very much, but
that it had decided to come tonight. Oh. My God. I was almost in tears,
it was that touching. Her voice was just filled with so much melancholy
and saness and then just BEAUTY. I sat forward in my seat, unable to
look away from her.
NEVER SEEN BLUE: As if Raincoat weren't enough, she does this next, so
it was a Blue Secret Time tonight. =) This about sent me over the edge,
but I couldn't move in my seat. I sat there, just frozen by this
beautiful, beautiful woman and her voice...god.
Band returns...
NORTHERN LAD: This is one of the ones I wanted to hear worst, and it
unfolds up there onstage and I can feel myself starting to just get all
shaky inside (which, incidentally, could have been because of how
"fucking COLD" it was tonight, dear LORD) but I doubt it. Perfect.
TALULA: Another I really really really wanted to hear with the band. I
was dying to hear this and it blew everyone away. The lights came up in
pinwheels and then the band kicks in and it just rocked the pavilion.
Very cool.
SPARK: I don't want to say I was disappointed, per say, by this, but I
think I had my heart set on the live version of this and it wasn't
quite...I dunno how to explain it. The bridge was great though. Loved
the red lights.
THE WAITRESS: OHMIGOD! If this version is not on the LIVE album, I will
personally crucify the head of Atalntic Records...who probably won't
have anything to do with what ends up on the final cut, but just go with
me here--the last four minutes of the song, Tori went fucking
ballsy-blues goddess ballistic and I could not have been any happier. I
LOVED it.
Encore Numbero Uno...
SHE'S YOUR COCAINE: This is now officially a favorite song. This song is
meant to be played live until the damn cows decide they'er gonna funk
themselves home. I wish more people had been up out of their seats 'cos
it was totaly shake-your-bootay time!
RASPBERRY SWIRL: Of course, I knew it was this song when the
deely-boppers (is this the official name of them now? LOL) appeared on
MAtt's head and he just started going to town. A lot more people got up
for this one, but still not enough. I almost went out on the lawn to get
down but settled for where I was instead. I LOVE the lights for this. It
was Tori's Disco and I got Swirled. =)
Second Encore...
GRAVEYARD: Short, beautiful.
TEAR IN YOUR HAND: Okay, so here's where I lost it. It's really funny,
because this is the song I most wanted to hear because it means more to
me than anything, has always been my favorite since I bought Little
Earthquakes back in '92, after hearing Crucify on the radio for the
first time, and I was so caught up in the concert, I didn't have time to
think about whether she would play it, so the opening bar sounded and I
stood up, and the tears just poured down my face for the length of it.
My heart was in my throat, and I just stood there, crying, wanting to
sob, but knowing the people around me were already annoyed I was
standing, so...=) I think it REALLY got me when she started the last
verse: "Caught a ride with the moon..." OH GOD. And the lights, all
speckly and white and blue...they added so much ambience, and i was just
a basket case by the time it was over. Absolute sobbing wreck. What made
it so much more special is that I hadn't expEcted it, so I am officially
in heaven.
SONG FOR ERIC: I know some people missed this 'cos they sped back for
the M & G, but IT WAS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. Just Tori sitting there in
the white light, giving us all a treat. It was the perfect ending for
the show.
After the show...we went back for the M & G and there were a ton of
people and Steve came out and gave us all a really stern, stern lecture
about how to behave. And then he talked about how it had been like
pulling teeth to have Tori come out there at all. (For the record--the
head of Creek security is an asshole.) So Tori came out, and it being my
first M & G, seeing her in person like that..that close (as close as
four people deep back could be, lol)...she's so HUMAN. She's tiny and
has big ears and a warm, generous mouth, and I could have eaten her with
some pudding, she was so gorgeous and REAL.
As for how everyone behaved, I think it went generally well, but I
didn't stay for the whole thing. Some people were being obnoxious, but
that happens everywhere, I'm sure. They kept telling us to be quiet, and
of course you have those few that feel yelling is the way to get Tori's
attention. Whatever. I'm feeling too good about it to worry about what
one or two people did. =)
Tori signed my copy of Death: The High Cost of Living, and as soon as I
got it, I moved out so other people could get in to see her. This is
something I have to comment on: this was my first M & G, and I
understand that people want to see her very badly, but folks, once you
get your stuff signed, move on. I mean, there were so many people
practically in tears because they couldn't get close enough to even see
the top of her head, and I thought it was really a shame that more
people didn't just move out of the way once they had talked to her or
gotten what they wanted signed or whatever. As I moved out, this girl
said to me, "Thank you so much for moving when you got your thing
signed." and that made me feel good, because that girl would not have
gotten close otherwise. I am ECSTATIC and overjoyed about getting the
autograph, and I want everyone to experience that. Denying others that
just seems petty and selfish to me. It's not what Tori's all about.
I want to say hi to Kelley, who I did manage to get up with, as well as
her SO Rob--it was great finally metting you guys in person! Also, hello
to the other Friday's people--sorry I missed dinner! Kerri and
Tripp--WAH! please keep in touch...I was so disappointed I didn't get to
meet you! And finally to the way nice girl I met at the Meet & Greet,
who wanted a copy of Y Kant Tori Read: thanks for putting up with all of
our way bad Tori jokes and other misc. Hope to hear from you soon.
So I am incredibly happy and content and ready for Columbia. October 19, 1998 - Hey all - I just got back from an amazing treat of seeing Tori at Walnut Creek Ampitheatre in Raleigh. Unfortunately due to someone else driving, I
wasn't able to try to meet her, but I was definitely blown away by the
music and felt inclined to share it with all of you :)
I hadn't really seen Tori in full effect (with the bass & drums) yet
(although I was at the KROQ breakfast in May), so tonight's show was a
special treat for me.
The Unbelievable Truth or whatever (who recently replaced the Devlins)
sounded very much like Radiohead - that's all I'll say about them. I
wonder if Tori met them in Cornwall...
Tori came on around 9 or so - wearing this sparkly red dress that went over
a black thing...maybe one of the female EWF's would be able to describe it
better. :)
* Precious Things - The four of us took bets before the show as to what
she'd open with...others guessed Spark and Raspberry Swirl, but I called
it! And what an amazing way to open up - Tori was strong, confident, and
steady, and the inclusion of the drums/bass/guitar brought it to a whole
new level. Triple wow.
* Cruel - An excellent followup IMO; excellent lighting which complemented
the aura of the song. She did her little crossed-arms dance before it,
which was rather entertaining.
* Cornflake Girl - She began with a solo introduction that I didn't
recognize....if anyone knows, share the knowledge 'cause I'm curious.
Again, the addition of her boys really helps, IMO.
* Bells for Her - Again, awesome - didn't recognize it at first, which was
common for a few of these songs.
* Father Lucifer - Right before this song, Tori (finally) gave a little
anecdote about how her father thought this song was written about him...she
apparently replied "yeah, most of these song are about you" but she was
just kidding...then Tori said "it's not about you" and mentioned how she
wrote this when she was into drugs or something...pretty funny. Someone
else had better clarify this 'cause I didn't quite get it :) Regardless,
it was a definite treat to hear this one.
* Hotel - Very powerful. You could tell she was deep into thought and her
music here.
* Famous Blue Raincoat - YES! YES! I was so excited....this song was the
most beautiful one I have ever heard her play live...her first piano solo
of the evening, and it floored me. Before the song Tori said that she
rarely played it, but she felt compelled to tonight.
* Never Seen Blue - The second of the two mid-concert solos, and again a
pleasant surprise. Also *very* beautiful.
* Northern Lad - Steady and full sound, not too dynamic but still groovy.
* Talula - WOW! WOW! This is one of my favorite live songs by her, and
tonight's definitely surpassed them all! The backup melody involved lots
of octaves, which brought a whole new flavor to the song...it began with an
awesome intro (and again, didn't quite recognize) and then flowed smoothly
into the main song. Wow - I want a copy of this show on tape just for this
version of Talula.
* Spark - Didn't grab me...I've been somewhat desensitized to the song
after its airplay...rather psychodelic lighting...she didn't seem to be too
into it.
* The Waitress - Heh heh. Saw this one in May and it was back in full
force. Now I know why she's played it in like 99% of her concerts this
summer :)
ENCORE #1:
* She's Your Cocaine: My girlfriend Emily was psyched to hear this
one...the whole crowd was up on its feet and grooving, and I was no
exception! I'd consider this the high energy point of the evening.
* Raspberry Swirl: Matt Chamberlain put on a hard hat with
glow-in-the-dark antenna for the one, and sat there drumming away in the
back center...Tori ended with the ahh ahhh ahhh right up on the mic with
full energy...hee hee
ENCORE #2:
* Graveyard: Another rarity; her last solo w/ piano performance of the
evening...again, beautifully done.
* Tear in Your Hand: Of course the perfect closer with "it's time to say
goodbye now" - the band seemed pleased with the performance, and the crowd
was pretty mellow.
* Song for Eric: The last rarity of the evening - it was nice to hear an a
capella song after the high-energy performances of her band, and what
better way than with this one?
All in all, it was a fantastic evening. I was really craving to see/hear
her again, and those in attendance were rewarded with four songs that she'd
played less than five times this entire tour (according to Sped's Tori
setlist summary {http://acc.jc.edu/~serstad/tori98/index.htm})...
I was surprised, though, and a little disappointed, how little Tori spoke
in between songs, and how I didn't see anyone giving her presents on stage.
Maybe she doesn't talk as much now simply because she doesn't need to with
the amount of songs she can play, or maybe she was just a little tired.
Who knows? Regardless, it was a great evening, and one I won't soon forget.
Thanks for reading - I don't usually post this much, but something inside
of me wanted me to share it with y'all :) October 19, 1998 - Tori was her usual superb and absolut fabulously-wonderful self tonite. Her voice was flawless and the band performed as one rock-solid unit. I noticed a
slight buzzing in the PA during a few songs but it was quickly fixed.
The setlist was:
Secret Time:
Band Returns:
Encore1:
Encore 2: As usual, there seemed to be more than plenty of people who obviously go to
shows to say they went the next day at work/school. I had to ask half the row
behind us to please be quiet. Most of them were sorry for the distraction and
were more respectful of the performance after that except for one group. What
posesses people to talk at the very top of their lungs about what great fans
they are and how much they like this song and how they hope it doesn't take
too long to drive home because they have an early lecture all in the same
sentence WHILE Tori is playing is completely beyond comprehension.
But, a few assholes aside, the show was fantastic. Tori told the story about
the influence for Father Lucifer. She said how she was born near Raleigh and
that her brother Mike was in the audience. She confirmed that it was during a
Thanksgiving holiday when her father called her down to say he didn't like the
fact that Father Lucifer was written about him. Hehe, it was really cute :)
I'm sure I'll have more thoughts after re-living the show on the plane ride
home. More later. October 19, 1998 - hey mike.....i'm a huge fan of your website, though i have never contributed anything to it. That is, until tonight.....
i saw my 5th tori concert in raleigh tonight at walnut creek, the second show
i've seen this tour(the other was richmond on aug. 11th). This was, by every
account, the best show i've seen her do. I honestly could not be happier with
the songs she chose to play, or with the energy, enthusiasm and joy which she
and the band shared with all of us lucky enough to see it. here is the
setlist:
Precious Things
She's Your Cocaine 2nd encore........
graveyard!!!!! leading into.....
Tear in your Hand(i was in tears at this
point...and then....) she waved good bye to the band, turned to us, smiled, and sang Song for Eric
the communication between audience and tori and caton and tori was undeniably
strong and positive the whole evening.....especially during the encores.
everybody was up and dancing, and caton was flirting with my friend lee chaix,
who i'm sure will email you with her exciting story(i wont reveal it here)
we were in the second row, center...it was perfect. I feel so lucky to have
experienced this evening.......
well, peace....i have done. i'm sure others will send longer more detailed
reviews. I can only say that tonight was one of the most complete,
incandescent, and hopeful evenings i've ever had. Tori's music is
prodigious............... October 19, 1998 - The raleigh show was the best tori show that i have yet to see. She had soo much energy tonight and seemed like she was happy to
be home in the carolinas again. She did quite alot of playful
dancing during a couple of the songs. I even saw her make eye
contact with me and my friends a few times...i wanted to melt.
The people generally were standing the whole time, but it was an
outdoor show..so it was understandable. October 19, 1998 - All in all, I thought it was a great show. The audience was very respectful -- staying mostly quiet during the songs and only
screaming between them -- at least until after the main set. I think
everyone was dancing to Cocaine and Swirl -- I sure as heck was!
I'll write more later, especially about how I yet again was unable to
meet her. October 19, 1998 - hey thought you'd like to know the set list for the show.... it was really incredible. Tori said her brother was at the show.
p.s.- At the end of the show, Canton was still on the stage... I ran up to the stage and called his name out- he gave me one of his picks :)) |
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