North American Plugged '98 Tour
Detroit, MI
July 23, 1998
Updated September 16, 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 Detroit, MI on July 23, 1998 at The Palace In Auburn Hills during the main North American leg of her Plugged '98 tour.  Set ListTori performed Hey Jupiter, Here, In My Head and Icicle solo. Precious Things 1st Encore: 2nd Encore: ReviewsLatest Reviews Are Located After My Own Review Below... From Michael Whitehead (Mikewhy)July 27, 1998 - Detroit was for me one of the best shows I have ever seen. For reasons I am unable to detail, I was really into the entire concert, and Tori seemed to be 100% ON for this performance. The dynamic quality of her voice and excellent acoustics from where I was sitting (8th row center) really added to the night. Detroit is one of my best memories. We woke up early that day in Cleveland where we saw Tori the night before. We then drove to another local hotel to pick up 2 delightful Australian Toriphiles who flew to the U.S. to see the first 7 shows of the tour. Their names were Daisy and Jewel, and they needed a ride from Cleveland to Detroit. I admire the fact that these fans traveled so far to see Tori, since we all know how long it has been since Tori has toured in Australia. They were fun to travel with, and really good people. I think I could listen to their accents for an eternity and never get tired of it! I will miss them at my future shows. We then drove to Detroit. I must thank Toriphile Karen Hagglund and her significant other Michael for graciously opening their beautiful home to me and my friend Danica and allowing us to spend the night there after the Detroit show. After a week of traveling our funds were running low, and their hospitality was so much appreciated. I had been writing to Karen over the net for 2 years, and it was great to meet her and have pizza with her before the show. Karen wrote some terrific reviews about the Michigan area shows for my site during the Dew Drop Inn tour, which you can still read. Once again I was unable to get close enough to Tori during the Detroit meet and greet to say hello. (I am simply not very good at that it seems.) But I did meet more devoted supporters of the Dent and had a great time. You all are the greatest! The weather that day was beautiful. After the horrible heat and humidity of the previous shows, I was grateful for the cooler weather in Detroit. The Palace in Auburn Hills (about 30 minutess north of Detroit) HAS to be the biggest place Tori has performed so far on this tour. It dwarfed even the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago. It is the place where the Detroit Pistons play, and it took my breath away as I entered the arena. We had to climb down several hundred stairs to reach the floor seats (It seemed like it anyway!), and the people in the upper tier of seats seemed so far away. The place was HUGE and, as I mentioned in my Chicago review, it was amazing to see so many people paying to see Tori perform. During parts of the show I would look behind me and see all those people, and I was amazed. I always thought such a sight would upset me, but it did not. Tori's shows are still a incredible experience, and she has handled the move to the arena very well. The quality of her show has not suffered one bit. I do wish she would talk more, which I think would make the venue seem even more personal, but I am sure Tori has her reasons for not talking too much during this tour. Tori followed her written set list exactly during this show. Before "Sugar" and "Honey", Tori said she was going to perform 2 of her favorite songs that somehow never made it on any album. Later, I was pleasantly shocked when she played "Hey Jupiter." She said before singing that someone had been asking her for that one, and that she had been terrible and not played it until today. She played it solo at the piano, and it was gorgeous. As much as I enjoyed her playing of this song on the organ, I still prefer the piano version. Her second solo song was "Here, In My Head" which was also brilliant. This caused my friend Danica to break into tears, since she had asked Tori to play this for her at the meet and greet. Tori made a mistake during "Spark" and it was hilarious. It was the part of the song where she sings "ice cream assassin" and she just messed up and then said she "fucked up" and apologized. She started laughing pretty hard and then looked at Jon Evans on bass and I think she tried to blame him saying something like "So it was YOU." The band just laughed and kept playing. Tori redid that verse to the cheers of the crowd, but she was still laughing while singing and still did not sing it exactly right. It was alot of fun! No one messes up as cool as Tori does. I was also really surprised and thrilled to hear "Icicle", This song has always had a special place in my heart. I was then shocked when the band returned to the stage (usually when Tori returns during the second encore alone, you don't see the band again) and played "Horses." Tori has completely converted me to this new version, which has so much atmosphere. The disco balls really added an effective air to the song, and I had chills as Tori nailed the long note at the end. I just love when she wails like that! This will be my last show until Knoxville, TN on August 15. I must say that the band is getting better with every show, and I really enjoy them. I don't think there was ever a reason to truly worry about what the show would be like with a band. Tori has really made this work, and I am enjoying the shows more than ever. I am glad she continues to do some songs by herself, because those performances are priceless. But Tori with a band is really cool, and I can't wait to see how the shows evolve later in the tour. The set lists are changing more frequently now, and Tori is definitely the strongest she has ever been on stage. I am excited about what will still occur on this incredible tour. From The Flint JournalSeptember 16, 1998 - Toriphile Nadyne Mielke posted this review of the Detroit show to the rec.music.tori-amos newsgroup. It is from the July 24, 1998 edition of the Flint (MI) Journal: Tori Amos loses a little edge in transition to arena shows. Auburn Hills -- Tori Amos has reached a point in her career where she
can almost fill a alrge arena. Almost.
She didn't do quite the job Thursday night at the Palace, where the
crowd of 10,000 filled two-thirds of the seats.
The fiery queen of pain faces an even larger creative task
transferring her intense solo performances, which often resembled
religious revivals in their febrile connection between artist and
audience, to the vastness of a basketball arena.
It ain't easy to do, even for someone as gifted and determined as the
32-year-old preacher's daughter. The move to arenas has sacrified
some of that intimacy.
Amos didn't talk much Thursday night, and despite the vibrant
lighting, a muscular three-piece band and an absorbing performance by
the star, the show was not the kind of trancendent experience that the
1996 "Dew Drop Inn" theater tour was.
But it came close. What she's lost in subtlety she's made up for with
power. Guitarist Steve Caton, bassist Jon Evans, and durmmer Matt
Chamberlain pack a decpetive punch. By playing hard but not overly
loud, they keep the focuse squarely on the songs and the
singer-pianist.
Though Amos has used musicians on her first three records, she'd never
done a full-blown band record (the newly minted "From the Choirgirl
Hotel") and tour until how. Less a promotion for the new record than
an excuse to rock out, Amos' 17-song 1-hour-45-minute performance drew
evenly from all four of her albusm, with a little extra emphasis on
the new one.
Many of the songs originally were recorded with a band, so this marks
Amos' first change to give "Cornflake Girl", "Precious Things", or
"Caught a Lite Sneeze" the full treatment in concert.
They are much more dynamic live. The musicians' restrainted by firm
playing, particularly Chamberlain's punctual drumminger, and Amos'
ad-libbing added depth and dimension to those songs.
Some solo pieces were kept that way, which made for the evening's
emotional high pint: a solemn, sad "Hey Jupiter", in which Amos'
fluttery soprano soared.
Ironically, the show's most satisfying moment -- one of the few times
Amos let her guard down -- came in the middle of "Spark", among the
best of the new songs. She flubbed the lyric, something she could
gloss over in a big place like the Palace without the crowd noticing.
But the theater perfomer in her laughed it off, apologized and started
the verse over. The gaff actually elevated the song, and the crowd
responded with its biggest ovation.
Tori Amos has a passion as fiery as her red hair, with the talen to
match. The bigger enfironment of an arena doesn't kill that talent,
it just mutes it a little. From Van Wormer-FamilyAugust 25, 1998 - I just wanted to give my two cents about the Detroit concert on July 23rd. I know that a lot of people have been complaining about the lack of intimacy in the arena shows. I saw Tori at the Palace, where I have seen many other live acts, and I must say that I did not feel a lack of intimacy. In fact, it was wonderful to see so many people moving and grooving to Tori's music. I saw her during the Dew Drop Inn tour in Grand Rapids in the Spring of 1996. I left that concert feeling like I missed something. I was very disappointed, even though she played many of my favorite songs. Both my friend and I were speechless; we couldn't believe how empty we felt. After leaving the Palace on the 23rd, I was ecstatic. The void that I felt after leaving the 1996 show was gone. I am VERY pleased that Tori has decided to tour with a band. I'm not saying that she isn't AWESOME going solo, but the band really adds that added umph to the show. I thought it was amazing. I enjoyed the disco balls, the loudness, everything. It's very refreshing to hear Tori songs like they are on the album, complete with the accompanying instruments. She sounded really on top of her game - I'm excited for the next tour! From Amanda (k97aw01@kzoo.edu)August 12, 1998 - Sorry that this is so incredibly late, but I had to put in my two cents about Tori's show in Detroit. This was my first Tori concert, and it was just amazing. My friend Holly and I went to the meet'n'greet (yes I saw you, Mikewhy) but we weren't able to meet Tori or have anything signed. As soon as my poster reached the front, it was passed back to me by Steve because he said they had to go to soundcheck. :( But I was happy for the people that did get to meet her. I'm looking forward to the potential concerts in Ann Arbor and East Lansing. Maybe I'll be luckier there. We had tickets for the balcony, second row - and I was wondering how good they would be, but I was so relieved. The seats were wonderful. Well, on to the girls: Precious Things: Of all my times reading about concerts on The Dent, I have always wanted to hear this notorious girrrl growl that Tori does, and I finally did! it was amazing! Definitely a great song to start the concert with. Cruel: Other than Sugar, this is the song that I mpost wanted Tori to play. It was so awesome. She was really getting into it too, gyrating around and moving her arms rhythmically. This continues to be one of my favorite songs from Choirgirl. Cornflake Girl: I was glad she played this one and I loved her little improv part at the end - very fun. Sugar: The one I most wanted her to play - It was gorgeous. She prefaced this one and Honey with, "These 2 aren't on any of my albums, but I'm sure you know them." Honey: Another one of my favorites. She really emphasized the word TIGHT, which was really cool. iieee: very loud and emotional! The drum work was really good, and the effects that they put on it were good too. Space Dog: This one really impressed me. The "deck the halls" part especially got to me. Even though this has never been one of my favorites, it really touched me somehow, and now I want to hear it again and again. Hey Jupiter: I am so glad Tori decided to play this. I've always loved the song, and I felt that Tori was starting to get emotional while singing it. Her voice was so strong during this, and I'm not completely sure, but I swear she changed the words from "You wouldn't have to kill with me" to "You wouldn't have to kill FOR me" This song was so emotional, I was gettin' weepy! Here, In My Head: To tell you the truth, I this is one of the few Tori songs that I haven't heard. I was glad i got to though. It was a really pretty song. Jackie's Strength: This was really beautiful. Some EWF might disagree with me, but I thought the reverb on Tori's voice was done really well, and it added a lot to the song. Caught A Lite Sneeze: Great song - Tori went on and on with this one. You could tell she was having a good time. Spark: Honestly, I didn't really care if she played this one or not, since it gets so much airplay, but it really was good in concert. The crowd went absolutely nuts during the intro. Her little mess-up was very cute as well. The Waitress: Another net-legend, I finally heard the "Hang ten honey, I'm gonna go where she goes. Hang ten honey, I'm gonna get me one of those." part! I'm so excited! I really like this version! Little Earthquakes: I hadn't heard this one in a while! I was surprised Tori played it, but I'm glad she did. it was very strong, especially during the part at the end when she does the EEEEEeeeeyeah part (if that even makes sense). :) She's Your Cocaine: Not my favorite song from Choirgirl, but it was done very well in concert. The transitions between the louder and softer parts were really done well. Icicle: Tori just hopped back on stage and started plinking away at the intro and the crowd went crazy. Right before she bagain the "And when my hand.." verse, she said, "I know you guys know this part. Come on." I like the ending because instead of finishing the sentence, she just sang, "Gonna lay... hmmmm..." Horses: I like this version about equally to the album one, and the disco ball effect was awesome. A good song to end the concert with, IMO. This concert was so beautiful. I wish I could just keep it in a little bottle or something so i could listen to it whenever I want! I suddenly have a whole new perspective on Tori's music. She suddenly seems so real now. I had such a good time! If anyone has a bootleg of the show (I have no idea how likely this is), email me because i would love to get a copy! From ErinAugust 3, 1998 - Hi Mike! I didn't see you there, but the show was good. I loved her outfit. I wonder if I can trade clothes with her. I dunno. We're the same height, but I don't know if she wears the smallest size she can find. I'd love to have her wardrobe, expescially (?) her shoes. I loved the actual show. If the people weren't dancing in front of me & singing behind me, It would've been just great. I loved it when Tori forgot Spark. I was also happy when she did Here. In My Head, cause the whole time before I was going "please do Here. In My Head. Please do Here. In My Head. " And she did, so I thought that was great. Luckily, she didn't do God. My dad had went with me, and if he heard that song, he would've totally freaked. I got shirt #3, a program & a necklace. They're cool. I couldn't get there early enough for the before the show meet & greet, but I did go to her bus after the show. By the time I got there, there were only like 3 rows of people in front of me. By the time I left, there were more like 5 or 6. How is that possible? I didn't move. It made me pretty angry how all of the people reacted when Tori came out. I went from being only able to look at my watch to being unable to fall, even if it were 2 inches. The EWFs, have to learn to really calm down! Most of them went crazy! No wonder Tori left so quickly! Gosh people, if you don't learn to control yourself, she'll fade away. From ZoeAugust 1, 1998 - Well, after reading the other reviews, I decided to put my two sense in about Tori's show on the 23 at the Palace. It was the fourth time I had seen her. The last time I saw her was at the Hill, and I thought that show was amazing. So, maybe I was expecting too much, but this show did not impress me at all. For one thing, I'm not getting with the band thing. I really don't think that they add anything or take away anything from the show. It's kinda fun to hear a full band play songs like Cornflake Girl and Space Dog, but I've heard her do both of these songs on her own before, and they were just as amazing if not more. I think the biggest let down for me during the whole show, was hearing Sugar and Honey. I'm sorry to everyone who loves both of these songs, but I have never been too crazy about them. At least, not when compared to some of her other B-sides such as Sister Janet or Take to the Sky. Sugar and Honey have never done anything for me. So, by the time she was done with Honey, I was really getting pretty annoyed. I was hoping for Black-Dove(January) or Northern Lad (my two fav songs off the new album), but she goes into iieee. So, ok, we needed an upbeat kinda song I guess. Space Dog was fine. I was disappointed that Tori didn't sing the "those girls now are in the Navy" bit because she did the last time time I saw her, and it was beautiful. But, you can't expect too much from her. So, then the band leaves, and Tori is gonna do something all by herself. Oh, I was soooo happy. Maybe now we could get that special feeling of intimacy again at a Tori concert. I do think that the band and the huge venues take away from the intimacy which is one of the reasons I love seeing her live so much. When it was her and the piano, it was so easy to drift away and let everything go. I have a problem doing that with banging drums and loud guitars. But, now it was her and her piano again, alone on the stage, and I'm hoping for something extraordinary. Something really unexpected. But, noooooooooo. Sorry, again to everyone who loves this song and was so glad to hear it, but I have never enjoyed Hey, Jupiter live. I don't even enjoy that song that much on Pele. It's beautiful, but it never did anything for me. Very little of Pele ever did anything for me, but that's another story. So, I'm still a little upset. She hasn't done any of my favs yet (sorry if I sound a little selfish, but I paid $35!!!!!!). I'm beginning to not like this concert at all, but then she goes into my FAVORITE Tori song. Here, IN My Head. WOW! I was so happy. I haven't hard this song live since the first time I saw her, and it was beautiful. The highlight of the evening for me. Then, the band comes back, and the next four songs are a blur in my mind. None of them left any lasting impression. The new version of The Waitress is cool, but I am tired of hearing that song live. I like the album version the best. It was cute when she fucked up Spark, but nothing to get all ecstatic over. So, then we go into the first encore. They all come back, the band and all, and they do Little Earthquakes which was a pleasant surprise. Anything from Little Earthquakes is always nice. So, that made me somewhat happy. Then she did She's Your Cocaine which is, yet another song that has not yet impressed me too much. The second encore was much more enjoyable because she did one of my favs from UTP solo. Icicle is an amazing song, and it means a lot to me. She ended the show with the new version of Horses, and, (last time!) sorry to all the people who like this new version, but I don't understand that song no matter which way she sings it. I do like the original version better though. So, this concert was ok. Compared to some other shows she's done on this tour, all I can say, is I really, REALLY wish I could have been at those instead. But, it was Tori, the Goddess, and she's always amazing on her own. However, call me old fashioned, but I wish, wish, wish that she would go back to the days of UTP and LE when it was her and her piano. I enjoyed those shows so much more, and she seemed to be a lot more interested in the people she was playing for. Now, it's too rushed and loud. It won't keep me from seeing her again though because she is truly amazing. From MoneekaEWFAugust 1, 1998 - well...since everyone has given the set list, i won't bother...but i'll share some memorable items about the concert...to the best that i can remember at least. my friend connie and i went together to see Tori perform at the Palace...i had never been there and was honestly shocked at the size of the place upon entering the driveway. anyway...we left Toledo at about 10:15 AM and got to the Palace at about 11:45 or so-something like that. we went to visit a friend that we were staying with for the night and then came back to the Palace at about 1:00 PM. we waited around and moved a few times...just following the crowd...this was our first meet and greet so we had no idea what was going on. waiting, waiting, then the barricades were set up and everyone there was inching towards them. it was really funny...if i were just an observer, i would have been dying of laughter. anyway, finally we ran...it was a herd of humans running just to get a spot to see Tori and hour later. so the bus pulled up at @ 3:50 PM and Tori out at @ 4. connie was in front of me and i was right behind her. before Tori arrived, i met someone i'd known online for a while...at least seen around-dor--she's really cool. she then showed me who mikewhy was...and though i didn't get a chance to talk to u...thanx for everything. so then basically Tori made the rounds...i got to meet her and we got a pic together, which BTW is totally awesome...i love that pic so much, i'm glad it turned out really good! not much of a conversation though...that's ok...i was totally in shock that she was that close to me. u know...connie milked it for all it's worth and got a pic and an autograph...i said i'll wait to get an autograph...besides, that gives me a great excuse to go to other concerts...i have even more to look forward to. the concert itself was real good. i had nose-bleed seats on the second level but i won't complain b/c last tour i sat 3rd row center...that was nice and then this time i got to meet Tori, so it all works out. the songs were good and really powerful. i like it better the other way...the piano deal, but hey, Tori gets credit for doing what she wants to and it appeared that she had tons of fun, so more power to her! caton was absolutely awesome to watch...he barely ever stopped groovin to the tunes. sometimes it felt like everything was too loud, but it was Tori, so it didn't matter. the set list was great...i was sorta upset to not hear raspberry swirl, but hey, here. in my head was sweet and so was icicle, honey and sugar...so...it all evens out, besides, i'll hopefully have more chances to see her...she'll do it then! hehe... all in all, the concert was a lovely experience. i'll never forget that day. i'm quite sad that it's over, but life goes on...at least i had the chance to see it...i feel as though something is more complete now that i've actually interacted w/ Tori...somehow, someway, i was a part of her life for about 2 minutes...and that really changes everything. maybe i'm just a huge cheeseball, but, hey, i'm sure u all know how important this is. i'm set for life as long as i remember that day. From steve (posted to the RDTRN mailing list)August 2, 1998 - hello ewfs, im terribly upset right now. last night i went to the tori show in detroit, at the palace of auburn hills. i missed the meet and greet by two minutes!:( so, the palace did not even bring down the screens they have, so i couldnt see tori at all from the club section. the first few songs i could not even hear what she was saying. the band was way too overpowering..this didnt seem to be the case at the st andrews show... there are certain songs that the band really sounds great with (jackies strength, northern lad, Honey (definitely), and shes your cocaine), but other times it really sucks when you cant hear tori. it sounds better on cd...just like tori solo sounds better live:) anyways, i cannot believe HOW FUCKING RUDE everyone was. OK, FOR ANY OF YOU WHO WERE THEY, WHY THE HELL WERE PEOPLE ALWAYS COMING AND GOING??!?!? i swear, i couldnot even see because i was near an aisleway, and there were always people leaving and coming back with food. um, i dont know HOW people can eat food at a tori concert, but whatever. THis would have NEVER happened during one of her past tours. people always just sat there and totally gave tori the respect she deserved (well either that or they were just plain catatonic). as if that wasnt bad enough, the two women behind me had a conversation for the entire duration of the show!!! except of course for the encores because they left. the girls in front of us talked too. once tori broke into sugar the one girl said "i dont know this one" and her friend didnt either. Obvious solution to this problem? talk during the song! and the people next to us were mocking tori the whole time!!!!! ARGG! im so frustrated right now! i really couldnt see anything, and when i stood up for ONE song everyone around me yelled at me to sit down. anyways. at the end, there were alot of people waiting to see tori off. when she finally came out, the stupid guards only let her go to the one end of the LARGE group of people. what did i get to see? her hair as she turned to go back. that was it. and the people around were being so rude. there were way too many little kids there (and please, young ewfs, dont get offended, i KNOW that there a tons and tons of you out there that are actual toriphiles). little kids who just went to the show because it was a concert at the palace. believe me, that was the thing to do in high school, because parents wont let you go to detroit by yourself to see real concerts. thats what you get at an arena tour. a whole bunch of stupidass phony assfaces. UG. im not bitter. really. it got to the point where i just closed my eyes and listened to tori. as for the set list, it was wonderful! What a variety!!! im so glad she isnt doing mainly chorigirl songs like she did on the clubtour...although i must admit, i was looking forward to hearing Playboy Mommy and Raspberry swirl, and liquid diamonds, and she didnt play them. sniff sniff. oh well, shes your cocaine made up for it. the screams from the mainfloor when tori sang "but you know you wanna be me" were great. that was the only time the crowd really reacted...except during spark of course. once it came on everyone got excited...which is proof that, well do i really even need to say it? but the "trusting my soul to the ice cream ne..oops i fucked up!" was really cute. and then she did it again on the second try and said "i forgot my song". i think she did it on purpose, to make a sorta tori-statement. i like to think that anyways. oh, and it was cool to hear caught a lite sneeze sounding so much like the cd version (sans harpsichord of course!). i kinda missed the beating on the piano and the long zooooooone conversion, but it still kicked ass. little earthquakes was great, and icicle too. and waitress...i really really like the part she adds on at the end. i dont know what it is something like "im gonna go where she goes" or somehting. it just sounds great. im like ready to dish out 55 bucks for that Pheonix boot just to hear that. so i guess the concert was good, the venue and the crowd sucked. the crowd. the crowd really really sucked. boo! but i got yummy shirts and my necklace and my program (i love all the water in the background...just like the fire in the last one) tori is fucking incredible, but i hope she never does this arena thing again. but of course, if she decided to come to ann arbor if she does a college tour (which i think she will...), of course i'll go. i dont let go of my addictions that easily. toriniss, ps- has anyone noticed that when tori talks her voice is really raspy for screaming so much? yet when she sings it sounds as beautiful as ever. odd From BrandyJuly 30, 1998 - I just thought I would post a review for my Tori experience in Detroit last night. It honestly was more amazing than I ever anticipated, for a variety of reasons. We got to the Palace around 4:30, just missing the meet and greet by minutes. Discouraged, but not disenheartened, we proceeded to meander around until the show started. As we walked around the side of the palace, we saw Steve Caton standing outside, talking to someone. I immediately went up and said hello, and got my picture taken with him. It was kewl! A while later we were "allowed" to enter the palace. I had lower level seats, which were by no means the best, but adequate since I had brought binoculars. While sitting there before the show started, a man approached me and said he thought I could see better up front than back here with binoculars. I agreed, but said I could see okay with them. He then said that he had a couple of front row tickets if I was interested. I asked, then noticing his back stage pass, who he was. It was JOHN WITHERSPOON, Tori's tour manager. I shook his hand and gladly accepted this unbelieveable stroke of luck. He then said they reserved seats up front for devoted fans, and he had noticied me because of all the stuff I had bought. I thanked him and shook his hand again. This was beyond a godsend. I was in a complete state of shock and excitement, and we then proceeded to make our way towards the front row. So the Devlins took the stage around 7:30-8ish. They only played until around 8:30. They were good for what it was worth, but I was in complete anticipation for what was to follow. Tori took the stage shortly before 9. When she came out she was wearing a black top and black pants, with what looked like a red lacey curtain draped around her. It looked kewl. A few things that stuck out in my mind that made the show kewl were: Precious Things was a great opener. I had always hoped to hear this inconcert, and was by no means let down!! When they first started playing IIEE Jon's bass wasn't plugged in. Tori gracefully responded by hitting the vocal key on the keyboard until he plugged the bass in. No one seemed to notice. During Spark there was an interesting fubar. In the middle of the song somehow Tori missed the que and said "I fucked up I'm sorry." It was so hillarious. Tori looked a little embarrassed and I almost thought the song might stop. Fortunately though she picked it back up and finnshed. The crowd went wild after that. Also it was great to hear Sugar and Honey in concert with the band. Little Earthquakes was another surprise. Basically I could go on and on about how much the set rocked, but sufice it to say it was amazing, especially being less than 10 ft. away from Tori the entire time! :) I will say I read the other reviews and totally agree about people being rude and standing up for the show. When Tori first came on, everyone just stood up, not caring about anyone else behind them. If we would have stayed seated, we would not have seen either. People from back rows even row hopped to get closer to the front. I will say that this was very rude and inconsiderate to do to other people and I can understand this, because I am short. All in all, this was the best concert I have ever been to. I was by no means disappointed with Tori or the band in anyway. I will never forget how great a time I had or the act of generosity bestowed upon me. :) From Lindo17310July 28, 1998 - i realize that other detroit tori concert goers have complained about the lack of respect at the Palace Show, but i feel i must add my two cents worth. i felt completely and utterly disrespected by the people in front of me. there were two couples who talked through the ENTIRE concert. and kissed and hugged and swayed back and forth. sometimes i could see tori and then they would sway the other way and i couldnt. not to mention they were drunk. finally i asked them to please be quiet and they made many rude remarks and then decided to leave early. thank god. i just find it hard to believe that these people can be true toriphiles. no one who really is could talk through any show of hers. i also agree with the ursula about the floor and how everyone shouldve been seated. i figured that wouldnt happen but my 15th row seats were wondrous until we stood up. oh well. i did love the concert despite the various problems. little earthquakes was a great surprise for me. almost as great as landslide at the st andrews show but not quite. i didnt know if i was against larger venues for tori or not, but i know now that i am. i just wonder if things will ever be the way they were again. From UrsulaJuly 27, 1998 - I was at the Chicago and Detroit concerts a few days ago (I met you in Detroit, actually) and even though my shows are over for the time being, I was struck by the rudeness of some Tori fans in the audience. The atmosphere for the new concerts is so different from the old tours and I was wondering if you were annoyed by some of the things I was. This is just my opinion, but if you agree with it maybe you could post some rules of Tori etiquette so at least the people who come to your site have an idea of what bothers other people. This may or may not be helpful, since most of the people who come to your site are probably real Tori people who act fine at concerts, but anyway... The things that really bothered me at both concerts were... First, that everyone stood up, especially in Detroit. For one thing, Tori concerts don't seem like a standing event to me, but what's more to the point is that short people like me can't see. My friends and I had floor seats which were really good when we were sitting down. We could see everything when people sat, but when they stood up, I literally could not see anything. Sometimes I would catch a fleeting glimpse of Tori's head, but it was really frustrating, especially since it was a concert with assigned seats, so you couldn't move around to get a good angle. It seems to me that if you have assigned seats you should sit in them, especially if you're on the floor. Next, there were a lot of people in front of me who were kissing, which I find kind of distracting. You can make out anytime, so why do you have to do it at a concert? Also, it was hard enough getting a glimpse of Tori with people just standing up, but some people waved their hands in the air constantly, dancing. I don't mind if people dance, but it would be nice if they didn't block other people's view further by flailing their hands around. Finally, I think people should refrain from talking as much as possible. It's very distracting when you're trying to listen and people around you are having conversations. Maybe you didn't notice any of these things where you were sitting, or maybe I'm just being petty, but if you agree with me maybe you could make some suggestions. So many people travel for hundreds of miles to see Tori, and I think people should just be aware of those around them. Everyone deserves to enjoy the concert, not just tall people or people in the front. Anyway, sorry to go off, but I thought you were the only person who might have some effect. Everyone goes to your site, which I love, by the way. Thanks for providing Ears with Feet with such great, reliable information. I'm sure I'll see you at the next midwest show... [Note From Mikewhy: I happen to agree with Ursula's comments and I hope people will start being more considerate of others at the shows...] From Nick PeruskiJuly 27, 1998 - I went to see Tori perform at the Palace on July 23. This was the first time I saw Tori perform live and I must say I was not disappointed. She was amazing. I sat in the exact center about 25 rows back. The seats were pretty good. The opening band was the Devilins. They were pretty good. They played for about 45 minutes then there was a 30 minute intermission. Then it was Tori's turn to play. She opened with a neat version of Precious Things. The band really adds a new twist to an old song. My favorite songs she sang were Caught a Lite Sneeze and She's Your Cocaine. The version of Caught a Lite Sneeze was very up beat and the lighting accented the hypnotizing drum beat. Same goes with She's you Cocaine. Tori played Hey Jupiter, Here in My Head and Icicle solo paino. These were very Tori, just her and a piano. I kinda wished Tori wouldn't have had such a big band. That's one of the things that makes tori so unique is that it's just her playing a piano and singing. Now she has a whole band. They were still very good but I wish Tori would have played more solos. Oh well! During Hey Jupiter people were pullin out lighters and holding them up. Tori played Little Earthquakes and She's Your Cocaine on the first encore. The second she played Icicle (solo) and Horses. Horses was a very different version from the normal version that'a on Boys For Pele. I loved it. The funnest thing happened during the song Spark. Tori messed up. She forgot the words. Then she stopped and took a deep breath and said, "Who the fuck's got the pot?" (the whole place smelled like pot big time) She started to play the part she messed up at again (if the divine master's plan is perfection) and she screwed up again with the lyrics. She just skipped it this time and went on with the song. OK. That's all I have to say. BYE! From Matthew LampertJuly 27, 1998 - The show was wonderful; that I want to say first and foremost. I was once again seeing Tori in concert, and I was like a Catholic going to Mass; my sins were absolved and my soul was elevated to a higher level. Nothing compares to seeing her in person; you know that! There were some...intimacy issues, however. I don't know if it was our audience, or the fact that she's moved up to a larger venue, but the intimacy was almost completely gone. There were three major things that struck me; first of all, she wasn't talking to the audience the way she used to. The last time I saw Tori, I can still remember her telling the audiences little anecdotes about laying in the back of her truck in the middle of a field and about how much fun her Bose is. This show, not only did she say less to the crowd, she said almost NOTHING. The only times she really spoke at all were to introduce her band, cue them to leave the stage, and to tell us that Sugar and Honey were two of her favorites. It was that brief, too; "I'm going to play back to back songs now that are two of my favorites, even though they aren't on any album." C'est ca. The second thing that struck me was the loss of her piano's voice. Hey Jupiter and Here in my Head were played sans backup, but all others were played with full accompaniment. On this note, perhaps I'm just being sentimental; gone are the days of a girl and her piano. Still, many of us agreed that we missed the clear sound of her Bose, which can--most of the time--hardly be heard above the rest of the music. It was the last thing that struck me the hardest, though. As the show started to finish up, I kept thinking, "Well, it's not over yet; she hasn't done Me And A Gun yet!" Well, the second encore ended, and the house lights came up, and I was still waiting. Am I still being conservative here, waiting to hear THE staple concert song of Tori's from the very beginning?! It really drove home the loss of intimacy. On her albums, she can tell us of her loss and healing, but in person, we are no longer a crowd with whom she can share her oldest and deepest wounds. It hurt, to tell the truth; it's like a friend turning away all of a sudden, after all these years. It wasn't any one of these things, it was all of them; there was just a general feeling of removal, and I don't think it was just because of the crowd size. Again, seeing Tori play is always the highest spiritual experience, but this tour strikes me as a little...lost. Maybe I'm stuck in the past, but I do miss the old days. That's just my take on the night; I could be way off base. Until soon! From Ang and AmyJuly 27, 1998 - To try and make this short and simple. I don't want to sound like my best friend and I are disappointed because there is one thing that highlighted our day of Tori. Right now, I'll start from the beginning. We arrived at meet and greet a little late (4:00pm). As we were walking towards the tour bus, out pops Tori! Unfortunately there were too many people there to get a good close up shot of her. We drove around the parking lot and Amy noticed that there was a door open. We thought what the heck, and decided to stop and walk in. Tori was practicing Caught a Lite Sneeze. We stood in awe at the fact that we got into sound check and there was no one around to yell at us to go outside!!! We sat on the steps so that we wouldn't be seen. The feeling was so overwhelming. Here it was. Me, Amy and Tori. Right there. She would stop and keep making the band play the bridge of CALS until she got it right. She also practiced iieee, a nich of Rasperry Swirl, and Little Earthquakes. LE was VERY interesting. They played the CD version while Tori and the band sat and listened to the recording. (as if they were trying to get a feel for the rhythm, and fingering). After 1/2 hr. of not getting caught, Joel finally found us and politely told us to leave. We could still here her singing outside, and she played Cooling. We went outside to soak in the fact that we just got into sound check. The concert itself had no meaning to us considering the fact that we just saw Tori in her best--critiquing (sp) the song. We left during the 2nd encore hoping to meet her after the show, but we were too late. tori's just getting too big and people are beating her to us. But we just wanted to write that Soundcheck was the most amazing point of our lives. From BaconToGoJuly 27, 1998 - i'm gonna try to keep this as short as possible...i don't even remember all the songs that were played so i'm just going to make a few comments. Highlights: Bad things: We couldn't find the Palace (there's a neon sign for it about 5 miles from the actual building, which we assumed was where it was at, but we ended up in a trailer park!). Waitress dragged on for about 5 minutes too long (sorry, i'm not crazy about the newer version). We had 2nd balcony seats, which weren't too bad, except the people in front of us had some girl with them who wasn't sitting in a seat but instead was on the aisle, completely blocking my view of tori. Plus they kept smoking pot through the whole show (there was no security/ushers up there at all!) which annoyed me a bit. In all honesty, I think the band should have played a bit less and secret time should be a bit longer. It sounds great on songs like Cruel and iieee, but a lot of times I couldn't even hear what Tori was singing because the band was so loud! but overall it was a great show, even though i didn't get a chance to meet tori, i enjoyed myself and it was worth the 35 bucks. From Trent (Posted To Various Tori Mailing Lists)July 27, 1998 - another awesome show...with a "who's who" of Toriphiles in attendence!!! Precious Things she messed up big time...at the line "trusting my soul to the ice cream assassin" she said "Oh, I fucked it up!" Then she said "I have forgotten this song" and finished up (by starting that whole verse over again...to massive cheers) Waitress From Mike SmithJuly 27, 1998 - WOW. I don't know if I'm sending this to the wrong place, but I didn't see something to submit reviews with. I was at this concert, and it was absolutely stunning. The set list really impressed me, because it wasn't only the new album...she did some songs alone, and did a lot from previous albums. The list is as follows (in order): Precious Things This is actually the first Tori concert I've been to, and I'm so impressed. From Joe C.July 27, 1998 - This time i was on the Floor, 8th row, and I had a pretty great view of Tori's fingers on the Piano. "Hey Jupiter" was very beautiful, as was "Icicle". I think that she tried to get the audience to sing along but it didn't work :( Tori totally screwed up twice on "Spark" and they had to get their bearings again, but it was so cute. At one point this guy dressed as a faery pranced onto the stage and sat at Tori's piano, and you could see his butt, it was really funny. They should do more of that! I thought that security on the floor was much too strict, and i like got in arguments 3 times with the ushers, telling them that we paid for these tickets it shouldn't be a f*cking prison, we should be free to walk around and find people that we know (during the break i mean), this is a Tori show, dammit. So if you saw some guy arguing it was me :P I also think that the ushers were surprised that so many people knew each other, i sorta "told" them that a Tori concert is different. I also passed out some sticker books to those brave enough to ask me for some, so whoever got them i hope you enjoy them! Tori got a few sticker books from me as well that night! -- Joe C, db@ic.net From darcyJuly 27, 1998 - hey i just wanted to vent some of my frustrations about this show. while i love going to any tori show, i have to say that i didn't really enjoy this show. don't get me wrong, tori and the band were in excellent form and she was truly amazing but here's some things that really irked me. 1) my boyfriend and i had floor seats and were thrilled that after standing up for a whole show at st.andrews, we would be able to sit back and relax and enjoy the show. not so, i guess people thought it would be disrespectful or something if they sat down......that's what the seats were there for folks!! 2) the people in front of us seemed to have some kind of crazy need to talk through the songs...this was truly disrespectful. i finally got sick of their babbling and explained to them that you know i came to hear tori not to hear them talk. after that, no problem. after the concert though, they felt the need to make rude comments when they were leaving but not to our faces, of course. i guess it made them feel big. maybe i am sounding like a whiner but then again i remember the days of smaller venues where the only thing you could hear while tori was on stage singing away was.......tori. From Rebecca ZellarJuly 27, 1998 - When I arrived at the Palace of Auburn Hills donned in my Minnie Mouse reminiscent dress of orange flavored with white polka dots, my timing couldn't have been more perfect. Within twenty minutes, the big blue bus appeared and I felt that I was psychically connected to it because I predicted exactly when it pulled into the parking lot. I wasn't able to meet Tori this time around but I felt special just being in her sheer presence. I was able to meet Tori at the Saint Andrews show and I saw some of my fellow attendees at the barricades so I thought that now was their chance to meet her. My excitement grew and grew. I had great seats - Row 20 on the floor - and when the Devlins took the stage, my adrenalin pumped even harder through my veins. They were an all right band. Very charming. They reminded me of Bush, actually, in that they were led by a pretty boy and their music was catchy but unmistakingly mediocre. Tests for the smoke happened several times before Tori appeared on stage making my anticipation grow even more every time I heard its hiss. Finally, the smoke appeared on both sides of the stage and the black scrim curtain was ripped down to the sound of the band vamping . . . and . . . finally . . . the original vampire herself took the stage to the immediate approval of the audience. They leapt to their feet and I was left to strain my neck just in the hopes of a glimpse of Tori. It was an uncomfortable concert in that aspect but, dammit, I didn't care. She opened the show with Precious Things, which, like Richard Handal said, is a heck of an opener. It tells us that she's ready to bust some balls and doesn't care one bit. Her energy level seemed a little bit low but it raised as the show continued on. She then did Cruel with a funny voice affectation. It was quite amusing. Cornflake Girl appeared and was met with a huge roar from the audience. I like this one an awful lot, as does the rest of the world, but I've grown tired of it as it's been one of her signature songs that everyone knows without knowing her other stuff. I wouldn't be so down on this one if it hadn't been for this silly cornflake girl dancing in front of me and inhibiting my (raisin girl's) view. Sugar and Honey appeared back to back, which was a sweet surprise. They sounded great with the band. Both were very delicious. She did a little into before it and her voice sounded like she was really pushing it but after Precious Things anyone's voice would be tender, plus one sings above the throat where we do most of our talking. iieee was a lot of fun that night. It just sounded really good. I can't put my finger on it but it was full of so many nice things. Space Dog was a pretty big treat for me. When secret time came about, she said that someone had been bothering her to do this particular song for days and she just figured that she may as well get it out of the way . . . or something to that extent. She then ripped into Hey, Jupiter and it was absolutely incredible. It must pain her do this song because she put such emotion into it. I went through a lot of emotions myself that I'll keep to myself but, let me just say, it was completely therapeutical. She then did Here. In My Head which was also beautiful. She had performed it at Saint Andrews so it wasn't a huge surprise but I appreciated hearing it again. Jackie's Strength - Beautiful, as always. Caught a Lite Sneeze - I very much enjoyed hearing this with the band. It's one of my favorites (they're all one of my favorites but, you know). Spark - She forgot the lyrics to the song, which was great fun. The band vamped until she was able to get back into the swing of things. She got pretty flustered and embarassed though which was so awfully cute. She ended the opening set with The Waitress which is always awesome. I love how she's changed this song because I always found it kind of boring but she just rocks out with it now. She came back and did Little Earthquakes which was a huge experience for me. Enough said about that. She's Your Cocaine was lots o' fun. When she came back for her second and final encore, she performed Icicle by herself and had us do a sing along which was great. She ended the show with Horses. All in all, an incredible show. As always. Like I said in the post I wrote to the Precious Things list, it was incredibly personal and it really shook me up this time. I'm a little more recovered but it was quite an experience. Thanks to the thousands for sharing it with me. From Ryan Anthony HatchJuly 27, 1998 - a sober review of the tori show at the palace - i would have written of the show earlier, but i was intoxicated with the magical performance and may have been delusional! well, en tout cas, i'm back, and from a distance, ready to review (humbly), the show. for months now, i had been eagerly awaiting this gilded day! yes, and as the countdown went from days to hours to minutes, i grew so anxious that i was moved to mad dancing in the Palace parking lot! unfortunately, mike, i did not get to the meet and greet, due to my dependency on other elders, who, unlike me, might legally drive. though my friend's mother kindly accepted the long drive to auburn hills (and even got a seat for the show), she was not able to get us there that early. no tears though, i just regret that i couldn't meet some of these super-sweet toriphiles that i've heard so much about! anyhoo, i arrived, floating, at about 7 pm. let us first treat the main issue of the tour - arena venues. now, i refuse to make any extremist or overtly romantic declarations, which are against my nature. i do not consider tori amos a sell out, and i do not begrudge her success. yet, on the other hand, i don't understand how tori, let alone her fans and i, could settle for the sometimes coarse acoustics which the usual stadium venues offer. during louder parts of the show - i distinctly remember this at the climax of Little Earthquakes - the amps seemed overdriven, creating a crackling noise which simply had to be ignored at times in order to enjoy the show. but for the most part, tori handled the arena settings with great prowess - tori's new album took me some getting used to, as did the show, but i adjusted, and found myself in a deep subconsious ecstasy, as has been the case at all of her previous shows which i've attended. but let us not linger over that issue - it is what it is. i shall not bend it out of proportion, and i hope you do the same. i was very pleased with tori's opening with Precious Things - it seems a much more striking and suitable opener than does Black-Dove (January). Almost immediately, Tori and the boys manifest to us their power and prowess - and sheer talent, as they busted out a seemless version of PE. Cruel was no surprise to me - i was expecting it. One of my favorites on the album - one of my favorites on the set. Cornflake Girl was wonderful - you should have seen me dancing like a hypnotized zany! And then, the first surprise of the show - Sugar and Honey, back to back! I might have expected one of them, but both in a row was a delicious treat! i i e e e was breathtaking - i can tell that this song truly means something to Tori. her live performance truly enhanced that song's meaning. space dog was really dynamic, the band did very well with this one. and then the boys go, and we do some things... SECRET TIME!!!! i was racking my brain, trying to guess what she would play. "someone's been asking me to do this for day and days...i'm gunna give it a try..." i couldn't believe it - for the first time on the tour, tori was playing hey jupiter, at MY SHOW! true, i'd heard it twice previous on the DDI tour, but both times, she'd played it on organ, which i disliked. so this was the first timed i'd heard the original version live! i was crying and those sitting near me would attest to it - sobbing at the beauty. thanks tori! as if that wasn't good enough, she plays here. in my head, a favorite of mine as well! i can truly say i appreciated our "secret time" with tori the most! the boys returned, mr. evans with his upright double bass in hand - i had a feeling of what was to follow, and was right. tori's moving performance of Jackie's Strength sent my friend, laura, winging on to heaven! she was smiling, crying, and squeezing my hand - what a cutie (before the show - laura told me she "needed" to hear this one!) caught a light sneeze was another pleasant surprise - i really prefer this all new, all piano version to the harpischord - i'm glad she's moved on from that instrument. next, i noticed the offbeat rythyms of Spark right away - then Caton's haunting and flowing liquid guitar line sounded pure and clean - however, tori was not so clean in her performance. during the lyrics "trusting my sould to the ice cream assassin," i think tori got tongue tied and just lost track - "oh shit, i fucked it up," she said, as the audience burst into good-natured laughter. after another fit of laughter on tori's part, she and the band began again, and executed the song well. then came The Waitress, the new longer version which i had been anticipating so. i can honestly say i got whiplash hearing this song! amazing. tori and the boys were at their best - the song lathered itself to an ever heightening climax which kept increasing, right up to the brink of emotional anarchy. at the very tip of the song, tori panted heavily and rythmically into her micraphone. at the end, still energetic as when she began, tori pushed the mic away, into the pinao, creating a loud thud which ended the main set. thundrous applause followed. after a short wait, tori and the band returned to the stage, and immediately went into the easily recognizable Little Earthquakes, which was a huge surprise to me. this is a beautiful song, and this was the second time i'd heard it live. it was anastounding performance. next, She's Your Cocaine had my friends and I dancing like little sex pots! fun fun fun! again the quartet left the stage. for the second encore, only tori returned to the stage at first, which surprised me. she played a warm, langorous version of Icicle whose tempo rubato was effective and moving. the band returned for the final song of the night. i didn't recognize it at all - couldn't even guess. when she began to sing "i got me...," i was hypnotized. this new version of horses is truly beautiful - its slower motive seemed haunting and sinister at times. i enjoyed hearing this new version, and was entirely satisfied with the show. so much for cynicism! the show, though in a less than desirable venue, was more than i could have ever hoped for. i would like to thank tori for making this, and all her shows, so special. From Becky (posted to Precious Things mailing list)July 27, 1998 - The magic swept me over again and I'm still recovering . . . . it was such an emotional experience for me last night that I'm pretty shaky even now, but I'll put a review for all those interested. I arrived at the Palace of Auburn Hills around 4:00 - just in time for you know who to pull into the lot with her bus of blue. It was kind of interesting, actually - because I predicted exactly when it would appear - Tori just allows psychic energy to run rampant or something. Anyway - I wasn't able to talk or touch her this time around, but I did get a little wave. She looked lovely, as usual. When I finally got into the arena, I was a little overwhelmed and fearful about not being able to see. Not that I didn't have great seats - Row 20 on the floor - but I'm a little one and was fearful of people standing in front of me because the floor wasn't elevated. Thank you, though, Joe, for the tickets. The Devlins came out and the excitement continued to build. They were cute and I can see what Bush was probably like before they became big. Lyric and music wise they weren't that great but they were awfully likable - that crazy Irish charm. Tori eventually took her place with smoke and the band vamping preceding. Everyone leapt to their feet - bummer for the short girl, but my calves got a work out - and the show was off to a killer start with Precious Things. I won't go into every single part of the show but I'll touch on the highlights for me. At first, I thought Tori's voice was hurting because she sounded a little bit hoarse but I realized that after singing Precious Things for an opening would strain anyone's talking voice - when you sing, you sing above the throat and when you try to speak with the throat after singing - it's difficult. She was in fine voice for the rest of the show. It just got better and better. Iieee was pretty fun this time around, more so than cruel. I enjoyed it very much. Anyway - back to the highlights - # She played Sugar and Honey back to back - how nice and sweet. #Hey, Jupiter made an appearance during the secret time. It was lovely and I went through a lot of memories that have always destroyed my stolid demeanor. #The Waitress was delicious. #She forgot the lyrics to Spark! ha ha ha. And then her band members were trying to help her out but that made her even more frustrated. #She played Little Earthquakes!!!!!! Whoa! I was completely destroyed by the richter scales with that one. #Icicle appeared for one of the encores. We sang along and it was a lot of fun. The rest of the concert - well, I shared with you the special moments. The whole thing was brilliant, as always, and she is completely therapeutical to my soul. I don't want to share everything with you because I feel it's between that little faerie and myself - and the thousands there - but I thank her and her magic. Release yourself when in her presence. |
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