North American Plugged '98 Tour
Indianapolis, IN
November 30, 1998
Updated May 2, 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 Indianapolis, IN on November 30, 1998 at the Murat Center during the main North American leg of her Plugged '98 tour.  Set ListTori performed Marianne, Etienne, Flying Dutchman, When Sunny Gets Blue and Famous Blue Raincoat solo. Precious Things 1st Encore: 2nd Encore: Venue Photo (Thanks to Richard Handal for the photo.) |
ReviewsThe most recently added reviews are after my own. From MikewhyDecember 8, 1998 - This was one of my all time favorite Tori concerts. If it was not my favorite, it was definitely in the top 3. There were lots of surprises tonight, and Tori was in top form. For those of you who enjoy surprising or eclectic set lists, this was your night! Don't let the relative shortness of this review fool you, this show was deeply rich and if I had the time I could write volumes about it. I was seated in the balcony for this show, and the lighting on the stage was really mesmerizing from up there. I was also pleased by the sound. Every note of Tori's piano and keyboard, as well as her voice, was loud and clear. It was one of the best sounding shows I have experienced. That turned out to be a huge asset, since this show had so many great songs to hear. While I enjoy being in the front on the floor, the sound is usually better in the back. Secret time was "kill Mikewhy" time (and I mean that in a good way). I think I mumbled "Oh My God" before each song. This was the first time I heard Marianne and Flying Dutchman this tour. Tori also did the complete Etienne for the first time in concert that I am aware of. This was definitely one of the most intense and exciting "secret times" I have experienced. All three of these songs were intensely gorgeous. I never realized how lovely Etienne was before this time. The balcony was quite chilly, and that was made worse by the chills each of the solo songs gave me. But the cold was replaced by warmth as I listened to these beautiful songs and let them sink in. Only Tori can do this to me at this level. This was the best version of Cruel I have seen. Never have I seen Tori so animated and so into the song. It was exciting. It was quite the adrenaline rush. Tori seemed possessed and really powerful onstage. Space Dog is damn good fun! The second enore was another highlight. Tori sang about two minutes of When Sunny Gets Blue as an introduction to Famous Blue Raincoat. I have not heard When Sunny Gets Blue personally since 1994, and it was beautiful. Tori has great skill in deciding which songs go together and in choosing special intros to certain songs. That was vividly demonstrated tonight. I was shaking so badly at this point. Tonight was extraordinary. It was one of those nights that you can't believe happened. My jaw was lying on the floor, and after a while it was easier to just leave it there instead of picking it up repeatedly. ;) Of all the shows I have seen on this tour, this one was the most surprising and unusual. When I combine this show with the emotional roller coaster ride of the evening before in Columbus, OH, I can understand better than ever before why I go to so many Tori concerts. From PrlJmFreek@aol.comDecember 9, 1998 - The Indy show was so amazing! It was only my second Tori show, but I can't imagine there ever being one to beat it. The Unbelievable Truth was unbelievably terrible, but their set made for an excellent time to buy t- shirts (although they were sold out of programs by then). Tori was amazing. My heart started thumping up into my throat when she finally came out. She walked to the front of the stage and squatted down with her arms outstreched as if she were gathering the energy of the crowd. Precious Things-Amazing(I just can't use that word enough) extremly powerful. Tear in Your Hand-I almost fell over when she started this one. It's my favorite from Little Earthquakes Hotel-Although this isn't one of my favorites from CGH, it was truly wonderful live. Beautifully done. Past the Mission-I couldn't believe it- another of my faves, this one was so emotional (at least for me). Girl-I loved this! Everyone around me was signing and swaying along with it. I started getting a little misty-eyed myself. Mary-One of my new favorites. I'd never heard this one before but it stuck in my head all night long, and it was so good with the band. And I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure Tori looked directly at me when she sang the "butterflies don't belong in nets" part. Marianne-I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. It was very intense and emotional. Etienne-Another one I'd never heard (It's hard to find good B-sides in Indy). It was beautiful, Iwas glad i didn't know the words so I couldn't mess it up by singing along. :) Flying Dutchman-"Take a trip on a rocket ship"-sooooo good, I was really glad she played this one. Northern Lad-Very beautiful, great lighting. I could see Caton making little facing and trying to be really cool during this one (he's so cute!) Cruel-Spectacular! I love the little thing she did before she started singing- acting like her hands were tied and all. Space Dog-I've always wanted to hear this one in concert-and it didn't disappoint me a bit! The Waitress-Excellent as always, I've always loved this song. Then Tori and the boys did a quick bow, ran off stage, and came back less than a minute later Talula-So wonderful "Igot bigbird on the fishing line.." This is my favorite from Boys For Pele Raspberry Swirl-very energetic. everyone started dancing and sang along Tori left again after stopping to pick up some roses from some guy in the front row. When Sunny Gets Blue-I didn't know this one but it really acted as the perfect intro for... Famous Blue Raincoat-My all-time favorite, it was so amazing to see this one live, and solo at that! Pandora's Aquarium-Another beauty. I was sad to see it end. Then Tori and the boys left again, but not so quickly this time, she stopped at the right side of the stage and signed "You make me happy" to us before leaving. That one really tugged at my heart strings, I love her so much! all in all an amazing night. I just want to appoligize to the two girls next to me (12th row) for screeming so loud and singing so much, I just couldn't help myself! From Jennie ParatDecember 8, 1998 - Well, well well. What a wonderful show this was, and it was well worth the trouble we went through to get there. We left at 3:30 - oh, we had classes to go to. We got to the show - totally forgetting about the time change and almost missed it. None of us had tickets, but as we were walking to look for scalpers, we got 16th row center - for only $20!! So we were happy. The show rocked ass, I can't believe she played famous blue raincoat. I requested that many shows ago, and there is some secret longing in me telling me, she played it for me. Well the show kicked harder than I have ever it heard. Is it me, or do they just get better and better. Well, we followed the bus back to the hotel, the Canterbury, they threw a blanket over Tori, and they ran her inside. So we decided to go home. On the expresssway back, we noticed her bus. After screaming "NO FUCKING WAY, HOLY SHIT!!" We pulled up with the driver and started writing signs like Hi, is the band awake? Then everyone came up front and we were talking quite sexual back and forth. But the funny thing that happened was STEVE CATON MOONED US!!! Well, grant it, I flashed them, but oh my god. Then we pulled over and had a 20 minute talk with the band at a gas station. It was so much fun!!!! From Tim Borek (posted to the rec.music.tori-amos newsgroup)December 8, 1998 - Plugged 98 wasn't all I had hoped for, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the Indy show. My only complaint is that Tori and her band together spent too much time on extended jams. That may work w/Phish, Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Dave Matthews Bands, etc., but I don't think the method complements Tori's music. There was a lot of it at the Indy show, enough to throw me off a few times, and I've been an avid listner/fan since 1992. This extended jamming looked to me like masturbatory ego stroking, for whatever reason. Yeah, Tori, we all know you're a badass, but don't rip your beautifully arranged music to shreds. Maybe part of this stemmed from her move to the "big rock show" type of lighting and special effects. A musician myself, I find that under the bright lights with all those people transfixed, you can't help but go with the flow. My only justification for the zaniness is that she was harnessing and reflecting the unbridled energy of the audience. There was psychic energy to spare! Her voice was in terrific shape, in spite of the very hot mic at first. "Marianne," "Cruel," and "Tear in Your Hand" proved that. I wish she had performed more album cuts instead of singles and rarities, though every song was a treat. I realize now that I need to look harder for "Flying Dutchmen," "Etienne," and so on. Good stuff, and I regret that I wasn't as familiar with the more obscure songs as most of the audience. Now that I've seen both her "big rock show" and her solo performances, I have to admit that I prefer the more intimate vibe of her solo performances. However, some songs, like "Girl," "Raspberry Swirl," "Waitress," and "Hotel" need a backing band to really bring her music to life. From The Indiana Daily StudentDecember 5, 1998 - The following review appeared in the December 4, 1998 edition of the Indiana Daily Student, the student newspaper of Indiana University. It was sent to me by Toriphile Jen (Raspberry Swirl Girl) Amos puts on 'plugged in' show at Murat Tori Amos performed Monday at the sold-out Murat Theatre in Indianapolis
on the final leg of her Plugged '98 tour. The tour has taken the beloved
diva all over Europe and North America and came to a close last night in
East Lansing, Mich.
The "plugged" in Plugged '98 refers to the full rock band Tori brought
along to back her fiery piano-playing and sensuous, explosive voice.
Her most recent album, "From the Choirgirl Hotel", also features added
accompaniment and a wider mixture of style than the well-known "Little
Earthquakes" and "Under the Pink." These two albums cemented Tori's status
as a musical idol, revered for her emotional, searing vocals and
beautifully mastered piano work.
"Tori is my goddess," said senior Tobey Geise, who attended Monday's
concert. "I've been listening to her since sophomore year of high school."
Sophomores Jessica Schulz and Lori Dean spent Sunday night in
Indianapolis in hopes of getting a jump on other fans showing up early for
Tori's traditional "meet and greet" before every show.
"We got there at 7:30 a.m., but the Murat security guards kicked us out,"
Schulz said. "We left and came back later and got right up to the front
and I met Tori and shook her hand, and it was awesome!"
This kind of devotion is what makes every Tori Amos concert special.
Monday night's crowd was no exception as it showered Amos with adoration
throughout the entire show.
After a forgettable opening set performed by The Undeniable Truth
(typists note -- they obviously forgot the name, Unbelievable Truth), Tori
and her band took to a standing ovation. They went right into "Precious
Things," a Tori-anthem from her breakthrough album "Little Earthquakes."
Tori's band included drummer Matt Chamberlain, who has played with Pearl
Jam, and bassist Jon Evans. The two fit right in with longtime Tori
accompanist Steve Canton on guitar, giving a full, rocking sound to the
opening song.
Another "Earthquakes" song, "Tear in Your Hand," slowed things a bit with
gently soothing, emotional lyrics and melodic changes as Steve Canton began
to show off his liquidy and endearingly cute dancing.
"Hotel," from her newest album, found Tori switching to synthesizer,
another part of the plugged-in aspect of this tour. She reassured any
doubters by singing "I'm Still Alive" and proving it by giving one of the
richest and purest vocal performances of the night.
"Past the Mission," from "Under the Pink," and "Girl," from "Earthquakes"
preceded the B-side "Mary," completing the initial plugged-in portion of
the show.
Fans were then treated to pure Tori. Alone on stage with her piano she
played "Marianne," "The Etienne Trilogy," in addition to another B-side,
"Flying Dutchman."
The band returned to finish up the set with two songs off "Choirgirl
Hotel" -- "Northern Lad," and the heavy and sexual "Cruel" during which
Tori turned her back to the audience, placed her left foot on the bench and
ground her pelvis toward the piano. "Spacedog" and an extended "Waitress"
wrapped up the set with Tori screaming "I believe in peace / I believe in
peace, bitch!"
The first encore culminated with the dance-jam "Raspberry Swirl" from
"Choirgirl." Some audience members stood and danced along with the driving
beat and energetic techno sound.
The second encore featured a beautiful and moving rendition of Leonard
Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat." The show ended with "Pandora's Aquarium,"
which became full and heavy as Tori declared "I'm not asking you to believe
in me." From april trentDecember 5, 1998 - This was my first Tori show, and probably one of the most memorable experiences in my life! The Murat Theatre is absolutely gorgeous! It is such a classy place and it fit the atmosphere perfectly. After Tori's opening act, The Unbelievable Truth, time seemed as if it was moving at turtle speed. I could not wait for her to come out! I bet the people sitting behind my friend Misty and me thought I had ants in my pants =) After an hour or so, "The Moment" arrived and it was everthing I hoped it would be and so much more. I have always thought Tori was a beautiful woman, but she is absolutely stunning in real life! I can't get over the beauty she radiates! Precious Things was the first song, and it was a perfect song to begin a show with. It's one of my favorites, and hearing it live was just, "Oh my God!" I can't think of any other way to describe it. I had goosebumps through the whole song; when she got to the "girl" part I had read so much about, I lost it. It was just beautiful! Tear In Your Hand was the next song. This is another favorite song of mine (hell, they're all favorites! =) and it was very upbeat and uplifting. Sounded so good with the band! Hotel: very, very, very dark and mysterious sounding I thought. I loved it because I love to hear that famous Tori wail that only she could perfect. Past the Mission, Girl and Mary were all fabulous! I was so surprised that Tori played Marianne! It was superb! Although, at this point in the show, the idiots sitting a row behind us caused some sort of rucous and the security guards distracted me from fully enjoying it, but it was still great to hear live. Etienne is a song that I am not familiar with, but loved it all the same. I only wish it was as special to me as it is to all of you who know it by heart. Flying Dutchman was good and so was Northern Lad, but Cruel was just the icing on the cake! The C.D. version of the song doesn't give it any justice after hearing it live! The emotion in the air was so thick I could have cut it with a knife! Again, I cried. Space Dog was awesome! The Waitress reminds me of someone I used to work with and this song tends to make me laugh because this "someone" is described perfectly in this song! I loved the long ending that was put on it! I was surprised to hear Talula, but none the less pleased. Raspberry Swirl was sooooooooo wonderful! I loved the sound of those drums that were being played through out it, and the lasers were a fantastic touch! I loved the way Tori was saying, "ra ra ra raaaaspberry swirl" I still can hear it in my head! I think this was my favorite song of the show. When Sunny Gets Blue and The Famous Blue Raincoat are not songs I'm familiar with either, but they were beautiful! The final song was Pandora's Aquarium and such a good song to end a show with! It displayed a lot of feeling and I loved Tori's husky sounding voice on this one! This was without a doubt, the best concert I have ever been to. My only complaints are the jerks sitting in the row behind us and the bar in the lobby didn't need to be open. Too many people were getting out of their seats and causing distractions just so they could get another beer. If people wanted to drink so much, it would have been cheaper for them to go to a bar instead of The Murat. I can't wait for Tori to go on tour again so I can hear all the songs she missed! I was looking forward all day to hearing Hey Jupiter, Liquid Diamonds, and Jackie's Strength, my all time favorites, next time though! =) Thanks for reading my long and drawn out review! From rileyDecember 5, 1998 - wow, it was just too good to be true. first of all i had 5th row seats, which i would like to publicly thank Howard Cohen for informing me about the tickets.. its the only reason i was able to go! so thank you howard :] after getting lost a few times trying to find the murat, we made it. too late for the meet and greet, but i was happy to be there anyway. once the unbelievable truth finally started, i wasnt very impressed.. they reminded me of the devlins.. and i wasnt fond of them either ;] anyway.. .at 9pm sharp tori took the stage. well, the band did. then tori joined.. of course.. ;] after precious things the songs went like this: * tear in your hand - [WOW. this is my favourite song ever and i was giving extra 'please play this!' vibes to the song, i guess tori got them ;] i got so excited when i heard the first burst of the song... wow.. * hotel [ive been curious of what this souded like. nice!] * past the mission she introduced the band, and went into.. * girl [!!] * mary --secret time * marianne [i was so glad to hear this] * etienne [what? has she been playing this a lot? very cool!] * flying dutchman [the girl in front of me was so happy to hear this, it made me happy] --band came back * nothern lad * cruel [ha, at one point she put one leg up on the bench, and turned around and acted like her hands were tired behind her back. people were giggling because you got a shot of her butt.] * spacedog [!!! yay! this rocked ;] * waitress [same as always :] -encore 1 * talula [i wish i would have written down the lyrics she said at the beginning because there was some sort of improv. "changes" is coming to me, but i dont know if thats right. i was happy to hear this too!] * raspberry swirl [this is my third show this tour, and i finally enjoyed this one! it always sounded strange to me before.. but, i loved it] -encore 2 * when sunny gets blue [i didnt recognize this, because i havent heard it before, and i wanted to know what it was, and i saw a guy holding the actual setlist but it simply said 'toris choice'... so... this one puzzled me, but i now know what it was. it was very beautiful] * famous blue raincoat [i have never heard this song, but when she sang the line with famous blue raincoat in it i was very happy. hearing this song for the first time live is a nice introduction to it.] * pandora's aquarium [nice closing song.. after it was over she quickly ran off the stage] wow.. it was an incredible show. it was better than the two shows i saw before put together [cinci & dc [8/8]]. it was just too amazing to hear tear in your hand second.. it was like my dream show. all of the songs up until northern lad i hadn't heard before.. so it was such a treat! i hope all of you get to experience this someday.. especially you in australia! this guy in front of me had signs, one said 'you make me happy' and i never could see the other.. but when he held it up, tori was walking off the stage before an encore, and she looked at him and said 'you make _me_ happy' with gestures.. it was too cute. of course, i didnt see any arty tuners.. maybe next tour.. so thats about it... after the show i went to the back to maybe go to the after show meet and greet, but it was too packed, so we went back to the car and drove home.. on the way to the car these two girls were yelling at a secrity guard on the side of the building, "do you know tori?!?! get us her autograph!!!!" it was both obnoxious and humorous. oh well.. ;] From Josh VonderheideDecember 5, 1998 - I can't believe how incredible that show was. When we at the pre-show meet and greet I asked her to play Flying Dutchman, but when she actually played it during the show I broke down. I was crying so hard I thought that I would lose it. My friend, having never been to a Tori show couldn't believe the emotions in the songs. I am so glad that this show was the last I went to, because no other had touched me as much as this one. From Michael HenryDecember 5, 1998 - WOW! AWSOME! AMAZING! These words can't even describe the concet last night at the Murat! I saw her perform in Chicago at the Rosemont and at the Palace in Detroit. They dont even compare to this one. This was my first time seeing her in a smaller environment, and I was standing there the whole time with my jaw on the ground. She looked and sounded absolutely BEAUTIFUL. So many great songs, CRUEL ROCKED, and her solo performances were to die for. The cocer meant the world to me and I love Tori even more now. The only thing it lacked was the bubbles during Space Dog, there weren't any...I liked the bubbles. Thank you Tori and to all those sitting around me. They were into the concert the whole time. No one sat down, and no one complained about standing, It was WONDERFUL! You could feel the love! From Robert MarilDecember 1, 1998 - Michael-- As I sit here, having returned to DePauw, I can hardly relate to you my feelings. I've been looking forward to this concert for weeks, as it's my first live Tori show. We arrived about an hour early, found our seats, and were elated to see how tiny the Murat was. Even halfway back on the floor, I could see every motion of Tori. The Unbelievable Truth was enjoyable enough as an opening act, although I wouldn't buy the CD. I think that I would've enjoyed their performance more, of course, if I hadn't been nervously awaiting Tori's arrival. When she did finally come out (at 9:05) she began with an incredible rendition of "Precious Things." I've read about the "Girrrrrrrl" part a lot on the Dent, but seeing the actual "crotch-grab" was stunning. For the rest of the show I beamed, danced, and nearly sobbed. Tori performed so many songs that are very special to me, "Northern Lad" being the most prominent (I'm sure it was this way for many Toriphiles!). Another high point of the main show was "Etienne." It's wonderful that she still sings songs from her Y Kant Tori Read days. I was ecstatic at how many early songs and b-sides Tori performed this evening. It was really a gift to hear so many of my favorite songs, backed up by a really tight, driving band. Her choice of encores couldn't have been more perfect. Beginning with Talula, followed by Raspberry Swirl (a version that sounded much like the Lip Gloss) the first encore was a get-out-of-your-seat-and-dance blast. Her second encore included a cover song that I'm guessing is called something like "When Sunny gets Blue" melded with a heart-wrenching "Famous Blue Raincoat," the Leonard Cohen song that has become one of my favorite Tori covers. Ending with "Pandora's Aquarium" gave the concert a very complete feel, as if it had come full-circle from the "Spark"-like drum intro at the beginning to the last track of Choirgirl. Overall, I'm floored by Tori's energy and communication with her audience. I knew she had it, but seeing it live has only cemented my devotion to this woman. It kills me to know that this is the end of the tour, but I understand that, after 9 months of touring Tori needs a break! It can't be easy to bear that much of your soul night after night. Thanks for keeping the Dent up--it's a godsend. Robert Maril p.s. Was that you that I saw standing outside the Murat, wearing the t-shirt with "Liquid Diamond" lyrics? I'm almost sure it was! From Brad ShultzDecember 1, 1998 - What a concert. The little redhead treated us with many gems. Not bests hits Tori concert!!! Precious Things
encore:
2nd encore: She looked and acted fabulous tonite. And Caton had three glasses of what looked like red wine as he played. In the 7th row you notice these things. From AndreaDecember 1, 1998 - I went to the Tori concert in Indianpolis last night and it was so good there isn't exactly a word I can use to describe it. This is the fourth time I have seen her in concert but the first of the four that I really felt her so into her music. She did an awesome job on Hotel which left the song in my head the rest of the evening and when she bursted into Tear in Your Hand following Precious Things I felt so much energy from her. It was amazing. It was the best feeling in the world. Only Tori can make me feel the way I did last night. Sitting there seeing her in front of me is like no other feeling in the world. I hope alot of you got to go to the show it was deffinetly an experience I will never forget. From KatherineDecember 1, 1998 - AAAAH can you believe that concert? Tear in Your Hand! Etienne! Mary! Past the Mission! Girl! FLYING DUTCHMAN! FAMOUS BLUE RAINCOAT! When Sonny Gets Blue! Marianne! I was dying. |
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