A Private Listening Party With Tori

Added September 26, 1997

The following was posted to the Precious-Things mailing list by Debbie Nazarian on September 10, 1997 in response to a question about how friendly Tori is in person.

Tori is one of the most genuine and caring people that i have ever met. While she was touring in Los Angeles, CA during the Dew Drop Inn Tour, i had the dream-like opportunity to meet and talk to her. It's so wierd because as i'm writing this, all of the feelings i had that day rush back to me all too real. A local radio station in L.A. (KSCA FM 101.9) was giving a sort of "private listening party" for about 15 Toriphiles to meet Tori and get to hear her play live for us at a local hotel. i had never won anything before in my life, but i just kept trying and trying and by some miracle i was given the chance to meet her.

Everyone in the room was sort of sitting on a platform where the piano was and anxiously awaiting Tori's arrival. When she came in--i can't explain it, it was breath taking. she went up to each person and met them personally, asking if they had gone to see her yet (she had had 2 other shows at the Greek that weekend). She was so genuine, like the person that she was talking to at the time was the only one that mattered in the world even though there was a whole room waiting to speak to her. When she got to me, she shook my hand and looked into my eyes, and i felt like i was going to faint. i got tears in my eyes and could barely speak, but managed to tell her that she was the first concert i had ever gone to, and she was really surprised by this. She smiled one of her beautiful smiles, and really listened, you know, not just heard, but listened. She even remembered my name later when i asked her to sign a picture for me. it was just amazing how genuine and kind she is. she then played some songs on the piano, and this had to be the most surreal part of it, because there was Tori and there i was and i could SEE her fingers moving so gracefully on the keys and the way she moved and it was just surreal...

one of the main things that stands out in my mind most about that day, though, was when Tori was speaking to another Toriphile who began crying when she was talking to Tori and kept saying how Tori's music had truly helped her get through so many difficult times in her life and how grateful she was to her. and you know, Tori began to cry with this woman too and had to wipe tears away from her own face. most people in the room began to get teary too. i share this with you all because i think that woman's words rings so true for so many of us all, and it seems Tori understands this and feels this all too well...

i apologize again for the length of this, but just wanted to share it with all of you, because it's an experience that i hold so close to my heart and will never forget :)

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