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Quotes From the European Leg Of The Tour
Quotes From The North American Leg Of The Tour
Quotes During The European Part Of The Dew Drop Inn Tour
February
In Sheffield England on February 24, Tori said to the British crowd, "Hi", and said that this was the second date of her 200 date World Tour, so she was still in the
'honeymoon' phase, and she asked us to remember her by the 87th show
when she'd be in Ohio, and finally getting everything right. She said "Y'know how at first when you get married, in the
'honeymoon' period it's exciting and you're still enthusiastic, but
after a while when he tries it on you just feel like saying 'Hey honey,
is there a football match on TV or something?' And that's how I'll feel
by the end of the tour." Later during Cornflake Girl, Steve Caton had some strings break on his guitar. Tori noticed this too and so in the refrain of "Rabbit, where'd you put the keys girl?" she sang "Rabbit, I broke my gee-tar string."
In Manchester England on February 25, Tori thanked the audience for responding so warmly and enthusiastically and compared their reaction with the 'more
refined clapping' that she received from the audiences 'down
south,'. She said they just sit there and go 'clap clap clap'; even when they come, they probably just go 'clap clap clap'. She used a cockney accent for some of this. She commented that since she has a boyfriend from northern England she was becoming more aware of the differences between the south (London and the south East) and the north (which Londoner's like to believe starts at Watford (a small town 15-20 miles north of London)). Also that night Tori tried to play Icicle but could not remember the words, "And when my hand touches myself,and I knew I wasn't going to sing this tonight so I've forgot the words.....so I'll sing something else instead." She also told the audience the whereabouts of one of her b-sides, "Daisy Dead Petals, that is her name, she's not getting played tonight cause she's got a date and a chardonnay; she's having a great time." Tori introduced Steve Caton as the guitarist that has been with her since the Y Kant Tori Read days. She suggested to the crowd that they forget all about that band!
At the Glasgow Scotland concert February 29th, some guy shouted to Tori, "Hey Tori, have you got a joint on you?" Tori couldn't hear him at first and so she stood up and approached closer to the crowd and asked the guy to repeat himself, and then she replied, pointing at her body, "Yeah sure, I've a few here..." (Thanks to Nicholas for this one.)
March
She commented on her relative quietness during The Nottingham England concert, March 3rd. She said, "You're all British out there, duh, and
you're supposed to be really good at humour, and I'm not so good, so
you'd all know if I suck." Someone in the audience yelled something to the effect that the British were not all that witty. Tori replies, "I'd probably say something stupid anyway." Before playing 'Not The Red Baron', Tori told the audience about going to watch planes with Papa (her grandfather), who died when she was about nine and who "taught me everything I know really" including this bit of advice, "When those boys get fresh with you, you knock the fire out of them."
In Newcastle England on March 5, after the second song, Tori told the crowd how great it was to come to Newcastle because they're not English, they're not Scottish ('any dumb fuck knows that'), they're Geordies, which led to a nice round of applause. Caton had strings break on his guitar during Cornflake Girl (this also happened in Sheffield England, see above) This caused Tori to improvise, "Rabbit, where'd you put the strains, girl?" Hey Jupiter was the final song that night, prefaced by Tori saying, "can you bring on another of my friends?" which probably referred to her harmonium organ.
In Wolverhampton England on March 6, Tori talked about her evil grandmother, "She'd dead buried, gone, no more... Yeeaaaaaah." As she was placing the headphones on prior to playing the harpsichord, she did her Mork imitation, "nanoo, nanoo."
At the concert in London on March 8, Tori spoke to the audience. "Hi everybody. Are you doing pretty good? Well I'll tell ya (girlie voice) this is a vewy big place...I mean I coulda had 4 pieces of chocolate cake and still be little. That's
what's so amazing about this place...umm...ROCK...umm." An audience member shouts, "HOW ABOUT MARRIAGE?" Tori says "How about marriage? You don't wanna marry me baby I got too many problems...plus you'd never get the pianos...anyway my parents are here tonight ...my father draaaaged me to Christmas Eve service not this past Christmas but the one before. He didn't get me this past because I was with a boy. Ha. But anyway this was the first time he's never got me to
Christmas Eve. Last time I went I had this idea because...um...you know the
little kids were singing this song. Y'know..(plays and hums 1st line of
away in a manger)...the little lord Jesus lay down his sweet head...(continues playing while talking)...so he's going 'Go ahead. Sing Tori Ellen you gotta sing something'...and I'm like... aye aye aye aye aah, aye aye aye aye aah...They both know it was a girl yes..uh ha...uh ha..." and begins 'Muhammed My Friend'. Also, as she was starting Bells For Her on the Harpsichord, she says, "Oh, hang on, I forgot to be a space martian...wait..." (puts on headphones and reaches out arms to harpsichord as if casting a spell) "Nanoo, nanoo...Hey it's a very old instrument...you gotta find ways to make it work."
Also in London March 8, Tori says, "This here is Caton. He's played on all the records that I've done so far...um...plus we were in a band together called Y Kan't Tori
Read...(applause)...yeah, it's great that you cheer now - where were
you in 1988? ... Caton's tuning...I hate talking. I get so shy...cause I know you're British and you're supposed to be clever...so I'm not going to say anything that's stupid." She also says in response to a request, "Just hang on babe we're just on the appetisers."
At the London England Show, March 9, Tori did a little impromptu version of 'South Pacific'. She showed the audience her tropical shoes and commented "I wore my tropical shoes for you tonight (waves feet at audience)...yeah...I figured that's the closest you guys are gettin' to tropical in a long time, huh babe?" Later she says, "So this is Caton...uh...(sings doomily)...Caaaatonnnn I've known since Y-Kant-Tori-Read (bangs piano rapidly)...those were my big uh...I wish it sounded like that it might have been successful...anyway...we've known each other over 10 years and he's played on all the records...and he's hanging with me on this tour...(pause)...and he starts this one so I have to wait basically..." Something happened that night when Tori was singing 'Me and a Gun'. Her vocals got slower and weaker during the song. There were tears on her face as she got to the line, "And do you know ...." Here she stopped, closed her eyes, letting her head drop and putting her hand out to the hall as if to tell the audience to wait. After about 20 seconds of complete silence she continued, "Carolina?" . After she finished the song. she dashed off stage and was hugged by the guy who looked like her stage manager. During the second encore, Tori asked her crew to remove the harpsichord and bring her the organ. "Um could I ask these wonderful guys who wait in the wings to move this little sweetheart and bring out another little sweetheart...She's going now. She gets to eat her dinner now..."
In Liverpool England on March 4, someone shouted out "will you sing happy birthday to me?" Tori misheard him and asked in a startled way, "You want me to do what in my Birthday suit?". The misunderstanding was cleared and Tori sang Happy Birthday to him. Before singing Doughnut Song, she asked the person who had the birthday in the audience if he was in love and then said "Well I hope you never have to sing this to her." Tori also told them that she had had calamari for dinner.
Tori was playful and talkative in Portsmouth England on March 13. After Spacedog, she says, "Hi you guys. How are you"... (crowd wooh)..."Are
you? Are you good?...OK Check this out ...(funny voice) This is Mr Fuzzy
(holds up a 2 foot tall fuzzy stuffed white teddy bear/dog thing)...Now I
met him today, right and the thing about him is he just came and visited
and I like him so much and he doesn't - he's like not going to make many
appearances because, you know, people don't really understand this kind of
thing. And I never take stuff - you know - I look like the type of person
who'd take stuffed animals with me. I'm not really that interested. I like
things like lions...so...like the real ones. And I have this fetish about
getting eaten by a crocodile. So normally dogs don't do it for me. I think
they smell. I'm sorry but that's how I am. I like shoes and Pianos. Because
shoes naturally don't smell. But anyway, this is my friend and I just
happen to like him so he's here and you'll probably never be seeing him
again for a very long time. So there he is. Mr Fuzzy. The one and only
appearance. And that is Caton. He'll be appearing with me more than Mr
fuzzy. He's with me for one hundred and ninety some shows. So ... um ...
here he goes..."
Tori was aware of the tragedy that happened in Scotland when many schoolchildren were killed by a gunman. At her Portsmouth England concert, during 'Not The Red Baron', she added the following lyrics:
"Just another pilot down
Children down in the village town
Just another down
Yesterday they were playing somewhere safe yes
Just another down
And the teacher in her pretty gown"
Also while performing in Portsmouth, Tori says during the second encore about her harpsichord, "OK so this little person's going away. Will you guys take this person away, She has a blanket. She has a nice little house. She's gonna go to it
now. Say goodbye to her everybody. You're going to Europe. You're going on
a bus tonight. You're going on the ferry. She's going on the ferry tonight.
Say bye." Then the crowd shouts requests. One is for 'Alamo'. "How do you know about Alamo?" A woman tells her, "Cause your single was released on Monday." Tori replies, "Shit. I've never played that before. Hang on hang on hang on. (Mr Fuzzy goes flying) Shows you how much I care about Mr Fuzzy. OK...Lemme
think...lemme think...what key is it in?" A Guy in audience says "E flat."
"Is it? (plays a few notes from Eb chord on piano) It is NOT in E
flat ... hangonhangonhangonhangonhangon...I'll get it..(plays first few
notes is slightly the wrong key - one note too high - stops)....I wanna
play this. I wanna do it...just be patient and I'll figure it out.
(applause) Turn the lights down Simon they're flustering me... OK now I
haven't played this since I recorded it and I just kinda wrote it on the
spot so my brain has like noodles in it...but...um...how does it
go...shhhh...(sings) aah-la-mo...oh yeah...I got it now (begins playing
brief intro)...AAAAH... Tori does a perfect version of Alamo!
More Tori talk from the Portsmouth show. At the beginning of the third(!) encore, Tori responds to all the requests being shouted to her. "Hey now you guys...OK. Hang on a minute...Here's another thing. Some of you are going to lose. You realise that?. Now this is the thing. I gotta say something. That girl, somewhere, beat you all to it. She just beat you. That's what happens kids" She later says to the crowd, "OK. So who was the person who screamed for Flying Dutchman? OK Well you're going to have to come to Holland cause I can't really sing - I have to sing Flying Dutchman for the Dutch first - That's just like so corny but I have to do that."
Some guy yells "What about Little Amsterdam?" Tori says "I played Little Amsterdam - where were you?" Tori continues in affected voice: "I'm from the south. I can do that.... Do you get it?...you British...what do you all know ...I don't expect you to get my humour. You're all supposed to be the funniest people in the world and if you can't get my jokes it hurts my feelings."
Stefan from Nijmegen, Holland sends me this incredible quote from Tori. "I went to see Tori in concert on March 15 in the Hague, Holland. Tori had
just returned from the UK, and it was only a few days after that fucker
in Scotland murdered an entire schoolclass and their teacher. You can
imagine that Tori, being the emotional person she is, wasn't really in a
cheerful mood. At a certain moment she told the audience that it was
because of the all those kids that were murdered that she was so upset.
She said: "....And I asked them all to come down and dance with us
tonight, because people who get murdered need a place to dance." I think
it is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard a musician tell his/her
audience and as a matter of fact it still almost brings tears to my eyes
as I'm typing it down."
Tori performed 2 shows in Amsterdam Holland on March 16. Tori was not very talkative during the short first show, but talked more during the later show. Before playing 'Little Amsterdam' she said, "This here is Caton. He's been on all the records I've done, he's done a lot of other stuff besides that. He's hanging out with me, um... Let me tell you something. There's a sister village somewhere out there... down here... in places down south... there called something like I don't know... MOrgantan or something... But they have rivers... and they're
Amsterdam, and I think there... sometimes they are a little more interesting
actually, don't take this personally... They got more going on honey,
they've got so much going on..." Before playing 'Talula' people started shouting out requests. Someone in the sea of titles shouts "Baltimooore". Tori responds, "Baltimore, you can't be serious. Are you serious?"
A few people say "Yeah", so Tori plays a snippet from 'Baltimore'! "We like it here in Baltimore, there's so much love in Baltimore...", and then Tori says, "For all of you musicians out there if you think something fucking horrible, disgusting, that you never want heard, believe me, it _will_ get heard." Tori starts playing the intro to 'Icicle' but then stops and says, "Oh. Hang on a minute. Don't worry I will do that, don't worry I won't freak you out. She's gotta go away now, she has to go. She's late, she's gonna turn into a pumpkin. Say goodbye..." The audience says goodbye to the harpsichord. "And these beautiful Dutch boys are gonna take her away. Isn't that perfect? She's not sad at all, she's just ??drowning??, yeah... Okay good." Tori then plays the intro of 'Icicle' again and performs the song.
When singing "Upside Down" in Frankfurt Germany on March 24, she got a little ahead of herself and had to stop playing. She apologizes to the audience, "Sorry, I got excited." When Tori's harpsichord was moved off the stage by some men toward the end of the concert she said: "She's German, you know."
Tori completed her European tour dates in Florence and Milan Italy on March 28-29. Thanks to Toriphile Leda, I now have quotes from these shows! On March 28th in Florence, Tori spoke to the audience before 'Cornflake Girl', "Hi you guys, buonasera. Um... God, it's *so* good to be here, we've just been in Germany. So... I mean you know they really really try." (Tori claps very very slowly). "But, you know, we like them, some of them are very very nice, but it's very good to come to acountry that understands: (Tori rotates her hips). Ok. This is Caton. That's it, that's it. I don't know what else to say, I don't know what to start doing. "
Later, when they take away the harpsichord, Tori says in an adorable Italian accent, "She's going way. Ciao, buonasera, arrivederci, arrivederci. Toodles, see ya."
In Milan Italy on March 29, Tori commented on Italian food. "It's really good to be here. And here, you have really good food. But you know if you could come to my mother's house, and have sweet potatoes with butter, and black eyed peas... mmm..."
Quotes During The North American Part Of The Dew Drop Inn Tour
April
Tori's first concert in North America during the Dew Drop Inn Tour was in Tampa Florida on April 9th. Early into the show, the noisy crowd kept her from concentrating. She jumped off her piano bench excitedly, did a little screaming of her own, and said to the audience, "Wooo wooo wooo wooo. Ah. Ah. Ah. Ah. Ah. I'm so excited too. Ah. OK. It's so good to be here you guys, to be in the states. And you know what? [Response to I LOVE YOU] I love you too honeybear. And you know what? I wanna take you on the ride of your life. OK? So, let me take you...let me....let me sing for you...let me...let me...let me sing for you tonight, OK?" Later in the show as she is starting 'Leather', Tori plays the opening note over and over again and when there is no audience noise she says "I didn't mean to intimidate you."
Prior to 'Muhammad My Friend' in Tampa, she said, "So Christmas, not this Christmas but the last Christmas I was with my parents. Yeah, exactly. So I went to the little service, you know, and the kids were very cute. I'm not saying they weren't cute. And they do their little booger thing and they sing their song and you kind of love them--sort of. And you know, you love yours--your neice or whatever, "Isn't she cute?" And anyway, I'm sitting there and they're singing their little "down in a manger..da da ditti da.." And my
father is going "sing tori ellen sing" because you were supposed to sing along. But
for some reason, I just couldn't hear that song in my head. And it was like changing in my brain and he said "well, what are you hearing?" I said, "I'm hearing NA NA NA NA NA (like the Robert Plant noises from the "Icicle" stories) ..Away in a manger....away in a manger...Muhammad My Friend, said yes we both know, we both know it was a girl..."
Prior to 'Cornflake Girl' in Tampa, Tori said, "OK you guys this is Caton. He's, uh, played on Little Earthquakes and Under the Pink and this record and uh we were in a band together called um Y Kant Tori Read. Um, anyway.... Hey I didn't mean to give you a hard time before,
it's just that when there is so much noise during the songs.... Hey i love getting excited with you, it's just during the songs sometimes I just can't hear what I am doing and then I fuck up and look stupid and you get bummed out. So do you understand? OK, Caton you start..."
In Tampa during 'Space Dog', she messed up and sang "I forgot my words. Uh huh....How does it go? dum de dum....I dont know but I'll just keep going and so my shoes are feeling good oh so completely good. Yes and there goes that colonelfishydishydish. Oh I'm really sorry but I'll keep going and maybe soon....And to the one you thought was on your side.." She also said before 'Doughnut Song', "Um this record was almost finished and this little song began creeping through. This meant the guys couldnt go and get Guiness. And they thought it was all over and I said, "Um um excuse me, but I hate to break the party, but this girl has to come now." And they went "OK, fine good...fuck..." But she came and she's like my favorite right now." Prior to performing Caught A Lite Sneeze on the harpsichord, Tori says, "Nanoo nanoo space martians. I have to wear this stupid little thing and I
feel like I'm working [reffering to the headpiece she wears]." During a pause in a song 'Winter', someone in the audience sneezed and Tori whispered "Bless you" into the microphone. Before playing Take To The Sky, Tori tells the audience, "OK, That's an interesting concept. OK, we're gonna say goodbye to her now. Who knows why? This is when beautiful men come from all over and take her away. [Referring to the harpsichord]. See, I told you..."
She started to play 'Samurai' in Gainesville Florida on April 10, but had no idea what the lyrics were and started improvising, singing "I don't know this song, but I am gonna have a lollipop when I get off the stage." She also had a conversation with the audience about her need for lip gloss. Audience members offered, but she didn't like the flavors...except white chocolate, but she said that was "too fattening."
Another amusing interaction was when someone requested "Still loving you." (I think they meant her cover of 'Thank You') and Tori replied, "Wait, wait, did I ever PLAY a song called 'Still Loving You???' What the Fuck is that?" She then improvised a funny little song. At some point, someone asked for a story, so Tori talked about a bedtime story the author Neil Gaiman had sent her in a package and how she hugs her big bear "fuzzy" every night in a different town.
Tori taped the MTV Unplugged special on April 11 in New York. Early in the taping she said, "You know what, this is very tricky. This is very tricky. You know why? Because I can SEE you. No, but I mean, think about it, I mean, uh I know that, um, intimate moments happen in the light of day, but I've been singing for so long in the dark. It's so wild. Because I know you can see me, and I know your out there, right? But it's like, Oh My God, you're REALLY out there. Okay..." During 'Silent All These Years', she started the intro then said, "I know I have been playing for 30 years but my playing sucks. Let me go find the girl that plays the piano." She then left the stage and took a short break. She also talked about the MTV special, "Um, so, when they asked me to do this show, right, this unplugged thing, I said 'shouldn't I do plugged?' Um, but anyway, I do that too much as it is, so it seemed like, um, I asked my friend Caton to come. And, um, sometimes he's not totally acoustic but I figure I'm always acoustic like all the time, so we have to be able to cheat. I always liked to cheat. When I was in Home Economics, I had to sew a skirt and I could not sew for my life. So I told a girl that if she sew it for me I will make a song for her." Tori introduced Steve Caton "as the guy who has played guitar on all of her three albums, well actually four," referring to YKTR, to which the crowd responded with some laughter. Before 'Icicle', Tori says as she plays the piano, "I use to listen to hymns every day of my life... and the funny thing was I started making up songs around the hymns, because the music was so beautiful... and I'd start saying to myself, going okay, I know they didn't tell the story right. So even if they're singing something like.." Then she started the hymn 'Onward Christian Soldiers' and segued into 'Icicle'. She later forgot the lyrics in the middle of 'Space Dog', and while still playing the piano, asked the audience for help and somebody responded with the line she had forgotten.
At Ft. Lauderdale Florida on April 12, Tori exclaimed, "Can I have your hormones?" after someone from the audience shouted either "I love you Tori," or "We love you Tori," and as Tori made that comment, she made a gesture to her chest.
At Orlando FL on April 13, when someone yelled out "Tori, will you marry me?", she responded with something like, "If we had some kind of falling out, honey, you're NOT getting the pianos." (Thanks to Hena Mansori for telling me about this one)
Tori did 2 shows in Atlanta on April 14. During the second show, dwarf dolls were on the organ after it was brought on stage for 'Hey Jupiter.' Tori cracked up laughing and explained that the light and sound crew was having some sort of contest, and they can put the dwarves (as in Snow White and) anywhere they want until New York. Whoever does the best lighting or something like that between now and then gets a vintage bottle of something and the seven dwarves. Tonight they were on her organ, complete with breasts and a penis (banana). The caption under the whole ensemble read "Dwarf Envy". She kept trying to start 'Hey Jupiter' but was laughing too hard to pull it off until she explained it to the audience. Earlier in the show, Tori explained how having the harpsichord and piano was like having two lovers, "you go back and forth and call one the other's name." Tori said she likes having three
instead of two. And she said guys should think this way too, because then they don't have to think about the "other guy."
Also during one of the Atlanta shows, Tori said, "Boys you know I love you...but I love food better." She then told a story about how she tried to tell people in Germany how good fried sweet potatoes are, and that they just didn't understand about southern food. Then Tori said that this song always makes her think about fried sweet potatoes,and forget all of her boy troubles. She then launched into 'In The Springtime Of His Voodoo'.
On April 16 in Nashville TN, before 'Losing My Religion,' she talked about a song she and Michael Stipe did and how lame the record company was that shelved it. She also introduced 'Doughnut Song' as the last girl that barely made it on the BFP album. And Rachel Rogers send me the next quote. Tori introduced Caton, saying that they were in a band together called Y Kant Tori Read. Someone from the audience yelled, 'Can you read?' Tori said, 'Can I read? Not about that band.'"
On April 17 in Memphis TN, Someone near the end of the concert asked Tori to wish her friend a happy birthday. Tori paused and said, "What's your friend's name
honey?" The birthday girl was Tara, so Tori actually played Happy Birthday for Tara.
In Louisville KY on April 19, Tori thanked someone named Jeff for a magazine article he wrote about her in Guitar magazine. She then began talking about guitars and how they were an "extension" for some guys (Yes, we are talking phallic here), and then implied that these extensions were nothing compared to her piano, "Just look at her, she's nine feet". Later, someone in the audience asked her to sing 'The Waitress'. She said "I'm not doing that one right now, but here's one that deals with the same thing, girls that fuck you over." She then began 'Cornflake Girl'.
Also during the Louisville concert, Tori was asked to sing happy birthday. She obliged, and at the end sang, "Happy birthday dear....little happy birthday person, happy birthday to you." You had to be there to see how cute it was. She then said that this was the part of the show where the harpsichord is taken away to make room for the organ. She said that it was lucky, because she (the harpsichord) gets taken by 5 men, "What could be better?" she asks.
During the April 20th Lexington concert, a fire alarm went off during Not The Red Baron. Tori did not miss a beat but kept on singing. However, she did alter the lyrics. In a brilliant and humorous bit of improvisation, she sang during the song, "I think that's the fire alarm, but I'm not stopping." Seconds later, instead of singing the usual, "Just another pilot down" she sang "Just another fire alarm".
Also in Lexington, before 'Blood Roses', she asked the audience how they were doing. She said she was fine, because she had her two friends with her on stage (the piano and harpsichord). When she heard some people shouting "I Love You", she replied rather humorously "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I love you too". Before 'Talula', the crowd began to shout out requests. She told us, "You know, some of you are going to lose." Then after several requests were shouted, we heard one guy yell "Let her do her own show, okay?" Tori seemed to enjoy that comment very much. Later in the show,Tori said that it was time for the harpsichord to leave (to make room for the organ she uses for Hey Jupiter at the end of the show.) She then wickedly added, "hopefully she (the harpsichord) will get a stiff drink and a cute boy, or is it a cute drink and a ......"
At the Asheville concert, April 21, Tori mentioned the town of Newton, North Carolina (where she was born) and when an audience member howled she said, "Yes, it's all still there, isn't it." She went on to talk about her grandfather. She said that while she was being told at home that the music that she listened to was blasphemous, her Poppa said, "You listen to whatever you want girl". Before she played the song 'Honey', she told the audience, "This is my favorite song from Under The Pink, um, but the thing is it's not on Under The Pink, because it got kicked off at the last minute in mastering cause I'm such a ding-a-ling. Anyway, she's my favorite and it's like, you know..." This quote and the song 'Honey' can be heard in the US and UK versions of the 'Hey Jupiter' single.
In Knoxville, TN on April 23, during the second encore, someone yelled
out "don't let this be the last song Tori." She paused and smiled, then
started 'Hey Jupiter'. After she finished, she walked off for about a minute, then came back for a third encore, and said "Here's one I haven't done in about 15 years so we'll see what happens with it." Then she launched right into Fleetwood Mac's 'Songbird'.
At Columbia South Carolina on April 24, she had trouble keeping the microphone up while she was playing. She then made a cute comment that now she understood how the guys felt, "It's embarassing not to be able to keep your mic up".
Tori's speech prior to singing MARIANNE at the April 26, 1996 show in Washington DC, "Something happened tonight--I got a letter backstage from a high school, and, it was signed by about a thousand kids, and they talked about a girl named Mary, who had killed herself, and that she really liked the music. And it's very kind of touching to me because some people that are here tonight will remember a girl named Marianne who they say killed herself--we don't think she did. And I think their spirits may just come.... "
Also at the first DC show April 26, before she started playing the first number, someone in the audience yelled, "Welcome Home, Tori" and she replied with, "It's good to be back." Tori talked about the duet she did with Michael Stipe that has never been released yet: "How are you guys? Some of you know me kinda personally, so I'll tell this little story. I thought I was gonna have a good experience with movies, you know? In Hollywood? And not as an actor, I'm terrible. But as... you know... a little sone in a little movie, a plate from my kitchen? [I'm not
sure about the plate part] Some thing like that... Anyways, and so I was
gonna do this thing. And I did. With a really, really, wonderful,
wonderful guy. He's pretty amazing. So we turned it in, right? And they
said, 'this sucks'. And I said, 'well, what do you want it do do?'. And
they said, 'well, we want it to be romantic'. And I said, 'well, I find
this very romantic' I said its really a perception, isn't it? And they
said, 'well, we thought it was going to be like Bryan Adams'. And I like
Bryan Adams! Brian is like a buddy. But I said, 'How could you have ever
thought that if I'm goinna sing a love song, its gonna be about that?' And
so they said, 'Well, um, you know, we just can't have that.' And I said,
'you know, thats just fine, cuz I love this love song. And one day, this
little song, is gonna be a little greentroll, and some people in this world,
like green trolls..." Before she sang 'In The Springtime Of His Voodoo', she said something like, "This -isn't- China. Now we're riding the bull." and stood up and pretended to hold reins.
During the April 27 Washington DC show, Tori said before playing Doughnut Song that after 4 months of mixing 'Boys For Pele', the guys were drunk off Guiness and she just came up with this song.
In Washington DC during the April 28 show, Tori came out for a third encore. She told the audience that she was going to play a song that she had never performed before in concert, a song from 'Y Kant Tori Read'. Tori then played 'Etienne' for the first time on this tour! Earlier during that show, Tori talked about trying to
explain her songs to the British Press and asking them "Do you know what
I mean?" Then she remembered that her mother always used to tell her
that if she started saying that, she should make sure SHE knows what she
means... Tori also commented that she had the Greyhound bus theme song in her head
all day, and she sang it, "Grey hoooooooouuuuuunnnd." And before Talula she was trying to make a few adjustments to her harpsichord and was saying, "Now, I think this goes here, and this goes....here... I'm just not very good with these mechanical things. I'd be great on my wedding night, wouldn't I?"
May
At Philadelphia on May 1st, as a preface to 'Take To The Sky', Tori talked about how this girl tried so hard to stay on the 'Little Earthquakes' album, but never made it. So, she was going to play it anyway. Tori later stopped in the middle of the "I got $25 and a cracker, do you think it's enough...." line in 'Silent All These Years' because the noisy, rude crowd was getting to her. She whispered into the microphone, directed at someone in the front, "I know you love me, but let me play this song, OK?" Prior to 'Doughnut Song', she said some cute comment similar to "The record's almost finished...sittin' around drinkin' Guiness..." and how this girl (song) spoiled the party. "It was coming."
Also in Philadelphia on May 1st, Tori said while introducing her guitarist, "And now, for those of you who aren't on the Internet, and who don't know what I'm going to say next, this is Caton. We were in a band together called Y Kant Tori Read" (Thanks to Kathy Tang for sending this to me). At this point someone shouts "Play Etienne!". Tori looks straight at this person and replies "Interesting... maybe she'll come tonight, and then (in a stronger voice), maybe she won't."
At Philadelphia on May 2nd, Tori said her usual hellos and then went on to introduce the new "girl" on stage, the 200 year old harpsichord. Tori laughed, "She may be 200, but she's got the hormones of an 18 year old." (My thanks to Karen Kreszswick for that one) Later, there was a shocking confrontation during the song 'Me and a Gun'. A person yelled out, "Lose The Song". At first,Tori responded by singing "me and a gun, and a man-or a woman-on my back..." Tori then talked, "I can't believe you'd come to one of my shows and expect that I wouldn't play this song." Tori continued singing. After someone in the audience said "she's a lizard" in reference to the woman who had yelled out the comment , Tori stopped singing and said, "No, she's just uncomfortable. I understand that, because I used to be too."
Also in Philadelphia on May 2nd, people were screaming for 'Icicle' and Tori said "I'm still stirring the soup." Tori messed up the beginning of 'Caught A Lite Sneeze' and said, "Oops, I made a boo-boo," and started over. There were technical problems during 'Talula'. When the percussion was supposed to kick in, it didn't. Tori stopped playing, and said "Guys, you know that sensation when it just won't work? well, I sympathize. let's try that again."
In Philadelphia on May 3rd, Tori performed 2 shows that night. At the first early show, Tori mentioned prior to 'Pretty Good Year' that someone who she went to high school with was in the audience. She talked about how in high school she always fell for the "jock" types, but now likes the "physics nerds." Tori did a cute impression of both. "These nerds could put Bruce Willis to shame, if you know what I mean." Then Tori started to talk about all of the letters from nerds that she recieves. Somebody yelled out "Greg?", and she said that everywhere she goes people try to convince her that they are the Greg who wrote her that famous letter
('Greg he writes letters'), "but I've got his self portrait, so I'll know him when I see him." Later, Tori paused and said, "You'll never guess what the next song is. I haven't played it in over a year." It was 'Mother.' Later, as she began to sing 'Me and a Gun', there was some loud banging going on backstage. Tori paused, and said "these things happen".
Also during the early Philly show on May 3rd, Tori told a story that would become a classic for this tour, about her song 'Muhammed My Friend'. Tori says, "I love kids...well, some of them." She then did an impression of a little british brat, " 'Mummy, I don't like that. I want one of those mummy.' ...ya little fuckin..." She then talks about spending christmas with her family. "I remember how I would sit in church with my parents and they would be praying and singing the typical carols and all I would think about is that all I wanted was a boy. Oh did I mention that this was just last christmas? I could never stay focused. The congregation would sing," then she sang 'Away An A Manger' in a very bored like voice. She was standing next to her father and he asked her why she wouldn't sing along. "I just finished a fucking 80 city tour, this is NOT inspiring me." Tori explained that there was just something about the song that didn't seem right to her. so, she sat down and started to write new lyrics on the back of her church bulletin. "We both know it was a girl, back in Bethlehem."
At the late show on May 3rd in Philadelphia, Tori talked about how night shows are a lot different than the normal 7:30 shows. She said it makes "everyone feel like..." and the she goes into 'Riders On the Storm' by the Doors. The crowd went wild. Tori also talked with audience about "The Hobbit". Later, Steve Caton her guitarist came out and she introduced him by saying very cutely, "This is my buddy, Caton." As Caton got himself situated, she flung her leg up on top of the Bosey and said "Hey, Caton, check out my new boots." While she rubbed some powder on her hands, people were screaming out requests. "Oh, don't worry," she
said, "Some of the girls are at the bar drinking margaritas and we'll see which of them come up. Some of 'em are nerds too, and I like nerds." Later, a fan shouted "I have chardonnay for you, Tori!" "You do? Pass it up." At the end of the concert, Tori was seated at the organ and was about to start 'Hey Jupiter', in fact she had already played the first few notes. Then someone in the audience shouted "Cool On Your Island" and she said "oh, yeah...ok" almost as if she had completely intended to play it but had forgotten. She played part of 'Cool On Your Island' for the first time this tour.
In Montreal Canada on May 6th, Tori went to her harpsichord and said "This is one of my favorite songs." (points to her heart) "It really gets to me right here." and she played 'Lovesong' by the Cure.
In Burlington Vermont on May 7th, Tori was kidding around with the audience about the reputation Burlington has as a big-time pot town. At one point in the show, Tori starts off with a monotone piano sound, and says "you can play anything to this" and goes into a Medley of "Like a Virgin" and "A Spoonful of Sugar" (From Mary Poppins), which leads into "Icicle."
"Well, honey, boys are cute, but food's cuter." (My thanks to Steven Williams for this one.) City where this was uttered is currently unknown.
In Durham at the University of New Hampshire on May 8th, Tori says to the students in regards to it being the last day of classes, "Wow. That's groovy. I promise to have a few margaritas for you all. Wait you have finals? FUCK ....I'll guess I'll have to skip those margaritas... Just kidding."
Ruth Eichmiller send me these additional quotes from Durham! First, she came out with a stuffed animal that she set on the Bosie whist she played 'BQ/Horses'. Then she asked if anyone in the front row had a hair tie to trade for 'Trendy the Idiot
Dog'. She said she never goes shoe shopping without him. (At the end of the show she got Trendy back and gave the guy his hair tie.) Also, she tried to play 'Talula' and had to have some of her crew come out and adjust the harpsichord. She said something to the effect "see we all study and still get F's sometimes." She appeared extremely mad at her crew and said they would have to study more next time. At some point Tori asked for an audience request. During a lull in the requests some boy yelled out chopsticks. Tori made a funny face and then proceeded to play the first bit of it before launcing into 'China' (curiously enough no one in the audience yelled for this one but she chose it anyway).
At her concert in Albany New York on May 10th, Tori commented on all the little gifts she received; squirt gun, crocidile, snakes, etc. Later, a very rude man yelled out something like , "Hey Tori, I've got something for ya." Tori, who deals with hecklers very well, spread opened her legs, stuck out her tongue and replied, "Bring it on. Come on." Before 'Pretty Good Year', this one guy screamed something and Tori asked him his name. It happened to be Greg. She asked him if he was a nerd and how she thought that nerds need a handbook. "How are they going to take
anyone on a date?"
At New Haven CT on May 11th, Tori did 2 shows. During the first, early concert, Tori said at one point, "I normally play according to a set list, but 'she' was coming and this is the point that the list falls apart". This change resulted in her singing 'Putting the Damage On'. It was during this show that someone in the audience yelled something that gets my vote for best comment shouted to Tori on tour: "Tori, I dreamed I was your cat."
At the second, late show in New Haven, Tori talked about her stage crew. The sound and light people were having a 'war' involving 7 little plastic dwarf dolls. She read from a ransom note which stated that if 'Light' didn't get 10,000 frozen Snickers bars (king size) by 9:15 PM on May 11, "Dopey gets it." At that point two voices from the back of the theater yelled, "Tori, We've got ze dwarves." This totally cracked her up, and she said, "Did you hear that, guys? You've all gotta help Sound out here, cause they're fucked" and then she began to play 'Little Amsterdam'. Tori introduced "In The Springtime of his Voodoo" by starting the keyboard vamp and declaring, "Girls, mount your bulls." Tori said before Lovesong, "Some of you may know this one -- I used to listen to it really loud while driving down the freeway in L.A."
During Tori's Virgin Records In-Store appearance on May 13th, a fan asks her to explain why HE likes her so much! Tori replys, "I don't know why I like guacamole so much. I mean, it's green, it looks like puke, but I love it.".
At Tori's first Madison Square Garden show in New York on May 13th, Tori exclaimed at one point, probably before 'In The Springtime Of His Voodoo', "We're ridin' the bull, guys. We're ridin' the bull."
At the May 14th show at Madison Square Garden in New York, some
fans were screaming "We love you Tori!" & " I love you Tori!" in the middle of 'Winter' and finally Tori stopped singing and whispered into the microphone, "I'm sure you do...I love you too, now can I sing this song?" Tori also said at one point, "You know, it's like when you get married, they make you wear one of those fucking stupid high bonnets, even though I've never been married..." (I think she was referring to the tradition of making a bonnet at the bridal shower, for the bride-to-be to wear.) "Well, I'm wearing this jumpsuit, and it's falling apart." (she holds up this long piece of string) "I knew I should have just worn my jeans."
Also during her performance in New York City on May 14th, Tori had numerous interactions with a very vocal fan named Frankie, who tried to talk to Tori during the show. Tori finally said, "Okay, so you wanna talk? Then, tell me your name." The man told her "Frankie" and requested a song from her. Tori responded, "Okay, Frankie, I'll try ... but I'm not a jukebox" Later, prior to her performance of the Doughnut Song, some guy yelled extremely loudly "I love you !" and Tori paused and asked
"Frankie, is that you???" Then the next night in New York, on May 15th, Tori called out for "Frankie" who quickly replied. She asked him to be patient and trust her, which he agreed to do. Then later, during the final encore of the night Tori exclaims, "Frankie, you've waited three nights for this..." and launches into 'Professional Widow'.
During Tori's third night in New York on May 15th, She spoke much more with the audience. Tori said that she realized that a lot of folks had been to all three shows. She mentioned that the show would be slightly different in that it would feature lots of "girls that haven't made an appearance yet, since some of the others were hogging the spotlight". She told a story prior to singing 'Leather' that she claimed she never told before. Tori said that many people thought the song leather was about good sex. That is not the meaning behind the song, though she does not mind others having that interpretation. She said as she was writing Little Earthquakes, her neighbor came over to borrow some sugar, and after seeing what Tori was wriring said, "well, you better change your writing style because it's not very catchy". Tori replied, "you have your sugar, now good day" and for the next several minutes she thought what you hear in this song.
Also in New York City on May 15th, Tori had a little chat before playing 'Sugar'. "So I had to get this song together in about, um, 2 hours. And, uh, this boy really pissed me off because I had a crush on him right, and he'd been making tea for me for 9 months." Someone yelled a request for "Father Lucifer". Tori said, "Hang on, I'm telling a story. And so, the whole thing is, he would sit there and ask me...now if you're making tea for a girl, right, for 9 months, don't you think guys, I mean help me out here, your noodle, I know it can hold alot of information, right? But don't you think you can remember how many sugars a girl takes in her tea after nine months......YO" You can hear this quote and the song 'Sugar' on the US and UK versions of the 'Hey Jupiter' single. Tori continued to fight off the numerous requests being shouted from every corner of the theater. She mentioned that 'Take to the Sky' was not possible because she had hurt her hand. During the first encore, after the crowd requested 'Winter', Tori said, "Winter is in the powder room and will be out soon." Another report says that she said "Winter's backstage drinking a margarita."
It was also in New York on May 15th when Tori told the audience about the now famous war between her light and sound crew and the dwarves. She explained that the light guys were holding several dwarfs hostage for a steep ransom of 10,000 Snicker bars. The sound guys, who she said "could barely put on their own socks", could not come up with the ransom and as a result, Dopey had been killed. She encouraged a crew member, "Marcel" on stage. She explained that in memory of the tragic event, Marcel had decided to pay homage. Marcel entered stage left dressed as Snow White!
In Springfield MA on May 17th, Tori asked the crowd to, if they see him, tell Frankie (a fan who saw many of her shows in this area) that she saw him running alongside her limo with a winnie the pooh and that she says sorry and thank you. Tori said during the second encore that her next song was one she used to play over and over on her record player when she was younger. It was Rickie Lee Jones's 'On Saturday Afternoons In 1963'. But first she had to say "B-sides are coming, but I gotta do this first.", because people were requesting things.
In Syracuse NY on May 18th, Tori began talking about her years at the Peabody Institute when she was little. Someone screamed out Peabody and she asked
them if they were going there, they said "Yes" and Tori said she was so "happy
for you" and said, "It should be better than 1968. I said John Lennon and they
said 'Who?' I knew then I was in deep shit but since I was five I hung in
there." She talked about a black Jamaican Boy who also went to the Peabody. He
was sixteen and asked her to run away with her. She asked her father which
"wasn't a good idea on my part." She reminisced about a song this boy played for her. He would place her on the piano bench while he played. Tori demonstrated as she began a Stylistics cover, 'You Make Feel Brand New'. Like at some other shows, the noise level from certain rude people got out of hand at times. Tori had to stop during 'Pretty Good Year' and say, "I know you're there and I love you, too, but I need to hear myself sing." She had to repeat this line twice before she was able to get it past the noise. Early in the show, she turned and faced everyone and said, "How ya Doin' and a girl in the front yelled "Tori!" Tori said, "And what's your name?" The girl shouted "Lori." Tori replied "Nice to meet you Lori, but I have to go back to work
now," and began to play 'Blood Roses'. Tori also dedicated 'Honey' to the "boy who drove 4 hours to hear this song."
After the Syracuse show, Toriphile Victoria C. Parker met Tori briefly. They exchanged words, and Victoria gave me permission to repeat some of it because it may help others. Victoria says, "i found myself holding her hand and telling her that there was a man
who was very mean to me and that her music got me through....Tori put her hand on my shoulder and pulled me into her arms. and as i was crying on her shoulder, she spoke into my ear. 'you know, he can never take your soul. there can be scars, but he will
never take your soul. your soul is yours. you take it back okay? you keep your soul.' "
In Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania on May 19, Tori said something like, "Girls, you know those days when you feel your body isn't quite right, and it's probably just your brain? But you have a job to do, so you do something like smear Tiger Balm all over yourself just so it's something different, but it doesn't help, and you just end up smelling like the inside of a rugby player's jockstrap?"
At Tori's May 21st show in Boston, Tori Introduced her harpsichord. "This is my new friend. She has seven guys taking care of her, bringing her blankets, margaritias, anything anyone could want..she's 300 years old, so don't you girls worry about aging too much." Before playing 'Putting The Damage On' she talked. "Girls, do you know when you keep going and doing something... and I don't mean like chocolate cake.. that you
know is bad for you?" Someone in the audience says "men." "Well, men, women, whatever..." During the last encore, Tori played 'Professional Widow'. She said before the song, "Okay, so, I..I...aghh, I promised this girl I'd give this a go, so I don't know what's going to happen here, but we're going to ...I've only tried this one more other time in my life, and I gave myself a brain aneurism, so I'm not sure but..it's okay...I'll get some seafood later..okay..let me just think." She starts playing the organ. A woman yells out, "You can do it!" Tori replies, "Okay, if your wrong, you won't lose your head, don't worry." Then you hear, "We'll love you anyway!" Tori says, "Very good, you're gonna need to." This quote and song can be heard on the US version of the 'Hey Jupiter' single.
Tori did 2 concerts in Boston May 22. During the first, early show, Tori said the following about 'Here In My Head', "This song always gets me in trouble."
She told a story about her 11th birthday party. Her father asked what kind of cake was her first choice. "Chocolate cake", she replied unhesitantly. Her 2nd choice? "Coconut cake." And, when pressed for a 3rd choice, she asked for "Bunt cake with strawberries". She got nutcake. "I fucking hate nutcake". She then began 'Cornflake Girl'.
Also during the early show in Boston. May 22, Tori explained about 'Marianne'. It's about a girl she knew in 7th grade, who "made everyone see things from a.. different light. Everybody really liked her, and I didn't believe it when they said..." Here the story ended and she began the song, an almost unnoticable change that made it seem all the more real and personal.
Ruth Eichmiller add this tidbit from the first Boston Show. Prior to the show Tori said to me
'Ruth darlin' you definately need to hear Mary tonight....' Well during the
show my friend Elyse yelled out 'You promised me Mary.' Tori replied 'Yea. yea. I'm like a priest always promising people something. But I know you'll be at the late show honey.'
At the second Boston show, May 22, some guy screamed "I LOVE YOU TORI." She replied, "That's nice." in a rather sarcastic tone. Tori introduced her new
friend (the harpsichord) and said that it (she) liked margaritas with quervo gold. Then she said "you know the difference between alcoholics and drunks? .. We don't go to the fucking meetings." Tori also told her 'Muhammad My Friend' story. It included the statements, "I love my father, you know, we've been through IT" and "I like kids.. when they're COOL."
Also at the second Boston show, May 22, Tori was surprised to hear from Steve Caton that it was his birthday. She starting laughing and said to the audience, without using the microphone "It's his birthday." as she pointed to him with one hand and covered her mouth with the other, like she was embarrassed. She gave him a hug and told the audience, "For those who don't know this, Steve and I were in Y Kant Tori Read together and I've known him for so long that I forgot it was his birthday - so there you go." During the first encore, people were yelling out requests and she said "Naaa. I can't just bring them out if they don't want to come. This is the one that's coming." and she performed 'Famous Blue Raincoat.' Despite being listed in her official set list, Tori did not do a second encore for this show.
Jose Espinoza emailed me with a great quote from Tori's show in Toronto Canada on May 27. In between songs, an overzealous female fan shouted "Nice Shoes!" and Tori smiled. She looked up at the audience and said 'No matter what they say girls- go shopping- it really does help.' Tania Willems sends me more May 27th Toronto quotes. After the shoe comment above, Tori adds, "and who knows guys, maybe you can buy a pair of these too and just (in a sexy voice) hang them on the wall and drink from them.." After 'Putting The Damage On', Tori said, "Okay...guys? She gets to go get a margarita now...BYE. She likes margaritas. (audience starts yelling out song titles) Okay, I'll tell ya, one of those girls is coming from Little Earthquakes right now (audience continues to shout out names-
Tori makes a buzzer sound) Wrrrr...next player on the Jeopardy Game. Sorry." She went right into 'Tear in Your Hand'.
Tori did 2 shows in Toronto Canada on May 28th. During the later show, Tori played a song that she said she hadn't played yet on the entire tour. She said she wrote it when she had a few too many margaritas and her sound crew had the red light on, and it just came out. It was 'Frog On My Toe'. (In reality, Tori did this song for the first time on May 6th in Montreal!)
In Pittsburgh PA on May 30th, the backing track for Talula did not come on when it was supposed to. Tori responded "The thing broke," and then, shortly, "Don't worry, we'll play something else," then switched her position on the bench to face the piano rather than the harpsichord, and launched right into 'Pretty Good Year'.
Two concerts occurred on May 31st. At the very first, early Detroit show, Tori told the audience about the troubles related to a duet she recorded with Michael Stipe for a soundtrack. I do not have the exact quote, but after an intro talking about how her and Stipe were asked by a movie company to write a romantic song, Tori said they presented it to the company, but they said it wasn't romantic enough. She then asked, "now who's to say what's romantic and what's not? We thought it was romantic." She encouraged songwriters to keep forging ahead no matter what others say. Before 'Marianne', she said that when she was 14 or so a girl from school, who was very kind (she said she didn't have a mean streak, unlike
Tori herself, who has a mean streak that scares her sometimes), was said to have killed her herself. Tori's mother told her the news, and Tori said "fuck you mother, that's just not true."
At the second show May 31 in Detroit MI, the following transpired according to Tori fan Karen Hagglund, "someone shouted 'how are you Tori?' She said 'I'm
fine, but I smell like a football player.' It was rather warm in the theater, and she was getting quite a workout by then. She went on to talk about guys who promise to call you, and then don't for two weeks, and how girls say it's alright, but it really isn't. And then she said that the guy ends up doing 'stuff with your friend.' "
June
At the Grand Rapids show June 2nd, Tori told the crowd, "isn't it funny how a girl can be sitting there, and another girl and her boyfriend will show up. the girl will say to the other girl, 'how are you?' and the other one will say 'fine. how are you?' then she'll turn to her
boyfriend and say 'die. you c*nt.' then the boyfriend will say, 'how can you
say that? she just was nice to you.' and that's when i usually say,
'darling, that's why we don't understand each other.'" (Thank you John.)
At Cincinnati June 3rd she talked to crowd for the first time, "Hello space Martians, How do you like my little friend (Harpsichord). She doesn't have a name..it's just she." She then began to tinker with the harpsichord and SANG to it "You've got to go to work now" and launched into Blood Roses. Before 'Cornflake Girl', Tori said, "This is Caton..we were in a band called Y Kant Tori Read together" She grimaced. The crowd shouted song titles from the album. She exclaimed "Jesus Christ Caton, where were they in 1988?" Before 'Pretty Good Year' Tori SANG the following line. Don't know if this is from a real song or something she made up: "How are things in Cincinnati..Things are better since I've been here." While singing 'Sweet Dreams', she could not remember the words and asked the crowd to help her! She said something like, "Does anyone know how it goes?" and as people started shouting out lines she would go, "No No, that's not it...". Finally someone yelled the correct words to her and she blew that person a kiss and continued playing.
Also in Cincinnati she talked about Marianne, who was a 14
year old girl she knew in school who was really "the most beautiful human being". She then laughed and said, "That's hard to believe isn't it? We women can have a real mean streak. Another pearl can enter the room and we are ready to go..and your boyfriend will say 'she's so nice', but that's okay guys, we women have been killing each other in the 'harem' for years. But Marianne was truly nice..." Then she said her mother told her one
day that Marianne killed herself, and Tori said her first reaction was "Fuck you mom. That's your first reaction you know, Somebody so wonderful that gave everyone such a gift, NO" She shakes her head and begins Marianne.
The second encore in Cincy included 'In the Springtime Of His Voodoo'. She began the song by shouting "Come on momma, ride that bull." She also gave a little growl during the song that was really cool. She accepted compliments from people saying they loved her "Thank you mam" and in a silly oh-come-on-now voice
"I love you too". She then said she was going to try a song that she still did not know very well, and did a rather error-free 'Frog On My Toe'. She finished that show with 'Hey Jupiter' on the harmonium organ. Toward the end she messed up, and said "I made a mistake, I take the blame", then she altered the line "Guess it's clear, he's gone" to "Guess it's clear, I fucked up". The crowd roared. She did go back and finished the song beautifully.
At the early, first Cleveland concert on June 4th, Tori introduced Caton, "A few of you may know that Caton and I were in Little Earthquakes together." She did not seem to realized her mistake, and no one corrected her. The next song was 'Little Earthquakes' however, so that must have been on her mind. Before 'Tear in Your Hand', she said "This one is like a 'couch potato', she is rarely present."
During the second, late Cleveland show June 4th, Tori came on stage in a black flower-print dress and black boots. "So good, it's the late show. I wore my party boots for you," she said, holding up one of them as she sat down. A woman in the audience yelled, "Let's make it an all-nighter, Tori" and Tori asked, "What?" And about fifty people all repeated her at once, to which she looked around confused and said, "I can't hear a fucking thing." Tori said it was like Spock with the gooey, bubbly thing on his forehead trying to talk like he needed toilet paper... At one point, Tori said before 'Honey' that it was her favorite song from Under the Pink even though it didn't quite make the album. Soneone in the crowd reacted very positively to this song, and Tori replied by saying that "if you got this excited for Honey, how would you feel if I did Baltimore instead." Before 'Pretty Good Year', Tori told the Greg story and about how her house is filled with interesting letters. A woman in the audience said that she would be at Tori's house on Saturday. Tori replied, "Really? You'll be at my house? In that case, the letters are under the guest bed...", and then she described some more of the house.
In a hilarious and now famous incident during the later Cleveland concert on June 4th, Tori introduced Steve Caton and a guy yelled, "Caton is Cool!" and
Tori asked "What?" And again everyone repeated. And she said, "Pain in his hole? I don't remember that one." Thinking he was requesting a YKTR song. And so she improvised right there about a song, 'Pain In His Hole' The lyrics were very roughly:
(and some people have told me that these are not very accurate...)
Pain in his hole
I know I liked it with a kitchen toe
Pain in his hole
He goes ahh, oooohh, oooowwww, eeeeehhhhh
Poor baby
You never said
Pain in his hole
I think you gonna cry
(and some more lyrics about circumsicion)
At the June 6th concert in Chicago, Tori said, "Hi you guys." She gets the usual collection of "I love yous" and replies "Ditto babe. This is my new friend, she uh, isn't she good, she has 5, uh, check this out girls, 5 men to ah, dance around her. She's like a Cleopatra, see and, uh, she loves margaritas, so life is not so bad for her." Later, she states, "So some of you know that this is Caton. Caton's played on all the records that I've done and we were in Y Kant Tori Read together." She also told this funny story. "So, um, huh?" Someone in the audience asked her something. Tori couldn't hear the person at first, but then looked amazed and says, "No he didn't, no, no no no, he didn't...okay, did he ask me to play 'Pain In my Hole' oh NO, okay, I'll explain to you what happened..was that in Cleveland? Okay, so in Cleveland, I'll explain to you, so in Cleveland, somebody yelled something..." Someone screamed "It wasn't me!" and Tori says, "Not you I know, fair enough, we won't condemn you to this. So I thought they said 'Play Pain In My Hole'. Well, I've never heard of such a thing... well I HAVE actually, but I haven't written it." (Wild laughter and applause!) "So I made it up, right? and I couldn't, I swear to God if my life depended on it I could not make up that song again, I'll put it out...some bootlegger has it already out I'm sure. But anyway, I made it up over here, and it was 'pain in my hole something something that's all you say all day.' So anyway, what they were really saying was..one of the engineers came up to me and said, 'Um, Tori, you know what the guy said right?', I said 'yeah it was Pain In My Hole.' He said, 'no he said Caton's Cool.' So there you go." The requests were flying left and right during the final encore. Tori said "Okay already..alright." Somebody yelled, 'Toodles Mr. Jim'. Tori went "Oh", and sings "Toodles Mr. Jim you cherry picker, toodles, I say so long." Then she waves and says in a really cute kid's voice "GOODBYE". Then she stops and says "I'm getting silly now..hang on." She moves to the harmonium organ and says, "Yeah yeah Yeah, ..No, I'm going to rock your ass." and plays 'Professional Widow'!
Joanne Wittenberg gave me the following: "On June 6th, at the Chicago
show, a girl jumped up on stage (to do what, I don't know).
Tori's bodyguards quickly grabbed her and escorted her away.
Tori then started to break into the song 'Did you happen to
see the most beautiful girl...'. She didn't finish the song,
but I thought that was a very kind gesture toward a person
who rushed the stage. She didn't seem phased (or frightened)
at all. Now _that's_ class."
In Chicago on June 7th, the crowd asked for 'Pain In His Hole,' which had mysteriously become 'Pain In MY Hole', and Tori replies, "You guys, I don't even remember how it went.." And with a few people trying to remind her of the lyrics she finally says, "Okay, I tell you what, I promise to learn it by the time I come back in the fall. Okay? Okay." [Mikewhy's Note: She did not sing it when she returned later in September; she still didn't remember it.] Tori was talking about being 13 years old, and at one point made comments about her lack of breast size which drew tons of laughter when she began pushing them up to try to make them bigger. During this time someone yelled for China to which she responded "I'm not doing China, I'm trying to tell a story." As Tori tried to play 'Frog On My Toe', she messed up several times and said "Oooops, wrong key." She starts over. "Ooops, I was right the first time," starts over, stops, "You know those of you who have to give speeches, fuck it... sometimes you just have to take a minute to get it right." After the third time she got it right.
At the first, earlier show in Milwaukee on June 8th, Tori said the following: "Hi everybody. The last time I was in Milwaukee it was... Well, I'd been to the hospital -- some of you know that -- and this great dyke doctor gave me this fantastic shot in my ass. Anyway, if you run into her tell her I said, 'Hi.' Let's see, what else was happening... I was here with my buddy Michael Stipe. We'd written this song in Milwaukee that everybody hated but, um, I quite like it. And I think they were wrong, so I just wanted to tell you I have fond little memories of this wonderful little place." She told another variation of the 'Muhammad My Friend' story. "Um, this next song is a bit strange because my father and I had a bit of an argument over it. Maybe because he dragged me to Christmas eve services -- not last Christmas, but a year ago. I was kind of in between boyfriends -- you know that one girls, you gotta go home to mom and dad. So I was with my parents and they took me to the nice Christmas eve services -- and you heard all the little tykes singing -- I like the little tykes -- when they have their crusty noses... but they were up
there and the congregation's supposed to join in -- as one does in the Methodist
Church -- and -- off key normally. But anyway, it was our turn to come in and I was
contemplating and my father looked at me and said, 'Tori Ellen... It's time to
SING.' And I said, 'Dad, something's very wrong with this thing.' And he said, 'What are you talking about there's something wrong?' And I said, 'This thing...' (sings beautiful melody) 'daa daa da daaaa.' And he said, 'What are you talking about?' And I said, 'It shouldn't go like that -- and I'm really convinced...' " and she breaks into "We both know it was a girl..."
Tori's 'Doughnut Song' speech in at Milwaukee's first show: "We were in Ireland and the record was supposedly finished. And the guys were getting ready to go down to a place called The White Lady. And these cute little Irish girls show up, and my crew... drools. And so they were off to find a shag and a Guinness -- and they actually deserved it because I had had them up, sometimes at seven in the morning, sometimes a little too much, (whines) 'Will you tune my piano, pleeaassee?' It's like nag, nag, nag and I'm sorry. But I kind of ruined their evening -- 'cause you know girls -- when you're not quite finished, you're just not quite finished..."
Also during the early show in Milwaukee, Tori tried to grab the mike to start MAAG...but it broke. She took the top off and put it on her head, looking very cute. One of the sound guys came out...and tried to fix it..and in the meantime people in the crowd were screaming requests and one was "PLAY LONDON GIRLS!" and Tori just replied in a simple "no." She then asked the girl that had said that "Are you here for the second show too?" and she said "no" and Tori asks, "Are you just saying that?" and the girl said "No, I swear, I"m only here for this one." So Tori replied "Well, maybe she'll show up a little later..she's having a margarita right now." People started yelling other stuff and she said, "You all know this isn't any of those ..." and she begins 'Me and a Gun'.
Tori told some pretty funny stories in Milwaukee June 8th at the second, late show. Someone yelled "You're nifty, Tori." And she says, "You're nifty, too." And she looks like she's going to begin playing, when suddenly she remembers her stuffed elephant Dumbo sitting on the speaker. "You know who's really nifty," she says running over and grabbing Dumbo and bringing him back to the stage, "Dumbo's nifty." And she alters her voice to that of Dumbo, "I'm Dumbo, and I'm weally nifty. 'Cuz I can hear, my ears are nifty and this (Grabs his trunk and waves it around) is real nifty, and very useful" (the crowd roars) "And I don't get to make appearances cuz Towi is a wittle too pwotective of me." And she yells back at Dumbo, "Shut up" Tori then goes straight into this story, "So I was talking to my girlfriend the other day, and she says, 'You'll never guess who called me,' And I said who, and she said, 'mmmmm' and I said Really, What did he have to say? (She whispers) "He's from England. I just looove these overseas relationships. They're soooo convenient. Anyway, so he's drunk and... drunk is good, I mean (mumbles something about place and time) And so you know what he said, I swear to you, (Acts like a slurring drunk) "I loove you, I looove you like I love my left testicle. I swear, that's what he said And it's like, Come on, brothers a little up on the poetry, huh?" She then laughed very hard.
Tori introduced Caton at the second Milwaukee show. "We have known each other for a fucking long time." Someone before her sound check had given her this wand with a star on it, a twinkle star. You push a button and it speaks. So she brought that on
stage and played the wand. It said something about the Wizard of Oz, but Tori loved it because she made it speak once and then goes "let's hear it again," and she played it again.
Neil Gaiman was in the audience for the June 10th Minneapolis show. He brought his daughter along, and Tori let the crowd know that her god-niece was in the audience. "She's my peanut. Hi Little Peanut." Tori commented that Neil was there, and that he was probably expecting her to be naughty. "We all know how to be naughty, don't we girls?" Tori turned to the harpsichord and said that this was her new friend. She said that "she may be old but she's had plenty of men in her life." Tori began to explain how being in seclusion in Ireland was tough. To make
it exciting, they had different themes for food, and there was this one particular night that they had a Mexican fiesta. "Well, girls, you know what it's like when you've had a few margaritas." Not just one or two, she said but a few too many. She said that was when she stumbled to the ground and this song came into her head, which was 'Frog On My Toe'.
Tori also told the audience in Minneapolis about the time her mother told her that Marianne had killed herself. "And I said fuck you mom." (because she didn't believe that Marianne would do that). She said that Marianne was the kind of person that
could bring out the good in people. When she was gone, Tori said, it took everyone a long time "to find the good again."
Tori fan Jeremy O'Connor reports on what Tori said during her June 11th Ames IA concert: "One of the most memorable parts of the concert for me is when someone yelled that they liked her sweater and she proceeded to tell us that she wasn't feeling well and that her sweater was snuggley. Then she kinda hugged her self and said 'this is snuggley, and this next song just pisses me off...' and started to play the Doughnut song. She also dedicated the song Pretty Good Year to all the nerds."
In a radio interview in St. Louis the day of her concert there June 12th, Tori had this to say about the internet! "I think you can get anything from the Internet. This is what I'm learning. Absolutely anything. I find out information about myself that I didn't know."
At Tori's St. Louis show June 12th, Tori praised butter, "I like butter and the people who like butter." She also said the following before playing a cover of Tiny Dancer by Elton John, "I haven't done this one on this tour yet, but tonight she just wants to come out." She also talked about seeing a picture of Tony Orlando in the Fox bathroom.
During Tori's June 13th concert in Kansas City, she said, "Girls, I have to tell you, I said something terrible about this girl the other day. (Whispers) That bitch
probably has a voodoo doll. But I felt bad, it was like some fucking stupid shampoo commercial... where you wonder if he, or a man, a thing with three legs wasn't involved, could she and I have margaritas without killing each other." Another quote: "I always promise her (Harpsichord) margaritas, well this time my boys tell me she
really will get some on the way to Dallas.... (throws her hands up in the Mexican
Hat Dance) La coocha ra cha... La coocha ra cha..." Prior to 'China" Tori states, "I usually don't do this, but somebody is going through something terrible. It
seems someone very close to them died today... So Tara, this is for you..." Someone yelled out, "How's Neil?" "Oh he's fine. Actually, he's got this new thing, Neverware, coming out, it's very cool. Tori also showed off her twinkle star again, which was a gift that someone gave her a few days earlier at sound check. (See the Milwaukee quotes.)
In another Kansas City incident, some guy in the audience yelled that Tori sucked during "Me and a Gun." A girl near him said for him to "shut the fuck up." Then Tori said "That was perfect DICTION." She said this because everyone in the venue could understand what that girl said. (Thank you Candice Martin for telling us the correct quote.) After coming back on stage for her first encore she says, "What would we do without our assholes?" And then begins Somewhere Over the Rainbow. In the middle of 'Here, In My Head,' someone sneezed loudly. Tori added a cute little "Bless You" to the song. During the 2nd encore, people were yelling out requests, and Tori responded, "Some of you are going to lose. I've heard 20 songs and I can't play them all -- so don't take it personal, I still love your hairdo."
More on Kansas City from Toriphile Brenna O'Brien: the situation that prompted her "what would we do without our assholes?" was that the SAME girl who told the guy to shut up, right after Me and a Gun was finished shouted "We're sorry about the ASSHOLES!" .. I think it
should be included to show what prompted her wonderful comeback. :) Also
you might want to mention that Tori talked alot about how SHE was going to
get to drink lots of marguritas on her bus ride to Texas..she was very
happy. :)
In Dallas Texas, June 15th, after a woman in the audience says, "Tori the faeries are
here!" Tori says, "What?" The girl says again, "The FAERIES are here!"
the whole time swaying her arms, trying to look etheral. Tori replies, "Oh, I though you said,'Your PARENTS are here." Tori concludes, "I was gonna say WHY did you go and do that?" Tori also talks about when she played Dallas some years back and how a lady was watering the garden above the venue (Caravan Of Dreams) and the equipment got
messed up. "So if you see a lady watering her garden, wish her well. " She also discussed margaritas and how she sometimes writes songs that don't make sense. Someone yells "1800" and Tori replied "Do you use 1800? This isn't the song;
we'll compose a new one," and she then sang a little improvisation about margaritas prior to 'Frog On My Toe'. Before 'Doughnut Song', "So I was done with the album...but sometimes us girls aren't done yet."
During Tori's Performance in Austin Texas, June 16th, she talked about Austin, expressing how much she liked it here and enjoyed this venue. Tori said she'd like a Greyhound to bus all the people from Pittsburgh down here, and she'd be here "and Nine
Inch would be there [points off to the right] and Polly Harvey would be here [points left]." During the first part of the performance, she sort of giggled and glanced into her piano and said she heard a cricket. "There's been a cricket in my Bosey. He's on the bass strings." Tori then said that she liked crickets. This show was outdoors, and she said ,after introducing Caton, that she's allergic to bugs, so if she turns into a pile of goo, just wipe her away after the show. Also that night, before the song 'Crucify' she said, "This is for all you christians." The heat was terrible and she said she might melt into a puddle of goop, "But goop is good."
Also in Austin, Tori was singing 'Blood Roses' and in the middle, she stopped, yelled "FUCK THIS" and threw off the headphones. The sound had been doing that feedback stuff, and after BR was over, she said that she'd been blasted, and "boys, you've got your work cut out for you in Houston....drink LOTS of Guiness tonight." She appeared quite angry.
While introducing the audience to her harpsichord in Houston Texas, June 17th, at the first of 2 shows that night, Tori said, "Here's my new little friend. She has fleas. I can't believe it, but
she truly has fleas. I think she got them when we were in Austin." When she introduced Caton she said how he was in Y Kant Tori Read and then said how everyone on the internet already knew him. Tori continued, "The people on the Internet know more about what I am doing than I do, Like they will say that I am going to be in this mall on this day, and sure enough I am there." She also said, "I get a lot of letters from boys who have trouble's with girls, and alot of them draw pictures of themselves. There not proud they're usually standing there" (stands with her hands crossed and looks innocent) "looking, well like nerds." and then played 'Pretty Good Year'.
At Denver June 19th, before playing what I think was 'Lovesong' by the Cure, Tori talked about how much she likes to drive fast, but she never gets speeding tickets. She said that whenever she got through a speed-trap and didn't get caught she would play this song really loud on the radio. Tori also revealed that there was a woman in the audience that night who 10 years ago sat with Tori through an Earthquake, but then they lost touch.
She said she was really happy tonight because this woman was here. "I didn't have to find her, because she found me." Before 'Doughnut Song', she told the story about how all her crew were down at the pub the White Lady with "Guiness in their hands" and then she played a "I'm a happy person with a Guiness in my hand" song for about 30 seconds, then said how she called them all back and made them record this last song for the album.
Also at Denver June 19th, Tori told a story of how back during Y Kant Tori Read when she was in her "Retail Slut Gear" outfit she met this woman who was
a really good dancer, "she could work that bad boy all the way down the stage." She and this woman had a deal where Tori would teach her to sing, while the girl taught Tori to dance, saying, "I know there's something under that voice, girl, Wake it up." Tori then did her dance before 'Cornflake Girl'.
During her performance of 'Cornflake Girl', Tori apparently lost her breath. While holding the beat with her foot, and on the piano, she chanted "Hold on Caton, I need to catch my breath. I'm not used to this altitute...I should have worn hiking boots...okay I almost got it." and then she continued. In yet another margarita reference, she told the audience about how she likes a margarita every-once-and-awhile "1800, single shot" I think she said. And then she talked about how one night, she found a piano right after drinking one, and wrote 'Frog On My Toe', so "don't blame me if it doesn't make any sense."
During the first, early Salt Lake City concert, June 21st, a very interesting development occurred. Half way through the final song, Purple Rain, she stops and sings on a single note, "You. You right there and only you. Just you come up here." And slowly a girl in the front row begins to rise and gets up on the stage and security runs out
and grabs her and Tori yells "NO NO JOEL, I told her to." and Joel, the security guy finally lets her go, then Tori explains that her mike stand is falling and that the girl is going to hold her mike. This really makes the crowd go crazy! Earlier, Tori talked about
how Marianne was her best friend, "...But Marianne was a Catholic and I think
they drove her out of her fucking mind."
During the second, late Salt Lake City show, June 21st, a fan yelled "Spit on me Tori" as she took a sip of water. "I'm not going to spit on you, Honey." But then she walked over to the guy that yelled it, poured water in her hands and rubbed it all over his face. "Wow. these Utah boys get pretty hot." At one point, someone shouted,
"Give me a Love Song, Tori" and she said, "I feel it coming." Then another person shouted for Happy Birthday, so she went into a deep and dark place where you wouldn't expect to find Happy Birthday. "Happy birthday to.... YOUUUUUUU, YYYOOUUUUU, YOOOOUUUUU" and you could see the drool coming out of her mouth and you could hear the sadness and anger in her voice. Then she did 'Lovesong.'
Before playing 'Blood Roses' in Santa Barbara CA on June 23rd, Tori sat down at the harpsichord and said that she had a really good day today and that she loved this town. Someone from the audience shouted, "move here" and she said she was thinking about it but she wasn't sure. Tori remarked, "my nose is red. everything is red but my ass and I love it". Before 'Honey', she said, "this is my favorite song on Under the Pink, only she didn't make it on Under the Pink because... I'm an idiot." Before 'Marianne' in Santa Barbara, Tori said the following about her childhood friend, "Marianne was like an angel and Angels don't kill themselves." Before 'Doughnut Song', she was telling how that song came to her in Ireland. "She's a torturer" because she was saying how she worked her crew and then woke them up in the middle of the night because she ('Doughnut Song') wasn't done yet. Before 'Silent All These Years', Tori said something like "I hope the girl out there gets this, wherever she is."
Rachel Colvard adds another Santa Barbara quote. Tori was in the middle of
'Cornflake Girl' and forgot the words. "...and I forgot the words to this song. I can't belive this is happening. (really meaning it) I can't belive this is happening. (humorously meaning it)"
On June 24th, in Las Vegas, city of no encores (Tori did not perform encores that night, the only time this happened on the entire tour. Certain rude elements in the crowd were to blame), someone in the crowd yelled that she looked beautiful and she said thank you. A person also said nice pants and she replied, "they're not pants babe, it's a jumpsuit" She talked about all the letters she gets from boys and how they all talk about how badly the girls treat them to which she said, "fancy that" and laughed. She also said she wrote 'Pretty Good Year' for all the nerds.
On June 25th, at the San Diego performance, Tori had a confession to make. Right before she sang 'Frog on My Toe' she told the story of how she wrote the song after drinking Margaritas and finding a piano, then she played a few bars, laughed and said, "No, no, that's not how the song goes." Laughing even harder she said that the story about the margaritas was a lie. She said, "This whole tour I have been telling people this story, and its not true. I made it up. I just thought I would tell all of you the truth, I don't know why." Then she did an endearing little shoulder shrug, threw her hands up in the air, and continued playing. (Many thanks to Anna Marie Barkdoll for this one.)
Tori's poor harpsichord continued to mend from its attack of fleas! As Tori introduced her harpsichord in San Diego, a person in the audience asked if she had a name and Tori said that she didn't, but that she had just gotten over having fleas, and that she had picked them up in Austin, TX. Tori called her a "poor little thing" and then said that the instrument was feeling much better now because they had "given her some Margaitas" and that "she had 5 men to look after her". Tori then said that the Mormons had loved that line, 5 men to look after her and then Tori said "I told them, that's right girls, that's what your future could be like. Think about it."
In Los Angeles, during Tori's first concert June 28th, something, probably a bug, flew into her face as she was singing Horses. Right as she was singing "but will you find me if.." , she added "I guess you did." after it flew at her. The perils of being outdoors continued later, when she announced "This is the weirdest thing, I've got a critter on my f# key," She talked to the audience for a while to avoid crushing it. She said something about six foot women with big breasts and ends the chat by saying that her harpsichord has fleas. She later tells the usual 'Muhammed My Friend' story. Tori introduced Caton and mentioned the Viper Room and asked if anyone remembered when it was called something else (I think Sash) and said her band played there during the YKTR days. It was such a dive and now it was the Viper Room and everyone thought it was so cool and "that fucking club...I mean, we had hair up to here (indicates about a foot above her head) and we were PROUD." (Thank you Kim for sending me that one.)
Another quote from the June 28th LA show, "I lived on the other side of this hill in this little apartment and wrote Little Earthquakes. So its kinda funny, being on the other side of the hill, isn't it girls. I don't mind so much being on the other side of the hill." Before 'Black Swan' at the end of the show, people were yelling out favorites for Tori to play, and she answered, "Oh, they're all out having margaritas. This one's having a margarita too."
In Los Angeles, June 29th, the highlight of the show was a man playing a trumpet in the mountain behind the outdoor theatre while Tori was trying to talk. Tori asked everyone to be quiet so she could listen. She said, "who is that, playing that little trumpet... what key are you in, Mr. Trumpet Man?" She wanted to play along. "I'm not too smart, but any ding-a-ling can tell you that I've
got a little more horsepower than you. You play, I'll answer...". It was too cute. Before playing 'Lovesong', Tori states, "I used to listen to this song speeding down the 101, and I never got caught." Also, Tori showed her compassionate side when she told the audience,"I know you guys can't see but there are lots of little critters up here whom I'm trying not to squish." Also Tori also said something like "those who have the internet know my friend up here got fleas in Austin." Tori was referring to the harpsichord.
Also on June 29th in LA, Tori talked to the crowd while Caton was tuning: 'These are my friends' she said in her little girl voice and Tori took out a fairy wand with a large star at one end and shook it. It played some kind of music; the
audience was delighted. She said 'come on, you do more than that' and shook
it again and this shy little computer-girl voice sang 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'.
July
In Phoenix Arizona on July 2, during the second of two shows that night, Tori barked a few times, right at the beginning and again toward the end. She said, "Things are a little different around here after 10." During 'Upside Down' some man ran on stage and was swiftly removed by security. People started yelling things at him to which Tori responded, "Don't kill him, don't kill him...they'll take care of him." Tori also revealed that she wrote 'Hey Jupiter' in Phoenix 2 years ago during the Under the Pink tour.
During Tori's July 10th concert in Sacramento, CA, she mentioned that she had a week off from the concert tour, "I've just had a few days off. So it feels like when it's your first day back to school...So these are my back to school shoes," (pointing to her very shiny ELECTRIC BLUE high heel shoes.) According to Toriphile Brooke, Tori later went on to talk about how a pair of good shoes are like a good piece of art. "You can hang them on your wall. And if a boy buys a girl a good pair of shoes, well, she might just let him drink out of them." (the audience was cheering at this point). Later, between songs when everything was very quiet, a boy yelled out "I LOVE
YOUR SHOES!". To which Tori leaned over to the microphone and purred, sending
the audience into wild cheers again. Before 'Muhammad My Friend'. she told a story about going to a Christmas service with her father two years ago, and kids in the choir with caked-on snot under their noses. During one of the encores Caton made some sort of mistake, , and Tori said something like "Don't worry about it, Caton, just keep playing. Everybody fucks up." and then started hitting random blocks of keys with the palms of her hands.
During her show in Oakland CA July 11th, Tori introduced the song 'Pretty Good Year' with, "I've told 100 guys I've written this for them, haha."
The following quote was submitted by super Ears With Feet Violet. In Oakland on July 11th, someone in the audience yelled out a request for "Icicle." Tori began the [by now common] explanation that sometimes certain songs don't want to come, that they're off having margaritas somewhere. Then she thought and said, "Icicles in a blender," and laughed hard. The audience mostly just sat there, so she ended with, "Now you see just what a nerd I can be."
During the second of two shows in Oakland CA July 12th, Tori introduced the song 'Honey' with, "This was my favorite song on Under the Pink, and I'm such a ding-a-ling, I kicked it off."
In San Jose CA on July 14th, Tori sang the song 'Graveyard' for "that sweet little person" in the front row. The next quote was submitted by super EWF Violet. In San Jose on July 14th, she told the girls in the front row, "You guys don't have to hold your purses so tight in front, I'm not going to come down and steal your money or anything. I MIGHT come down and steal your lip gloss -- do you have any good lip gloss?" After exchanging lip stuff and a little chat, Tori said, "Hey babe...is that your boyfriend?"
Tori fan Adinah just sent me the following quotes from Tori's July 14th show in San Jose. Tori told a funny story along the lines of: "Girls, we always do these
nice things for our men, don't we? You guys don't even realize it. We're always thinking of you, doing things for you, getting you little presents. And all you want to know is, 'How's your friend Cindy?' huh-huh, Cindy ain't thinking about your ass." Tori also talked about a letter she got from a girl who asked Tori why she did not like Jesus. "Now where did she get the idea that I don't like Jesus? Doesn't mean I have to be Christian, does it? He was a pretty cute guy, he made a lotta sense, I don't think he'd be Christian either, if you want my opinion."
During Tori's July 16th show in Seattle, Tori was introducing her harpsichord to the crowd as her new friend. Someone asked her the name of her friend. Tori replied, "her..." She started talking about how she was just discovering alcohol and how she'd had a few too many when she came to the piano and the guys had left the record button on and this is what came out.. 'Frog On My Toe'. At the end of the show, when the harmonium organ was rolled out, she was about to end the show with 'Hey Jupiter' and said, "but first, remember this big hit?," and played a verse from 'Cool On Your Island' from Y Kant Tori Read.
While in Seattle, Tori did an interview for a Seattle Radio Station (KMTV 103.7 I think) on July 17th. When asked to compare herself to Hotlips from M*A*S*H she said "I'm Radar." Tori also stated that she likes to work with a team who wants to reach the same goals as herself. "I'm just the one with the vision."
During the first early show in Seattle WA on July 17th, Tori said, "You know what I've been thinking while I'm up here playing? I remember (mentions the names of some athletes), so I'm dating myself. But you know when they say 'She's about to do the insert acrobatic move here'? I get so nervous watching that. I think it must be the same for you...you're wondering 'that thing she's doing with the left hand...will she fuck it up?' I know, it's like the Czechoslovakian judges.....5.8."
Also at the early show in Seattle, Tori was in a playful mood. She began playing something on the piano and then says to the audience, "you know, this could be anything..." and when she started playing again, she sang "go greyhound" and then finally began 'Space Dog'. Tori finished the concert playing 'Etienne' from YKTR on the harmonium organ. Before playing this she said, "I never do this...Caton remembers this."
At the final, late show in Seattle on July 17th, some person yelled out "More pirate, less pen!" Confused, this did nothing but frustrate her, and she told him, "Listen, *you* do seven fucking shows a week, and *you* can do `more pirate less pen'"
In Vancouver Canada on July 19th, Tori lost her place playing 'Talula' and had to abandon the song. A fan yelled "It's alright Tori! It's ok.", and she replied "Oh, thank you. These things happen you know?"
Toriphile Eden sent me these quotes from Vancouver: "Hi you guys. So how's it going? Pretty good? [makes a really cute little noise]. This is my new friend...I didn't have her last time. It's been so long since I was here...we didn't make it on the last tour. It wasn't
personal, it was just, um...well, if I told you what it was, I could get arrested. So I'll tell you later because I don't know who's here, you know? It's one of those things. But that's why I didn't come. So here I am with my new little friend and some of you may know this...she got fleas...can you believe this? If you guys ever go to Texas, let me tell you something, you
bring some bug spray. And I mean that on every level, girls. This thing got fleas...it's true. Every night I'd see these things jumping in the air, and I got bitten by them, and it's the one case where it's like, um, she got cured in LA...can you believe that? Something's wrong." Tori also said later, "So, some of you, uh, know that this is Caton. Caton...um, we'ver been playing together, well, since Y Kant Tori Read, really. Some of you have heard of that. And uh...we don't need to talk about that." As the stage crew was taking her harpsichord from the stage Tori exclaims, "Come on, guys. You know where this baby's going? She may be old, but she love the margarita. [Tori purrs...audience laughs, so she purrs again]."
I was sent a quote from Tori's July 20th Eugene Oregon concert by Toriphile Meg. Tori mentioned that she had been offered a movie role but that she wouldn't take it.. and if she did that we could "throw shit at her"... her reason? Because it would require kissing Nicholas Cage. She then barked, and began playing 'Blood Roses'.
During Tori's early show in Portland Oregon, July 21st, she described her harpsichord as "her friend" and said that even though she was old and had wrinkles, "she'll make you...mmm, mmm" Tori also had quite a bit to say about mushrooms before CALS. "We usually have these movies, but they're broken today... they are kind of like doing mushrooms. I don't care who's here, I love mushrooms. People have been doing them for thousands of years, and for anyone who has a hair up their butt about it that's just too bad. And for any police who may be in the house: you won't find shit. That's the good thing about being very good friends with the faeries--you don't get caught." Before 'Landslide' Tori remarked, "this song is for someone who was supposed to be here tonight but didn't quite make it..." Tori introduced Caton. She said that she loved Caton, and that Caton cried at anything. That on eating guacamole, he would sob "This is such *great* guacamole."
Tori comment early in her second show in Portland Oregon, July 21st: "Come on girls, let's put the boys on the floor." Tori played 'Mary', which was requested by a very special fan (Hi Lisa!) She said before she started, "I really want to play this next song, but I don't play it very often, so if I fuck up, I'll start it over again." Tori played it flawlessly. Prior to the final song , Tori said, "this next one is for a girl who asked for two, but they'd completely wear me out - kinda like playing (some sport) then going home and being expected to have sex." The song was 'Bells For Her'. Tori mentioned that she was tired and "...going to go back to the bus after the show and watch an Alfred Hitchcock movie, and any boys who `want some' will have to wait till tomorrow."
In Boise Idaho on July 23rd, during the second show that night, Tori told another variation of the 'Muhammad My Friend' story. She went to church on Christmas with her family 2 years ago and her father asked her to join in and sing the hymns. She said "Nobody will like what I have to say if I sing" and her father said "Try me" and she then breaks into the song.
In Cedar Rapids IA on July 26, Tori made a reference to Mother's Day. She then proceeded to imitate a mother left alone with the kids all day. 'Just leave me alone for ten fucking minutes.' Tori also commented, "Hi guys. Well, you know what, I'm glad you're very perky, because, uhm, we won't talk about where I've just been, but uhm, it wasn't as perky as you are. I've never played there before, so it was the very first time (gasp) and they're VERY Christian. I mean, very very very very. So, I understand one very. So you have to understand my father and my grandmother and my grandfather and my mother are very very very very. So, I think I know how to deal with very very very. Wrong. Anyway, they were not ready for a dose of Tori, it wasn't a good way to start out. You gotta imagine. What are you doing? Why did I play Crucify, Mohammad, Father Lucifer all in one set?"
Also from Cedar Rapids: "So um, some of you know that this is Caton. And, um, OH WOOF (to some guy in the front). Caton and I were in Y Kant Tori Read together. So, um, do any of you know, like, um, the metal forever handshake? Like, no matter how uncool it is anymore, all that hairspray and the Rainbow and the Roxie, you remember those clubs? Well, that was our life. Wasn't it, Caton? It really happened. Do you know the handshake? Have I done it to you? " She then did an interesting two-part signal thing with her left hand near the floor and then the right hand near her head. Later in the show she says "Some of you may remember this song, if you don't, God you know how old I am, but anyway." Someone then yells, I love you Tori. "Sssaank you. I like to, um, speed to this song. Cause, you know that thing that says '55?' Heh, I know it's a saftey thing, eh eh, politcally correct..eh (and flips us off). But, if you're not drinking, and there's nobody else behind you, it's like, mothers, stay home with your children, just let me roll with Shumacher and those dudes for ten fucking minutes." This all leads up to Love Song. She finished the concert later with Etienne and said prior to playing it, "Okay, who says I never listen to you guys?"
More Cedar Rapids: "Some of you know this... Um, I really like margaritas
now. And, um, there's a time and a place for them. I'm aware of it." A fan named Josh then yelled to Tori "I have some in the car for ya." "You have some in the car? What's your name? Oh, but I gotta do this first, because this is what happens. This song is an example of what happens." She then tried to sing a few notes, way off key, hitting the notes on the piano to match. "Can I have another sip?" Then she gets on key. "That's what happens. Anyway, this little song happened, and it doesn't realy make a lot of sense." Then Tori begins to sing 'Frog On My Toe'.
Tori played Springfield Iliinois July 27th. During one of the encores, Tori said to Steve Caton, "This girl's been screaming for this all night. Let's do the one that should've been on 'Pink'." She then sang 'Honey'. At this show she also told a story about how she doesn't do dishes and how her friend named Rantz wanted to kill himself by going down her garbage disposal, but she didn't have one! Someone from the audience shouted "Marry me Tori." She replied "You don't wanna marry me, baby, all I can do for you is play at your wedding." And, "This is a request made earlier today. I've never played this live before." The song was 'Alamo'.
In Indianapolis July 28th, Tori asked some people in the front if they were the ones who sent her a sign back stage. Read what she said about the sign in the following paragraph. Tori introduced Caton, "This is Caton. I just love Caton, bless you." Tori said quite a bit before 'Frog On My Toe'. She said, "I love margaritas, THIS MUCH" She used her cute little girl voice on the THIS MUCH part and held her hands far apart to show how big her love of them were. "I don't do them all the time, that's why I love them THIS MUCH" (Gesturing wide with her arms again....she was too cute) "You know when you use the right amount of salt and shake it up and yummy yummy yummy." She shakes an imaginary one in her hand and smiles a mile wide. "Then you start to think that everyone is beautiful. No offense guys. I mean you guys have your jokes, the guys in the crew back there, what is it you say, you woke up and chewed your arm off she was so ugly? Well, why do you think we girls take so long in the bathroom? We talk about YOUR ass. We have our OWN stories. Anyway, now I'm fond of my 9 foot Bosey instead." She also said either before or after this, "I think I wrote this (Frog on My Toe) while having too many margaritas, but I can't remember." Before 'Lovesong' Tori said, "This one..she comes alot right now..in spurts...whatever..." She seemed a little loss for words. The first encore featured 'Marianne'. Tori made a mistake with the 'pesters and lesters and jesters' part. She sang it wrong, and then sang, "I just mixed my song up, I am sorry" which brought a little humor into the song. Tori began to play the harmonium organ at the end of the show. She hit some low notes that caused some heavy feedback on the speakers. She smiled mischievously and said "Oh Sorry," and began 'Cool on Your Island'.
Ben, the Toriphile who made Tori a sign which was given to her backstage before the show in Indianapolis emailed me with the details. It was actually a banner made on a bed sheet that said "Bring Us Sugar! Love the 5th row - jackianne, ben, rex, and chad." We gave the sign to her tour manager who we had previously seen back stage in Louisville ... He took it to her and apparently she liked it ... after 'Beauty Queen /Horses' she broke into 'Sugar'. After the song she
said, "Ok. Who sent me the banner?" The banner people scream. Tori smirks and says "You didn't think I would get it did you. You thought they would just throw it away. Well you see, you bring me a sign, I'll read it. You bring me 1800, I'll drink it. (little pause) You bring me a gorgeous man, I'll..." and she smiled.
Tori was singing in Peoria IL July 29th. Between 'Space Dog' and 'Cornflake Girl', someone shouted "Cornflake Girl." Tori, with a slight look of disgust, said "Everyone on the fucking internet knows that Cornflake Girl is next."
Also in Peoria, after 'Leather', while prepping her hands and donning her headset to play the harpsichord, Tori said, "Hey, guys. How are *you* doing? I just have to ask a question. Bear with me. Is a guy named Mike Merrill here?" [guy from audience yells, "Yeah, I'm here!"] "YOU'RE LYING. Okay, so I'll tell you this story, then. This is the thing. [conspiratorial grin; audience yelling and laughing] "Exactly. I was, umm, French class, behind the steps where you wind back; junior high, 12-years-old. And he was the first guy I Frenched, and he moved to Peoria. And I've never been to Peoria; you knows it's that thing when you go, "It's this *place*..." I won't say it's like Avalon, I mean you know you can't really say that--Avalon's been around for about 1,300 years. But it *kind* *of* was close. It was like, two down, from Avalon. There was Avalon, and then anyplace that makes good pasta. And then Peoria. [pause, smiles] "If you see Mike...tell him 'thank you.'"
Later during the Peoria concert, introducing 'Marianne' after playing some introductory mood-setting music, then vamping the intro,
"This is for somebody that isn't here anymore--here on this planet. And,
uh, she used to tease me about liking Mike Merrill so much, I remember.
And, uh, she'd say, ooh, his hair is so dirty, why doesn't he wash his
hair.
"So when some people say she killed herself, she died of an O.D., she did
this, she did that..."
[interrupted by an undecipherable yell from the audience, Tori stops
playing]
"What?"
[pause, the guy yells, "God bless Marianne."]
[long pause]
"Yeah."
[pause, back to vamping the intro, then into Marianne]
While performing in Toldeo Ohio, July 31st, Tori said that Neil Gaiman called her on the phone to say that he screwed up a joint interview they did together for the British press, where they were asked if they knew each other in a previous life.
Apparently Neil couldn't resist answering this question with some seriousness, which made it all the worse. She said we would all see the article soon enough. She added that Neil's one and a half year old daughter asked her dad if Tori would be over their house today, but then figured she was in the shower instead. Tori asked Neil when his daughter had said this, and apparently this was said at the time Tori was indeed in the shower, so Tori said his daughter was the smartest one of them all.
August
In Columbus Ohio, August 1, Tori said some fun things. One dude in the audience shouts, "I wanna marry you", to which Tori replied, "You know you don't wanna do that. No you don't," she shook her head and did a no-no wave with her finger, "Just listen to these words sweetheart; you don't want to go there." She then played 'Blood Roses'. The next song was 'Father Lucifer' and she messed up at the beginning. She apologized, "Excuse me, I'm sorry." Someone in the audience must have said something like "it's okay", because she then added, "Well, that's good. I'm glad I'm not a gymnast or I'd be fucked." People were calling out requests. Tori chastised the audience, "Hey hey" and then heard someone say 'Little Amsterdam'. She looked at Steve Caton, shrugged, and said "Why not?" and performed it. Before 'Cornflake Girl' Tori signaled to her sound crew and then told us, "I'm doing my little signals up here." She then introduced Caton. When Tori emerged for the second encore, people once began shouting requests from every corner of the theatre. She said in response to one (I don't know which), "If I sing that song, I'll blow my lite bright out." Then after hearing one song title she said, "Well, at least one of you is telepathic," and played Pretty Good Year.
While in Dayton Ohio August 3, Tori often had to respond to many requests shouted from the audience, some of them fairly rudely. Her responses included, "I love you too..Okay, heard you...guys, I love you, but look at this..." and she pointed to her body, "It ain't a jukebox." "If I play Winter, I'm going to melt..If Winter comes out, she is going to be Frosty the Snowman and melt." "Foreplay boys..." and "You just might get lucky girls..." and "none of you have mentioned Honey, but she's coming anyway." "To be honest with you, I've had 20 requests..I'm sorry...Sorry, Jupiter's having a margarita with China."
Also in Dayton, Tori asked a person in the front if their grandparents were there. She said, "During Horses, you shouted 'I'm here with my grandparents'...so are they here or not? Did you say grandparents or something grand?" Then after listening briefly she said "You have a brand new Audi? You poor thing." Tori did a killer Famous Blue Raincoat in Dayton, possibly in response to a request. Tori said, "This is for that special guy that always brings me 1800." She also said , "You didn't think I'd come through, did you?" After the song one person shouted, "Thank you Tori, You stitched my soul." Tori said, "I stitched your soul??" She looked perplexed for a moment and then got it, "Oh OH, THANKS" she said in a happy, silly tone.
Rhoda Wessels provides me with a few quotes from Tori's August 4th show in Chattanooga TN. Rhoda says: She (Tori) was in between songs and I yelled out "Happy Birthday in two weeks." She giggled and said, "you guys." Then broke into Blood Roses. She talked about it being her first time in Chattanooga, "My mom was born here. It's her birthday today." Someone shouted out from the audience, "what did you get her?" Tori responded, "Did she call you and tell you to ask me that?" Also during that show, Tori leaned into the microphone and said, "are there any girls that have scrunchies in the front row?" A girl stood up and gave held up one while Tori walked over and got it. Then she put up her hair and said, "you know how it is girls, it's like one of those days that you try to look pretty and you just shouldn't have tried at all."
In Birmingham AL on August 5th, Tori told the crowd that she was going to do something new for us, and that she'd probably never do it again and while smiling she played 'Oh Susannah'.
In Jackson MS August 7. Tori told a story. She said her dad had been bugging her for a while to send out a Christmas card, ."32 years old and my father wants me to make a christmas card so I say okay dad, I'll make a christmas card; and you know my piglet picture, well this year thats my Madonna and child."
While in Atlanta, August 8, Tori said early in the show to the very large crowd, "ya know, i'm kinda nervous cause you're the biggest i've ever done." Tori's microphone at the harpsichord wasn't working briefly, and Tori said, "This is all quite funny you know, because right now my crew are peeing in their pants" and then said "Guys, I can really understand what you go through when your thing goes (*funny noise with downward hand motion) because this is happening to me, so i totally realize that difficulty"
Tori in Pensacola, Florida, August 10. Tori discussed playing frisbee on the beach. "I was on your beach today, and well, I'm sorry I dropped the frisbee...you'd think that if I can play this fucking thing (bangs her harpsicord) maybe I can catch a frisbee." Tori later introduced her guitar player, "This is Caton, this wonderful thing.
We have know each other forever, and ever and ever and ever, both when we both had big hair like this (puts hands way over her head) but his was bigger than mine. And we were in Y Kant Tori Read. It's okay that you don't know that really, it's just a things and thats why it bobed into a horrible death." Tori prefaced Frog On My Toe with, "So, um, some of you know that i looooove Margarita's. And, I didnt get into this till very recently, like on the last on the last record, and uh, well. There's this theory, right, that girls have a hard time saying 'no'. Well, I have broken this theory, just because, when I want a margarita girls, I can't do anything. (Tori sighs really big) So this song came out, and it may not make any sense, but i was having a ROARING good time"
Tori in Jacksonville, Florida, August 11. "Tonight is one of the most unusual shows I've ever done. But you just have to flow with it." Tori also explained why she does not tell as many stories on stage, "You know all my
stories. And if you haven't, they're documented. I only need to tell them
once nowadays." Tori played 'She's Leaving Home' and messed up. She said, "Don't worry I'm not going to trash the song. I'm thinking about condiments so I have to do something else right now." To the noisy crowd shouting requests, "No. . .no, I've sung Precious fucking Things every night. I'm not doing it. She's in the bathtub tonight, you got crucify instead. She came with
all kinds of wood and nails."
More quotes from Jacksonville: Someone in the audience shouted, "Tell us a story," and Tori says, "Okay what do you want to hear?" A few suggestions were yelled out, and Tori would reply, "No I've already told you that." She then states, "Okay, so they wanted me to audition for a movie starring Nicolas Cage and there was a kissing scene" which encouraged people to go "woo!" and Tori's like "No, he's too hairy." (One fan reported Tori said "heavy" instead.) In response to some of the "I love yous" from the crowd Tori would reply by barking, "Woof." A person yelled, "Save me from the balcony Tori!" and Tori replies, "Is it eating you dear?" At one point in the show, she said something to the effect of, "You know when you're tired and your lover asks you to slow down. Well forget it, we're getting faster." She also stated after doing a little "do re mi" improv on the piano, "After playing 200 shows you get kind of silly."
Tori was in an upbeat mood at Wolf Trap in Vienna VA, August 16. She said, "I love you too, where are the people on the lawn? I used to sit out there, and I just want you to know, that's where I sat, these friends that used to take me here, are here tonight, this couple that felt sorry for me, because all the boys said they'd take me, totally wimped out. But now I don't need those boys to take me because I'm fucking sitting here"
Prior to Frog On My Toe in Vienna, Tori says "Okay....hah....let me just tell you this first babe...I like margaritas, until I know you, I could like them a bit better. This is the thing girls, you know this one, how when guys say once we have a few margaritas, we will like anything, has your boyfriend ever said that to you when you're looking at his brother? Well, you know, hey, you're related. Well, this is the thing, I didn't find anyone's brother when I was crawling around one night, with the 1800....on the rocks, extra salty.....and I don't do this all the time, I don't want it to sound like..you know. I wake up and have my Oreos, and then I have a burger, and all sorts of healthy stuff, and then I have a margarita. I'm not a health food nut on any level, I totally respect my vegetarian friends, and this is it......I found this 9 foot babe, she's right here. I don't know about this song, it's a bit weird, so..take it in context."
While playing Richmond Virginia, August 17, Tori said, "Libby, did you get in ok?" she shouted back YES, and Tori says "Libby, did they let your dog in?" NO. Tori replies with something to the effect of "No? They already let plenty of dogs in here. And for once girls, that's not directed at you." Later Tori asks the audience, "so, what should we talk about?" and someone screams - what's on your hand? Tori says,"songs I need to remember." then someone throws her a present, it was a little bag and she opened it and said "mmm, oreos, and a nutter bar, wow, breakfast." Tori also made a comment about a story in the Bible where a guy has to pretend that he's married to his sister to get the woman he wants, then Tori begins to play 'In The Springtime Of His Voodoo.'
Tori had a few things to say at her Norfolk Virginia show, August 19. At one point she told the audience, "I can't stop now, hold on." Tori says the following prior to Cornflake Girl, "How's it going, this is Caton. ( She points to some mushrooms which are taped to the top of her piano,) These are saying 'I'm not a salad', I've never put mushrooms on my piano before." Before singing Honey, Tori said, "This is one of my favorites that shoulda been on under the pink, but all of my favorites seemed to get the boot." Then prior to the final song of the night, Etienne, Tori says, "some of you may know this, and some may not, but she's happy to show up."
In Greensboro, North Carolina on August 22 (Tori's Birthday), Tori actually played Madonna's 'Live To Tell' for the first time ever! She said before she began, "I'm going to try something I've never done before. I figure, I've fucked up so bad, what can it hurt?" She also preceded 'Frog On My Toe' with the REAL story behind the song, a sweet story about her Poppa (grandfather) and missing him and keeping his spirit with her. This was also the night where Caton stopped playing while Tori was doing her 'Cornflake Girl' dance, and the surprised Tori saw her crew and father appear on stage with a cake, balloon, and flowers. The audience also sang 'Happy Birthday' to Tori.
I have some quotes from Tori's concert in Providence RI, August 24, from superfan Ang Russo. Before she launched into Blood Roses, Tori tells this story about this guy called John Middleton, and she said, "I was talking to one of my gyrlfriends about this boy I used to like, John Middleton, and I asked how he looked. She said he looked fabulous. That's just not what you want to hear, you know?" Then she started talking about Robert Plant and she starts singing, "Black Dog" and how she wishes that they could go to see John Middleton, and Robert could sing it to her. Tori also said the following before she played the cover 'Angie', "This song is always what I wanted to hear when I made out with my boyfriends. It's very cuddley and when I sing it, I think of making out."
In Wantagh, New York at Jones Beach Amphitheatre on August 25, Tori did a very touching thing. In the middle of singing Little Amsterdam , Tori
seemed to depart from the lyrics, as she sang "Kelly (?I believe that was the name she sang), I read your letter and you gotta stay with me girl, you gotta hold on" (or something to that effect). She then went on to sing the "round and round..." part of the song. It appeared that Tori was singing to someone in the audience,
perhaps someone who had given her a letter expressing deep distraught. Also at Jones Beach, she told a story about how the song 'Frog On My Toe' was written for a boy that she had a crush on when she was 9 years old, who passed a note to a pretty girl in class that said 'I don't like Tori-Ellen at all, she looks like a frog.' (Another fan claimed that she said 'sings like a frog'.) During the beginning of the show Caton had to tune his guitar, so Tori asked the audience to talk to her because "Sometimes I just get shy and just don't know what to say- you guys really save my ass." Before singing 'Purple Rain' Tori says, "This girl normally does not show up, but today she does." At the end of the concert, Tori exclaimed, "You guys have been amazing, don't be angry if I didn't play your favorite song."
I have many quotes from Tori's concert in Holmdel, New Jersey on August 26. Early in the show she said, "Hi, how is everyone? I got a new pair of shoes for you today," raises her leg and shows some zebra striped heels on the piano, "I mean, don't take this wrong, but I couldn't wear the same ones I wore in New York, so they're brand new and this is their wedding day." Sometime after Tori did her famous Cornflake Girl dance she declared, "And I have some advice to any of you girls out there, If you ever get new shoes, don't jump up and down in them."
In Holmdel NJ, Tori again met the infamous Tori fan named Frankie. Someone yelled something out and she said, "Frankie's here?" Frankie yells in response. Tori says, "Frankie came to all of my New York shows. Why weren't you there yesterday?" He answers something, A girl from the audience yells, " I love Frankie" with an accent on the "I" and Tori's replies, "What your name?" Carol, repeats, "I love Frankie" and Tori says "Ok, Sorry Carol, I didn't mean to invade your space."
Continuing the Holmdel quotes, "For you guys out on the lawn, I want you to know that that's where I always sat at these gigs, so don't feel bad. But if you're cold, I'm going to play a song that will warm you up. I always got warm on this song." She then played the Cure's 'Lovesong.' She also said before singing 'Spacedog', "I love Mork. I always did." and "This is for all the aliens out there..I love you earthlings." She told the crowd as she began 'In The Springtime Of His Voodoo, "Girls, Mount your bulls," and "This one is 9 feet long." During 'Me and a Gun', there were some obnoxious people who kept on screaming and hollering during the song, especially one person who kept saying "I LOVE YOU" after every line. Several people were angered by this and yelled back stuff like "Shut Up." Finally, Tori said right in the middle of the song, "It's okay guys", which seemed to quiet the audience. Before playing 'A Case Of You' later, she said, "I wish I could just take you and put you in my back pocket and take you with me"
While performing in Buffalo NY for the second time this tour on August 28, Tori said something like this, "We are real close to Canada...are their any Canadians in the house? (Screams). I was staying real close to here when I was a kid on a trip with my older brother. I think I love him but I am not sure. You know how awful older brothers are....well, you know how you take your socks off at the end of the day? He wrapped them around my face so when I think of Canada- I think of that." Tori also revealed that she has had a dream about a crocodile eating her hair and wanted to know if anyone would interpret the dream for her. Also, when she forgot the words during Baker Baker, she whispered, "I forgot my own words." During 'Little Earthquakes', Caton's string broke. She said, "I can't reach you,
I can't...you're off. Did you break a string? OK. I'll just keep going. I'm just nursing some juice." A fan screamed "IN FRONT OF YOUR RIGHT AMP THERE'S A TUBE OF GRAPEFRUIT SOAP FOR YOU!" And she said, "Oh thank you, you guys on the lawn, if you want any
grapefruit soap there's a whole tube up here." At the end she told the audience, "You guys have been really great, we've got 70 more shows, if you get bored cut school and come find me."
Tori was in concert in Rochester NY on August 29. She began telling the story of someone who once proposed to her...she said he was one of those guys that "used to make the young girls with braces drool and pee"...or something to that effect. She also directed some comments to the people on the lawn at this outdoor venue. "You know what you guys out on the lawn have that we don't have?...No, no...you have the moon."
September
In Wallingford CT on September 1, during the last part of the show, there was a small rush of fans toward the stage. Upon seeing this, Tori exclaimed, "They think I'm Metallica." Tori prefaced 'Flying Dutchman' by explaining that she wrote it for a friend of hers (Rantz) who taught her many things, among them the Sandman comics, and that he was married during the week but she was unable to be there, therefore, she wanted to play 'Flying Dutchman' for him. Tori also said that Hurricane Edouard had her harpsichord raring to go.
In Boston MA on September 9, Tori played Take To The Sky. Right before she sang the line, "My heart is like the ocean," she sang, "I love this part." Tori told the story of Frankie, a pierced man who sees all her concerts in the New
York area. "It was like he was going to cap me, and he pulls out a Winnie the Pooh." Before singing Lovesong, Tori told a story about "the friend who you just want to kill, but just can't." Near the end of the concert, someone near the front got her attention and then for some reason decided to tell her that she'd gone to see the movie "trainspotting" in Israel and it was in Hebrew. Tori's response was something like, "I've done a lot of things in Hebrew. I'm a minister's daughter, I'm going to try anything."
While performing in Poughkeepsie NY September 10, Tori said, "Thanks for all the baked goods. I'm probably gonna gain 10 pounds. I come to Poughkeepsie alot and you guys always give me the most yummy things. How could I say no?" Then she feigned seriousness and said, "This is my philosophy voice....you've got to encourage your girls to eat." At one point she seemed ready
to start a song and she turned to Caton and said, "Oh, are you tuning?" Then she addressed the audience and said, "well, is there anything you'd like to ask me?" Several people shouted out things and she basically said something to the effect of "Oh, you don't want to hear the answer to that." Before singing Honey, Tori explained, "This song should have been on Pink, but I always kick my favorite songs off the record, because I'm an idiot."
At University Park PA on September 13, Tori answered the following question during this show: What Big Ten University did Steve Caton play football for, for only one day, because he was "too small?" Tori revealed that Caton got on Penn State's Football team, but for only 1 day because he was too small. Tori added that Caton had no idea how annoying it is to be as small as she is. Another report claims Tori teased the audience by saying, "I'm sure a lot of you guys know what it's like to be too small, right?" Tori also said, "Oh my gosh, has anything happened to you guys today? I mean being Friday the 13th and stuff? (Pauses for a couple answers) I almost killed 3 people today. I swear! Freddie lives in me." At the end of the show before performing "Etienne", Tori said something about her old band, to the effect of when most girls were looking to the virgin Mary for guidance, she was looking to Lita Ford, and this was a song she did back when she was in a band with Caton. Someone shouted "Y Kant Tori Read", which got a bit of a jovial scowl from Tori.
Richard Handal posted the following to a mailing list. It is about Tori's show in Pittsburgh on September 14. Tori told "a short story about when she
and Maryanne (the girl on whom the song Marianne is based), used to cut
classes from junior high school and go to Maryanne's house and drink when
her folks were gone. (Maryanne's house was on the street right behind
Eastern Junior High School.) She began the story by speaking over soft, well-spaced opening chords for Case of You by saying 'Maryanne was a gin girl.' She told how they used to cut the history class of Mr. Havass, who they called Mr. Have Ass. She said the class was four girls and 30 boys, and she named the other two girls in the class who would cut with them.
While in Akron Ohio on September 16, Tori stated aftering singing the song 'OHIO', "I haven't played this one in a long time, but I figured you guys would understand." There was also this exchange between Tori and the audience in Akron Ohio.
T: "Some of you know who this wonderful being is, this wonderful person,
Caton. While the tour is ending, I'm trying to figure out what I am
going to do when it's over. "
A: Can you come visit me?
T: "Can you cook?"
A: Spaghettios!
T: "Spaghettios? You'll have to do better than that, babe. Right now
I'm into spicy, spicy, spicy. Girls you understand. Spicy beans, and I
don't care what my boyfriend says."
Also in Akron, Tori made up a silly song called Lucky Ducky. You might recall that last time she was in this area, back in June in Cleveland, she did Pain In His Hole. So there is something about Ohio that spurs Tori to sing silly impromptu songs! Anyway, the songs lyrics go something like:
Lucky Ducky was his name
Every girl knows Lucky Ducky's game
All the girls come from ear to ear, ear to ear
To see what Lucky Dicky's got up his ---- (omits the word rear - filled in
by several audience members)
While in Muncie Indiana, September 18th, Tori introduced Caton, "How are you guys? So this wonderful person, some of you know, is Caton. Anyway, you know something, this is like the 100 and something, some of you know, 48th whatever, and you have the grooviest seats of everyone on the whole tour. You have these aqua-marine...I don't know what you're pumping but its really hot out there...those cute little seats, I'd like some shoes in that color. How's it going Caton? Is that one of those...is it groovy? Well, we'll try it. If we fuck up, who cares?"They then begin 'Cornflake Girl'. Later, Tori said, "This is one of my favorite songs that should have been on Under The Pink, but, um...". The audience shouted out "Honey!" Tori said,"yeeeeeeeeeeeeuppppp" and did Honey. A short while into 'Lovesong', she looked unhappy for a second, smiled, and sang, "Just messed up pretty bad, that's okay..." Before the final song of the night, which was Killing Me Softly, Tori exclaimed, "OK, I've never done this before, really, not like this, but somebody asked me to do this so..." (That someone was me, Mikewhy!) People shouted out song titles. Tori shook her head negatively to a few, Then a girl screamed, "Killing Me Softly." Tori looked a little irritated (in a humorous manner) and said something like "Ooooh, What is this,, this is like my, uh, what is this like hmmm, telepathic audience." As she began playing a few notes on the harmonium organ, a guy yells out "Kumbaya man!" (Okay, so maybe I can't speill Kumbaya.) Without blinking, Tori started singing "Kumbaya my love, Kumbaya..." a few times, which was hilarious. And then she did 'Killing Me Softly', making Mikewhy most happy indeed.
Tori was actually quite chatty and funny during her show in Bloomington IN, September 19th. She complained about a noise she kept hearing. "Hi you guys. Something really odd is going on. Marcel, is the organ firing off or
something? Do you hear that WhOOMP, whhhOOOMP? Everytime I go to move. WHHOOOMMP." (Looks to the right side of the stage) "Oh, it's your chair. Oh, you need some ah, squeaky stuff cause you're in the middle of tape. I love you too. It's just that you gotta understand it's like 'who is killing air around here,' WHOOOOMP."
Also in Bloomington, Tori thought she messed up during Butterfly and stopped, "General, need a litt...(giggles) hang on..What key is this Caton? OH. Sorry." Changes to different key. Then switches back to original key. "I was RIGHT. Sorry about that." Restarts song. Stops to say "See... sorry boys, some things are interchangeable" Before Cornflake Girl, Tori pointed to Steve Caton and said, "This wonderful being is Caton. And ah, I'm in a bit of a funny mood tonight. So, just, if you hang out I'll figure it out." Someone shouted out a request for 'Waitress'. Tori looked confused for a moment, and then said, "what?Wait wait wait. OH, I thought you said why is your hair red. Yeah, some of them will come I promise. And some of them are having margaritas as you well know."
Tori forgot the words to Sweet Dreams when she sang it in Bloomington. She asked the audience for help. Someone in the audience screamed "Here. In My head," to which Tori replies, "NO, the verse. The WORDS," and then a guy screams "well well" and Tori says "No, that's the other one." Finally someone yells out the correct verse and Tori says, "Thanks you're a fabulous man." When the song ended Tori said, "Girls, it's one of THOSE days, you understand. Guys, you will never ever ever understand. Not to be gross, but I'm having hot flashes up here, but I'm still going to play." As Tori began Winter, a man yelled, "Can I sit on the stage with you?" Tori just smiled and said, "Well, there are gonna be two really big guys that are gonna jump on you. But, if we weren't here and we were at a friend's house and we had pudding, of
course." Before the last song, Tori said, "Some of you will know this next one." A fan named Ben yelled out "Pain in the Hole," and Tori then said "No..." and started Etienne.
In Rockford IL on September 20, someone requested Ode To The Banana King, an older b-side. Tori had a little banana person hanging from the top of her piano so she started dancing with him and said, "There's your ode to the banana kingdom....I
don't remember the song, but before the night is over I'll try to sing it but you'll have to help with the words." However, Tori never tried it later.
Hugs and thanks to Monica Sanghavi for the following lyrics. During the encores in Rockford IL on September 20, Tori had a blue stuffed animal of some sort on her piano and she sang a little impromptu piece with the lyrics:
"theres this little blue thing in front of me
someone I've known before
he's not in my good books anymore
he's got the python life
LIttle blue thing
wont have his way with me..."
In Normal IL on September 24, Tori played THE WRONG BAND from UTP. She said before the song, "Okay, I'm going to sing something I haven't done yet on this tour so if I fuck up, well....." She also apologized to the audience and said that she
and Caton had a bit of a hangover and asked if anyone had Advil or anything in the audience to give to her because she was dying. One of her assistants came out and gave her some asprin. She said something like "thank god" and quickly gulped it down with water.
Before singing Blood Roses in East Lansing MI on September 26, Tori mentioned that the audience was stuck inside the auditorium with her that night, instead of being outside to see the lunar eclipse. She said that maybe she could bring the eclipse indoors for them! A person in the crowd yelled "I love you," and Tori responded by saying "I love you too," but then giggled and said "Maybe you said that to Caton; well you can have the two of us for the price of one." Tori also said that this was the last time she would be in this region for two years. "So if you're bored, you can always come and find us, and just quit school or something."
While performing in Ann Arbor MI on September 27, Tori came out for the second encore holding sheet music. Tori introduced the next song by saying, "This is for a very special important person, and I've promised to do this even though I don't even
remember it, so if I mess up, sorry," (and with this she took the stuffed
animal eeyore doll that was sitting on the piano and made him fly around
her head.) That person, named Denise, squealed in pleasure and Tori then said "that's right." and played 'Humpty Dumpty'.
Tori said quite a bit at her September 28th show in Chicago IL. Before Blood Roses she said, "This will be the last time I am in Chicago for a couple of years." There were cries of disappointment in the audience. She said, "Yes, it's toodles for a while. I need to go make sandwiches in a shop somewhere. We have played Chicago more than any other city this time." Before Cornflake Girl: "Those of you who have been to a few shows already know Caton." Someone in the audience requests Pain In My Hole. Tori said, "The deal with this 'Pain In My Hole' thing is I don't know it. Did I do that in Chicago? Someone needs to get me a tape so I can relearn it. I mean I made it up, it was invasion of the body snatchers. I am sure some bootlegger has it."
Before a beautiful cover of 'Daniel' in Chicago, Tori said, "There is someone who was supposed to be here tonight, not Marianne, but like her. This song is for you, wherever you are..." This turned out to be a dedication to a young woman who died in the crash of TWA flight 800.
Tori talked about Christmas with her parents and how she was dragged to
church. "As you know, my dad was a minister...was a minister..was a
MINISTER. I love him very much. but if he wasn't my dad I doubt we
would be at the same parties. His parties served non-alcoholic wine,
what a drag. Anyway, we were in church and everyone was singing
their little songs. I was exhausted. It was right after the Under The Pink tour. My dad said 'Myra Ellen, I want you to sing.' I said 'If I sing, you might not like what comes
out...' She then did her passionate Robert Plant-like singing followed
by "We both know it was a girl..." and started 'Mohammed My Friend'.
At the very end of the Chicago concert, before closing with 'Etienne'. Tori said playfully, "Okay, this one has been lost for a long time. This is
one I used to do while dressed in...what did I wear Caton?...some
plastic snake-skin pants from retail slut. This song is when I got
SENSITIVE."
During Tori's Baltimore concert on September 30, Tori talked about how when she came back to Baltimore she always eats crabs and she always felt like she was five years old again auditioning for Peabody and wanting to play John Lennon. She also introduced Caton, said it would be her last time in the area touring for 2 years, and thanked everyone for coming. Before playing 'The Wrong Band', she talked about how it doesn't come often, and that it might suck; but then she corrected herself and said that since half the audience was her friends, then it wouldn't suck as much cause they wouldn't care. Before the last song of the night Tori said, "So..anyway...earlier this guy asked me to play a song about vampires, and I...I tried to learn it, but it didn't work. So I thought...I don't
know....I thought I'd play this for him....and it's not meant to be cheesy,
but it is...but I really want to play it for him...so here it goes." She then did 'Killing Me Softly'. (Thanks to Aggie Donkar, Brett Cunningham, and Lisa Street for this information.)
October
Tori played Baltimore again on October 1. Tori said "This is Caton..." Many people began hollering requests. "Be patient...ya know, foreplay, honey." Then later in the show Tori said softly, "I got a letter a little while back...there's someone who should be here tonight, but she was on that TWA flight...this is for her, wherever she is..." Tori then played Daniel by Elton John for this person, named Ana. Also at the show, a fan (Robbie Heacock) yelled "Tori you are my queen!", and Tori replied "Yeah I know." (Thank you Bill Campbell for that last one.)
While performing in New Brunswick NJ on October 2, Tori said that when she walked on that stage, it remind her of the OJ thing two years ago. She said, "Hey Buddy, just go in the back and blow your head off, cause it's all downhill from here." (The reason why Tori said that being here reminded her of OJ was because the last time she played here was the day that OJ allegedly killed Ron and Nicole, and she didn't want to let that hamper her performance.) Tori fooled around with the lyrics on "Wrong Band" and "Upside down". On the line that goes "I think it's
perfectly clear, we are in the wrong band", she sang, "I think it's perfectly clear, I am a transvestite" And on "Upside down" the line "baby what have you been smoking" became "baby what have you been fucking." Toward the end of the show there were many people who moved up toward the stage. Tori remarked to her bodyguards, "That's okay, there is nothing you can do about it."
Tori had a few things to say during her October 6 show in Binghamton NY. She said that they got into town at 3:00 am, "my, your bars sure are open late, aren't
they?" She started to say that she had a dream, and then said that she was staying at the "great historical, historical...yeah yeah yeah" and how it was the worst hotel that she had ever stayed in. However, Caton's room had a jacuzzi in it, and
there was shag carpet everywhere, and that was "quite groovy." She said she was writing a song at the hotel last night, and that if that song made it on the next album, she'd mention the hotel in the notes. Tori then talked about how someone approached her in some place, she could not remember the venue. A man shouted, "Chicago," to which Tori replied, "Thank you , Richard..Richard helps remind me where I've been." Anyway, Tori went on to talk about how someone named Andrea approached her in Chicago and requested 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' for a young Toriphile named Ana, who passed away recently in the crash of TWA flight 800. Tori said she was going to play that song, but when she was backstage, she started hearing this little voice in her head. and that voice said, "please don't play that fucking song for me." Tori said "so what
should I play?" and the voice told Tori that it was up to her. Tori said, "dealers choice, babe?" and the voice said, "dealers choice," and Tori said, "So I played this one instead," which was 'Daniel'.
Also in Binghamton NY, at the beginning of the first encore, someone in the crowd shouted for 'Icicle'. Tori replied, "Icicle? We'll see if she's around." Then some other folks shouted many song titles. Tori answered them by saying, "well, let's hope most of those girls are getting laid right now. But this one says
'I'm here, and I'm not getting laid'" and she started to play 'Twinkle'. Then during the second encore, Tori asked Caton if they should show them what they'd been working on. Tori starts talking about this soundtrack that she's working on, "in honor of favorite soundtracks. I don't know this fucking song, but I've got my own version." She started singing a few lines of "I Will Always Love You", in a dark and heavy tone. She later said something about how women "always show them a side they never know." Tori then made some sign with her hand to a techie person and talked about how she knows all these little technical signs,
and she made this one up and it has to do with eq and reverb. then she let out this little laugh , "Ha."
In Buffalo NY on October 7, Tori talked prior to 'Frog On My Toe' about visiting her grandfather's grave as a child, and bringing popcorn, ice cream, and pizza. She told the audience that when she drinks tequila, he comes to visit her. That night she also discussed her virgin mary night light which was on the piano.
Tori had her virgin mary night light with her again when she played Charleston SC on October 9. She told the audience what it was and added, "It's a very
useful thing to have, girls."
In Athens GA on October 10, Tori said she was excited to come to Georgia, because it is always warm down here, but she wanted to turn on the air conditioning now that she was here, and "all the natives" wanted the heat. After a few songs Tori told the crowd, "I've been driving my guys crazy tonight, so guys, that set list, poop on it." During the second encore, she said, "I don't expect most of you to know this one" and somebody shouted out 'Cool On You Island' and Tori said, "Wrong, but it is from the snake skin leather boots phase" and she played 'Etienne'. But shortly into the song she said, "Caton, did you hear that, my organ is dying, oh well, sorry guys you don't get that one, we will have to make do, my poor organ... BAD ORGAN, BAD ORGAN, BAD BAD. The organ needs and drink, and a whip."
While playing in Roanoke VA, October 11, Tori said prior to 'Cornflake Girl', "How's it going? This is my first time playing in Roanoke... Caton, it's yours." She later said, "This is a funny night tonight, there are a lot of people who knew me when i was a little one here. it's funny cuz they know your secrets, like when they had to tell me to keep my skirt down, and i'd think that's not the way it's
supposed to be, all the boys want you to lift your skirt, i can't wait
until you guys get to be 30/35 and become fathers and your 15yr. old
daughter is out there and you try to tell her even though when you were
that age..."
Also in Roanoke, Tori said before playing 'Flying Dutchman', "I got this letter today from a group (someone yelled and then she said something about giving the girls pizza and ice cream because they shouldn't be starving themselves) a group of young boys. their teacher brought me the letter, they live in a home for abused children, and it
was so cute they said 'hi tori' and they wanted me to play this and gave me poetry on what it meant to them. it's one of the best presents i've gotten in awhile." Then at the beginning of the second encore that night, Tori explained, "I got this request, and there's a story that goes with 'Here, In My Head' which, Lisa , I'll explain later." This was refering to a request made by Toriphile Lisa Street that Tori was unable to do that night, but she did mention Lisa's name on stage, which is exciting and rather rare. Some girls in the crowd at Roanoke yelled, "Tori For President!" Tori's reply was something like, "I don't think so, girls... I'd just make everbody eat Peanut Butter."
In Little Rock Arkansas on October 13, Tori revealed to the crowd that she had had 6 cappuccinos within a day from a coffee shop in downtown Little Rock. As she was talking, people in the crowd rudely interrupted her with "I love you Tori" and "I love you more", to which she replied, "Ok you win, now can I tell you a story?" She told a story before 'Let it Be' about being at the Peabody and not being able to play what she wanted to play and something about "People who have enough money to buy expensive wine and stinky cheese..." She said she asked one time if she could please just play
something that had been on her mind and in her heart and they (Peabody) said "OK, who's it by?" she answered "Lennon/McCartney" and they said "What's that?" She then mumbled, "That explained everything."
In Lafayette LA on October 14, Tori thanked the town of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana for all their cooperation "when I was nursing that pig about a year ago." This is a small town outside of Lafayette where all the photography was done for the 'Boys For Pele' album.
In New Orleans on October 16, after the first 2 or 3 songs, someone in the audience shouted for her to tell a story. She replied, "I'll tell you a story in a minute. I'm warming up to you." Tori later talked about local musicians who played with her. She said that George Porter, Jr. was in the audience, and that she thought that he was her long lost father. She had been auditioning bass players but, "they all, well.......sucked. You know, you give them some milk and cookies, then .....(she waved goodbye)" Tori she talked about how terrific a drummer Carlo Nuccio is and how he said, "Have I got a bass player for you, but I don't know....." Then she talked
about meeting George and how wonderful he is. She said, "You either have it
(she then played a few bass chords on the piano), or you don't. You know,
this man really must be my long lost father. He taught me more about my left
hand than I thought was possible." During 'Hey Jupiter' when Tori would come to the line "Are you gay?", several groups in the audience shouted out "Yes." Tori seemed to have gotten a kick out of that as she giggled a bit when they did it.
On October 18 in Melbourne Florida, Tori said after singing Icicle, "Can't stop,
gotten keep going." Later she said, "I come to Florida more than any other place in the world, so thanks guys for comin' back. You've probably seen this a hundred times, so bear with me, ok? Caton? Oh, Caton went fishing today in the lake and cought a TEN POUND BASS. But for any of you who wanna know, he threw it back." AT one point 2 girls in the audience requested "RING MY BELL." Tori pretended to pull on a bell string twice. Tori told a story about Marianne. "There's this girl, Marianne, who was so nice and I couldn't understand why everyone didn't like her."
In Clearwater FL on October 19, Tori did talk about men not being able to fake it. Women have to give men credit for that. Men are the "vulnerable ones." She said that she would pour some wine, and talk a bit, trying to relax the men. She told them that if she were a man, she would have twice the problems. Of course, she "didn't meant that, it just made them feel better."
In Ft. Myers Florida back on October 20, Tori mentioned
the fact that this was her first time visiting the southwest part of
Florida, so consequently she mentioned that many people present may not
have seen her before (to which many fans applauded). She also thanked
all those who have faithfully followed her around the Sunshine State
from one concert hall to the next. Also that night, Tori performed a song
that she introduced by saying that she often likes to drive her truck
into the desert and that this song emerged from one of those trips. She
said she doesn't perform it often, but that there was a very special
person in the audience who requested it. While this song played, images
of desert Indians flashed across the monitor. The song (which I do not know the title to yet) seemed to mention the phrase "Blue on Blue". Many thanks to Peter C. Cross for this information.
In Miami, October 22, when Tori came out to do the final encore, people started rushing up to the front of the theater. Tori ran to the microphone and said "It's okay, let them stay up here." Later, she said "I don't usually do this but... someone ask me to, so..." and she did 'Killing Me Softly', which was requested by Toriphile Jason Childs.
Also in Miami on October 22, Tori said that sometimes she'll be walking along eating something, of course, and a song will come, and she wishes she could tell us how beautiful they are when they come, and that she only hopes that she can get them out and make them as beautiful as they are in her head.
In Miami on October 23, Tori had a bad day and felt sick. In the middle of 'Space Dog', after the line "Lemon Pie he's coming through our commander still..." she stopped and said, "Um, I'm sorry. I am so sick. (she crys) I am so sick, I'm really sorry, I'm so sorry." She ran off the stage. Her manager I think, John Witherspoon, came out and informed the audience to stay and wait for Tori to return if she felt up to it. After 12-20 minutes, she returned and said, "Thanks Guys, I've had a really bad day. But, um, I have 3 choices really. Go home, go to the hospital, or come and play. So, um, I made this decision, and I really, I really, huh?... So anyway, I don't know what I'm going to play, so this, I've never done this before, so we're just going to , I don't know what's going to happen. So we'll just play a bunch of different songs. We're just going to pretend it's your living room, and we're at your house and.... " Tori then says something about giving permission for hallucinogens. She then began 'Let It Be' and appeared to be okay. Before 'Tear In Your Hand' she said, "I'd like to bring my friend Caton back on..." Later she told Caton "Caton make some funny noises in g flat minor, no just g minor. Just make some strange noises in g minor. Mark, give me alot of reverb out there so you cover my ass." Then she said something like, "I'm giving you a good tour(?) here, see , this is deeper(?) than any other shows you get to see, this is like..." Caton and the crew must have looked confused, so she added, "Just... you'll know what to do." She then sang a special version of the song 'Girl' along with something about being a woman now and some lyrics about healing. She later said, "This is a song that was supposed to be on Boys for Pele... and it's probably gonna be on the next record. So, ummm..." and she played a new song called COOLING, which was gorgeous. Tori later began singing 'Me and a Gun'. "5:00AM Friday Morning..." Then Tori stopped and said, "I want to bring my best friend...and I'm going to sing this with her." Tori's best friend Beanie came out on stage in a white dress and a big white hat. Someone said "Take off the hat." Tori sounded irritated, "No, her hat's gorgeous, I bought it for her." Her friend sat there while she sang 'Me and a Gun'. She sang the word FLAT really loudly which startled everyone and caused Tori to smile. She also altered the lyrics to "Yes WE wore a slinky red thing Does that mean WE should spread For you your friends OUR father Mr Ed." When she came back for the first encore, Tori said, "You guys have been so amazing tonight. I want to do a couple songs on this old girl," referring to the harpsichord. Someone made a request, "If I sing Precious Things, I'm going to get " (not sure what she said here, but it must have been something negative.) The final song of the night was 'Hey Jupiter' "I'm gonna play it on the piano, I've never done this on the piano before..."
In West Palm Beach Florida on October 24, she mentioned her difficult night before in Miami. " As some of you might know, I almost passed out last night. To those of you who were there last night: you were delicious. Thank you. And again, here's lovely Caton." Tori later talked about playing the song 'Leather' in Germany and how the people started clapping in perfect unison and something about telling them "that's right girls, you're free." During the encores, the audience ran up to the stage and she told them, "It's ok, come on down. I don't bite."
In San Antonio on October 27, during the last encore, Tori told the crowd that the organ wasn't working, for she was sick but "this baby, (pats the piano) she ain't sick."
In College Station TX, October 28, Tori said to the audience,"How are you guys? So are all of you in school here? I got kicked out of everything- the conservatory at 11 and the Girl Scouts at 9. I really liked Girl Scouts, mostly for the cookies. Now I can just buy them. HA." Before singing 'Frog On My Toe' she said "This is just what's coming. I don't know why, but she's here. Hope I can remember the words . . . I haven't had any margaritas tonight . . . " Before the second encore began Tori was bombarded by requests. "Well guys, there's a lot coming to me right now, so . . . sorry." Prior to singing 'Lovesong' Tori said, "Ruff, ruff, ruff, ruff. Some of you may know this one. I always wanna go really fast like when you're driving and you see the cops and you're like no, not today, I'm in a rental car. And you've got something sitting next to you and let's just say that it could be butter, girls."
Also at College Station TX, early in the show, Tori was discussing a friend of hers. "I have a very good friend right now who's living Sleeping with the Enemy. You guys know that movie? If any one of you guys are gonna be lawyers, I'll hire you right now." Suddenly someone rudely shouts "Play some Skynnard." She replies "What the fuck does that have to do with my friend" or something like that. She then goes, "Okay, I'll play you some Skynnard." And to the tune of 'Sweet Home Alabama' she sings, "I'm not playing this song. I'm thinking of my friend alone. Nothing sweet about that little cock boy- Sweet Home Alabama. I'll have you on a plate, boy. None of your blood on my hands." Also during the encores, Tori sang a little improvised line between songs. "Round and around and around
and around, spooks and goblins coming to town."
In Austin TX on October 29, Tori prefaced the playing of 'Flying Dutchman' with a sad story of fan's letter detailing a young man who could play almost any instrument, "I've met a few of these people and they are very special...", who "was in a car and didn't make it..." Before playing the rather rare 'Humpty Dumpty', she said, "Some of you will know this and some of you won't."
In Oklahoma City OK on October 30, Tori stated, "You know, I want to tell you something. I have this favorite song. Some of you may recognize it." She plays 'Surry with a Fringe on Top' from Oklahoma. "A girl just has to have a favorite song" She also said, "What a difference 2 years makes.
Last time I was in Oklahoma City, I was really fucked up. It wasn't
good. So, I took a quarter and went to one of your local graveyards.
It was one of those things I'd been carrying around for a while.
Went up and down and found a man and gave him two quarters and told
him I was leaving his ass in Oklahoma. So, if you see a guy running
around with no ass, you'll know. Ok."
November
Tori sang a little song in celebration of food during her Tulsa Oklahoma show on November 2, a little song that some fans called a foodgasm. Someone yelled out 'Take me home Tori' during the second encore. Tori replied, "I'd love to, but I'm homeless. You don't want that anyways. I eat too much. You'd go insane. I'd always be eating. (gasping and moaning) Mussles.....mayonaise ...... pickles ...... cheese ....... ooohhh" Earlier, Tori introduced Caton and mentioned that this was the first time
they've played Tulsa. She also told the crowd that her and Caton only have 8 more shows to go and if they want, they should follow them. While singing 'Me and a Gun', after the line 'I wore a slinky red thing', someone yelled out 'yeah'. Unfazed,Tori said "Exactly". She then skipped the entire 'Me and Jesus ..... Is it my right ....' part and went right to 'Do you love Carolina.'
In Lawrence Kansas on November 3, after playing 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', a fan yells to Tori, "I love you Tori!" to which she replied "I love you guys, too." Before 'Muhammad My Friend', Tori said something like, "I always get stuck with my dad at christmas. And it's like, I love my father, but jesus christ girls, you're 33, you wanna get laid, there's this hot guy, what are you doing? but then dad goes 'oh, you've got to be here for christmas ... we're christian.'" (tori smacks forehead.)
During the show in Springfield Missouri on November 4, Tori said prior to singing the song 'Mary', "I hear this is a land of christians...which totally gets me off." She mentioned that Mary Magdalene was her favorite Bible character because "She was the only woman in the bible."
In Davenport Iowa on November 6, Tori seemed upbeat. "Hi everybody. Wow, you're so incredible, I should have come here earlier. You are so wonderful. You know, I only have about 5 shows left." Then she sang, "Five Golden Rings." She again talked about the crowd and the fact that her tour was ending soon, "I wish you could jump into my back pocket." As Tori began playing 'Cornflake Girl', Caton had a string break on his guitar. Tori said, "Hey Caton, don't you play guitar? That's okay I'll just keep playing" While Caton was given a new guitar, Tori did an outstanding improvisation for a few minutes, where she sang lyrics I did not recognize and really JAMMED on the Bosey while moving her body to the music.
Also while performing in Davenport, Before 'Muhammad My Friend', someone
shouted "Where's Willy," referring to Willy Porter, who was Tori's opening act for the first half of the tour. Tori misunderstood at first, "Where's Lilly? Who's Lilly?
What's going on, I feel like I have Alzheimer's." She finally heard
it right, "Oh WILLY. Willy's misses said to him, 'You have to come
home now.' She's very nice but I told him not to listen to her. I
mean she could have come along too. Oh well, Willy did a great job
and I got him a voodoo shirt..." Then someone yelled out something
that included Tori's birth name, Myra Ellen. Tori went, "Ugghh, Can
you imagine that, Myra Ellen, that is so BAD." Then in response to
fan named Mia who shouted "Tell us a story!", Tori told another
variation of the always hilarious story about being home with her
father at Christmas. "I like my father but he is very very very very very very very very Christian. I don't have a problem with Christians except when they
expect YOU to be very very very very very very very very Christian,
which when you think about it, isn't very very very very very very
very Christian. So I'm home for Christmas at the church service, and
I'm 32 right, and I am sitting in church with my father, thinking
about that hot piece that I should be with. So I'm there out of guilt and I'm watching these kids in the choir. There's always that kid in the
front row doing this (She simulates picking her nose) and you're like,
'Put DOWN your hand.' And they are singing like.." and then she holds her nose and hums part of 'Away in The Manger' in this really funny kid's
voice! "And my dad would want us to join along and he would say, 'MYRA
ELLEN, sing.' And I would say, 'I just finished a world tour, pass
off.' He would go, 'I'm still your father and I want you to sing.'
And I said, 'I'm not hearing what they are singing, I'm going to sing
my version.' And he would say, 'What are you hearing?' And I would
go.." and she does some Robert Plant like moaning, followed by Muhammad My Friend.
In Omaha Nebraska on November 7, before Honey, Tori whispered softly into the
microphone, both her hands around it, "Sometimes I sing to myself when I think
nobody's listening, and people think I'm craaazy... cause I sing to myself
in the shower and the neighbors bang on the walls and say 'shut up', and I say thats kind of funny since you all payed 23 fucking dollars to come hear me" Later she said to the Omaha crowd, "So this is my first time here, sorry it took so long. Hey, it wasn't my fault. *grin* Anyways, I got the best present on the tour here. Somone gave me 2 ears of corn. I mean, you know the dried corn with a gorgeous bow and everything that you can hang up . And um I'm so jazzed about that because nobody's ever given me...um... dead food before. But I know what it means totally and I think you're so fantastic to have thought of that. I once kissed a boy from Nebraska; the corn was better..." She later talked about Marianne. "I once knew the most wonderful girl. She died when we were 15 and she came to me when I was working on this album. Its not often that I talk to the dead,
I mean, I talk to a lot of other things but they don't visit me often. She has been a part of over 200 shows and I think this is her last. She's going to the other side now." At the end of Marianne, Tori sang, "Rest In Peace."
Tori played in Albuquerque New Mexico on November 9. She said that she really wanted to play in Albuquerque, but they told her there was no place for her to play there. Tori told them,
"I'll play in the streets if I have to." Tori also told the famous "going home for Christmas" story before playing 'Muhammad My Friend'. It was so cute when she imitated the kids in the choir of her dad's church by holding her nose and humming 'Little Town of Bethlehem'. During the first encore, people in the audience started shouting out
requests. Someone asked for 'Winter', and Tori said, "Winter is in the
back drinking. This is the one who is coming, so all the rest of you can
just go away." She then did 'Black Swan.'
Tori played her second to last show of the tour in Boulder Colorado on November 10. Before 'Cornflake Girl', Tori said, "How's it going? Um well, this is Flying Duck Face [gesturing to the big stuffed animal duck that Toriphile Lisa Street gave her before the show], and this wonderful being is Caton. I guess some of you are from Boulder, but some of you that live here might know that a lot of people have come in who
have, um, traveled around with us for the last 200 shows, and I just wanted to thank you for being here, because uh when I see familiar faces it's like--there's nothing better than that. You've been amazing. I just want to thank you." Before Take to The Sky, Tori commented on the high elevation of Boulder Colorado, which is about 5300 feet. "My God. I think I need some oxygen. Jesus... Anyway, I don't know how
you people do it [takes loud, deep, dramatic breaths]. I'll be alright in
a minute. Is your I.Q. bad up here? Don't take this wrong, but it's like,
I mean HOW can you DO this? I mean, what do skiiers do? Do you ever go,
I mean do you ever kind of go: 'Is that a cliff?' I'm sitting here right
now going [looking out at the audience] You could be real, I don't know...It's almost as good as mushrooms, don't take this wrong, but..."
Tori's final show of the Dew Drop Inn Tour was on November 11 in Boulder Colorado at the Macky Auditorium. She said prior to the 'Cornflake Girl' dance, "Hi everybody. This wonderful being who's been with me the whole tour and
every night and it wouldn't have been the same without him. This is
caton. Um I know some of you come from all over for the last show and uh I just wanna thank you for being so amazing. And um you know it's, it's been one of those things where musicians come to me every night and say, "God, can I borrow your audience?" And I say, "Well, you have to ask them because there's nobody like them." So thank you for those of you who've been with me for the whole tour and every night; it wouldn't have been the same without you."
Also on Boulder during the final show, Tori told this amazing story over soft, occasional chording:
"Um, when I started recording this record, it was, uh, very interesting
because, um, none of these record guys wanted to let a woman produce
her own record; and they were very, very nervous about letting me do
this. And, uh, they were *much* more nervous when they heard it. Heh.
"But, um, what sort of happened was I turned in the record, and, um, I've
never really had such a moment in my life--I mean, things were kind of
better when I pooped in my pants. And, uh, I walked in and, um; you know,
I'd sold millions of records for this company; and I walked in--I'd had
some pizza, and a nice glass of wine and I was like, 'Well, I'll meet the
new girls;' and I know it's a little dark, but you know, everybody needs a
good bottle of wine and some depressing songs every once in a while. And
so I walked in, and this is what I...met.
[Tori, stone-faced, sits with her arms folded across her chest for twelve
seconds; audience breaks into laughter.]
"So, basically, what I said was--after this record went platinum--I said,
'Well, we didn't do it, because of anything you all did.' And, then, so
I'm just saying that it was because of, um, *you* guys. [Motioning with
her shoulder toward the audience.] Record companies, radio, had absolutely
fuck-all to do with any of this whole year. And that's the truth.
"But the one thing is, you guys did; and this is one song that demanded to
come tonight, because, although she's not on this planet anymore, she was,
um, probably the main song that gave me strength to withstand, when
everybody said that I'd made a piece of shit."
A touching and sad moment came during the final show in Boulder when Tori was playing 'Tear In Your Hand'. She got to "Maybe it's time, to wave goodbye now" and the first time through she whispered it so quietly that it was almost inaudible. The second time she is supposed to sing it, she said "Maybe..." and then pulled away from the mic and gave a gentle wave to the audience.
January 1997
On Thursday, January 23, 1997, Tori did a benefit concert for RAINN at The Theater At Madison Square Garden. She did not talk very much, but gave an inspirational performance. Before singing Leather, Tori stated "The person that I sang this song to for the very first time I played it is here tonight and I haven't sung it to him since almost that night... So.. Hah." Before 'Cornflake Girl' (NOT after as shown on Lifetime!) Tori said, "Hi everybody. This wonderful person is Caton. I just want to thank everybody for coming tonight. I know the tour is over and everybody thought I was going home, and it's one of those things where when you're supposed to leave the party you know, and you come back and it's like 'Oh you, just go already.' But um, tonight is really special. For those of you who have been to so many shows, I saw so many people before the show, and I just want to thank you for driving to Seattle, being on the bus from Chicago, coming from Israel, coming from everywhere to be here tonight. Thank you." One big surprise was the fact that Muhammad My Friend was a duet with Maynard from the Tool. Before singing that song, Tori said, "So this is one of my dearest friends. This is Maynard from Tool, and uh, and uh, I call him up when I'm feeling terrible and he sings me lullabies. So I asked him to come and sing tonight." She prefaced 'Marianne' by talking a little about Marianne, "This is for somebody who was one of the most magical people I ever knew. She would have been here if she could have been here. Sometimes I think she comes and visits me wherever people go when they leave this planet. I don't know where they go but sometimes I feel her."
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