StrangeLittleTour
Charlotte, NC
October 4, 2001

Updated January 7, 2002

Tori performed in Charlotte, NC on October 4, 2001 at Ovens Auditorium during the 2001 StrangeLittleTour.

Set List

Thanks to Richard Handal for calling me with the set list.

'97 Bonnie & Clyde
Siren
Little Amsterdam
Leather
Northern Lad
Cool On Your Island
Beauty Queen
Horses
Flying Dutchman
Concertina
Time
Carolina In My Mind/Crucify
Past The Mission
Me And A Gun
Over The Rainbow

1st Encore:
Enjoy The Silence
Here. In My Head

2nd Encore:
Glory Of The 80s
Mr. Zebra
1000 Oceans

Reviews

Latest reviews are added to the bottom of the page.

Be sure to check the Tori Concert Reviews Forum for reviews as well!

From Richard Handal

October 4, 2001 - This was a deeply personal and emotional show with one of the best versions of Over The Rainbow ever. Tori played the introductory notes to Twinkle before playing Over The Rainbow. Tori was on stage from 8:39 until 10:21, a total of 1 hour and 42 minutes.

From Kim Baucom

October 5, 2001 - the show was show awesome and her father was there. i saw him walking down the aisle before me. Tori didnt chat much during the show but before Leather she mentioned that her daughter woke her up this morning and they had just crossed the NC border and said that her daughter must have known where they were. (because Tori was born in NC and its a special place for her) Tori went on stage about 8:50 and played till about 10:20ish.

From Jennifer Paige

Added Oct 14, 2001 - Perceptions

I realized, almost by accident, that I was obsessed over Tori Amos. Then I smiled with relief once I realized I was not alone. I had been trying on outfits to wear to the show while listening to her albums in preparation for a shower. It's like preparing for a highly religious experience. I hadn't eaten much, like I'd taken a fast, and certainly the things I did eat were healthy and light. The body is a temple.... The trappings had to be just so, the arrangement of hair, garments and shoes (especially the shoes). I was preparing my mind, body and spirit with ritual for a great rite. In this rite, the High Priestess, Tori, transmutes the energy of we the audience into magick. The seasoned devout and the neophytes, together, learn the path again, feel the words, allow themselves to be transposed into the enchanting music made in that most sacred space. We leave different people than we were when we arrived. She becomes a part of us, our manna, just as we become part of her. For a time afterwards, we are complete.

On the drive into Charlotte, I chose to listen to "chiorgirl" and "Pink." I had listened to "Pink" earlier during my ritual and "Girls" and a mix tape of the first three albums and bee-sides earlier in the day while running those unavoidable errands one makes on the day of the concert: get cash, get film, get a gift or a card. Of course, I was not the first person there by any means. I only arrived at Ovens around 5:30 pm, and there was already a line of fans patiently waiting to be let inside. Tori had likely already done whatever "meet and greet" there was to be had. I had only a twinge of disappointment at missing that. I've never done it, actually, and I don't really know why. Probably because I would rather meet her face to face, in a very small group (no more than ten) and really meet the woman, talk to her, look her in the eye when I tell her how much her music has meant, and means to me along this road. But I am an Idealist, a Romantic; I'd also like to say similar things to Wm. Shakespeare, but alas...I am meeting a friend for Vietnamese food. I think Tori would appreciate that.

We return to the auditorium around 7 pm and went inside. I went directly to the line for a program ($20 this year, Ouch!). Some of the shirts were cute but so pricey that I could only manage the program. I can always get the shirts later. We went to find our seats, mezzanine, row GG. Not bad seats, but certainly not the best. I took the aisle. I chuckled at the program being a calendar..."Time" reference. As far as I know the show was sold out, but as with every performance, not everyone arrived until well into the opening act. (Anyone who is first arriving WHILE Tori is playing should be ashamed of themselves.) And, I know that not everyone took music in High School or college, I know that this is MY pet peeve, but people leaving the auditorium in the middle of a song INSTEAD of waiting for a break in the music (and that includes coming back to your seat) just irks me. No respect, no respect. This person is sharing their art with you and you get up and leave in the middle of it. I can stand shouts in the middle of songs better than I can stand that sort of physical interruption. And one more thing, then I shall digress into a proper review, turn your BLOODY cell phones off!!

Rufus Wainwright opened the show. His voice is strong and carried well through the auditorium. I think he's a better pianist than guitarist though, and the balance in the volume of his guitar over-powered his quieter singing. He's a clever lyricist, a fabulous songwriter too, he has to be with suchimpecible folk breeding (son of Louden Wainwright III and one of the McGariggle sisters). His lighting effects were just a little too dramatic for the songs. There is one lesson he should learn from this tour with Tori--lighting can make or break a performance. It's all about moods, subtle changes, symbolism. Tori has mastered this concept, as I will further elaborate. Rufus was a good opener, balancing the male/female ratio as needed. He kept his set short, under an hour.

The Play by Play

'97 Bonnie & Clyde-- The shredded curtain reminded me of a fishing net or a cargo net and, with the blue and green undulating colors behind it, I was taken to the bottom of the lake with Bonnie's mom, peering up through the surface of the water. The hanging picture of Bonnie's mom made me think of the funeral, either a cremation or closed casket--very haunting. She was singing from the grave, which worked because Tori wasn't on stage during the song, or at least, we couldn't see her. I think the song was pre-recorded mostly, Tori adding some vocals here and there. Some of the "she" pronouns were changed to "I," which made the song all the better. They dropped the curtain on the final orchestral swell and it was very dramatic, if not well executed. Seeing the stage hand walk out and the curtain giving tell-tale signs of his passage behind it gave away what was coming, broke the fourth wall, if you will.

Siren--Such a rarity in concert, I think my mouth was hanging open. She used the "roiling ocean" gobo from the Dew Drop Inn Tour's "Caught a Lite Sneeze" lighting sequence against the far right wall. It felt like coming home to me because I loved that tour so much. I recall having read that Tori said she'd be touring like she hadn't toured in a long time. Smaller venues, no band, and the return of that familiar intimacy old school Tori fans remember with fondness have kept her true to her words. I felt close to her again, not like I had been allowed to view the show through the wall of sound she had during the last two tours. I felt personally invited. Ahhh. Magnificent use of the Bosey's low end for the "prissy girl" bridges/chorus. "Vanilla" was brilliant. I was very pleased with this piece even without the percussion I've always identified as essential to the work. "And you don't need the light on to guide me to your southern land, I just go..."

Little Amsterdam-- She played it pretty straight forward, not much in the way of new additions. Almost shrill piano, like a scream, on the "girl you've got to know these days" bits. A good thing to add from "Pele" in the mix. Has such a "southern' feel, I think it was hard for her to deny the presence, especially if she's been writing the set lists just before going on stage.

Leather-- I'm pretty indifferent about this song these days. But the drawn out "look...I'm standing..." and "I...can scream..." made it one of the two songs I could have done without.

Northern Lad-- Yes! I've been dying to hear this song live and I suppose it satiated my unrequited desire for "Rattlesnakes." This is still one of her best ballads; it still chokes me up and I did indeed cry. Her performances are often so cathartic for fans, as they swing on her pendulum a wide spectrum of emotions. Whatever Mark and the sound team do to her microphones (that little bit of echo, little bit of reverb thing) it is the highlight of any performance. Tori's voice is always clear and enchanting.

Cool on Your Island-- Puzzling for some of the newer fans who don't know this album even exists, I imagine, or anything about it's history. I found this to be and interesting addition due to its strange connection with Phil Collins. Using the synth for this was perfect, as it gave it the retro feel without dating the work (which is already old by most pop standards). But Tori, ever ingenious, seemed to give birth to the song in a reincarnated, and dare I say enlightened new form. I would only have been more amazed if she'd chosen to do "On the Boundary." (I'm sorry, but I really LOVE "Y Kan't Tori Read even still. It's great!)

Beauty Queen/Horses-- These girls are seemingly inseparable, which is appropriate. She juxtaposed them as much as she could with their being Siamese twins. "Beauty Queen" was rich and full of trademark Tori pauses and dramatic breathing. "Horses" began with the lovely cantering piano that whisks you away into that world--grass up to your hips in summer, careless abandon of a summer fling that went over the line into that wasted battleground where love's armies lie in wait. I like it there, and her rendition gave me chills.

Flying Dutchman-- Here's another I didn't expect to ever see live, a pleasant surprise. This is one of her songs I attached myself to early on. In my teen angst, the words fit my life to a "T." Another pretty straightforward rendition until she got to the end where she got pretty wild with it. Tori's improvisations and ad-libbing are getting a bit predictable, but it was done well. "Even the Milky Way was dressed in black."

Concertina-- I've always been awed by the use of both keyboards during a piece because, in essence, both hands are like left hands due to their placement on the keyboards. How she does it, how she plays with the left hand behind her and not looking at it for placement is amazing. She just knows! Great lighting for this song, clear rose on her playing and some lights moving against the geometric screens in the background made the mood. (Intelligent lighting rocks!)

Time-- This song was the gem of the evening. Best lighting effect, best vocal performance, and best crowd soother. Her performance was flawless. It was made exceptional by the lighting. Blues and violets abound and as she moves into the chorus, we are suddenly moving through the tunnel of white light to where death awaits us, and angel in white, smiling. The spiraling white light, and the gobo used to create the effect of moving into a Stargate or having the traditional documented "near death" experience in the white tunnel, brought us very close to Death indeed. Very clever concept. This and '97 Bonnie & Clyde made the concert "art."

Carolina In My Mind-- I know she couldn't resist. She changed the words to suit her, of course. Baby James would be proud to have arrived in Carolina on British Airways, I think!

Crucify (New Version)-- She said some of the old songs have been doing something different these days. And very well, I might add. I got stuck in this song, not wanting it to end. "Chains" was everything I could have ever dreamed that phrase to be, and drawing out the verses like she did only succeeded in making a great song even better. This was more than a new party dress, this was that girl at you fifteen-year reunion that you just cannot get over how great she looks.

Past the Mission-- Strange intro into the verses, dark and menacing on the low end. When she first began playing, I thought it was "Raining Blood," but what do I know. I felt it was strangley put together. Not poorly put together, mind you, just a little odd. It would be that one song on the album that it takes you awhile to get used to, like "Heart of Gold" or "She's Your Cocaine." I think this was the song where the lights seemed to be searching the audience, which was rather interesting conceptually, like searching the congregation for the "missing" priest who's name they are giving to the found body...or not.

Me and A Gun-- Can't say much about it. Stark, white lighting shadowing half of her face, nearly inaudible ends of phrases and words, from a growl to a pained whisper. It was "Me and A Gun," you either love it or find it hitting entirely too close to home.

Over the Rainbow-- If this was the thing someone in an earlier review called "the positive note to leave on after 'Me and A Gun'," I didn't feel it. This song is depressing too--not being able to get where you want to go, even in dreams, living in a world so miserable that you desire to be in that world "over the rainbow...." Sigh, I feel you, Tori. All in all, a lovely performance, but thank the Goddess for encores. I don't know if I'd have made it home leaving after that.

Enjoy the silence-- I still like the original better. The chorus looses something when she isn't doing the background vocal harmony on "here in my arms." It worked though.

Here. In My Head-- I freaked out! Another rarity in concert and one of my favorite bee-sides. This was my perfect encore piece. I could rave on, but I won't. Pretty straight rendition until the end, where she got wild again. Wonderfully wild...

Glory of the 80's-- The second song I could have done without. Don't like it, it hasn't grown on me much since the album came out. What made it worse though, was when she first started playing it, I thought we were going to be the first to get "Precious Things," as I think did most of the audience judging by the screaming during the intro. Nope. Damn.

Mr. Zebra-- By far, the crowd favorite. I don't understand all that. It's a good song, kooky and absolutely Tori all the way. Is it the last line: "Too bad the burial was premature, she said and smiled?" The abstract green lighting was very psychedelic. Great that it made the crowd happy, I have to give Tori her props for that.

1000 Oceans-- Perfect ending to the show. People were weepy (including yours truly). And though that isn't uncommon at the end of her shows, I feel like she personalized it to us, lots of eye contact and interactions. She forgot the words and somebody yelled, "It's okay." We were right there with her the whole time, "over Silbury Hill, through the solar fields..." This is another one of those perfect ballads though. You can't do much wrong with songs like those. She was wonderful.

She told a Tash story: Tash woke up that morning and said "Mama!" (Hearing Tori imitate her little daughter, it was insistent, almost demanding "pick me up!") She was undeniably awake. So Tori sauntered up to the front of the bus and asked the driver, Larry, where they were. Just crossed into North Carolina, he said. She knows, Tori said.

She told a Mark story: Just before Carolina In My Mind she told us how it gets so bloody freezing in Cornwall and she often longs for somewhere warmer and she says, Husband...before going into "Carolina." YAY!

It was long and satisfying, if not Dew Drop Inn's final show (I know I got spoiled with that one). I too saw Rev. Amos and I though I saw Tori's mum too...after the show by the tour busses being escorted down the back entrance. I thought Tori was barefoot, but I was too far up to really be sure. She had on these great split satin palazzo pants and her hair was gorge! "Give me more!"

From Pete Bottiglieri aka TinkyTori

Added Oct 14, 2001 - All I have to say is OMG!!!!!! It was by far the best show that I have seen., even with the mishap when the microphone didn't work for a sec during Past the Mission, or even when she flubbed on 1000 oceans she wa just so cute. I Absolutle loved her improv of going to Carolina in my Mind. The fact that she did Somewhere Over the Rainbow, haad me in tears. I have been wait for the last 3 tours to hear and she finally did. I was also very happe she did Cool on Your Island from Y Kant Tori Read. I really wanted Fire on the Side, but hey Cool was just as beautiful. '97 Bonnie and Ckyde was great escpecially when the curtain dropped at the very last note. TOOOO cool.

Glory of the 80's and Siren were hard to recognize at first but they were excellent. It was truely a great show. I also really like it whe she talked about Tash. And how she woke up right as the crossed the state line into NC. Tori said, "Yeah, She knows" in her toriesque way. Me and a Gun went off soooooooo well the audience got sooo quiet you could literally hear a pin drop. It was so good. THANKS TORI!!!! FOR EVERYTHING.The meet a greet went well. All except the "Numberer" which was pointless. And to all the Toriphiles out there we were not trying to be selfish we were told NOT TO MOVE, or we would have.

From DANZER

Added Oct 14, 2001 - I got to see the Charlotte NC show (amazing!) and just wanted to let you know, just in case TORI fans were interested, but the music they were playing before and after Tori's set was from the new cd by GROOVE ARMADA called GOODBYE COUNTRY, HELLO NIGHTCLUB.

It's mainly all electronic smooth club stuff, with a couple of vocal tracks.....but it's really a nice cd!

I know in the past, i always heard the same music before and after her sets...but i am not sure if this cd is getting played at every show!

From Erica Kinley

Added Oct 14, 2001 - Tori was awesome, and the set list was just great. My friend Dustin and I were late for the meet and greet, but arrived just behind Tori's parents. We were able to chat with them and take pictures with them before they went backstage to see Tori. Tori, as always, looked terrific and played some unexpected songs.

From Holly

Added Oct 15, 2001 - I don't know if this is of any interest to you but here is the pretty much verbatim transcript of the two stories Tori told at the 10/4 Charlotte, NC concert.

1st story:
Hi everybody! So um, always good to be back in North Carolina. This morning, um-- "I love you Tori!!"(screams a fan)-- love you back, says Tori. So um, this morning um Tash decided she was gonna get up, and um you know it was dark outside and the bus was going ding da ding da ding da ding and I'm just you know I was having this nice little sleep, and all of a sudden I hear, "Mama!" and I looked over and um there was no negotiating this like she was up. So we(and she says something here that I couldn't understand, and then she says) and I go, "Larry where are we?" and he says um, "We just crossed into North Carolina." and I went, "Yeah, she knows."

story 2:
Ok, so um some of the songs like doing different things these days. Maybe it's because I've been living in that Cornwall England and it's freezing cold. Oh my God and I sit there and I go, "In my mind I'm going to Carolina. Can't you feel the sunshine. Can't you just see the moonshine. And husband if you don't turn up the heat I'm going to leave real quick cause I'm going to Carolina. Going to Carolina. Going to Carolina tonight on British Airways."

Added October 20, 2001 - Tamara Dunn alerted me to a review of the Charlotte show that she wrote and that was published in the October 18, 2001 edition of the Old Gold and Black, which is the student newspaper of Wake Forest University. You can read it online or below.

Amos brings a gang of 'Strange Little Girls' to solo tour

By Tamara Dunn
Arts & Entertainment Editor

Beware of a show that calls itself "strange." This is the label of Tori Amos' "Strange Little Tour" as she made a stop at Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte Oct. 4. The concert was not only a homecoming for the North Carolina native, but it marked her first solo tour in seven years. But was she really performing solo?

The tour is promoting Amos' latest album, Strange Little Girls, a compilation of covers originally performed by male singers. Instead of producing a karaoke style album, Amos applies her own twist to the songs, giving the lyrics' female characters a voice. Also, Amos dressed the part of each character in her songs for the cover art and liner notes. With the premise of the new album's message and the lack of a band providing additional sounds, the show began with a slashed black cloth in the background and an enlarged photograph of one of Amos' characters. The speakers blared "'97 Bonnie & Clyde," Amos' rendition of Eminem's contraversal rap about explaining to his daughter why he has killed his wife. Backstage, Amos provided the vocals to the soundtrack while the audience was subdued by the visuals on stage and the song. The ironic combination of a dazzling light display with a chilling description of murder gave an intense feel that would linger throughout Amos' two-hour set.

The cloth dropped and revealed Amos' instruments: on centerstage, her trusty piano within a "full- body turn" range of a Rhodes keyboard and a Wultizer on the farthest left end of the stage. To her right, a single table draped with black tablecloth displayed three of Amos' new personas. The piano-Rhodes combination was used to its fullest potential as Amos performed "Little Amsterdam," a song she rarely performs live. Between verses, Amos switched from the piano to the Rhodes in a single whoosh, making gun-trotting moves like a cowgirl as she did so. Her self-choregraphed gestures added joviality to a song that not many audience members recgonized. This playfulness was also carried into widely known songs on the setlist such as "Leather" and "Past the Mission." Her forgetfulness was comical yet forgivable as she repeated some of the same verses in "Concertina" and had to restart "1000 Oceans."

Like her characters in Strange Little Girls, some of the songs were cleverly disguised. One that led to a sudden shift in the atmosphere was "Glory of the 80s." In studio form, the song is heavily laced with percussion and synthesizers, and the thought of how it would sound with only a piano was unimaginable. Amos started to play the opening of "Precious Things," and the audience strongly reacted with adoration. Without warning, the music changed, providing an uneasy feeling but a satisfying turnaround for a heavily engineered song.

Other standouts in the set were a cover of Tom Wait's "Time" and "Cool on Your Island." These subdued the audience, as both songs were mostly unknown. "Time" highlighted Amos' whispering voice as she politely played her piano, and the lighting effects on stage echoed her resonance. The ballad was beautiful although it was not her own, but she took possession over it as she performed. "Cool on Your Island" was another rare treat as the song dates back to her '80s wannabe pop queen era with the band Y Kant Tori Read. Playing the song exclusively on the Rhodes gave the song that one-hit wonder feel, yet it didn't seem almost two decades old.

Amos' attachment to North Carolina was prevelant throughout the concert. She told a tale of how her one-year-old daughter, Natashya, knew they had reached the border when she woke up with delight. Amos also broke into an improtu version of James Taylor's "Carolina on My Mind" on the Wultizer before starting a new version of "Crucify." Even her parents attended the concert, making it like a family reunion.

However, nothing was as strong or moving as her performance of "Me and the Gun." With only a harsh white spotlight directly on her face and no instruments to play, Amos softly told her tragic tale. At first, hearing the song excited the crowd, but a hush slowly filled the auditorium. The performance was like watching a private confessional with a large glass window exposing the person inside. The chilling effect reached its climax as she muttered "Have you been to Carolina where the biscuits taste so sweet?" Another dose of ironic juxtaposition in the set paired "Me and the Gun" with her cover of "Over the Rainbow," another song disguised with an introduction from "Twinkle."

Overall, Amos did not perform a solo act. She combined her strange characters and instruments to perform 20 songs by different personas. They toyed with the audience's heads away from the expected drove them past what they knew.

The reviews below were taken from the concert reviews section of The Dent Forum and added here on January 7, 2002

Hi! This is my very first post to this message board. The Charlotte, NC Tori show ended 20 minutes ago and I have the setlist. I've studied the setlists from her first shows in the U.S. of the "Strange Little Tour" and she added some "new" old favorites. I was a bit sad that she didn't sing "China" or my all time personal favs "Hey Jupiter" and Merman", but I'll live.

All said, this was the concert of my lifetime!

For those of you who had to wait up until 5 am waiting for the setlist from Nashville, I wont waste anymore of your time...

Charlotte, NC...Ovens Auditorium Setlist...

Bonnie & Clyde '97

Siren

Little Amsterdam!!!

Leather

(Tori said her baby woke her up this morning on the bus and she asked her husband where they were and he said they just crossed into North Carolina and Tori smiled and said that her baby "just knew they were in North Carolina")

Northern Lad

Cool On Your Island

Beauty Queen/Horses

Flying Dutchman!!! (one of my fav's)

Concertina

Time

(Tori said it was getting cold in England and she had changed some of her songs....so she went into a great, different rendition of...)

Crucify

Past The Mission

Me & a Gun

Over The Rainbow (so beautiful!)

ENCORE#!

Enjoy the Silence

Here In My Head

Encore #2

(started out like Precious Things, but turned out to be...)

Glory of the 80's!!!

Mr. Zebra (huge applause)

1,000 Oceans

There you have it...now go to bed! LOL

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Review by goodbyeglittergirl

hooray! this was a GREAT tori show, in spite of a few blips here and there--she had to restart northern lad, forgot part of 1000 oceans and had to stall while she remembered, had a dead microphone in past the mission, repeated some lines in concertina. in spite of that stuff, though, she was wonderful. she was cute and more importantly, she was THERE and enjoying herself. i really got the feeling in atlanta that she was miles away somehow. tonight, though, she was really with us. and it was fabulously fun.

i can't do a song-by-song review, but i can tell you that hearing flying dutchman and here. in my head were the absolute highlights of the evening. they were wonderful, completely. me and a gun was much more subtle than i've ever heard. little amsterdam was rocking. cool on your island was very nice to hear, as well.

for the fashionistas, tori was wearing a gray version of the "i'm not in love" shirt and silvery pants. she was wearing the black shoes with the ankle straps she wore in atlanta. her hair was wavy and very pretty.

she told a story about tash waking up as they crossed into north carolina, and did a spoof of "carolina in my mind" while making fun of how cold it gets in england and how she makes mark turn the heat up with threats of flying home to carolina on british airways.

only downside: somewhere over the rainbow. yawn. sorry. the audience here was better than atlanta, but there were still some screamers and the annoying bald guys next to me who constantly were getting up and down and singing offkey. but i ignored them, because everything was just that great.

i got to meet melanie (purplemonkey) briefly. she is a beautiful girl. sorry i couldn't chat, i was trying to stay out of the way of the up and down people sitting next to me. thanks for making a point of saying hi!!!

also, my boyfriend, who isn't really a tori fan, was really amazingly cool and took me to the show tonight, and held my hand and smiled at me and laughed at me when i got all excited about here. in my head and just generally was wonderful and said he had a great time. i am lucky to have him.

a happy night in charlotte

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Review by SavinNoSouls

it's hard to maintain a torgasm throughout an entire show, but DAMN. alright, so the setlist is well known. little amsterdam was amazing, EXCEPT she didn't sing the "all alone got a girl in the city..." bit!!!! "boy you're my 5th avenue" is one of my all-time fave tori lines, and she skipped right over it. but, well, it was still little amsterdam, and tori, so she was forgiven.

flying dutchman... ohhhhh... so beautiful. she seemed to really enjoy singing it, and thankfully she DIDN'T skip over the "keep the boys spinning..." lines (another of my faves )

here. in my head -- brilliant. that's the only song i've wanted to hear since i heard she was touring with this album, and it was fantastic. the way her voice echoed through the auditorium when she was screaming "do you know...???" gave me goosebumps. as did most of the concert.

anyway, these are just random post-concert thoughts... but tonight made me remember why it is i listen to tori. it was amazing.

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Review by FreakoOosuave

okay here we go....

I got there at like 9am right? well like 20 other people where there before me so I got stuck with number 20 in the meet and greet....everyone sat around for like 3 hours and a big ol' blue bus came up and tori's hubby and roadies got out...but no tori...we waited like 7 hours and finnally whoever the hell that mexican security guard was came up and said she was coming...took like 5 hours to set up the barricades...and then here came tori up in another bus...when the bus pulled up they put curtains up around the front windows so we couldn't see anything..element of surprise I guess...well out pops tori and HERE JEFFERY GETS SQUISHED TO DEATH...I was there for 7 HOURS! and saw all of 4 hairs on tori's head and people who had been there like 10mins were in front of me but whatever!....and during one point of the meet and greet her security guy lifted her up in the air and she gave everyone a nice big "HI GUYS"...and umm me myself I got my silent all these years bio and strangelittlegirls cd cover signed...and for u clothes freaks she had on a greyish brown shirt with a baker man on it and the word "FAKE" on the top...and thats all I saw of her have no idea about her pants!...well after that another of my friends from here in newton who came to the show seperate pulled up to my car and handed me a air express mail (ALANTIC RECORDS SENT ME 2 TICKETS TO THE SHOW!)...but they were worse seats than what I had to begin with so I scalped em' for 50 bucks...okay well here starts the concert...the rufus guy I am sorry but he is just not my cup of noodles...I could barely understand him? all I know is "BEA AUTHOR IS NOT HIS FUCKING GRANDMAW"...neways so he finishes his set and we go into stage change and intermission...so I go and buy all the t-shirts yes I got them all includeing the sweaters a necklace and a keychain (no hat though) which totalled $350...yes I know I am crazy and was stared at like a freak all night *sigh* okay here comes tori...

Bonnie and CLyde

as yall probably know already...she is offstage during the song...a ripped holey black curtain is covering the stage and there is a little light show going on...and a picture of "B&C girl hanging up on the curtain...very chilling to hear live..even my friend who went with me who isn't a toriphile said it gave her chills.

Siren

amaAaaazing...best I have ever heard it sung!

Little Amsterdam

she done little gun movements during it like a little cowgirl *aww*

Leather

people were being rude here *sigh* didn't get to enjoy it much

Northern Lad

amaaaaaazing! woohoo...but she made a BooBoo and started over! tis a funny thing.

Cool on Your Island

jesus christ! this is now my new tori song..as soon as a get a boot (HINT HINT)...god that song was bootiful!

Beauty Queen/Horses another "lets be rude" crowd moment....didn't get to enjoy it much *sigh*

Flying Dutchman...this has never been a favorite song of mine but when i heard it tonight and actually heard the words...I wuv it now!

Concertina...pretty lights during this song..not a favorite of mine though so I cant chat about it much

Time...sooooOoOO pretty (First Cry fest during this song)

Crucify she improved a little on this song...and sang it very bootiful...it was almost like a classical version of it or something..no hard piano pounding or anything

Past the Mission

WoOOOOAH...my 3rd favorite song of the night...the lighting was amazing it would change verse to verse from shining on the crowd to on tori.

Me and a Gun

I swear to you she was crying in the end of this song! this was my cry fest number 2...and to hear her sing it in north carolina "where the biscuts are soft and sweet"...wooo talk about emotions.

Over the Rainbow

after me and a gun it was just an amazing combo...freakooo continued to BooHoo during this song. she improved the end a little too..."if little blue birds can fly over the rainbow why cant i".

Enjoy the Silence

another "lets be a dickhead crowed" song...people screamin and singing along...ruined it *sigh*

Here in My Head

...I guess pelegirl will be happy she got her wish! lol

Glory of the 80's

"who do u gotta shag to get outta here"....the best I have ever heard this song I actually enjoyed it...and I never have before.

Mr. Zebra

I dont think its possible to not like this song...very awsome lights during this song too.

1000 Oceans

she made a BooBoo and forgot the lyrics and hmmed for a minute then gave us a "AGH!"...but when she got it together it was a beautiful closing and made me boohoo again.

The show is awsome not only cause of tori and the music but the lighting during the show is fuckin great

OoOoKAY time to vent....

I met alot of cool people today...strangelittleapple and the girl who runs hereinmyhead.com (sorry forgot your dent name!)...they are both awsome people...OH YEA and kinkytori (hope thats right) he is a nice guy too!....and peleboy...hes pretty cute too bad he is straight...and why wasn't I offered any gummy worms *hmph*...OH YEA...and the meet and greet afterwards was alot better than the one before...tori spend 2wice as much time and this one boy (dressed like a fairy...skirt wings and all) had on a pair of kitty kat ears...and he yelled out "TORI U WANNA WEAR THEM" and she put them on and went runnin around with them on her head very cute! and to put an end to all the "she is getting old" rumors...I swear she looks no older than 17...and no photo I have seen of her does her justice UGH HER EYES!.....enough to make a boy go straight....but for those who were there tonight....WHAT WAS UP WITH THE GUY WITH THE DOG?!?!?!...AND THE GAY GUYS WITH THE ONE WITH THE SPIKE IN HIS CHIN....grrr argh. STRANGELITTLEAPPLE! WE MUST GET TOGETHER AND GO TORISHOPPIN SOON!

yes she did "HIIIIiIIiDE YOUR HEAD"....but im tellin ya Me and a Gun...nothing will ever top that in my book...I have never seen nor heard tori cry from that song or no other for that matter. ugh and the over the rainbow follow up WOoOoo pass the tissue...oh wait that sounded perverted.

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Review by crzyclint

Tori sounded wonderful tonight and I enjoyed the show very much. The audience was very respectful when she was performing .. And I was greatful for that. (im sure tori was too .. hehe)

So wont go on and on about the show or the set list .. but im happy I got to hear the songs I did.

After the show I went back to see if I could get a glimpse of her .. I actually had planned to meet her, talk to her.. Get an autograph.. maybe a picture.. And I got plenty of pictures of her.. I mean she was like 3 ft from me (sometimes closer.) She looked great .. better in person . So tiny and sweet. But people were so pushy, so needy of her. I could tell that she was tired and she didnt want to sign because she kept saying that she was done.. And as quick as that was said, another thing to sign was shoved right in her face. It was like people were milking every last drop of energy out of her.. Feeding like hungry wolves.

Just wanted to say I enjoyed her performance tonight. For some reason I feel a sense of closure. Almost like a new part of my life is about to begin. And another has just ended. I have learned a lot from Tori's music.

I've learned a lot about myself. And now its time to fly.

Thank you Tori

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Review by Ms.Sparkle

Just to add my 2 cents....MAAG was indeed really emotional tonight. She was kinda whispering the words through a lot of the song, then Rainbow.........ohh how beautiful.

Little Amsterdam was a real treat. It was cute because she did the song back and forth on keyboard and piano and she would sing "girl you've got to know these days which side your on..", then she would switch back to the piano. I'm probably the only person who thought that was funny. I did however miss the "all alone got a girl in the city" part.

Flying Dutchman was so wonderful. She really got into it at the end. It was really something.

And don't be fooled by Glory of the 80's, cause at first you would swear it was precious things. Also this song is amazing solo.

It was a great show my only complaint is the crowd, which really wasn't that bad, but was that FUCKING CELL PHONES I HEARD GOING OFF???!!! You would think people would know better!

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Review by jason (desideriodream)

OK...this is my first post....and my first Tori show...Charlotte was great...although there were cell phones beeping (annoying) and overzealous screaming (ok...i confess i did once or twice...but not during the songs).

Rufus first...he was excellent and funny, too. I have POSES...so i now have a greater appreciation of his work. Really liked hearing Greek Song and Poses.

Tori was exceptional as I thought she'd be. I'm a pele addict so....beauty queen/horses, mr. zebra, and little amsterdam were nice to hear. i really wanted to hear Hey Jupiter (gay boy here...so....it resonates) and doughnut song (betrayed- but- no longer- bitter Southern gay boy here)....but alas...no. And i wasn't expecting my other faves (Caught a Lite Sneeze, Spark, Raspberry Swirl, Jackie's Strength, Winter, Honey)....but secretly was hoping for Cloud on My Tongue, spring haze...and Purple PEOPLE!!) But still....it was quite an experience...i mean, i love so many of her songs....she couldn't play them all.

Highlights: MAAG (very intense is an understatement...especially with the follow-up of Somewhere Over the Rainbow and she did seem to cry after MAAG...), Crucify (love that version), Leather (playful...and...i smiled the whole way through) Northern Lad and Time(both quite poignant), Siren (um...as the first song....i think this was her calling card...she is the SIREN of Rock), and 1000 Oceans---totally threw me off guard....wasn't expecting it....and it *IS* one of my favorites...and it was just as lush, beautiful, and emotive as the first time i heard it on CD. As a final note--someone said Enjoy the Silence was much better live than on CD---i wholeheartedly agree with that assessment. I even liked Glory of the 80's which I never really cared for.

Great show....can't wait for my second...

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Review by januarygirl_113

The Charlotte show...amazing, breathtaking...I don't know if there is really any words to describe it.

People keep asking about Little Amsterdam. I almost fell out of my seat when she started it. She played it between two. It was really cute because she would be on one of the pianos and then right before the "girl, you have to know these days.." she would flip to the other. But, it wasn't really quickly so it gave the song a bit of a pause right at that spot. Very good touch. Then throughout the song she would raise her hands off the piano and do a little "bang, bang" symbol in the air. It was awesome. Though, I did wish she would have done the "all alone got a girl..." part.

One question, what the hell did someone throw on the stage? I think it was right at the beginning of the second encore. I was horrified. Thank God it didn't hit her. Please, someone tell me it was not a cup. That is what it looked like from where I was (too far away ).

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Review by aengurl

It was amazing, as usual. She looked absolutely stunning.

The lighting for each song was perfect. The little white swirls that were above her head during when she sang 'time, time time' - wow.

During Past the Mission, it sounded as though Mark didn't turn up the one mic in time for her verse, so she just waited and was so cute! We saw a gurl take a picture of Mark at the end at his soundboard. They must be having a great time with Tash on this tour. The whole fam! 8o)

I was floored that she didn't do Rattlesnakes, but we got some other goodies instead.

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Review by ToriphileMaria

Ok, well Charlotte is the third show Ive seen this tour ( I went to Atl, &Nashville too) and it was by far the best show!! It was very personal!!

So, like five min. bfore tori got on stage, my friend Tim and I were walking to our seats, when we noticed tha noone was sitting in the 4 front row center seats!!! These have typically been the seats for the RAINN auction winners, (I knowthis because I won the Atlanta auction w/ Joyia, and that is where we sat)... so we decided to sit there untill someone made us move!!!BUT NOONE DID!! SO we wereright up front! Seeing Tori front row is a completely different magical experience, b/c you totally get a sense that she is looking right at you when she sings!!!

More details about the show: I almost died when she played LiL' Amsterdam!!! I had asked her to play it when I met her backstage in Atlanta, and she said she would try to play it in Nashville or Charlotte.... and she did!!! Now I can'tsay she did specifically for me, but it would seem tooo much of a coincidence if she didn't... so Im going to wallow in my delusions! Anyway, it wasnt like the DDI versions, shedidnt go off on the "father only you can save my soul... playing that orgn must count for somethg" or add the day by day improv.... but it was still very powerful.. she kep going back and forth btwn piano and the Rhodes, and making cute little gestures to the audience and on the piano!!!!

As for Me and a Gun, she was definitly teary eyed!! Tim and I both notced it!!

Flying dutchman was the bestever!! She totally went off on this traze at the end and was shaking!! Next to my Lil' Amsterdam experience, it was the highlight of the night.

ok that's all for now.... Ive decided to follow her to DC!! I will post later about my heavenly backstage experience with tori in atlanta!!!!

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Review by vertigogo

So, the Charlotte show was excellent, but the audience definitely was NOT. They calmed down by the end of the show, but there was so much screaming, so many "I love you Tori"s (gee, you do? What a surprise!), that sometimes it was hard to concentrate. At times, it seemed like people were tryng to prove they could hit MUCH higher notes than Tori. A few people even screamed the "I recognize THIS song, too!" scream at the beginning of MAAG, and I was mortified when the sang "Do you love Carolina," they were gonna scream the "She said the name of my state!" scream, but, fortunately, their mothers had taught them SOMETHING.

Now that I've bitched...

Rufus was good, and he was funny. I'm not a big fan of his, but the audience was really into him. He seemed to be in a rush, he looked at his watch once (since Tori's set started earlier than they have been, maybe Rufus was told to cut it back a little as to be done a little earlier?). Anyway, he signs stuff in the lobby after his set, and I got him to sign my picture of Little Edie (in honor of "Grey Gardens"), and he was very nice.

So, on to Tori's set --

'97 B&C: I am thinking the way the B&C pic just hangs on the curtain, Tori culd *easily* replace it with another girl, in case she wanted to change the opening song. But B&C was a very powerful opener. It was a little disheartening to hear people screaming during a song about a man killing his wife. Tori put a lot of emotion into it - it didn't sound as disconnected as it does on the album.

The curtain drops and Tori runs out, strikes a sorta bowed pose (reminded me of how she used to start the "Cornflake Girl" dance!).

Siren: It was really cool to hear this live and solo!

Little Amsterdam: She was so cute during this. During brief pauses in the song, she would keep rhythm by making hand gestures and saying, "Ah" "to you" "And" or whatever. I love this song, and was elated when I heard the opening chords. She didn't do the "All alone got a girl" part.

Leather: She was very playful during this song, really drug out the last "hand me my leather" to this coarse, sexy whisper. Like a dominatrix!

Northern Lad: She started it, then stopped and said, "We're gonna start this one again," and went back to the beginning. Very pretty, as always.

Cool on Your Island: OK, I have always been an unabashed lover of this song. C'mon! YKTR is fun for what it is! So, to hear this, the WHOLE thing, on the Rhodes, totally kicked ass. It was just flawless.

I don't remember exactly WHEN she told her little story about Tash, so I'll stick it here. She mentioned she was always glad to come back to North Carolina. It was cute, she said she was sleeping very nicely when Tash woke her up, saying 'Mama.' And I could look at her and see there was no negotiating. She was UP. So I asked Larry, 'Where are we?' and he said, 'We just crossed over into North Carolina, ' and I said -- 'She knows.'"

Beauty Queen/Horses: Beauty Queen was more filled out, but other than that they were pretty standard.

Flying Duthman!: AHHH. So, this one was unexpected (I don't know why), but such a treat. I recognized what it was immediately and almost peed my pants (but note: I did not scream very shrilly or yell, "I love you, Tori!). It was just excellent.

Concertina: She sang a little improv before this one about being an octopus with her little feet wrapped around her keys. It was cute.

Time: It's always gorgeous, what can I say?

So now she goes over to the Wurlitzer, and talks about how ice cold it can get in "that Cornwall, England" and she says on those nights she sings, "In my mind I'm going to Carolina." (She also sang the opening bars to this during 5 1/2 weeks). But she was so funny, she sang, "In my mind I'm going to Carolina - (she sang something about sunshine and moonshine, can't remember exactly) - Husband if you don't turn up the heat I'm going to be real quick... I'm going to Carolina... Yes, I'm going to Carolina on British Airways." So cute! She mentions some of the songs are doing different things today, then goes into --

Crucify: Different arrangment. Very relaxed, vocalizations in between each line in the verses. Very nice. Only song on Wurlitzer.

Past the Mission: Played the chorus on the Rhodes, the rest on the Bose. Very funny, when the lights changed the first time for the chorus, she looked sorta surprised, then turned her face to the audience, struck the vampy pose, held it a moment, then went into the chorus. Otherwise, pretty standard.

Me and a Gun: She was having a lot of trouble with this, it was obvious. Lit from behind, I saw her shadown on the wall, and during much of the song, she was rocking back and forth. It was so eerie and painful. She whispered a good deal of the song.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow: I love when Tori covers this, so I was psyched to hear. Beautiful!

Encore 1:

Enjoy the Silence: The audience was rowdy, it was so distracting. Kinda ruined the song for me.

Here. In My Head: Lovely.

Encore 2:

Glory of the 80's: Wow, this is SO good solo, without all the stuff to drown Tori out. It sounds like such a cute song now. I was totally digging it.

Mr. Zebra: Fun, as always.

1,000 Oceans: So cute when going into the chorus, instead of going into "I'm aware what the rules are," apparently messes up, forgets the words or something, and instead sings "Ya da da da da da da" and mugs for the audience. Then, after a moment, she recovered and finished.

What a great show! I'm sad I'm only seeing one this tour.

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Review by jessica (deadpetals26)

i absolutly loved this show....tori was so beautiful, and it was such a surprise that she played flying dutchman, siren, and the solo verion of glory of the eighties....also...cool on your island! what a great night....but anyways, after the show, me and my friends ran out to meet her, and there were so many people there, but when she got to out section of the crowd, my friend penny who was wearing a pink faerie outfit and little bear ears (on a headband), yelled to tori and got her to wear his ears! she wore them for the rest if the meet and greet....although i didnt get to touch her or get anything signed, she was lauhging with us and looked like she was having a good time....ahhh! it was amazing....anyways, if anyone took pictures of tori in the purple bear ears, PLEASE send them my way.....we would love to have them=)

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Review by amethystskye

So this was my first Tori show, the only one I'll get to see this tour and it was so amazing!

Pre-show - I met hungover faery and her boyfriend. She has the cutest, pinkest hair ever! I was with them and these two guys John and James in line and they were such awesome people. I also really loved the fairy boy! I saw him and I just had to hug him, I thought he was so beautiful. In my town, people would be stoned (as in people would throw rocks at them) if they went out in public like that. Seeing this guy just made me fabulously happy!

Rufus - I liked him! I thought he was precious and very silly. I bought his 'Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk' shirt and had it and my ticket stub autographed. I didn't have enough money on me at the time to get his cd, due to an overload of Tori merchandise, but I'm off to buy that this morning.

*Tori* - I was utterly and completely fulfilled very early into the show. I had been saying for so long that if she only played Northern Lad I'd be happy and that I desperately wanted to hear Cool On Your Island. I was preppared to walk away from the show slightly disappointed....but I got my songs back to back! Somehow she KNEW. Siren was really awesome and her story about Tash going to North Carolina was amazingly cute. Time was absolutely gorgeous and Mr. Zebra, I loved it! I just KNEW 1000 Oceans would be the closer and even though she messed up, it was radiantly beautiful!

I guess I'll have to wait a couple of years to see her again, but I had been waiting three years for this and it was totally worth it! I hope all of you have a lovely rest of the tour!

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Review by Tinkytori

THE SHOW WAS GREAT

I hear songs that night that I didn't think I would ever hear. Somewhere Over The Rainbow, I just cried during that song. Here. In My Head, OH yes. It was a great show. She talk more at this show than she did at the other Charlotte show. IT WAS GREAT!!!

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Review by nvrsceneblue

This is my first time here... And I don't know that there's much else to say, vertigogo pretty much summed up everything that I was going to add....

But did anyone else see the little safety pin she had on her back? It looked like it was holding the two layers of her tops in place or something... (I was sitting relatively close, but brought out the binoculars to get a better look...) I thought it was SO cute...

The only other thing I can say is this show was awesome... I've heard some of these songs live before, but this definitely took the cake. It was an extremely emotional night. I might have been lost in the moment of Me and A Gun, but I thought she missed the 'You can laugh...' verse. It was almost like she was going to go into it, paused, and then sang 'it was me...' again. Was this the same verse she skipped the other night? Or maybe I was imagining it... In any sense, it was intense, she emphasized every word, and was rocking back and forth...

The crowd, as others have said, could learn some manners, but hopefully it will be better in DC...

winks and kisses...

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Review by VenusEnvySwirl

VERY EXCITED.. ok so its the morning after the concert and after spending way too much time in the car with my family... im still glowing from last nights concert.. IT WAS AWESOME!!!! my first tori concert ever.. and i have been waiting for this one for 6 years to finally get a ticket to something.. sitting in the nose bleed section of the back of the balcony.. it was still awesome.. and my $30 t-shirt is going in a freaking frame along with my ticket stub.. I hope any and all quick shots i got of her running from the meet and greet will come out in some fashion that is able to see that its her.. but other than all that.. it was a wonderful night!!! you all already know the song list so i dont have re tell it.. but I loved the clip she did of Carolina on my mind the james taylor song that pretty much told us all she was glad to be HOME!!.. love you guys see ya on the dent!

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Review by chris (leroy09)

ok...im sure from everyone postin' you all know that the show was great!!!! to see tori solo...it was just great!

...i just wanted to say hullo to all the denters i met at the meet and greet! i had such a great time there and like boyforpele said, "everyone is just so nice"! i would luv for all of us to get back together sometime!

don't doubt the meet and greets for one second...just get there early and if you don't get to meet tori, there are a lot of other cool ppl to get to know...again, it was great!

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Review by mysiren007

hello all. I too am posting for the first time. This was my second Charlotte show, and they were both amazing. This one just blew me away. I was fortunate enough to win rainn passes on the yahooo charity auction. Sadly, my dumbass got lost, and I missed the first three songs. Siren...sigh... But my friend and I finally got there and I was right in front of her. She is so cute! Northern Lad was great, and so were all the others. I cried when she played here. in myhead. Damn, I love that song.

The aftershow was so awesome. Hello to the other yahoo winners! I chatted with Tori's father, he was very polite. Then we went back in a group of four to meet her, and it was a very nice atmosphere. Steve and Joel were very pleasant. It didn't seem rushed at all. SO we went back there, and she was very cheery. She signed and took pictures. My friend and I were from Boone, so I told her, and she said something like, You guys are from Boone? OH, that's fucking great. ( not in a mean way, she was excited.) My friend is in blue grass band, and so she asked him what his favorite bands were, and she wrote them down and said Joel would go get them for her. It was so cute! And I was getting something signed for a friend, but all I had was a battery box, so she sent Joel to get a picture.

Tori is so scrawny! I have never seen her so little! I noticed her calf muscle during the show..damn!

this was just a perfect night for me. If ANYONE got that show on boot, please please please email me!!

btw- I think somebody threw a wadded up sock on stage. It was definitley a clothing article.

take care all! enjoy the rest of the tour, and don't be a fool and be late!

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Review by Erica (Pornflakegirl)

I wish I could have posted this review earlier when it was still fresh in my brain. This concert was mindblowing. I have never seen Tori solo before, and

I feel so fortunate right now. My wish is that every Tori fan gets to see her as I saw her last night.

Rufus was amazing. Most of the stuff he played was on the second CD, which I am not familiar with yet. These are the songs I'm sure he played:

Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk

The Greek Song

?

?

In My Arms (wow!)

Poses

He talked to the audience a lot, which was cool. Said something about how he thought Bea Arthur from the Golden Girls was his grandmother. When he met her,

he told her that and she said "I'm not your fucking grandmother!" That was pretty funny.

After his set, we went out to the lobby to buy his new CD. Then he signed it. He was kind of in a hurry, so we didn't get to say much, but I told him that I liked his shirt that said "Little Drummer Boy." He said thanks, then he said that he didn't really know who they were, but thought it was cool anyway. I'm assuming he's talking about a band with that name. He's absolutely gorgeous.

Okay, now for Tori: (I apologize that these are probably out of order)

97 B&C--This was a lot better than I thought it would be live. It totally sets the mood for the show, despite its eerieness. Her live version is a lot livelier (no pun intended) than the album version in that she put more

expression into the words.

When that ripped up curtain dropped, my heart exploded. It was Tori! And from 10th row center, I have never been closer to her. She was beautiful--she wore really loose pants with slits up the sides, so when she sat down we could see her gorgeous legs (foxy!). On top, she wore a see-through top with sequins on

the front and sleeves, and a tank top underneath. Her hair was long, wavy, and beautiful. This woman just gets better and better looking.

Then, she bust out into SIREN! OMG I freaked. This song is just so beautiful live, there are no words to describe it. That song just reaches me--brilliant lyrics!

Little Amsterdam--A great playful rendition of this song. She kept switching from the keyboards to the Bose, and really hammed it up. She knows she's

adorable!

Leather--Now I get worried when I hear this in concert, because she says she plays it when the show isn't going well. I hope she didn't think that! It was

beautiful as always, but the audience kept screaming.

Northern Lad--I feel so fortunate to have heard this song live. It was the only thing from Choirgirl that she played, but so heart wrenching and sad. I especially liked the hooooos at the end. Her piano playing was top-notch last night, and this song showed it.

At one point, she started talking about Natashya. It was so cute, she is such a proud mommy. She said that when they were on the bus, Natashya said "Mommy,"

and Tori knew that Natashya knew they were in North Carolina, Tori's birthplace.

BQ/Horses--I am so happy to have seen so much from BFP last night. This song was no exception--I loved the piano interlude part where she pounded away, like

a femme alterna-Mozart.

Going to Carolina/Crucify--She went over to the Wurlitzer, and started talking about how Cornwall was really cold. Then she started singing "Going to Carolina," and added an improv about "husband needs to turn up the heat." That was really funny. Then she played an introduction to Crucify. I don't remember the lyrics to that, but I didn't recognize it right away.

Flying Dutchman--I am a bad Toriphile because I have never heard this B-side before last night. But I now have a new favorite! I don't know the lyrics to this girl at all, but it was very Tori-esque. She really got into it, and was pounding every ounce of her little body onto the keys. It was absolutely amazing, again I have no words to describe it.

Cool on Your Island--She didn't even neglect YKTR for this show. Although I've never been partial to anything on that album, the way she played this song on the keyboards was beautiful. Yet another song I'm not too familiar with!

Past the Mission--Again, she did alternations between the Bose and the keyboards. On the "Past the Mission" chorus part, she was on the keyboards. On the rest, she was on the piano. The "found a body" part was brilliant on the piano.

Time--Beautiful as always.

Concertina--I am amazed by her live version of this song. She played the keyboard with her right hand, and the Bose with her left. I wish I had a poster of her sitting there, hands apart, head tilted up--it was beautiful. I have never seen true artistry before tonight. She continues to astound me with her musical ability--there is just no limit to her talent.

MAAG--Despite the audience's rudeness earlier, everyone was completely silent for this. It was truly heartbreaking, and I think she did cry at the end!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow--Again, the audience was perfectly still. She really put everything into this performance--I cried all through this one.

Encore I--

Enjoy the Silence--Pretty much like the album version, just beautiful.

Here in my Head--YAY! So who was the fairy-godmother who requested this for us, or did we just get lucky? (I was thinking of you during this song, Pelegurl)

Beauty, artistry, and Tori all merge into one, and the result is this song. The "do you know, what this is doing to me" part was mind-numbing.

Encore II--

Glory of the 80s--To tell the truth, I never really liked this song, except the "karma drawn up in lines" verse. Last night, I changed my tune. This song should have been acoustic on the album too, because the electronics really drown the beautiful piano out. I can't really describe the piano much except that it was really fast and rhytmic.

Mr. Zebra--Very, very cute!

1000 Oceans--Another song where she played the piano with one hand and the keyboard with the other. She forgot the words at one point and sang blah blah

blah, then smiled a really big Tori smile as the audience laughed. That was really cool! I will never forget that look on her face--she looked like so elfish (if that makes any sense lol). Nice closing song.

To all of you attending future Tori concerts--Please leave your cameras in the car! There was this extremely rude person behind me that kept snapping pictures with a blinding flash. It was extremely distracting to the people in front of him/her, not to mention how distracting it must be to Tori! I am dismayed by people that are too selfish to think of others besides themself. A memory is worth much more than pictures that don't come out, isn't it?

After the show we were walking towards the busses to see if we could catch a glimpse of her since we missed the meet and greet earlier. While we were walking, we heard screams, so I booked it towards the barricade, but I only made it off to the side, apart from the main barricade. I got within 10 feet of her! She signed stuff for the people up front, and it seemed very long for a

post-show meet and greet. Someone gave her a headband with ears on it, and she wore that and talked to as many people as she could. I just can't believe that

after a show like that, she would have the energy to talk to so many people. She is truly a giving, wonderful person and I have never been happier to get as

close as I did. The only thing better would have been to meet her! I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have been touched musically by such a beautiful soul. This concert was truly a divine experience. I am so happy!

And I really enjoyed speaking to the few dent people that I had the pleasure of meeting. Melanie is even more goregeous in person, and her and Jesse are so

cute together. Pelegurl is just adorable. Leroy is a really nice person, and I don't know the names of the others I saw in the restaurant, but I enjoyed meeting y'all! I just wish I wasn't as shy as I am or I would have spoken more.

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Review by Princess Buttercup

I will just post some highlights.

First off, Rufus Wainright (sp?) was HORRIBLE. God, that man has THE most abrasive voice, I didn't think my ears were going to survive. Apologies to all the Rufie fans. His stories were kinda funny though.

The audience wasn't that great. Whenever Tori paused between a verse and chorus or started playing a really nice solo, the crowd would start cheering and screaming like crazy. You couldn't even hear her sometimes.

Anyways..on to the fun stuff.

Siren was great. I was so happy when she started playing this.

Flying Dutchman was absolutely FANTASTIC! She put so much energy into this song. And yes, she did the "hide your head/heart (whatever she's saying)" part and was really getting into it, really belting it out. Even did some little improvs during that part "I need to see you again"..."ripping out my soul" etc.

Concertina was very pretty. It was one of the ones I wanted to hear so I was happy when she played it.

I wasn't too fond of Crucify. It was really drawn out. But her Carolina in my Mind story was quite cute.

Past the Mission was very good as well; I really liked how she's transformed it. For the first chorus, the lights all of a sudden got really bright and she stopped after singing two notes and just looked up at the ceiling with this "what the hell??" look on her face. It was funny.

Here. In my Head was very good as well. She really belted out the "hey do you know what this is doing to me" line.

Glory of the 80s, although I'm not terribly fond of the original, was quite interesting. At first I swore she was going to play Precious Things, but instead it was GOT80's done completely on the piano.

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Review by pelegurl

all i can say is WOW!

Siren

Here in My Head

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

the list goes on and on.

this was the best tori show i have been to. i have wanted to hear HIMY for years..and finally i have.

Cool on your Island was very beautiful and at the end of Flying Dutchman she went OFF! i love it when she does that.

i have a lot of neat pictures to get developed (not of tori )

i was really happy.

also my view of Joel has changed. he is a really nice guy. *wink wink* to those of you who know what i am talking about.

i want a copy of this show!!

i met soo many cool people. it was amazing!

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Review by Melanie (PurpleMonkey)

No words can describe how magical and special this night was. I have been to many many Tori shows since seeing her for the 1st time at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium in 1994. Well, the Charlotte show last night just surpassed my very 1st Tori experience!

You all will not believe this. I know it says in my signature what my seats were supposed to be. Well, it is a very personal story, but I got front row! Let's just say that Joel is the sweetest. He actually recognized me from when I talked with him a lot in 1994. Yes, I know I am lucky as all. Please don't be mad at me though because I wonder if this is karma or something from all I have been through with my accident. For those of you who don't know, I was thrown from a car May 16th this year onto the highway and had 6 broken bones in my back and a broken scapula and had to be in a back brace flat in bed for 3 months this summer. I knew Tori was going to go on tour this fall and a MAJOR source of strength for me to keep going was knowing I could see her if I didn't give up on my recovery.

Can you believe that? I was right at the spot where Tori was looking when she played the Bose, too, so I really really got it SO good! That is why this concert is the best. I have been to at least 10 shows, but this was the best because I felt Tori was looking right at me! Gosh I am feeling so high right now still. I got to see all her expressions and everything. This was the best BEST concert of my life!

And the songs she played! One of my all-time favorites is Flying Dutchman. I felt like I was really going to fly out of my seat when she started playing that! And the part in the end where she just went off!

While I of course enjoyed every song, ones that especially stick out were Siren, Cool On Your Island, Beauty Queen and Horses, Here in My Head, Crucify, Past the Mission, Enjoy the Silence, and Glory of the 80's.

This was such a most amazing personal-feeling show. When I had seen her with the band in 1998 and 1999, I missed her so much alone. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the band and all, it's just there is something so very special with Tori alone. She is free to move and play and do whatever she can when alone. Last night was the Tori I had always missed. I felt so spoiled! Thank you so much Tori for creating and making the music you do and for giving this concert to us.

As always, Tori is so beautiful. Last night, she seemed to really shine and have a radiant glow. Her pants reminded me of back in the Little Earthquakes concert days where she had those awesome bell-bottom-looking type pants.

I am going to be thinking about this concert for a LONG while. Jesse and I are heading up to the DC shows today and are excited, but doubt they could beat what we experienced last night being in front row of course. I just can't get over she played Flying Dutchman! Thank you so much Tori!

I want to also mention I am a newly converted Rufus fan. He is so adorable and his songs so very personal. He touched me with his songs. He is funny, too!

It was so wonderful to (FINALLY!) meet some dent people! I don't feel so alone now. All of the people I met were super awesome and cool. The people I met were pelegurl, Princess Buttercup, Rhiannon, Dave, strangelilapple, Kim, Twiggy, leroy09, Amanda (from hereinmyhead.net), Melody, hungover faery, Pornflakegirl, and goodbyeglittergirl. I tried looking for DaisyPetals but she wasn't in the seat she said she'd be in. Oh well. Anyway, hopefully I will get to meet her at the DC shows! For anyone who met me, I promise I am not always giggly and excited like that! I felt so out of control and nervous. I want to say a special "Thank You" to pelegurl for planning that dinner thing! If it weren't for that I probably wouldn't have had the chance to meet all of you. All of you fellow dent people are very kind and sweet.

So basically the Charlotte show was a most wonderful and special show. Thank You So Much Tori!

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Review by PradaPixie9

The concert was...utterly...AMAZING!!!!!!!! It was my first Tori concert, and I almost had a heart attack when 97 Bonnie and Clyde came on...I was shaking, I can't even really describe how I felt. I was hoping she would play Siren and Here.In My Head, but I had told myself that she wouldn't (definately not Here In My Head, I thought...you know, I hadn't heard of her doing that one yet on this tour, so I didn't think she would do it...)

But she came out...and started playing SIREN!!!! I know this sounds silly, but I dunno, it kind of almost seemed like she knew, or something...lol, ignore me, I'm insane...

And she did a cute little Carolina improv...it was so sweet *feel the love*** When she talked about Tash, her eyes just glistened...

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Review by dan (luceluna)

well, i came all the way from Australia for last night's show, so i'm glad it rocked.

my flight was delayed getting in so i arrived just as Tozza finished her pre-show M+G. i had gifts from heaps of Aussies at www.oztori.org that i really wanted to give her in person, but i gave them to John, who seemed less than impressed with my story, but promised to get them to her on the bus after the show and make sure she paid attention to them!

after spending $150 on merchandise, i got seated in row T (dammit). i was with my l'il sister, which kinda got annoying in the middle of Northern Lad and HIMH, amongst others ("Is this Cornflake Girl, Dan??? What song is this, Dan?"). But it was all cool.

brief show review:

Bonnie and CLyde
(chilling)
Siren
(woohoo!!!! i didn't even realise it was Siren to begin with, but man, did she get into this song!)
Little Amsterdam
(smooth, relaxed and confident. After Siren, it seemed very chilled in comparison)
Leather
(hellooooooooo annoying fans!)
Northern Lad
(OMG i just about died. this was one song i was just hoping and praying for, and she had the whole room holding their breath during it. the lights were amazing too - fading up during the climax to illuminate Tori and the entire hall of mesmerised fans. the lighting was great throughout.)
Cool on Your Island
(luscious and wistful. i'm positive this will become a tour standard, because the emotion was at MAAG levels during this. she could barely keep control of herself.)
Beauty Queen/Horses
(hellloooooooooo, annoying fans!)
Flying Dutchman
(aaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwww)
Concertina
(fucking awesome! it had an improv intro, and not everyone realised it was Concertina straight off, although i did and went crazy. one thing that struck me during this show was how well she improvved - really integrating the new stuff into the songs)
Time
(this song is finally growing on me. stupid cellphones were ringing though)
Crucify
(wonderful, New-Age-esque)
Past the Mission
(it seems like she fucks this song up every time she plays it! hehe but it still rocked)
Me and a Gun
(the most emotional performance i've ever heard. by the end she was half-whispering: her voice was choked and the room was crackling with energy. this was a very melodic rendition too: far warmer in tone than the album version)
Over the Rainbow
(awwwwwwww............ full of nuances and sung far more confidently than the earlier versions a la Hey Jupiter EP....... nice improv ending....)
Enjoy the Silence
(i second the motion that this is far better live.... and once again, helllllllooooooooooooo annoying crowd!)
Here in My Head
(wonderful)
Glory of the 80's
(kick-ass. everyone thought it was precious things, but it was an incredibly refreshing take on GOT80s, sung with flair and confidence)
Mr. Zebra
(what can be said about this? it simply rocks)
1000 Oceans
(what a beautiful ending....)

Tozz seemed sad during the set, overall. It was a mellow show, with little talking, and you could definately feel an undercurrent of sadness from her. The audience really got on my nerves, what with the constant stream of mid-show entrances and exits, the stupid hollering and the cellphones, and it contributed to a real ebb-and-flow of energy between tori and the crowd. i feel this show COULD have been one of her best ever, if she'd had a more apprieciative mob of supporters. But then, I guess not everyone travelled as far as i did!

After the show, i rushed out the back to try and see Tori, and managed to get pretty close to the barricade. i was one of only about 30 people there at the time (i really ran!!!). Then there was an unexpected occurence: from the front of the barrier, a small voice was calling the security guard: "Let me out!" ........-It was Tori's mum!!!! For some reason she was at the front of the barriers when the fans arrived after the encores, and she wanted to get out. The security guard told us to part, and she walked past. She turned to us and said, "I just do what I'm told to do." It was hilarious!!! she was incredibly sweet and she was obviously flustered but calm and collected at the same time.

Tori came out shortly after for quite a lengthy M+G. she seemed tired and withdrawn, but i was happy because i got to talk to her!

Dan: Tori, I've come from Australia!
Tori: Really? Wow! etc.
Dan: When are you coming over?
(Tori then told me/the crowd a story about how she couldn't take Tash on long flights because she wanted to jump out of the plane! she also said that she loved Australia, and would try and get out there, but she didn't have much hope of doing it )

i was quite lucky because Tori spent most of her time talking to the fans over where her mum had been. everyone around me got stuff signed but i didn't, unfortunately. after she'd left, a really nice woman started laying into some guy who'd gotten a signature for "Not letting the boy from New Zealand get an autograph!" which made things a bit better.

all in all, it was a kick-ass show, with heaps of potential for the latter stages of the tour. next time i'll be a bit more tour-savvy, i hope!

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Review by Dexsius

This is my first post so hello everyone. I was at the show last night (my first concert in my life) I was so glad that I got to see her. She was great! However, the audience was awful. And to the people sitting behind me (yes you who yelled "Tori you are my goddess!). I came here to hear Tori sing, NOT YOU. Turn off your cell phones, and shutup so that people can actually hear her sing! Its so damned rude. Flying Dutchman gave me goose bumps. At the end she play it really intesnly, it was just amazing. Her rendition of Carolina in my mind was great too. I dont know if this has been done at all the shows but before she and Rufus came out the room was filled with dry ice and they were playing fast beat techno, it was really an interesting atmosphere.

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Review by Boyforpele

Hey Guys
I'm in Norfolk Va for a couple of hours. I just got home! What a long and wonderful couple of days...

the M&G- "number nazis" has already been used as a term. Let me tell you! I was the one who got there at 8am and started writing numbers down. Luckily I landed up front for this one, but I'll never do it again. I said what I needed to say and she understood, that's all I wanted out of that day.
The good thing about the numbers at this M&G was that it got just about everybody talking. Of course there were some of the outsiders, but hey! We were almost all hugging and laughing in no time. I was SO impressed with everyone... Not at all what I expected.

shouts out to LeAnne, Chris, Amanda, Spencer, Courtney... and all you other wonderful people I have met. I look forward to seeing you guys again someday soon, thank you for helping to make this day so special.

The concert has been reviewed to tears... BUT

Flying Dutchman was a group request at the M&G... Group requesting worked out very well. I hope you all have the oppurtunity to someday look into her eyes and say thank you, it was magic, truly... I'll be in DC soon, I hope to see some of you there.

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Review by mander (strangefruit)

i had a wonderful time at the show and at the meet and greet. the pushing and shoving excluded, it was great. i got to give Tori the check from F2K and she said "oh, God! thank you! this is so great! it helps so much!" and she looked almost tearful. then she grabbed my hand and i was already a big ol' mess and she says "how are you?" and i could hardly say "i'm okay." and then she held out her arms and hugged me and i just cried. i was so overcome. oy! and i said "thank you!" to her and she patted me on the back. then a few minutes later i said something about Flying Dutchman and she said "AH! the Dutch!" and wrote it on her hand.

the show was awesome. it was my first NON-ampitheater show and i think now there's no going back. to hear her play Dutchman (we almost signed a petition to get this played so i'm so glad she did) and Cool on your Island and SIREN!!!! eeek! i can't wait to find the taper man that i know was there somewhere.

thank you Austin for trying to create some order and no thank you to that asshole who was only there to get things signed to sell on Ebay and was pushing the lot of us all over the place. you and your fluffy Husky dog can kiss our collective asses, you cad. it was great meeting all of you (Leanne, Spencer, Chris, Jeffrey, numbers 1-4, Andre, Apple and crew, Melanie and Jesse...the list goes on!) you're all yummy. thank you thank you!

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Review by jon snow

Amazing show... There were so many great moments... especially Here In My Head which was UNBELIEVABLE. Northern Lad is one of my faves, so i was really glad to hear that - same with Siren. Me and my friends were able to hear Flying Dutchman, Mr. Zebra and Little Amsterdam soundchecked through the doors on one side of the Ovens, so we expected them to be played -- i kinda wish we hadn't done that, because it ruined the surprise. Oh well. They were all amazing, especially Dutchman. And Cool on your Island - her voice was so perfect, so pure. 1000 Oceans sounds so great on the organ.... S

everything's pretty much already been said in this thread, so I'll just leave it at that.

Didn't make the meet and greet - the drive from Nashville was HORRIBLE.... so I can't comment on that.
But as for the crowd - i though it was much better than Atlanta and Nashville - there was so much genuine enthusiasm and excitement. There were really very few outbursts once the songs got rolling.... the screams were *mostly* limited to the beginnings and endings. In Atlanta (especially) and Nashville, there were frequent screams throughout the songs.

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Review by Pianofaery

it was so indescribably amazing. i've *never* cried at concerts before, but this was my first time seeing Tori live, so yeah, the tears were rolling even when she came onstage after B&C heh. i was *THRILLED* to hear Flying Dutchman, Siren, Northern Lad, and well, pretty much everything else (even Little Amsterdam, it's never been a fave of mine but last night it was just....ahhhhh....). i feel so lucky that i was able to be there since i pretty much went to hell and back to find tickets to this thing. even when she messed up it was still perfect, it shows that she's real i was so in awe that i didn't even care about the people screaming...i just tuned them out MAAG was incredible...i've never heard a group of people that large be so completely silent...and yes i'm sure she cried at the end. i loved the look on her face and the little giggle when she forgot the words to 1000 oceans...well what can i say; every moment was pure bliss. i thought i might explode from the intensity of the whole thing. I told my friend my friend Juli (who came w/ me, she's never been much of a Tori fan except for LE) that once she saw tori live, she would convert...and guess what, she did

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Review by EWFinNC

This is my first time posting on the Forum, though i am a devoted visitor. Needless to say I attended the Charlotte show which i have to say was an experience of another kind. It was my first solo Tori performance so i wasnt sure what I was in for.
I had talked to a few people who have followed the tour so far and that got my attention. They had told me about Tori opening with " '97 Bonnie and Clyde" But i never expected it to be as moving and mysterious as it came to pass. It set the mood for the show, The lighting was AMAZING. and when the last note hit and the curtain fell i knew that it was time to fasten my seat belt because I was going for a ride. The show was very emotional. Im not going to break it down song for song, thats already been done. But i did want to put my little 2 cents on it. If you havent made plans to see atleast one show on this tour, you are missing out on a chance of a life time.

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Review by Sparklecat

Hello everybody! This is my first time posting anything here, but I had to talk about the concert. This was my very first Tori concert and I was simply blown away by the presence of Tori...the entire concert was like magic!

I was impressed with Bonnie and Clyde 97's stage set up. The blue and white lighting swirled around the room..undulating around the faces of the crowd as if Tori wanted to put us all at the bottem of the lake with the victim...as if we had to be sumerged within the watery depths of female helplessness..the audience suspended and left staring into the eyes of a mother discarded and left to be a whisper..I felt as if the concert had a goal..to begin with the feeling of hopeless sacrifice..and then as the torn curtain falls..all that remains is Tori..singing..and being...on her own..the very image of power...Thus I found the progression from B&C into a song like Siren very inspiring....

As I watch the show and felt the songs slip like viels from a window pane..I just felt..alive..in that moment..an infinity of beauty and joy before me..but I guess I don't have to explain to anyone the gift that Tori has for fusing emotion with the simplicity of sound..the slight cords of our very beings touched like keys at every song! Sigh! The night was amazing for me...

I didn't get to meet Tori Amos in person because of the MASSIVE crowds..but you know what..just being able to hear her play "Here.In myhead" was enough for me..and I'll admit..I couldn't help crying when I realized that she was actually going to play it..

As far as the audience...I didn't really mind those who were lipsynching the songs..because I know some people have to mouth the words to feel the comfort of familiarity..to feel as if they are a thread in the tapestry of the song...however..(slightly grumbles) I really wish people would not sing along loudly to songs, because I know it can be tempting..but there is only ONE TORI so please try to control yourself! (less then subtle hint on a rampage!)..As far as what someone threw on stage...I have no idea..but it appeared to be a *blushing profusesly* huge sock! HOw embarrasing!

Anywho..I just wanted to say that the concert was spectacular..and I think I'll be humming "cool on your island" forever. hehee! LOVE TO ALL!

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Review by Sintimate

Finally made it back home today and had to spend some time with my kitty-babies and just winding down before getting on here. I really love reading through all the reviews and opinions of the show. It helps to keep it fresh in my mind, and make it all seem very real because it still amazes me that it is.

First of all--The first M & G. My guy and I were planning on getting there around 12. Having never been to one before, we figured that was a good time (yeah, I can hear you snickering). My guy happened to go up the road to buy something some time after 10 and saw a crowd already forming out there, so he came back and got me and we went on up there. I had no idea what to expect, but it was all pretty laid back. I know a lot of you have experienced many M & Gs before, so this is no big deal to you. It was a little awkward for me. I was glad that Boyforpele came and over and introduced himself...and gave us a number (I'll get to the numbers later ). Nothing bad about you BFP. Don't worry! So, he was very nice, and came back over once more to chat for a minute later in the day. (How come he was the only other person I saw with a laminate on? I thought more people were going to wear them. I felt dumb ) I also met Hollylolly, who was a very nice girl. Sorry I didn't talk more. I'm a shy one. Freako, I recognized you from your picture online, but of course, I didn't come up and introduce myself. That's about all I knew at the time, though now I realize who ...Apple and Twiggy were. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and getting to know each other. I heard many interesting tidbits of Tori info amongst all the conversations going on.

I've never met Tori. This was only my second show. So, I spent a good portion of the day wound in knots at the situation in general and meeting Tori in specific. When they started putting up the barricades, things started to get a little disorderly (in the sense that everyone got shuffled around). Your "place" in line wasn't as certain as it had seemed a little earlier. Then, while we were waiting on the far side of the bus, some people decided it was time to use the numbering system. This was fine with me. I was far down the line, being #31, but figured that it would give me the fairest shot I deserved to meet Tori (and no I'm not saying I "deserved" to meet Tori, I'm saying I deserved a fair shot, just like everyone else). The only PROBLEM that I had with it was that it only worked for about the first 10-15 people. Someone was calling out the numbers so everyone could get in line in order, but once they had secured their spot, the number calling stopped, and everyone past approx. #15 was then just left to their/our own devices. So, it kinda fell apart after that for anyone not lucky enough to have the first handful of numbers. I don't know. I guess I just found that kind of rude. I didn't feel that there were many rude moments, but that was one of the few. It was like, "ok, we've got our nice spots, so **** the rest of you". Just an opinion. That was the only problem that I had with that. I don't know if the numbering system is good or bad. I've only seen it in action once, and it didn't work because it wasn't used (except for the first few people). Seems like a good idea, though, if it could be tweaked with a little bit. But, enough of that.

Then....time for Tori. I was four rows back and I could see through the gaps, but I didn't have a good view, so I had my camera poised above my head to take random shots when she came out. So, while I'm busy doing that, that sneaky little imp pops her head around the side of the barricade and says hey to everyone. It was a total shock. I was all the way to the left side, so I had a great view of her when she did that. Dumb me had nothing to give her to sign because I had been hoping to get a picture with her, so I didn't even bring anything to sign. I did, however, have a letter for her, and this nice guy in front of me passed it up to her. I wanted to say thank you to him, btw. I have no idea what his name was. But, Mr. X, if you remember, after Tori came by you told me a story about a lady with 4 lb. of fudge (?). So, thank you for handing that to her. And also btw, if anyone has pics of her holding this big manila envelope with her name on the front (it was the first thing she got), please post them or something. I thought I had gotten a picture of it, but I guess not. So, the rest of the M & G was various random above-the-head camera shots and small glimpses of her through the crowd. I also wanted to thank the guy with the dog for taking some pictures for me. I wouldn't have gotten those close ones otherwise. *hugs* thanks. Also, a BIG thanks goes out to this guy for perhaps the best pics that I have. I don't know your name, but you had the number 5 on your hand and hair back in a ponytail. I tapped your shoulder and asked if you'd get some pics for me, which you very nicely did. Of course I had no idea what they were, so I was in total shock and very pleasantly surprised when I saw the pics of Joel holding Tori up above the crowd. I couldn't have asked for better ones. THANK YOU! *HUGS AND HUGS AND HUGS*

So afterwards my guy and I went back to our hotel to rest up before the show. We didn't make it out to eat with anyone. We were both pretty hot and tired.

Back at the auditorium, I saw a few more people that I recognized. I saw PurpleMonkey, Pelegurl and the girl with pink hair. I don't know for sure that it was her, but I do remember a girl on here saying that we could not miss her really pink hair, and I only saw one girl like that, so it had to be her!

As far as the show was concerned, I've never listened to Rufus Wainwright, and honestly, I don't plan to now either. I'm sure he's good for what he does, but it's not the type of music I'm interested in. I did find myself laughing at the things he said, though, and I found him to be cuddly and adorable.

Tori's performance was beautiful. During really intense moments in my life, my mind is filled with so much stuff that later on it's all a blur. This was like that. I remember the general overall performance, and loved every minute of it, but I'm glad for the reviews and posts here to remind me of the little things that may have slipped my mind. I don't know, I found the crowd to be pretty pleasant. There were a few moments that bugged me. I did here a phone at one point. During 1000 Oceans these girls behind me were talking and laughing a little (not at the song, though), and a few times I thought people weren't going to sit back down...but they did. I had row D, left center, and I had a great seat. I was worried beforehand that it wouldn't be good, but I had an almost unobstructed view of Tori all the way down to her tiny little feet. I even enjoyed watching the obvious appreciation for Tori from some guy in the third row who could barely contain himself. It was amusing. I found myself tearing up several times, and not crying ONLY because I hate showing my emotions in public. (of course, I did cry at the M & G, grrrrr) Watching Tori hop around from place to place, make all her quirky little movements, shake her head, etc. was awesome. I got kinda (well, a lot) sad when she was playing the last song and I was thinking....only a few more minutes with Tori. I guess that's to be expected, though.

Lastly...Second M & G (or whatever it's called). This was pretty unexpected for me. I was outside after my first show in 98 and saw her come out for a few minutes before leaving, and so that's what I expected this time. I knew that I wouldn't get a chance to see her because I didn't leave the show early to be in the front of the line. So, after walking to the parking lot my guy and I decided to stop and wait anyway, just to catch one more glimpse of her from afar before she was gone. The main barricade was very full, but the one further away from the buses was pretty empty, so we got a front spot there. When she finally came out, she went to the main one and stayed right on the edge of it for a little bit, and I was able to snap a few far off pics of her talking with people. My guy and I were talking about leaving because we couldn't see her anymore and knew that she was headed for the bus. But, we stayed in line and incredibly Steve (?) came over and said that she would be coming over there in a minute. I kid you not, I had to bend down and pick my heart up off the ground, jumpstart it and put it back in my chest. I was nauseous, I was so nervous. So, finally she came over there, and....it was just a dream come true. I may never be that close to her again, and it was so nice to see her. Her beauty is beyond words. She held hands with some people on boths sides of me, but unfortunately kinda bypassed the little corner where I was standing. I was way too shy to call out to her or anything. So, I didn't get anything signed, didn't get a pic with her, didn't get a hug....But, I did get what I think are some great pics. (of course I think that, teehee). I'd like to put them up when I can get them scanned. I know some of you are much more calm and collected about Tori, but these pics are my pride and joy. It's still unreal to me that I had the opportunity to be so close. Ugh, if I could have just squeaked out a little "Tori" though, maybe I would have gotten a hug.

So, that's about it. Some of us tried to stick around after she went back in to see her when she came back out. But they ran us off. G.r.o.w.l.

I was happy, though. Still didn't get to actually meet her, but I got more than I probably deserved. Can't wait for the next opportunity to see her in concert again. Hope she'll stop by SC next time.

BTW--Purplemonkey, you and your hubby were beside and behind us at the barricade after the shKelliow. I recognized you, but couldn't get up the courage to introduce myself. Just wanted to tell you that you were really cute!

Sorry this was so long. I don't know how to say things quickly.

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Review by BananaKing

Tori was in rare form tonight...especially when she played Crucify! (With the Carolina In My Mind intro).

She didn't talk a whole lot, but that's okay...she delivered! Cool on Your Island was wonderful and Flying Dutchman was completely unexpected!

I think that she was playing around with the Intro to "Twinkle" when she started singing Over the Rainbow...anyone else think so? I also thought that I was hearing the beginning of Precious Things but it turned out to be Glory Of The 80's.

After the concert, I overheard a couple of people say that they had glimpsed the setlist and that God was on it. Anybody else see that?

This was a much more refreshing concert than the last time with Alanis. Besides being longer, it was much more intimate. The only thing that I though was strange was the Bonnie and Clyde thing at the beginning...I'm just not sure about that song, even though it seems to be a cornerstone of the album.

All in all, Tori was amazing and I was totally satisfied! When the boots start rolling around, I definitely want this show!

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Review by Kelli (PreciousSugar)

Ok first i would just like to say ths was the most awesome show i have ever seen. I had been to the nashville show the day before and got to meet her for the first time which was very very wonderful she is such a sweet person.

Little Amsterdam is one of my all time favorites so i had asked her to play it. She replied with oh thats a good one and wrote it down on her hand and signed my poster. I was very excited but at the same time i was not expecting her to play it because she had also wrote down at least 4 other requests and couldn't play them all. I made a point to tell her i would be in charlotte and i loved that song etc. Well that night in nashville she didn't play it was it was ok cuz i had told her i would be in charlotte figuring she already had her setlist for that night. So the next day in charlotte i must say Rufus was great.

Then Tori the show was absolutely amazing when she played the first 2 notes of little amsterdam i lost it i started crying i couldn't belive she was really playing it i mean just for me it was so great. She played it on the rhodes and the piano she did cute motions and it was just soooooooooooo amazingly great.

Needless to say the rest of the show was awesome as u have read a thousand reviews i won't go into it. This was a special show not like anyother not like the rest of them. I belive it to be because her family was there too a bunch of them. I attended the concert with a friend and we were so suprised when mr and mrs Amos walked right past us. There must have been about 15 to 20 of them there. They were all sitting in row V my cousin who had attended with us heard a usher telling them when she had went out during intermission. So I just returned from my trip and it has been so wonderfully great it has been the best 3 days of my life. I was just excited about seeing her in concert never had i dreamed i would meet her and she would play the song i requested.

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Review by Materialab

This is my first go at posting here, though I've been checking the Dent out for several years now (back when it was "A Dent in the Tori Universe").

Anyway, what a show. I won't post a lengthy review because everyone else has done such an admirable job of covering the show in detail. I've been to 4 Tori shows now (one Pele, two Choirgirls, and now one Strange) and this was second only to the Raleigh Choirgirl show (which is unfair because all of the heavenly bodies must have been aligned that night, it was so good, and it was an outdoor show which I prefer to indoor venues).

Well, when my girl Holly (who was attending her very first Tori show with me and was mesmerized) asked me which songs I wanted to hear, I told her I'd like to catch "Here, In My Head," which Tori rarely played and I figured she wouldn't, and Siren which I "knew" she wouldn't play. LOL, I haven't been that wrong since I told my friend Kevin that the Cure would never play "Plainsong" at the Wild Mood Swings show, and of course they OPENED the show with it. But I'm digressing.

So I'll just say that this show was a keeper. "Cool On Your Island" was worth the price of admission alone, and her reworking of "Crucify" was hauntingly lovely.

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