A review of Tori's November 7th concert in Tampa, FL appeared in the November 8, 2002 edition of The Tampa Tribune. Thanks to Lucy for sending this to The Dent.

Fans Run With Tori's "Scarlet's Walk' Show

CURTIS ROSS

TAMPA - The adoration shown Tori Amos by her fans - seldom does that term feel like such an understatement - is unlike that accorded any other artist.

Forget appreciation or hero worship: Her concerts feel like a joyous family reunion crossed with an ecstatic worship service. Of course Amos is as individual a performer as one might hope to find these days.

Her image accommodates glamour, sensuality and the supernatural. Her music blends art-rock sophistication, confessional singer-songwriter openness and good old pop-rock hooks.

Amos opened her tour Thursday night at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's Carol Morsani Hall before a near-capacity crowd of 2,505.

Flanked by bassist Jon Evans and drummer Matt Chamberlain, Amos commanded center stage, whipping between a grand piano and a pair of electric keyboards.

Amos' current album is a conceptual affair called "Scarlet's Walk," and she led off her set with the disc's first single, "A Sorta Fairytale."

Tracks from the album - "Mrs. Jesus," "Pancake" and "Amber Waves" among them - drew almost as enthusiastic a response as older favorites such as "Caught a Lite Sneeze" and "Crucify."

Amos straddled the bench to play both acoustic and electric pianos on "Concertina," which features one of her most infectious melodies.

During a solo portion, Amos even went back to her first album, the infamous (and out-of-print) "Y Kant Tori Read." "Cool on Your Island" suggested that the seeds of her style were present even on that muddled 1988 recording.

Opening act Howie Day went it alone but used loops and samples to create a virtual backing band for songs from his "Australia" album.

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