Tori performed a sorta fairytale and most of Crucify on the NBC Today Weekend show on Saturday, November 2, 2002. Tori was solo at the Bosey this time and it was a wonderful performance. She really slowed down a sorta fairytale and made it sound very different then when she does it with the band. As a friend said, it sounded more interesting musically than the last few times she performed it live. After the first commercial break they came back and showed Tori performing most of Crucify. (Not all affiliates showed saw that part.) There was also a short interview at the beginning with Soledad O'Brien. Look below for photos, a transcript of the interview, and comments from someone who went there to try to see the show and meet Tori.

Photos

Here are some screen shots from the performance from Wendi Brown. (Thank you so much!) Click any thumbnail to see the photo full-sized.

Interview Transcript

Thanks to Christine Marion Buurma for this transcript.

Soledad O'Brien: Tori Amos is taking a different direction with her new album, Scarlet's Walk - it's a portrait of contemporary American life. Tori Amos, good morning, it's nice to have you.

TA: Hi Soledad, how are you?

SO: I'm well, thank you, it's a pleasure to have you. On your past CDs, you've sort of hit upon a theme for the entire album, and you're doing the same thing in Scarlet's Walk. Why do you do that sort of one theme for the whole album?

TA: Well, this time it's a story. This is a narrative, a sonic novel, and Scarlet is my alter ego, and she's taking a road trip across the country to find the dreams and the nightmares, I guess - what's cooking.

SO: How much of a role did 9-11 play in the development of the narrative?

TA: Well, I was touring at that time, soon after, and people were coming up and asking questions that they'd never asked before, things like, "If tomorrow doesn't come, what will I change today?" - the masks were down. People were communicating, in a way, and that sort of propelled the story.

SO: This CD has some Native American influences as well. Why?

TA: Well, my grandfather was Eastern Cherokee, and I would sit on his lap and he smoke his pipe, and he would tell me stories of his grandmother that fled the Trail of Tears and escaped into the Smokey Mountains. So I grew up with his stories.

SO: The song you're going to play for us is called "A Sorta Fairytale." Briefly, what's it about?

TA: Well, she thinks she found her soulmate, and maybe she did, but -

SO: Maybe she didn't.

TA: (smiles) Oh well.

SO: Tori Amos.

Toriphile Commentary

From Christopher:

I live in New York and last night as I was going to bed I told my boyfriend that we had to watch Tori on the weekend Today show this morning and he said, "why don't we go up town and see her in person?" So we did! The crowd was what one might expect for the weekend Today show in November--relatively small crowd of tourists (a crowd nonetheless) gathered outside the Today show studios by Rockefeller Center. And since today was a special event for us Toriphiliacs, it was nice to see a sprinkling of Tori-fan-faces.  I think most of the people there were more interested in the Amuse Bouches the chef was making outside the studio for the Saturday morning cooking segment. Soledad was freezing and so was I!

She came on at the end of the show and we stood by the window so we could see her playing (some of the recent concerts have been outside, but they didn't drag her or her Bosendorfer out into the freezing cold, thank heavens, as nice as that would have been).  She played alone at the piano. And by the way, she looked GORGEOUS. I can't describe her outfit, as she was behind the piano most of the time, but she really was stunning. She started with A Sorta Fairytale, naturally, and then they cut to a commercial break. She waved to us at the window (a small crowd had gathered) at the end of Fairytale and then during the break she came over to the window and waved to us up close and to talk to some people (not sure if Today people or her own), but she was completely back-lit, so all we could see is her silhouette waving. Anyhow, then she ran back over to the piano and started--this was a big surprise--Crucify! She played it pretty true to the old-school live versions/Little Earthquakes cut. Although, at times it was reminiscent of some of the later incarnations--the opening 3 chords were the same as the guitar(?)-line in both the Plugged and 5 1/2 weeks versions. And then "Chains..." etc had some embellishments reminiscent of the last tour.   She only played the first two verses and I think it was during the second chorus they cut to another commercial break (at which point we lost the studio sound) and it looked like she sang a few more bars and then stopped.

So we went around the building and waited 20 or 30 minutes by what we assumed (correctly) was her ride. There were about 25 people standing out there. On her staff's command (not Joel) we formed an orderly line and she came out in a very cute and hip light blue Adidas jogging suit and went along the line signing trinkets and whatnot and posing for pictures in the fashion she is known for--although a little speedily because Joel kept saying something about making a plane. She also mentioned something about sand, and her tour will start presently; all of this suggests to me that they were all about to tear off to the airport to fly to Fla. Anyhow, I had her sign my Scarlet CD and had a quick moment with her and she moved along and then she waved goodbye, jumped into a huge black SUV and sped off. Love her! Can't wait to see her this fall (not at Riverside Church, but I'm not bitter--I'll find solace in the other shows in the region no doubt).

That's my story...