Tori Fans Dew Drop Inn - November 1996

Last Updated: April 25, 1998

Below, you see stuff that fans (and sometimes the press) have written about the concerts they have seen during November 1996, from most recent to oldest. Thank you again for supporting my web site :)

Listen to and/or read comments Tori made during this concert as her introduction to the song Marianne. It was very emotional and touching...

You can tell me it's over.....

The show tonight was my sixth--fourth Dew Drop Inn, and it was the best. Yes, the best. There was just this.... je ne sais quoi that filled Macky. Oh wow. Here it is, then:

Josh was really cool. Before his second-to-last song he said, "I'm kinda stalling because I don't want this set to end..." And before his last song he thanked his crew (who I got to know during these two days working at Macky) and Tori.

The hiatus between Josh and Tori was longer than usual. It's suppossed to be a half hour, but tonight it was about 45 minutes. During this break that cute puppet appeared from behind the white drop and made faces at the audience. At first people didn't notice it, but then everybody started catching on and cheering for the puppet. It was pretty darn cute.

So, after a too-long break, the lights finally went down....

Walk-in music was SON OF A PREACHER MAN, as usual. Tonight Tori was wearing blue jeans over a black bodysuit. Over the bodysuit was a light blue fitting half-shirt with sleeves that went just over her elbows. Her hair was down tonight. The stage was in the usual setup, but the two additions I mentioned from last night were still there (the Virgin Mary and Flying Duck Face).

She did the same piano "improv" as Sunday night, and then went right into BEAUTY QUEEN. BQ was better tonight than last night. I could see the girl in front of the mirror primping....

HORSES. Also better than last night, if that's possible.

Oh, I'M ON FIRE. What a rendition! I love this song. A+.

And then came a delightful surprise: THE WAITRESS. During this number Caton sneaked onstage and poised himself for the "BUT I believe in peace" line. And boy, did they both LET IT RIP at that point. It made me jump! The contrast between the verse and the chorus was really exaggerated (in a good way). I remember seeing this on the Pink tour and loving it, but I have to admit that this version was right up there.

So Tori turns to the harpsichord and does her own rhythm thing by beating on it and starts singing a song that I don't know. "Can't stop this journey now... it's so hard to find my home..." were some of the first lyrics. This song led into HURT, which went right into CAUGHT A LITE SNEEZE. I was surprised to hear this so early in the evening; I seem to remember it always coming later. It was great. The cross-over was like Sunday night: different (and good). She beat on HERSELF a lot tonight, as opposed to Bosey. It worked.

So then Tori addresses us. "Hi everybody. This wonderful being is Caton. Um I know some of you come from all over for the last show and uh I just wanna thank you for being so amazing. And um you know it's, it's been one of those things where musicians come to me every night and say, "God, can I borrow your audience?" And I say, "Well, you have to ask them because there's nobody like them." So thank you for those of you who've been with me for the whole tour and every night; it wouldn't have been the same without you."

The crowd cheered and then cheered some more when they heard Caton playing the opening of CORNFLAKE GIRL. Tori did The Dance. I liked last night's "Cornflake Girl" better, but, as I said in my other review, Sunday night was the BEST I'd ever seen her do it. It's not as if this was bad. On the contrary; this was fantastic stuff. She rocked. Go Tori.

Then came HONEY. Here's a funny story from Sunday's soundcheck: We were all scrunched up at the barricades (all 60 or so of us), and Tori was making her way along nice and slowly, even though she was running late. I was in the third row of bodies back from the barricades, and there was this guy behind me (about 18, I'd say) who managed to get her attention. He said "Tori!" She looked up at him through all the people, and he said, "You have to play 'Honey' for me!" and he handed her a jar of honey that she took. She smiled that cute smile and put the jar on her head and was playing around. I think I got some good photos of this ultra-cute moment, so I'll send them to the Dent as soon as I get them developed. She said it would show up that night or the next. And it did. And it was great. And I'm sure that buy was on top of the world.

After Honey, she played a spritey few bars on the piano and sang a bit of a song (improv?) that had the lyric "Going to something..." in it. This segued into PRETTY GOOD YEAR, which was GREAT!!! It was so nice to hear this.

Tori turned to the audience and told us this SUPER story: "Um, when I started recording this record it was very interesting because, um... none of these record guys wanted to let a woman produce her own record, and they were very very nervous about letting me do this. And uh they were were much more nervous when the heard it [laughs from the audience]. And so what happened was, I turned in the record... and, um, I've never really had such a moment in my life. I mean, things were kind of bad when I pooped in my pants and uh I walked in and, um, you know... I sold a lot of records for this company... and I walked in---I'd had some pizza, a nice glass of wine and I was ?hangin with these? girls, and I know it's a little dark, but you know, everybody needs a good bottle of wine and some depressing songs every once in a while. And so I walked in and, uh, this is what I met: [she sits stright up and plasters her face with the most austere look. Holds this position for about ten seconds. Laughter from the audience] So basically what I said was--after this record went platinum [a few hoots and laughs from us]--"it wasn't because of anything YOU all did..." but it was because of You [motioning with her shoulder toward the audience] guys. Record companies, radio had absolutely fuck-all to do with any of it [big cheers and applause]. But the one thing is, you guys Did, and this is one song that demanded to come tonight because, although she's not on this planet anymore, she was, um, probably the main song that gave me strength to withstand when everybody said I'd made a piece of shit."

MARIANNE followed. It was fabulous; the really rhythmic part was especially accented tonight. One of my favorites from BFP.

After Marianne, she went into HERE.IN MY HEAD. That is one of my all-time favorite songs of hers, and I wanted to fall over. It was different than I've ever heard it; the "Makes it all clear....Do you KNOW???..." part was not loud and angry like usual. It was actually very quiet. I loved it. It was a great version.

Next came PRECIOUS THINGS. All I have to say is WOW. The intro was long, and I ate it up. And the growl.... The growl was DEFINITELY a GROWL tonight. It was grovelly and rough and loud and LONG (over 20 seconds) and disquieting. This number kicked ass. I was impressed.

After PT, Tori turned to the harpsichord and did an a capella bit of GOD while beating on the instrument. It led into a neat section of AMAZING GRACE--a rejoiceful version, as opposed to a sad one. Then it melted back into GOD, which miraculously transformed into TALULA. Not the Tornado beginning, though! She just sang the name "Talula" a few times, then started on the harpsichord. The familiar Tornado backing came in when she pressed her sound pedal, and it ended with "She's chasing tonadoes, I'm just waiting calmly...." It was funky. Not as much chair dancing as last night, I noticed, but neither did we have a stagnant pool of bodies.

ME AND A GUN. Same stark white lighting. When she started, a lot of people cheered, and I thought "Oh great. There goes our good audience grade..." but they quickly quieted down and redeemed themselves. Tonight Tori DID say FLAT really loudly. It scared the poop out of me, much like when Caton came in on The Waitress.

Tori left the stage and we all got to our feet in no time. I have to say this about the audience: It was LOUD when it wanted to be, and it was LOUD at this moment. She came back on and accepted some flowers, then started one of the songs I would have asked her to play if I'd met her before the show: LANDSLIDE. Oh jeez.... So sublime. So amazing. This is when my tears started to surface.

Next came CHINA. I always thought this was one of the more mundane songs on LE, even though I liked what it said. But this.... I must say that this was the best version of China I've ever heard, including compared to the album. Listening to this made me LOVE the song. ... So the tears are really trying to get my attention now....

After China Tori came down to the front of the stage and hugged and shook hands and bowed, and then she looked off stage right and motioned for Caton to come on. He did. They stood there together for a few seconds, then went to their respective places and started in on TEAR IN YOUR HAND. All I could think of at the beginning was Mikewhy's Dent page's headline: Time To Say Goodbye Now... How sad! The recurring pattern in the piano was really prominent tonight, and it gave the song a feel of...going. Just... like it was a pattern of nature, like the sunrise or the tide. She got to "Maybe it's time..." and the first time through she whispered it so quietly that it was almost inaudible. The second time she is suppossed to sing it, she said "Maybe..." and then pulled away from the mic and gave a gentle wave to the audience. It was so sad. I've always loved TIYH, but tonight it was moving in a much more profound way.

What came next is what coaxed the tears from me. Elton John's DANIEL. All these lyrics about waving goodbye and leaving and saying bye.... It was my favorite song of the night, I think, just because it was so incredibly emotional for just about everybody in the audience. Although Caton didn't play during it, he stayed onstage. Daniel ended, and then came HEY JUPITER, on piano. Although I love the harmonium, I really prefer the piano. And this was the best I've heard Jupiter done live on this tour. The "woos" were joyful and sad all rolled into one. But all I could keep thinking was, "This is the last song..." When she finished, the audience stood and went wild. Tori and Caton bowed and hugged some of the front-rowers and then left the stage.

And that was it. So ended the tour that has affected so many of us in many unique ways. The last show was incredible. There was so much energy in the audience and onstage (and backstage after the show)....

Take care, all you guys. I'll be seeing you in two years....

I read on your page that someone heard something about Tori doing a concert in January. Well, I was talking to Alec, her projectionist, during the load-out last night, and he said that she's doing some kind of show for charity or fundraising in January in New York. He wasn't sure what it was for exactly, but at least we know that she won't drop off the face of the earth. Hope you can incorporate that info on your page.

I met her after the show last night, which NEVER would have happened if I hadn't been working, because there were SO many people waiting for her at her bus. I got a photo with her, and I'm praying it turns out. She gave me a cookie tin that she autographed with "Bye, Tori Amos". It's cool. She also left a whole bunch of stuff in the dressing room, like her tea and herbal remedies, which I decided to adopt since they were just going to get thrown away. I now have Tori's tea cup, two boxes of Celestial Seasonings tea, some Italian vinegar, and Chinese(?) throat medicine. And a lemon. I thought the lemon was funny, so I had to have it. Another guy I work with who was working backstage during the show said that Caton was crying at the end of the concert. I guess he's really sad about it coming to an end. The crew is about as happy as you can be, though. They were all rejoicing. All of them that I've talked to said it was a hard tour, mostly because of the schedule (they hopped around a lot), but they also said that Tori was the best boss they'd had. I believe it. I got some photos of the piano and harpsichord during load-in that I'll send to the Dent when they're developed. I got to be "Caton's dummy" when they were focusing the lights; I sat on his stool looking cool. : )

Well, it's really over.  I can't even believe it, it was like some
wonderful dream.  Thank God it was real, and I thank Tori so much for
all the wonderful memories.  Anyway, the set list for Monday, November
11:
Beauty Queen/Horses
I'm on Fire (!!!)
The Waitress
Hurt/Caught a Lite Sneeze
Cornflake Girl (her best dance yet, and she was having a blast -- big
grin for Caton afterward)
Honey (!!!!)
Pretty Good Year
Marianne (this was my favorite, I have been wanting her to play it)
Here in my Head
These Precious Things
God/Amazing Grace (she was just banging on the harpsichord with her hand
on this one, it was amazing)
Then she is calling Caton out from his cigarette break to play...
Talula (Tornado Mix)
Me and a Gun
Encore 1:
Landslide (!!!!)
China
Encore 2: (even though she never really even left the stage)
Tear in Your Hand
Daniel (beautiful)
Hey Jupiter (she actually stayed with the piano on this one!)

Well, that was it.  I don't know what I could say to begin to convey the
feelings I got from this final show, except that it was the best show I
have ever seen (this comes from a lot of other people as well) and I
will never forget this tour.  Hi to Jacob and Eric, the Raisin Girls :)
and Alan the hedgehog boy. :) Thanks everyone and thanks Tori, it was a
blast.

Thanks Mike.  :)

it was another beautiful sunny day for Tori's last show of the tour. i got back to the auditorium incredibly early, spent a bit of time walking around taking some pictures of the mountains and then found a spot on the curb by the barricade and waited for the friends i was supposed to meet to arrive. more people finally began to arrive, though there seemed to be less than the day before (i think maybe because it was monday so some people had to go to class/work). Steve came out and took pictures of us (he said it was his turn, and that you never know, one of these may end up in the next tour book). Tori arrived a little earlier today, though the show started an hour earlier too. while Tori was talking to the people next to me i heard Joel say to Steve "i think mr. puppethead might be coming out tonight" and steve said "really?" (this becomes important later) when she finally got to me she gave me huge hug, didn't let go for a second, and whispered "ohhhhh, Lisa" (i was mesmorized that she remembered my name, the first couple of times i saw her she had to ask me two or three times during the meeting, but now she knew me for sure. i got extremely teary eyed, but held back from full on crying, how i have no idea). then i told her 'i'm glad you liked the duckman' she said "oh, he is great, he'll be back out tonight. he's staked his claim." i told her to be careful because he can be a bit flirtatious and i added 'i'm sorry i don't have anything for you tonight but myself' she said, with that you sure are silly look, "oh, that's quite alright." i then asked her how Caton was and if he'd be coming out. she said. "he's fine, i had to rescue him last night (evidently there was some fighting between some of the crew), but he'll be okay, and he's doing some guitar stuff right now, but he'll come out." we talked for a few more seconds, i gave her another hug and said 'i'll see you in a couple of years. she smiled and said "yes."

when she was heading inside a few of us shouted 'we wanna see you dance with the duck!' Tori said "dance at the duck?" and we said 'No, with.' she nodded and headed off. (she didn't get a chance to do it, not at the show at least).

Caton came out a few minutes later and a bunch of people went over to talk to him so i waited and talked to doug and lori, then he looked over and saw me and motioned me over (what a sweetie!) so i went over, got yet another great hug, introduced him to Lori (she's a writer and may be interviewing him sometime soon). He and i talked for awhile when he said he had to go and he said he'd be sure to talk to me after the show.

then there we were in our seats (right orchestra, 3rd row. i dunno how we got so lucky) waiting for the show. my emotions were racing. both excited and sad at the same time. josh had a great time doing his last opening performance for tori. and then, during the break, i discovered who 'mr. puppethead' was. this adorable jester puppet peared around the curtain and entertained us for awhile. he also peeked out and danced throughout cornflake girl. i'm pretty sure it was Joel's hand, but got no confirmation.

once again, the quotes and set list are covered in other reviews, though i did want to mention a couple of things that i saw. in my seat i had a straight view of Caton. during Caught a Lite Sneeze (i believe) the lights were on us, i looked up, and Caton looked out in my direction, then did a double take and smiled (he saw me, it was rather strange for both of us i think). Also, during the Cornflake Girl dance the people in the front row held up a banner that said 'dance with lightening' (?). then, after Daniel Tori started into Hey Jupiter, but Caton had this really confused expression and Tori appeared to be waiting for him to start and nodded to him and sang the first line, then he began to play. it took me a second to catch on, but then i realized that she was playing it on the piano!

that was it, all over, incredible, i can't say this was the best, they were all the best. there was something about each of the twelve shows i was blessed enough to see that was special to me in it's own important way. we went outside and there actually was not the mob there that i had expected, just plenty of wonderful ears with feet who wanted to see Tori one last time. Steve let the guy who gave Tori the teddy bear on Sunday give his speech (and he got it all in there too) and afterwards steve said 'that's it, my job is done!' (not quite though). Caton came out, talked to a few people, he saw me and winked and then asked me to walk around to the side. i went over there and he asked what i thought, i told him it was fabulous and asked if he saw me (to be sure) he said "you know i did, that was kind of embarassing." then he looked at me and said "you look so worried, why?" i explained that it was cuz it was all over, ya know. he said "yeh, i was back and forth the whole show". i asked him about the Hey Jupiter thing. he said "ya know, i've never listened to any of the cd's, so recording and rehearsals are the only places i pick up the songs. i had no idea what she was playing until she started singing." we talked for awhile more, then hugged and said our goodbyes. i went back over to the crowd, was a bit far back, but Tori still saw me and reached her hand back and grabbed mine. i think she said something, but i couldn't hear, and we smiled at each other and i told her it was wonderful. then doug told her to remember what she told us (during the show) about doing it her way she said "i hear you", and put her hand to her chest (very touching). when she moved on we backed away and were just standing there when all of a sudden Crucify begins playing over a tape player. i couldn't see through all the people, but it appeared that a group of people (4 or 5) were doing sort of a performance art piece for Tori (they had chains and all), she looked on for the entire song and really seemed to enjoy it. then she waved and was off towards the bus.

i really wish i didn't have to end this now, but there is really nothing more i can say. it's been a fabulous 7 months of shows for me, a time i will never forget, especially all the wonderful places and people i had the oppurtunity to see. i hope the next two years pass quickly! take care all, and i hope to see you all again very soon!

Love.
Lisa (the Mary Girrrl)

NOTE FROM MIKEWHY: Lisa also sent the following official pre-show set list that Tori as usual did not follow completely!

BQ
HORSES
IM ON FIRE
WAITRESS
SNEEZE
CORNFLAKE
HONEY
PRETTY GOOD YEAR
MARIANNE
HEAD
PRECIOUS
DUTCHMAN
TALULA
GUN
-
LANDSLIDE
CHINA
-
LUCIFER
GOD
AMAZING GRACE

So, I attended Tori's first show and her last show, and as far as I know, only 2 other people can say that! hee hee! The differences between the shows was amazing....its almost like she was a different person for these last shows. I flew from Tallahassee, Fla (Go Seminoles! :) to Colorado Springs to see tori, check out the area and meet some people from the net and #tori channel (hi DK, honeyboy, wicca....:) and well, every other place in the world dims in comparision to this magical and beautiful place... *sigh* oh yeah, back to tori...

The last show consisted of lots and lots of requests. "Honey", "Daniel", "here. In my head.", "Pretty good year", "china", "take to the sky", (maybe that was the first boulder show..) and tori was in full effect! Highlights for me were PGY....it was so awesome! she went off in the "heyeyayeya....whats it gonna take..." part...ohmygawd i have chills just remembering...*shiver* She only did 2 encores, which surprised me because I thought she would do more since it was her last show...but no. She ended with "hey Jupiter" on the piano...which i prefer to the organ. It was amazing and I am so happy I went!

So I believe this is long enough for a virgin-poster...:) Not only will I miss tori dearly..and i will...i will also miss the fans and people i met outside of all the shows...tori people are such good people...aren't we? but i know i will see you all again in 2 years!! So if anyone wants any more we-met-tori stories, email me privately...and if you were at the show, I would love to know aboout it, because i KNOW I was not the only RDTer there...I even heard someone say "you know were all gonna go home and post all about this..." but he didnt! so i did :)

here it is guys... sorry for typos... read til the end! you won't be
sorry! i hope.. : ) email me to trade bootlegs for '96 shows! :)

Monday evening's show began and I heard "Son of a Preacher Man" introduce
Tori for the last time. I took a deep breath as she came onstage and began
to play the intro she always starts with.

**Beauty Queen. 
All I could think of was how it was the last, last, last show that was
beginning before me.  Of how many I'd seen before this last one, and how
this song, even with its somber sounds, always made me happy because it
meant i was at the beginning of a wonderful evening. 

**Horses
Again, more thoughts of... of a familiar environment with these two
opening songs. I smiled as i heard her sing "will you find me if neil
makes me a tree" and remembed when jason told her in l.a. that he'd
discovered what that lyric really means. Towards the beginning of this
song, tori did the "sometimes you just can't here me " thing where she
mouths those words away from the microphone. I like that, i think its
kinda a cool funny thing to add towards the end of the tour.  Its
interesting how much her show has changed and grown just in the six months
that I saw concerts.

**I'm on Fire
My second time hearing this in concert. I like this song. It makes me sad,
for some reason. I've never really listened to the lyrics of the songs...
just bits and pieces... and never heard the original. anyhow. in the
middle of the song she added a few dramatic "eeeeeeeee"'s similar to the
"oooooo"'s of hey jupiter.  i could tell that tori was really focused,
energized, and into it this evening. 

**The Waitress
Rockin'!! i hadn't heard this one live before.  definitely a treat.  heard
a bit of her super-ultra-strong voice (the kind she uses at like, the end
of lovesong to sing "you... you...") at the end of one of the "I believe
in peace" phrases. She seemed really into this song.. heard a lot of the
vocal stuff like she does at the end of Precious Things. don't know how to
describe it well. its like she doesn't sing on any particular pitch, just
breathes the note really hard.

**Improv/Hurt
she started to sing (roughly): "cant stop now... crystal clear...can't
stop this journey now...so hard to find my heart can't stop this wonderful
girl, this woman now, this mother in us, can't stop where we come from,
and i'll hold you close when you hurt me once.. saying "i hurt myself
today"

"so i hurt myself again to see if he'd see me. i hurt myself again and no
he never could see me."

**Caught a Lite Sneeze
While there are definitely parts of this song I do enjoy live, I'll take
this time now to comment on something.. I think this was one of the
slowest parts of all the shows I saw. One i didn't look forward to like i
looked forward to other regulars such as Little Earthquakes and Precious
things. Perhaps it is the lack of variance in the song.. I always know
whats coming up next, to the way she extends the first "zone" she sings,
to the one that she sings while switching microphones.  i think this song
needs drums to be as cool as it is on the album. i dunno, just my opinion
: ) sometimes i wonder why she DID play this at almost every show. any
opinions on why she plays what she plays, especially the ones she plays so
often?


**"hi there you guys. um, i know some of you have come from all over for
the last show, the very last show. and um, i just wanted to thank you for
being so amazing and um you know its been one of those things where
musicians come to me every night and say 'god, can i borrow your audience'
and i say well, you'll have to ask them because there's nobody like 'em so
thank you. and this wonderful being who's been with methe whole tour and
every night and it wouldn't have been the same without him. this is
caton."

**Cornflake Girl
Ack!!! The last time watching the Cornflake Dance! I was sad. But then
happy, cause it totally rocked. What energy!!!  I just loved this, this
was definitely a song I always looked forward to at every show (and i saw 
it ten times! I think it was the only one, except Bq/horses of course,
that I saw at every show. Oh, and MAAG.) and I think its because of how
much she puts into it. you can just tell by the look on her face that
she's really having a good time during this song. and caton is just like,
always totally jamming. i know lots of torifans who consider this one of
the highlites of a DDI show.   I particularly liked the new lyrics in
this, beginning with "oh my darling, believe me..." when i listen to CFG
on the album i sing them along. hee hee. They just fit very well. As does
the ending to Precious things... the improv that takes on a standard
rhythm and pace, if not the same general wording. 

**Honey
When she said before the show that there were lots of songs fighting to be
played tonight, I knew this song would be one of them.  I know that this
is Tori's favorites of her own songs... does anyone know or have  a theory
as to why? Hmm.

**Pretty Good Year
This song started out with a really really cool -sounding piano intro that
had me giving david next to me a puzzled look as she sang (roughly again,
i can barely understand her) "watching over..going my way, going to
something..to something" I nodded happily as I heard the familiar opening
of Pretty Good Year that so fittingly begins Under the Pink. This also was
a song i heard a lot on tour... maybe five times? And i never got sick of
it.  I just love the line "Some things are melting now" as a segueway
(sp?!) into the powerful "heyayayayyay, what's it gonna take..."

**Here tori begins to tell us a story that i will transcribe for you now.
"um, when i started recording this record it was very interesting because
um, none of these record guys wanted to let a woman produce her own
record. they were very very nervous about letting me nervuous and uh they
were much more nervous when they heard it! but um, what sort of happened
was i turned in a record and um, i never really had such a moment in my
live, i mean things were kind of better when i pooped in my pants. and
that i walked in i had some pizza and a nice glad of wine and i said c'mon
meet the new girls.  i know its a little dark but ou know everybody needs
a good bottle of wine and some depressing songs every once in a while. and
so i walkd in and this is what i met. (tori stares off with a bored look
on her face  for about ten seconds.) so basically waht i said was after
this record was platnum, was we didn't do it because of anything you call
did, so i'm just saying, it was because of um,  you guys! record
companies, radio, had absolutely fuck all to do with any of this whole
deal. and that's the truth. but the one thing is you guys did and this is
one song that demanded to come tonite cause although she's not on this
planet she's um, probably the main song that gave me strength to withstand
when everybody said that i'd made a piece of shit."

**Marianne
I also expected this one, and was glad to hear it, because I hadn't
since...well, since l.a. i think. and it was never a favorite of mine at
all, in fact I found it rather boring until.. well, until she called ME
marianne. she said i was marianne.. that i was in the frying pan, but at
least i had some oil.  that was way back in l.a. though. anyhow.

**Here. In My Head
OH was I glad to hear this one!!! This is probably my second favorite
torisong.  I realized yet again as she began this that it was the last
time i'd hear it for a long long time.  I began to cry.. and anticipated a
total breakdown during the emotional "do you know what this is doing to me
" part.  soon enough, though, i realized that she was not to play it this
evening. she replaced it with an equally saddening, intense improve during
which she sang "here... here...." over and over in her Hey Jupiter "oooo"
range. It was really cool. i was SO happy that she played this one at the
last show.

**Precious Things
also knew this one would show up.  we heard a 25 second "grrrrrl". we also
heard a really emotional as well as fairly unique ending.  for some time,
she sang " these precious things, let them bleed, i said uhyes, and wash
me clean daddy, wash me clean.." over and over on the same pitch which was
totally disinant to what she was playing on the piano. it was really
neato. i would say that this, the last show, was the most emotional i saw
her get with this song.

**God/Amazing Grace/Talula
She began this rapping on her harpsichord with her hands. then she sang,
acapella, "god sometimes you just don't come through. god sometimes you
just don't come through, do yo need a women to look after you? god
sometimes you just don't come through. god sometimes you just  don't come
through. god sometimes you just don't come through, do you need a woman to
look after you? god sometimes you just don't coem through. " and then went
RIGHT into "and amazing grace, how sweet .. that saved a wretch like me. i
once was lost, but now, sweet ...but now, now i see." more tapping and
rapping and went back to "god sometimes you just dont come trhough, god
sometimes you just don't come through babe. do you need a woman to look
after you?" immediately followed with, acapellla still,
"talula...talula...talula..talula...." then began the regular harpischord
beginning, without mentioning chasing any tornadoes. at the end of the
song, my online friend tina yelled out a very audible yet not intruse
"thank you", for she had asked tori to play it. : )

** Me and a Gun
what to say about this song?  nothing different or interesting.. she DID
shout out the word FLAt though.

**Landslide
Blah, when i stood up to applaud, i turned off my recorder and didn't
realize til halfway through the song. nevertheless it was BEAUTIFUL and
i'd never heard it live before so it rocked.

**(huge huge huge grin) CHINA!
for any of you that know me or have read my posts before... you know how
much this song means to me. and tori knows it.. every time she sees me she
either calls me "the girl who loves china" or tells me she'll try to play
it even though i don't even mention it, or something silly like that.
before this show, i gave her a can of "china" soda (for real! i found it
at a health food store!) and she smiled and said " i can take a hint,
dorothy." 
AAA!! what can i say!???! she pLAYED IT! for the first time for me since
l.a. i was. so. happy. i sobbed so hard. i was trembling.  i could see her
eyes scanning the audience as she played. she found me in the sixth row...
i swear, she did... and she had the most sincere look on her face. for
like, half the song, she just played to me.... me, sitting there sobbing
with a smile on my face...and i realized.. i realized that.. it just
doesnt' get any better than that. that this past summer and fall.. have
been the best times i've had so far. i couldn't have wished for any more,
or anything better... its all been perfect.  her singing my song (she even
calls it mine) at her last show... was....so wonderful, its beyond words
for me. when i hear it, or think about it, i just get all choked up and
stuff. ::::::::huge sigh::::::::::: after she finished singing she came to
the front of the stage to touch people's hands. in my aisle seat in the
sixth row, i knew i had to go up. she walked toward me intently and took
my hand and looked right into my eyes for a few seconds. i could barely
mumble thank you.

**Tear in Your Hand.
I don't know if i've mentioned to you all yet, that this has been my very
LEAST favorite torisong ever since i purchased and listened to little
earthquakes.  i don't know why... maybe its the "yai dai dai dai dai" part
that i just don't like. anyhow. after this show.. after this performance
of it... i can't STOP LISTENING TO IT.  only the bootlegs that i have of
it though. for some reason i don't like the album version but have fallen
in love with it live. the saddest part of the version of this show was
when she stopped singing at the "time to wave goodbye" part...eeee...she
was sad... i was too! : o

**Daniel
Hadn't heard this yet live. hadn't heard it at all. but wow, its really
good. wow wow. i was really impressed and saddened by how emotionally she
sang this...

**Hey Jupiter
On the piano!! I was SO happy to hear it on the piano.. i'd been wishing
for that all tour. it was beautiful.
then, it was over. she waved goodbye... and was gone.

I took off running. to the back of the theater. for one last goodbye.  but
first... let me tell of meeting her before the show. there we were, in our
corner.... we had claimed that spot much earlier that day and not moved
for the next few hours. she arrived fairly late... after five for sure. 
so she talked to all of us individually..someone gave her a bracelet and
asked her to wear it that night but she said she can't, she doesn't wear
bracelet when she plays. god.. i taped this... everyone, while she's 
talking, is so happy.. laughing happily at everything she says, just,
smiley and happy.. sigh. so. I introduced tori to david, as she came by
us, and said that he wanted her to play "cooling" (the new song.) she
laughed "cooling? well w'ere waiting for the next.. she's just being
born.the second verse isn't written..she's just..changing and focusing so,
you ha!  got a sneak preview..like, what is that.. a, a sonogram." and she
said sonogram with a particular english accent. she talked to jeff next.
the first thing he said was "i'm speechless, and i'm never speechless."
not knowing what to respond with, tori said "well, i'm speechless too."
and listened intently as he said "i dunno, sometiems i feel like i know
you."  tori smiles. "you do, in some ways, yes." she anwered. "and you're
coming tonight?" he noodded and she continued: "i'm a bit worried cause my
crew is up to something and i don't know what their up to.. but you know?
i see the little ballerina things back there...i'm a little bit nervous
cause they're these hard..road warriers and i'm seeing tutu's back
there..i dunno.. they might all be hiding..but something's going on!"as
she got to me the first thing i asked her was if she liked my drawing that
i gave her in davenport, with the lyrics hidden in it. "did you find the
lyrics?" i asked (she said in davenport that she'd 'have my message
deciphered by boulder) she smiled. "you always challenge me dorothy, you
challenge me." (laughter from the crowd) ee, i was nervous, and continued.
"ok. um.. you should try to play, um, the wrong  band, or china...?" i
said hopefully "i'm gonna try.. its such a nutty night..there's like so
many.. i mean, the girls are like,, fighting to come tonight. normally
they're drinking in the back.. some of 'em, and tonight, they're all kind
of, you know, its like the final moment, where  some of them decided they
have to come. there's a bit of uh, mud wrestling going on." i was
grinning. tori's so funny! "are you gonna come out after the show? " i
asked, scared that this was it. joel rolled his eyes and, overlapping tori
as she said "well of course i'm gonna come!" he added dryly "we've been
doing this for 190 show, why would we stop now?" before she moved on to
the next person and after we'd hugged a few times already, she totally
randomly and out of the blue put her cheek right up to my lips. i..kissed
her.. something i'd never done before for some reason.. eee, it was so
sweet! that she did that! it was totally random. i dunno. :::sigh:::: so ,
she moved on to the next person, who was amber, from l.a. amber said that
in l.a. she gave tori a frog ring. and asked if she remembered it. "yes,
we have a frog group," tori replied. "they're frog people." hee hee. at
this moment i realized i'd forgotten to hand tori the bag of fun stuff i'd
given her. i took a picture of her and amber and then said tori! i forgot
to give you this! she turned around to me and i handed her the china soda.
"i get the hint dorothy" she told me friendly, but dryly. the whole crowd
laughed, including tori. she moved on to my friend erinbest, who had a
prepared speech about her favorite songs, and asked tori if she could play
imagine. "you have to remember, like i've told everybody tonight..there're
so many that are fighting to come, that if she wants to come she has as
fair a shot as any, but i'll tell you.. there are some that have some high
heels on, that are ready to kick her out the door.. i mean, cause there
have been two hundred shows... and i think that are certain ones that are
almost like a (says a phrase in french or some other language), um,a kiss
goodbye..and if imagine's one of them then she'll come but if she doesn't,
don't take it wrong. ok?" erin nodded.  sigh. now, after the show. the
goodbye. (sigh)

"dorothy.." she said as she approached me and gave me a huge hug. "thank
you so much" said i as i hugged her. "thank YOU so much," she returned. 
she motioned me in closer and said "would you say hi to the boys for me? "
she was referring to jeff and aaron, my two friends that i saw about half
of the shows with. "what are their names again?" i told her. "aaron was
the.. the brunette and jeff was the blonde?" i nodded.  "well, tell them
hi. i've been thinking about them a lot. but don't tell them i asked their
names, ok!" i smiled and nodded. "thank you tori..." i added as she turned
to the next person.   a few seconds later i gasped. it sunk in that that
was it. while she was talking to the next person, i was deeeeep into
thought. i wanted desperately to call her back, hug her again, just
forever... as i thought this, i heard my name. the person next to me
didn't have a camera with them, and tori, posed for a picture, called
out"dorothy? do you have a camera?" i shook my head sadly, "no, i don't
have one with me. i don't bring them to the shows."  shocked that those
words would be the last i would say to tori for a long time, i knew i
couldn't deal with myself if i didn't try to reach out.. say one more
thing.  as she was about three people down the line and had just finished
a conversation with another fan, i shouted "tori!" from my spot scrunched
in the 2nd row of the crowd. she turned around.  with a terribly sad smile
on my face i pleaded "a hug for the road?" she smiled back at me. "yes, a
hug for the road." she said as she made her way back to me. as i embraced
her i whispered "tori, will you be back?" and the last words she said to
me that ended this whole wonderful experience were "oh dorothy... i'll
always come back."




:::::::sigh:::::::: the tears flow even as i just type this up. i was SO
sad afterwards... as was everyone else. we walked back to the car crying
and hugging... and as we were standing outside of the car saying goodbye
to the friends we'd made at the shows, tori's bus drove by and honked at
us, the only fans any where near the bus.  we grinned wildly through our
tears and wished desperately that there were more shows left.. more good
times to had by torifans worldwide... more hugs to look forward to and
infinitely more cornflake dances to watch.  we dreaded a week, let alone
months that we'd not have a concert to plan for and look forward to. we
wondered what it would be like... the group of us seperate again, left
only to talk online... knew we'd been so lucky to be together for the
magical weekend we'd just experienced. we felt so grateful to tori and
everyone who worked with her for the amazing work they put into the dew
drop inn tour. we  cried for the end, but smiled misty-eyed for a future
filled with a deserved rest for our tori and for us, plenty of memories to
remember and keep with us for always. 

I thank tori, for her strong, beautiful music that she plays for herself
and all of us, and i thank her for giving so much, SO MUCH of herself to
all of us every day before and after her shows. i thank joel and steve for
keeping her safe. i also thank all of you internet folk, for being someone
to listen to me, and hear my happy stories..and for responding with
support, with your opinions, with your hearts and souls.... *this is us*,
guys. this whole year, this whole summer, to everyone out there who
experienced with me and to everyone who experienced it with someone else. 
 all of us, every one of us, even if you only saw one show, knows how
special the whole thing was. we all know that it touched something inside
of us that only music and friendship and a feeling of truly belonging
could do. and we remember it... always.

We went to the sound check again and our little rmta group formed a half circle and kept the space in the middle open so Tori could talk to our group separately. When she got to us Elusis introduced everybody and we all talked for a minute with her. I reminded her not to forget Marianne and she said "Oh!" and wrote it on her hand again. She sounded like when you want to remember something, but you forget anyway and then somebody says something that reminds you again and then you really don't want to lose it twice so you write it down. Wow. All that from one word and the tone of voice in it? Yup.

I talked a little bit more with her about her lunch (a friend of mine happened to be her waiter and my other friend and I happened top be there visiting him while she was having lunch) and she sent all her love to my waiter friend. He doesn't know her music, but he decided he likes her (she tipped REALLY well).

While we were having dinner, Cornflake Girl came on the radio followed be Caught A Lite Sneeze. It made us really sad that it was the last show.

Beauty Queen/Horses

Wonderful yet again.

I'm On Fire

Wow. This song is (in my opinion) unimpressive on the Crossroads CD but live, it was very powerful.

The Waitress

The crowd went wild with this one. I really enjoyed this song live.

Hurt/Caught A Lite Sneeze

Yummy.

Cornflake Girl

Just as much fun as the night before.

Honey

This was a real treat. This song was made to be performed live.

Pretty Good Year

I was really moved by this song. I hadn't listened to it in a long time and hearing her perform it was really depressing. This song was the start of an extremely emotional run of songs.

Marianne

Before this song she talked about producing the album and the lack of support she received. Then she explained that this song demanded to be here for the last show even though she's no longer in this world. When she said that I started shaking and could hardly tell what was going on around me. I was in shock that she was going to play Marianne for me. I don't know if her performance was actually anything special but for me this song was truly amazing. I was shaking the whole time.

Here. In My Head

After the huge emotion of Marianne she went into another favorite emotional song. I was numb during this song. I was worn out already, but WOW!

Precious Things

Okay. After being torn apart by those two, I got to experience Precious Things for my first time. This song scared the sh*t out of me! The girrrrrllll was an actual growl. Then she went into the "wash me clean" stuff and I thought she was completely possessed and any second she was going to turn to the audience and spit fire.

God/Amazing Grace/God (Acapella, banging the harpsichord) (should have been Flying Dutchman according to set list)

This was really cool. She turned to the harpsichord and started beating the rhythm of God and singing the chorus. Then she morphed it into Amazing Grace somehow. Then it went back to God. It was really cool.

Talula

Then she started chanting Talula (instead of the tornado intro). I'm betting she had to let the sound guys know what she was doing so she needed to chant Talula until they caught on. This song was funky as usual.

Me and a Gun

No annoying audience sound or anything. She did the loud "flat" part and it made me jump!

Encore 1 -

Landslide

Beautiful song! SO sad.

China

This was incredible. She had so much emotion in it...

Encore 2 -

She didn't leave the stage after the first encore. She stayed at the front of the stage accepting flowers and giving hugs. Then she ran back to the piano and started:

Tear In Your Hand

This song was amazing. I was so moved by it. Especially when it got to "maybe it's time to wave goodbye now" and the second time she didn't sing it but just waved to the audience.

Daniel

I absolutely could not believe it when she started playing this song. This is one of my most favorite songs EVER! It was beautiful and so sad. Another goodbye song...

hey Jupiter (on piano)

She sat there and stared at Caton for a while expecting him to read her mind as she played the intro. He could not figure it out! Finally she just started the lyrics and he seemed to realize what was going on and joined in after a while. I thought it was so cool that I had risked getting yelled at by saying I didn't really like the harmonium and wanted the piano and then she played it that way on her own. Yeah.

Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better two shows to start with.

I am fortunate or perhaps one of the few who managed to see Tori's first and last shows of the Boys tour, including several in between.

I saw her with 3 months gap:
April 9th(First show in Tampa, FL), April 13th
August 10th, August 11th
Nov 9th, 10th and 11th(last show in Boulder, CO).

Anyone out there with expertise in numerology.. go figure why these dates match so close, and how things worked out this well, including my move from FL to CO in sync with TORI's shows.

In August Tori told me "I'll see you in CO", and she did. Nancy's post briefly highlighted some significant parts of the last shows, including how Tori's performance has improved/changed for better. Her energy and intensity is still the same. Do you feel exhausted after seeing her live too? I feel drained and lost, especially after seeing her last show, I didn't have any energy except to eat :) Some not so concert info would be, Nancy won free tickets from the local Boulders radio station ticket giveaways to the "most pathetic sounding, I want TICKETS". You go FL grrrl. And the furry boy giving a bottle of honey to TORI, and asking her to play "honey" for him, which she promised to play in her last show.

My first few pictures of Tori somehow didn't show any redness in her hair. In fact there is no trace of red color in all the pictures from the first four shows I saw (yeah the ones in aug too, btw, mikewhy I might send you my pix with tori!! and you'll notice that there is no trace of red color). She did dye her hair red in the last three shows. SO, maybe she started coloring her hair, or maybe she is not that frequent, or maybe she read the post I had send to RDT two days before I saw her;)

Devin and Maria gave this awesome goodbye card to tori. It was huge and had all the farewell e-mail messages glued to a BIGGGEST CARD I have ever seen. It was real neat, so all those who had send their e-mails to them, trust me.. they did a great job.

And I found BT, thanks to those who wrote me back.

Tori last words to me, "Bosey is packed for 2 months, you know for that thing in Jan"

Tori Farewell Card Happenings

hi everyone

We're back from Colorado (sick with sniffles) but managed a wonderful time.

We apologize for the delay in relaying Tori's warmest wishes to all of you who participated in the farewell card. Here's everything that happened:

Maria and I worked feverishly trying to squeeze in all 280+ messages that we received to include on the card and it took nearly over 24 hours non-stop to finish it, but it was completed and quite impressive at that (we must admit). :)

How did it look?

Photos were taken of the card and will be scanned ASAP but you all must bear with us cuz we don't own a scanner (any scanning volunteers?).

But in the meantime, here's a description of what it looked like...

The card was a 24" store bought card (which worked perfectly) with very vibrant and colourful lettering. On the front, there was a cartoon mouse holding a tissue with the saying:

"Goodbye....but before you go any further there's something you should know...."

and INSIDE was the same mouse crying with the saying:

"....you will be missed very much.....Take Care!"

Scattered around it were each of the messages printed out in large and multicoloured fonts adding to its vibrancy.

When was it presented to Tori?

The card was presented to Tori after the last show in Boulder. We gave her the card along with the sincerity and warmth that all of you extended in your messages. We told her how well loved and admired she is over the internet and in so many various parts of the world and need she ever need reminding she could always look at this card. We told her that over 280 of you sent us little messages with your farewell to her and to this chapter of her life.

She wished that it could be done in a more private scenario as she felt it was a private moment, but with all the goings on around us she seemed truly touched by it all. So she accepted the card with honour and privilege and she cocked her head, gave us that trademark Tori smile and said "Thank You guys"....

....and to that we want to thank all of you who contributed and to all the list owners and tori page owners (mikewhy) for helping us spread the word on this project. We truly appreciate it.

If any of you have any questions or comments email either of us...

and thanks again..... :)))))

See ya in two years!

And I never posted my thoughts on the Boulder shows, just one set list, but I will say that I met Tori both days before the shows, and Monday after the last show. I gave her Sauza tequila and a copy of "Delta of Venus" by Nin on Sunday, and a bottle of very good California champagne on Monday. I asked her to play "Take to the Sky," which she did (yay!!), and got to hang out with some awesome rmta'ers from all over the country - Lisa the Mary Girl, Lori (who lurks - hi babe), Mike the Polar Bear, Jason/ankaha, my relatively new dear friend Jason from Boulder (who also lurks), and of course our own wonderful Doug Gentges. On Monday, Tori and I kind of had a bonding moment when tears were shed (hers, not mine - no, I didn't make fun of her ears or anything), and she met all the rmta'ers in our group and seemed thrilled to have more ears with feet along. And I got a non-psycho-looking picture for the Con t-shirt. She did remember the Annie Sprinkle playing cards I gave her - she said she and the crew love them. After the last show, she stopped with our group while going down the line and said we'd definitely do it again, because "we're not ready for the nursing home yet!" I held her hand for what seemed like a very long time, but which was probably just a couple of minutes, and kissed her freezing cold little fingers. I wish I could have made it to KROQ, or the RAINN show, or the thing in LA, so I could tell her hi again, but it ain't gonna happen. :)

Back To The Main Dew Drop Inn Index

Back to the Main Tori Amos Page

This is a much more detailed review than what Meredith first sent me, so make sure to read this one, it is so wonderful!

The stage was in its usual set-up, but the Virgin Mary light was sitting on the piano, and there was this big white and orange stuffed animal duck sitting in front of the harpsichord. Macky is a beautiful auditorium that seats only 2000, so it was nice and intimate (it helped that I was in the fourth row). It has a lovely proscenium arch and dark wood floor, and shows like Tori's look great in a venue like this.

Walk in music: Son of a Preacher Man.--Tori looked beautiful, of course. she was wearing black pants and shoes with a navy blue scoop top over a white undershirt. The audience stood up for her as she entered and went wild.

Short, loud, slightly angsty piano improv--And so began the penultimate concert of the tour. This show was REALLY great.... She did a lot of standing up off of her bench, including during this little intro.

*Beauty Queen--Lovely.

*Horses--Also great. There was one part where she sang the words "Sometimes you can't hear me," and then she pulled away from the microphone and mouthed those same words (and we couldn't hear her--very clever). It was cute.

*Yes, Anastasia (starting with "Thought I'd been through this in 1919...)--Oh WOW. I have been waiting to hear this live for two years. It was fantastic, and she absolutely nailed it. Bosey was really roaring in the lower register. It was sublime. The Virgin Mary started blinking a little, and Tori smiled at it and sang a bit to it, which make the audience laugh (it work, though; it stopped blinking!).

*Some song that I don't know.--She turned to the harpsichord and sang this straight into the mic. It was a capella and I think a cover. Some of the first lyrics were about mountains. This led right into...

*Hurt (a capella)--During this excerpt from "Hurt", she clasped the mic like she was praying, almost. It was very powerful.

*Bells For Her (on harpsichord)--This was SO different than the elusive, pacifying prepared piano version of UTP. Instead of me visualizing walking through a serene spirit-haunted graveyard, I was imagining being chased by the living dead. It was almost scary. The end is what did it for me, though; she chest-voiced these wails.... It gave me shivers. It was like an exorcism of sorts.

*Father Lucifer--Caton came out before this, wearing his usual black ensemble with black baseball cap. Tori played the bouncy intro very fast, but then returned to the normal tempo at the verse. It was almost exactly like the version on Letterman a few weeks ago. Very well done.

After "Father Lucifer" Tori turned to the audience and said, "How's it going? Um well, this is Flying Duck Face [gesturing to the big stuffed animal duck that someone gave her before the show], and this wonderful being is Caton." Lots of cheers. A wave from Caton. Then Tori addressed us again, in a VERY sincere voice. "I guess some of you are from Boulder, but some of you that live here might know that a lot of people have come in who have um traveled around with us for the last 200 shows, and I just wanted to thank you for being here, because uh when I see familiar faces it's like--there's nothing better than that. You've been amazing. I just want to thank you." Big cheers from the audience.

*Cornflake Girl (with a VERY impressive mime dance!)--The Dance was so funny! She was really jammin out on the apron of the stage. The song, however, was the real piece. I've NEVER seen her do it better than she did it at this show. She totally went off on the pino part, did a lot of standing up while playing... So much energy. I was blown away.

*Piano improv with the vocal "You can tell me..."

*Doughnut Song--One of my favorites from BFP. I almost fell over when she started it because that was the second of three songs that I was hoping she'd play (the first being Anastasia). It was moving. During this song Caton looked offstage and pointed to his monitors as if he was having problems with them. It wasn't distracting, but a sound tech had to come out and jiggle some wires at the beginning of....

*Little Earthquakes--LE was great, as you might expect, but I miss the version from the days of yore when the first two verses were soft--like there was a storm about to break. On this tour the entire song has been pretty loud and percussive, which works, but I prefer to hear the rumbling of the thunder and then the storm break loose at "I can't reach you." the end to this one, however, was super.

Okay. So now she pauses like she is going to start to play something, but then she does a faux-collapse on her keyboard, sticks her toungue out, and wipes her forehead melodramatically. This was all VERY cute, and the audience was chuckling. She says: "My God! I think I need some oxygen! Jesus... Anyway, I don't know how you people DO it [takes loud, deep, dramatic breaths]. I'll be alright in a minute. [slight pause, then with a quizzical look on her face:] Is your I.Q. bad up here? Don't take this wrong, but it's like I mean HOW can you DO this? I mean, what do skiiers do? Do you ever go, I mean do you ever kind of go: 'Is that a cliff?' I'm sitting here right now going [looking out at the audience with wide eyes] You Could Be Real, I Don't Know... It's almost as good as mushrooms, don't take this wrong, but..." Laughter and applause from the audience at the mushroom line. [she was referring to the elevation of Boulder, which is over 5,300 feet (which DOES have an effect on the air!)]

*Take to the Sky--With her right hand she beat time on the piano while her left was doing that great bassline. The audience started clapping along (rather well, I might add) until "You can say it one more time..." This song had a ton of electricity. I couldn't sit still.

*Mother--The third of the three songs I was hoping she'd play. I was in heaven. It was a very good rendition, but there was an annoying girl two rows behind me who was whispering the words with Tori. I wanted to turn to her and say "If you want to sing along, do it at home." She had been doing this all throughout the concert, and me and the woman sitting next to me wanted to kill her. However, "Mother" was beautiful.

*Crucify--A little different than I've heard it live in the past. Better. The piano break was excellent, and near the end her vocals got really loud and powerful.

*Caught A Lite Sneeze--The version we all know and love. Caton lit a cigarette during "Pretty hate machine". The piano-to-harpsichod crossover was a little different than usual. It was not as smooth; she did it faster and played with the word "zone" so that it sounded different.

*Tornado Talula--Tori sang the intro twice through. This rocked the house. There was a woman sitting in front of me that was probably about 40 who was "chair dancing". I use that term to mean that she couldn't sit still at all. Neither could I. In fact, when I looked at the three rows in front of me (gotta love fourth row seats!), just about everybody was groovin.

*Me And A Gun--The lighting was very stark; all white spots that didn't change. She didn't say the word "Flat" really loudly like I've read she's been doing. At the end, after Tori had finished singing and before the audience started clapping, a girl said "Thank you Tori." Stuff like that usually bothers me, but this girl sounded really sincere and I was GLAD she said it. Tori stood, bowed and gestured to the audience, bowed some more, and made her way off the stage. The audience was already giving her a standing ovation even before she had gotten off. After a lot of clapping and screaming, she came back on (to more clapping and screaming) and began her first encore.

*She's Leaving Home--One of my favorite Beatles songs. It had the proper air of melancholy that I think this song demands.

*Baker Baker--I know that a guy before the show (whose computer name is "Space Dog") had requested this, and I heard him say thank you at the beginning. When she started it, a lot of people clapped for it. It was so beautiful.... She bowed and left the stage again with a standing O from the audience. The break between this and the second encore was longer than her frist break, and it kept us all on our tiptoes. But then she and Caton came out onstage together, at first arm in arm, but then Tori started dancing around him in a circle. She picked up a bouquet of flowers, but then went right into....

*In the Springtime of his Voodoo--Absolutely smashing. More chair dancing in the audience. The roadies came out and wheeled off the harpsichord and brought on the harmonium organ during this number.

*Hey Jupiter--So beautiful. The "woos" at the end lasted for at least a minute. After this she and Caton got up and bowed. Tori went to the apron of the stage and shook some hands, while Caton left the stage (I could see Joel motioning for Caton to get offstage. I wonder why). then Tori exited and, much to our dismay, the houselights came up and we had to go home.

This was perhaps the best audience I've been a part of. They were SO considerate during all songs... I think it was because a lot of them came a LONG way to see her. The guy sitting behind me came from Seattle, and a young man I met at sound check came from Washingotn, D.C. This was definitely a good crowd. The show was one fo the two best I've seen. I went home a happy girl..... Rock on, Tori! : )

Well Mike, I saw that someone else already sent you the set list, so I will just give you some impression of the show. I don't think there are any words that can even begin to describe how I felt last night...when she played Mother, which I have been wanting to hear for so so long, I started crying and couldn't really stop for the rest of the show. I was overcome by an intense sadness, knowing that she will be gone for some time and I will have to learn to live without her. I am going to miss her so much, but I have many wonderful memories and have made some great new friends through Tori, like you. :) Anyway, some other high points of the show. Bells for Her: I was so surprised to hear this live, and the harpsichord was awesome. It was just a nice surprise. Father Lucifer: I was curious to see which voice part she would do on the three-voice section. She actually did the part that is in the liner, then another part, and then the part she did on Letterman! So it was more than I could have asked for. Cornflake Girl: Wonderful dance before. :) Little Earthquakes: The lights were amazing, and I had chills the whole time through this song. Mother: As I said, a dream come true for me. Now if she'll just play Marianne tonight...

we arrived to the Mackey auditorium on sunday around 2 where i made some new, wonderful, tori friends (hi! everyone). it was rather confusing about where the barricades would be set up, but eventually it was all organized. by 5pm there were at least 50 of us waiting. the bus arrived a little while later and Tori came out to greet us. i had quite the time hiding my gift from her, i didn't want her to see it until she got over to me. michael (polar bear) gave her a great t-shirt with a manger scene that says 'it's a girl!' on it. she was close, so i had my gift ready, steve saw it and said "what's his name?" i said, "it's a secret, you'll find out in a minute." then Tori looked at me, said hi, looked again, and said, "HI!, ohhhh, hug!" the people in front of me moved and i got in a little hug. i then held up my present (a big stuffed duck wearing a flight jacket) and said 'i know this is a bit corny, but he's Not the Red Baron, he's the Flying Duckman!' Tori smiled and said "that's great!" i then handed her a letter and a couple of things friends had asked me to give her.

and now it was time for the show. josh was way full of energy, even did a little dance for us. he said he was going to give us a choice of what cover he did. i couldn't help myself, i yelled "Rasberry Beret!" he said 'hold up, we gotta have a vote here', prince won the vote and rasberry beret it was.

when Tori came out everyone stood up, then doug grabbed me, i had no idea why until i saw beyond the guy in front of me, my duckman was on stage with the harpsicord! so she got his name a little mixed up when she called him flying duckface, but that was okay with me. (i've seen that the set list and quotes have been covered in other reviews here so i'll leave that out for now). one point to note out though, she didn't emphasize/shout FLAT in Me and a Gun as she had been doing lately.

everything was so beautiful, the audience was great, Tori and Caton were great and i was so happy doug talked me into flying out there, and that i had the chance to see a few of my long distance friends again. we didn't wait around afterwards because we thought there'd be tons of people (turns out there weren't, oh well), and we were off to get a bit of rest before the big finale.

it was time for the Boulder shows. IN-CRE-DI-BLE

I met her before these shows and she was taking requests from everyone since the tour was ending...and my goddess played "yes, anastasia" for me..the second song of the show. and well, i lost it. anyway, she also played "baker baker" (damn, i now wish i had written all this down..) and the basic cornflake girl, voodoo, CALS...geez, the second I send this it will all come back to me. What was cute is that during Horses, she did the cutest thing. Right before "off with superfly..." she would sing "sometimes you cant even hear me, sometimes you (mouthing it to the audience) *cant even hear me...*" *sigh* she is just the darnest thing! Also during Cornflake Girl, instead of "Rabbit, where did youput the keys girl.." it was replaced in parts with "Oh my God (something I could not understand..) I know youre still with me but where did you put the keys girl..." She also thanked all the people not from Boulder for coming to see her and that she appreciated us as fans....I glowed and suddenly the debt I was in due to this trip seemed so unimportant..:)

The lights went down, and I pressed the record button as I began to hear "Son of a Preacher Man." Tori came on, did her little intro, and then began.

Beauty Queen
Horses

during this song she sang "I said you can't here me some times" and then turned away and mouthed the same words. it was quite silly.

***

Yes Anastasia.

as i listen to my tape right now, i notice that she slipped "this is cooling" in to a little improv section. rad! :D i love that song, at least, the version that she played at the florida show. when we requested it before the first boulder show (or was it the 2nd?)", she told us that the second verse wasn't even written yet. so what we'd heard was just "a preview... a what do you call it? a sonogram." she also improved a little later in the song. Annie is a girl who's gone to about thirty shows and is now a good friend of tori's. she's even flown to some of the shows WITH tori. so. tori sang: "running annie, we'll see how brave, we'll see how fast i'll be running hold my hand hold my hand together we can go after this hold my hand hold my hand you my pirate friend. " Annie was wearing a sweatshirt that day with the word PIRATE on it.

At this point of the show, she sang a little improv that mentioned beanie and going somewhere that ended with"take there when i was crawling, take me back to a time when i would sing I hurt myself today". she continued with a few lines from NIN's "Hurt," ending the song with "you hurt yourself sweet boy, i try to not let you." she then went into:

**Bells for Her

very powerful, ended with a "you.. you.. you...." similar to how she's been ending Lovesong lately.

**Father Lucifer

what can i say? this is a great song live. i think my favorite lines from this are "Go away world," "dont go yet, just don't go" :) and of course the extra cool ending "run away turn away " stuff.

"hows it going? well, this is flying duckface. {points to a duck on the stage that lisa gave her} and this wondeful being is caton. so, um, i guess some of you are from boulder and some of you that like live here know that a lot of people have some come in that have traveled around to the last 200 shows and i just wanted to thank you for being here because when i see familiar faces its like there's nothing better than that, its amazing, i just wanted to thank you."

**Cornflake Girl

began as usual, with the long dance including the pregnancy moves. : ) of course there was improv during the song too. "oh my darling believe me i know that you.. oh my darling i know that you're with me..." (the lines trail off because tori begans to mumble at this point! i couldn't understand her. : )) something to add is this has become one of my favorite songs live. i never get tired of it. this particular show was my 9th time seeing it, and i loved it.

**Doughnut Song

i hadn't heard this once standard DDI song, so i was glad to. not too much intelligible improv in this to report on. i did notice her getting into the ending more than i remembered her usually doing. " still on my side, still on my side" was sung with more passion than i was used to hearing it. on a related note. one of my favorite lyrics from pele seems to be "happy for you and i'm sure that i hate you."

**Little Earthquakes

Another one that I never tire of. Definitely a favorite off of LE. The only down side to this song is always being blinded by the yellow lights that sweep across the auditorium. One thing that i notice in general about this tour, especially in this song, is that tori is much surer and secure about her higher vocal range. in this song and at the end of pretty good year she tends to take the higher octave as she sings it on the album, rather than go down an octave lower. i like that. : ) "my god i need some oxygen. i don't know how you people do it!you could be real, i don't know! its almost as good as mushrooms!"

**Take to the Sky.

Funky funky song. But the audience clapped. Why does it seem like the majority of people in this world have no rhythm?

**Mother

this was BEAUTIFUL. breath taki ng. she whispered parts of it..sung the whole song so tenderly.. it made me see the song completely differently. after she was done i just sit back and closed my eyes... it was wonderful.

**Crucify

what can i say, it was crucify. its weird.. sometimes i love this song, sometimes i just don't want to listen to it. who knows. it was good.

**Caught a Lite Sneeze

i love the part of this song where she sings "zooooonnnneeee" and switches microphones. there's just something cool about hearing tori's voice un mic'ed.

**Talula.

what can i SAY?? its talula!! my second favorite song to hear live! (china is my fav of COURSE) it was great. i was bouncing in my seat.

**Me and a Gun

I and everyone with me was waiting to hear her shout "FLAT" but she didn't, she kept it soft. interesting.

-----

**She's Leaving Home

This was particularly wonderful because it was requested by erin who (some of you know this) basically ran away from home (without parents permission) to come to the shows. I was happy to hear this one in concert, and erin was certainly happy too, judging from the loud "thank you" she yelled just as it finished.

**Baker Baker

My second time hearing this. This is a great song. Jacob, this HUGe tall nice guy (who tried unsuccessfully to become the best friend of my "goth" buddy jeff) before the show requested this one.

------

**In the Springtime of his Voodoo

This was really rockin'. Towards the end she and caton did this totally rad improv thing that got huge applause as it was done.

**Hey Jupiter.

I didn't hear this song because i bolted out of the auditorium to be at the front of the barricade to talk to her afterwards.

------> do YOU want a copy of this show? <-------
email me. i taped it, and i am looking to trade it for other '96 boots. i also have pictures i can send. : ) email me.

some words on before the show and after the show. i met erin best, from the MMC board on aol. : ) she's rockin'. we waited for tori for a damn long time. many people showed up, including a "faerie" in a long white dress with one wing, made out of a shower curtain or something. we later found out that tori has the other wing. i was with friends from online, and we met a few cool people from boulder, including a guy who wounded my finger by slapping the cards to hard and also my hand in a game of egyptian rat f*ck. i tried to write tori a letter afterwards but kept bleeding all over the paper! : 0 sigh. we just chilled until they started setting the barricade up. then all 75 or so fans ran over to get a good spot. me, i was in the corner, just behind erin, who luckily is short. when tori came out, she started on our end. erin told her the story about how she came to be in boulder, and asked her to play that song. tori grabbed a marker from steve behind her and wrote it on her hand. tori saw me and did something similar to what she did the third show in l.a. she reached for me, gave me a big hug, and became serious. "I got your letter" she informed me. i smiled. " you look divine." i nodded and gave her a hug. " i brought you something, i ventured, handing her my drawing. "did you hear me?" she insisted. i nodded. "you look absolutely gorgeous." i was tickled. i gave tori a gift from my dear friend david behind me, and introduced them. she moved on to the next person, jacob. who has a new york accent and hey jupiter makeup. so. after we all met her i stayed at the theater because i wanted to upgrade my SHIT seats. my wonderful friend cindy stayed also to try and GET a seat. i was out of luck, because there were SO many people that didn't even HAVe seats. it seemed as though cindy would be unsuccessful also but after she left to grab something at the hotel and come right back, we found her a decent seat for fifty bucks and jumped on it. anyhow. then the show. and i already talked about that. after the show. we skipped hey jupiter and ran like crazy to get out there. i managed to nab a spot at the very very front of the barricade and was quite pleased. she came out 20 minutes after the show was over, which was amazingly fast compared to in davenport, when it took over an hour and a half for her to come out afterwards. So. tori started in "our corner" again. i told tori i was sad to say goodbye tomorrow and she answered "i'm sad to say goodbye too. so lets not to it yet. we've got another 24 hours." sigh. yes. and the next review from me will cover those very hours.

I know. I know. You're all just saying "Oh no, another boring review," but HEY! I find people's personal reviews fascinating. It's great to see what other people got from the shows.

In the beginning there was me and me and we were in Salt Lake City and we suddenly decided "hey, the last Tori concert of this tour is in Boulder in a few weeks and since we missed the Salt Lake show we should just drop everything and drive to Colorado for a weekend trip and go to our first Tori Amos show." So I did. I grabbed a friend and dragged him along (for safety) and took off for Colorado.

Sunday, November 10: Boulder CO at Macky Auditorium

I went to the sound check and met a few rmta-ers and waited for Tori. She didn't get there until almost 5:10 or so and the sound check was set for 5:00, but she came out and visited for a while. I had a great time talking to her. I told her that I would really appreciate it if she'd talk to Marianne and tell her that if she was up to it I'd really like to see her on the 11th. Tori smiled at me and wrote Marianne on her hand and then she asked everyone making requests to let her know what nights they'd be there so she could try to work the songs with our schedules. So I didn't really bond with her a lot that time, but I was completely satisfied from having watched Lori's bonding with Tori. It's a beautiful story, but I'll let her tell it if she chooses. Also, Lisa gave her a big duck and his name was Flying Duckman, but when Tori introduced him at the beginning of the show she called him Flying Duck Face so that's his new name.

I already had tickets for the Monday show (thanks to Elusis), but I was winging it on Sunday. I found a scalper outside with fourth row seats and he was asking $40 each for them. We talked him down to $20 each (under face value) and sat on the fourth row. Now, keep in mind that this was my first show. It was cool. Really cool. Tori bounced onto the stage and greeted everybody with smiles. Then she sat at the piano and began.

Beauty Queen/Horses

I loved it. Beauty Queen live was incredible. The way she dragged out each note and nuance. The contrast into Horses was great. Slow and powerful into light and bouncy. Yum.

Yes, Anastasia

This was one of the few songs that I hadn't been able to connect with. Hearing it live opened a whole new world for me.

Hurt / Bells For Her (on harpsichord)

This was a real treat. It was so different than the normal version. It really was haunting and scary.

Father Lucifer

I missed the Letterman performance, but I've heard this was basically the same. I loved the Smalltown Boy insert. This song is so powerful. It was already one of my favorites, but this confirmed it. I really liked the lighting during this song.

Cornflake Girl

The dance was so great. I didn't have any idea what to expect, but I liked what I saw.

Doughnut Song

Yummie! I love this song on the album and it was just as delicious live.

Little Earthquakes

This song was so impressive live. The album version actually bugs me with the generic background vocals on "give me life, give me pain, give me myself again" but live she really made it mean something.

Take To The Sky

This song was a lot of fun. I know it was requested, but I can't remember exactly who it was.

Mother

What can I say. (big sob)

Crucify

I know it's sinful, but I was unimpressed with this song. She played it so happy that I found myself not paying any attention. Overall, the impression of this show was HAPPY. I was a little disappointed that she didn't explore the other emotions. Even the sad songs (like Baker Baker) seemed happy. It was a little annoying.

Caught A Lite Sneeze

This was my first time hearing the live version of this song and I LOVE it!! I need a good boot of this tour (I recorded both Boulder shows, but I don't know how the quality will be. My friend is mastering them for me right now. I can't wait to see how they turn out. I will probably be trading when I get them. Write me.) What are the best quality boots of this tour? I am thinking about getting Sellout and The Purple Rose.

Talula

This was fun.

Me and a Gun

I was really impressed with the audience. After hearing all the discussion of bad crowds, my first show is the most quiet and respectful of the whole tour. I've been blessed. :)

Encore 1 -

She's Leaving Home

Great song (when SHE sings it)

Baker Baker

Oh... sob... thank you Tori

Encore 2 -

In The Springtime Of His Voodoo

Funky

hey Jupiter

Harmonium jup... I actually like the piano version better (and we talked about this that night... you'll see why it's cool later).

Overall, it was a very happy show. Even the sad songs were happy. I don't know what she was on... actually I do. She said the elevation was bugging her and she needed more oxygen. Then she said that the effect was better than mushrooms. So, the thin air made her happy? Idaknow...

The crowd was incredibly quiet and respectful. It was great.

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The Phone Call After The Show

Stacey will write a review of this show later for me, but she called me long distance from New Mexico right after the show ended to give me the set list! She also said that Tori seemed very animated. She mentioned that she was determined to play in Albuquerque but was told that there was not a place where she could play. Tori said she would have played in the streets if she had to! Tori also gave the standard 'Home At Christmas With Dad' speech prior to Muhammad My Friend. During Precious Things, when she was singing "Wash me Clean Daddy", her voice went from a whisper to a growl. During the second encore, people were shouting requests. One person asked for Winter. Tori said something to the effect that Winter was in the back drinking, and that another one was coming, which turned out to be Black Swan.

Stacey said about 25 people showed up for sound check, so everyone got to meet her. Tori recognized Stacey from the last time she met her back in September in Muncie Indiana! Sounds like she had a great time. I wish I could have been there!

Stacey's Written Review

My friend Mike and I arrived at University of New Mexico's Popejoy Hall around 3:30 p.m. About 10 people had already gathered there. As it neared 4:00, Steve and some of the other security people had us move toward the building and stand behind a wooden makeshift barricade. Steve seemed to be more jovial than I've seen him at other times, and only gave us the "stand in a single file line, you get one thing signed or one picture" speech once. When Tori arrived, there were around 25-30 of us waiting. I never did see a limo pull up...she simply appeared from behind the semis and tour buses. As I moved forward, the line to meet her became a bit jumbled and I wasn't sure if I was next or not. Tori smiled at me and motioned me forward. I went up to her and she said "How nice to see you again." I gave her a hug and asked "You remember me?" When she said yes, I nearly lost my composure, I was so flattered. I asked her if she would invite "A Case of You" and she said "You know, she's a funny one." At this point, she got her Sharpie pen and wrote "Case" on her hand. Then she said, "I can't promise anything. I used to live here, and there might be different types of energies flowing here tonight." I told her that I was simply happy to be able to come again, and I thanked her for her music. I asked her if I could get a picture, and my friend took one of the two of us.

We returned to Popejoy Hall around 6:00pm, and we could hear Tori continuing her soundcheck through the closed doors leading from the lobby into the auditorium! We heard her do part of Blood Roses, and something else which I did not recognize. When the doors were opened and we were shown to our seats, I got a wonderful surprise. I thought our seats were in row R, which of course would have been back a bit. The R actually stood for "right"...we were in the right side of the pit, which turned out to be three rows back!

The show here began at 7:00, which was earlier than the other shows I have been to. Tori took the stage at 8:18pm. She was wearing jeans, black boots, a dark blue short sleeved shirt, and her little silver earrings. She began, of course, with Beauty Queen/Horses. Even though we are nearing the end of the tour, I thought her voice sounded stronger in these than when I heard her back in September. I think that this area of the country agrees with/inspires her. Next she went into Silent All These Years, which always manages to bring a tear to my eyes. She then switched to the harpsichord and performed Hurt/Blood Roses. Little Amsterdam visited us next, with Tori bathed in yellow and orange lights. This was the first of several girls that seemed to almost possess Tori during this show. When she did the "say a word to the hangman for me" part, she included several names...the only two I can remember right now are Chrissy and Scotty. I apologize for not writing them all down, but I was truly mesmerized during this song.

Tori then spoke to us. She said that she really wanted to play here, but they told her there was no place for her to play in Albuquerque. She said that she told them "I'll play in the streets if I have to." This was followed by Cornflake Girl, which was prefaced by her little dance. She ended up literally standing while playing much of this one. Honey followed, and once again I found myself in tears.

The next girl to visit was Little Earthquakes, followed by the "going home for Christmas" story. It was so cute when she imitated the kids in the choir by holding her nose and humming "Little Town of Bethlehem". Muhammad My Friend was followed by Precious Things. At the end, when she begin playing "Wash me clean daddy" over and over again, her voice went down to a whisper for a while, and then she began growling the lyrics. It sounded similar to the way she holds out the word "girl". I found myself not breathing at all during the end of this one.

Caught a Lite Sneeze followed, and then Talula. Me And A Gun came next, and I'm quite sure she omitted the third verse. I don't know if that was intentional or not. She raised her voice on the word "flat" again, and I felt myself nearly jump out of my seat.

Tori returned quite quickly for the encores. The first girl to come was Putting the Damage On. Then people in the audience started shouting out requests. Someone asked for Winter, and Tori said that "Winter is in the back drinking. This is the one who is coming, so all the rest of you can just go away." She then performed "Black Swan"...she seemed really pensive when she sang about "Did Eric call by the way"...Once again, I think that her memories of living here were inspiring her.

Encore two included Father Lucifer and Hey Jupiter. I felt so sad during this encore because, though I know Tori is going to be getting a much needed rest, I will miss seeing her for a while.

Overall the crowed here was well-behaved, and I have to say that I've not seen Tori's face so animated on stage. This is my first trip to New Mexico, and I can understand how these beautiful mountains and mesas could inspire a person. This is a trip I will always treasure.

So the first show I saw on this leg of the tour was in Albuqirque (and I'm sure that spelling is terrible but I'm tired of staring at the word and wondering, so get over it...;) Tori had me worried this show. She really seemed kinda out-of-it...tired and well, unhappy. It seemed like a raincloud was just slightly above her head. Now, as we all know, tori is a gifted performer so this did not really affect her show unless you were analyzing her every note and move like I tend to do in my over-analytical clinical psychologist kind of way. However, some songs I believe it showed. During precious things especially...the grrrrlll part was not as long but then she sang the usually passionate and energetic part quite slowly and sadly...she kept saying "let them bleed, let them bleed daddy..." and since I had binoculars I could tell she was just about to cry..she had this very distant and sad look in her eye...like the audience was not even there. And then, she screamed in this very low-death-metal kind of voice "These Precious things...let them bleed daddy.." and I have to admit, those binocualrs went down because this toriphile was a bit startled. But most of the rest of the lyrics were not sung, just the "let them bleed" part over and over again....and over again. Then during MAAG, she started to tear up again and when she came to the "and youre pushed flat on your stomach.." part she put her mouth right up to the mike and said "FLAT" very loud, and well, it shocked me again. I left that concert very concerned about my beloved tori...thinking that _she_ could use a hug from _us_... All in all, she played mostly sad songs...including "black swan" which has been in my head ever since. After the first encore someone yelled out for her to play "Winter" and tori said "No. Winter is in the back somewhere drinking."

This was the first Tori concert I had the privilege of attending, and I have to admit, I was captivated. By the audience, by the atmosphere, and definitely by the melodies being spun about the hall by Tori. I particularly don't care going over each song in a musician's set unless the song compels me to talk about it. The whole concert was extremely wonderful and heartfelt. I will instead agree with what Stacey had to say about the event.

Then I read Nancy's review and I have to say that I partially agree with what she wrote. Tori did seem to emit a solemn demeanor. Throughout the entire concert, her songs had a slight tone of wistfulness and calm. That's the vibe I picked up from the audience, as well. Everyone was excited, yet slightly peaceful. So Tori played the vibes riding Popejoy Hall. Yet, she knew how to pick everyone up, especially (one of my most memorable moments) when she started doing her little dance, what I have heard called by some as "Gathering of the Spirits." Many performers really get involved on stage, but Tori took it to an all new level, completely playing the audience with her vibrance. I came away from the concert riding on a high of Tori's spirit. Not only that, I came away with such a self peace that I had desperatley needed and loved the feeling of. I hope she returns to Albuquerque, as it will definitely be easier for me to catch, since I will be living there by the time she tours for "from the choirgirl hotel." Sincerely, Robert Tyrrell (rtyrrell@nmt.edu)

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First of all, Josh Clayton-Felt was a lot better than I thought he would be
and the Omaha croud responded well to him. He reminded me of Bob Dylan.
anyway...

setlist:

Beauty Queen/Horses
Leather
???/Hurt(only about a verse)/Blood Roses--the first part, she played the
rhythms on the harpsicord and sang something about "coming to the
cornland" and "before they met Pele"
Little Amsterdam
Cornflake Girl--awesome dance! The audience wasn't really sure what Tori
was doing, most people looked around at each other like "what the
hell?". The audience reaction was as good as Tori's dance! :)
Honey
Little Earthquakes--this sounded great, but the way the lighting is, the
lights from the stage are constantly in the audiences eyes. Since
that song is so long, it got a little annoying after awhile...
Precious Things-- I believe it was before this that Tori whispered into the
mike, both her hands around it,(I'm paraphrasing) "I sing to myself and
they think I'm crazy...I like to sing in the shower and the people next
door bang on the wall and tell me to shut up. If only they knew.
They'd pay 23 fucking dollars to see me play!" BTW, "grrl" was only
about 25.75 secs. Most of the audience didn't respond to it, but it was
grrreat! :) Also, she didn't do alot of the deep gutteral sounds like
she has done. Instead she got quieter and said "wash me clean...daddy,
I'm sorry." and ended the song with "I'm sorry, daddy".
Marianne--this was _so_ beautiful, I cried through the whole song. Towards
the end it sounded like Tori was going to cry.
Caught a Lite Sneeze
Talula
Me & a Gun--the audience was pretty good during this song, once she got past
the first couple words. At the verse that goes, "when you're flat
on your stomach", she said "flat" _loudly_ and it startled everyone
one in the theatre.

*First encore*
Silent All These Years
Smells Like Teen Spirit

*Second encore*
Waitress
Daisy Dead Petals
Hey Jupiter--I loved the orange light behind the piano at the end of HJ, it
looked like a setting sun...


Well, that's it. It really was a magical night. For me, it was the perfect
set list and every song was great. The time flew by and when M&aG came, I
knew the end was near. :( Also, Tori sounded great(I figured she'd sound a
*little* tired since it's the end of the tour) and when I met her before the
show, she looked rested.

Fri Nov 8, 1996--Daily Nebraskan
(pix by Lane Hickenbottom)
By Joshua Gillin
Music Critic
"Amos Brings intimacy to Omaha's Orpheum"

OMAHA -- Entertainment Weekly once compared Tori Amos' fans to The Grateful Dead's in terms of devotion. At Amos' concert at the Orpheum Theater Thursday night, it was easy to see why.

A capacity crowd of 2,759 watched as Amos gave a classically bizarre performance, writhing on her piano bench and improvising on songs that already showed a wide range of musical influence.

Singing in a voice that ranged from an airy whisper to a high-pitched wail to a guttural growl, Amos opened her lengthy set with "Horses," the first cut off her latest album, "Boys for Pele."

While the lighting effects were a bit sloppy at first, the show quickly became visually and aurally entertaining. Amos switched between the on-stage Bosendorfer piano and harpsichord during the performance, playing "Blood Roses" early in the set.

A peppering of cover tunes, including Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt," were followed by a soulful version of "Little Amsterdam." Amos also played her past hits "Little Earthquakes" and "Leather" before starting to converse with her audience, a signature of Amos' performances.

The singer then broke into an interpretive dance after her visit with the audience and began to play her smash "Cornflake Girl." A swinging version of "Talula" was sandwiched between a cover of the Nirvana teen anthem "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Amos' a capella account of her experience with rape, "Me and a Gun."

Amos also played a touching version of "Marianne," a song about a friend of Amos' who died when both were 15 years old.

Rousing cuts such as "Precious Things," "Silent All These Years" and "Caught a Lite Sneeze" were sprinkled throughout the show, along with songs not released on the albums, like the playfully simple "Daisy Dead Petals."

Playing with only a piano in the early days of her career, Amos showed her expanding range during Thursday's show by including a harpsichord, an organ, an on-stage guitarist and a drum machine. All were used during the 90-minute show.

Amos' singing and antics, however, were the most entertaining part of the show. While her voice was annoyingly 40 percent breath during the first part of the show, she soon took to giving her lyrics a fuller sound, singing with a bravado almost unparalled among female performers.

While critics may question whether Amos' music and live performances are up to the emotional peak they reached in her earlier days, the audience didn't seem to care. The two-handed wave and wink she gave to the crowd at the end of her show was proof enough that she still knows who brought her to the pinnacle of stardom.

My sister and I got to the Orpheum at about 7:30 PM. We looked around for my step-sister, but didn't find her, so we found our seats. Josh Clayton-Felt was already performing on stage. He played until about 9:00 PM. There was a white curtain behind him and you could see the shadows of Tori's harpsichord and B–sendorfer. At about 10:00 PM Tori came out on stage. Tori was wearing jeans and a little black shirt that looked like it had little yellowish flowers on it. The harpsichord was beautiful and the B–sendorfer was even better and longer than I thought it would be. She talked about getting dead corn from someone in Nebraska. She also talked about being in Omaha for the first time and how it wasn't her fault, but she was sorry that it took her so long to get here. She talked about Marianne and how she came to visit her while she was writing Boys for Pele. She also talked about the singing in the shower thing.

This is what all she played:

Beauty Queen/Horses
Leather
Blood Roses
Little Amsterdam
Cornflake Girl
Honey
Little Earthquakes
Precious Things
Marianne
Caught a Lite Sneeze
Talula
Me and a Gun

Encore 1
Silent All These Years
Smells Like Teen Spirit

Encore 2
The Waitress
Daisy Dead Petals
Hey Jupiter

"Talula" had pre-recorded drums and neat lights. During "Me and a Gun" everybody was really silent. She did the "Cornflake Girl" dance, which I've never seen before since it was my first concert and it was good.

Tori seemed to be in a good mood. At the beginning, I thought she seemed mad, but she got past that.

After the concert, we stood behind the Orpheum to meet Tori, but she didn't stay long, so we didn't meet her. Oh, well. She's very small, but very powerful on stage. I loved every second of that concert and I'll never forget it. It's very sad that she's not touring after a couple more days. I can't believe she'll be gone.

Well, I guess that's it. Thank you, Tori, for a wonderful night.

Hi all, just wanted to share this:

MY FIRST TORI CONCERT:

How can I begin to describe the events of this evening now just past?My small words couldn't come close to the angst achieved by her this evening. My soul bared,my pretenses relinquished, and my heart open, I sat in anticipation with my 2 kindred spirits, one on stage and one clutching her knees next to me. This was what we had been waiting for for so song. I think maybe we had been waiting for something like this all our lives. The fact that one person and her music could make so much sense to our scars mezmorized me. This is a pure art, to move people from elated laughter to an outpouring of tears all in a matter of minutes. And we waited.......and anticipated the few hours that would change our minds, if not our lives. Then the time was upon us. This small, self-confident daughter of a preacher-man strolled onto the stage knowing exactly what to say to us. In a moment she was at her instrument. Its black glossy finish shimmered with the fire of passion and the laughter of a little girl. The first note played......

BQ/Horses: In this first journey, our heroine struck the key time after time while her voice told the story of so many beauty-queens putting on their lipstick under the flouresent lights of youth. Then slowly but surely the horses came. A little angrier than before,but not without the painful vunerability that only one who has experienced it can portray. Even though is was not my favourite song, I cried.

Leather:With the striking of the first note of the next song, I knew I was home. It was a song I had played so many times with so many different audiences. She sat saucily cross-legged and taunted us like I had so often taunted those boys of old. I experienced nothing less than a pure adrenaline-rush.

Next she sang a little ditty which I had never heard before. I think someone mentioned a similar occurance,but this song went something like:" ..boys to feed Pele's belly..." or something like that.

Blood Roses: Now the lights flared and the dark,true, mysterious tones of the harpsichord filled the hall. This was the song that helped me through one of my darkest hours. I sobbed with pain and felt her anguish. Memories of fires, stars, and candles flooded my mind and I knew that she knew what I went through.

Little Amsterdam: Next the deep blues of the tale of a southern town echoed through the hall. When she came upon the familiar line," ..and playing that organ must count for something..",her voice swelled with shaking anger and I knew what she meant. " Playin that organ ,girls,must count for something, yes"

now she told us a story:" so this is my first time here, sorry it took so long. Hey, it wasn't my fault!*grin* anyways, I got the best present on the tour here. Somone gave me 2 ears of corn *laughter* I mean, you know the dried corn that you can hang up. No, but I like it. No one's ever given me dead food before.*laughter*I once kissed a boy from Nebraska, the corn was better..."*laughter*

Cornflake Girl:The guitar strummed steadily as our girl chalked up her hands then leapt from the piano to do the famed "cornflake girl-dance". Through a series of dance moves and hand gestures,she had us in a frenzy.Then she plunked down on the bench and played our old favourite. I think she had a little fun with this song.

then with a whispered voice: "sometimes I sing to myself when I think nobody's listening, and people think I'm craaazy... cause I sing to myself in the shower and the neighbors bang on the walls and say 'shut up'.and I say thats kind of funny since you all payed 23 fucking dollars to come hear me"

Honey: This song was amazing. " and cowboys know that cowgirls ride, only in the inside". What a great song.

Little Eartquakes: Then she broke into a song at first unreconizable to us all,but when she sang the first line ,we knew it was little eartquakes."Give me life ,give me pain, give me myself again"

Precious Things: Now the full voice of the inner anger cam alive with this song.She sang with such force, I gripped the edge of my seat. With their nine-inch-nails and little facist panties tucked inside the heart of every nice grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl" The grrrrl lasted about 30 seconds in which she clawed at her jeans and up to her crotch where she made the delta with her hands then followed up to her cheast.Certain parts of this song were especially effective. " so you can make me cum..." was followed by many screams of approval from many females in the audience, including myself. Wow, just wooooow!

Caught a Lite Sneeze: Then came the song that started it all. She released the venom once again on "I need a big loan from the girl zone".As she turned from the harpsichord to the piano, her un-amped voice filled the entire hall with the force of all the singers I've ever heard combined.

Marianne: Next she told the heart-wrenching story of Marianne." I once knew the most wonderful girl. She died when we were 15 and she came to me when I was working on this album. Its not often that I talk to the dead, I mean, I talk to a lot of other things but they don't visit me often. She has been a part of over 200 shows and I think this is her last." And with that, she began Marianne and gazed up into the sky after the dear friend she had lost. Choked with tears, she sang the familiar chorus of the song.I sobbed for what I have experienced that is similar , all that could have been, and for her, onstage and live, baring her soul totally. I wanted to run up on stage and give her a big hug after it was done.

Talula: Turning to the harpsichord once again, she started the tornado mix into Talula. What a pulse-fillled, driving, fun song.

Me & A Gun:Now she swung centerstage on her bench. With a solo spotlight,she clutched the micropone as she told her story of violation to a hushed and totally moved crowd. I was beyond tears to a state of pain and empathy as I clenched my fists and listened to the haunting song. I,and the rest of the audience, was rendered motionless.

Silent All These Years:After a stading ovation(helped by us) she returned to the an encore. She smiled,waved, and began the bumblebee piano tinkle of the much cherished Silent All These Years.It was my dream personified at that moment. I clutched my homemade "follow your fire" necklace pendanat(which I made out of an old ivory piano key) and grinned as the numerous tears rolled down my cheeks. It was like an epiphany. I knew then that I wanted to take what I can do and make it my own. I want to move people that that, to touch and change their lives through the power of one song.And someday it will be me playing to the grinning tear-ridden girl in the 13th row.

Smells Like Teen Spirit: As I wiped my tears she began her rendition of the Nirvana classic. It was powerful and elegant all at once in only the way our girl can do it.

Waitress:After a great deal more applause, she came back again and stormed into the Waitress. What a moving, angst-filled chorus.

Daisy Dead Petals: Then with a tinkle of the piano, she launched into the playful Daisy Dead Petals. It was fabulous and sooo much fun! She jauntily shook her head,teased us with lines, and grinned and had a ball with this song.

Hey Jupiter: Now the harmonium was in place for what we knew would be the final song in this perfect evening. I was the simple first chord of Hey Jupiter, one of the few songs that was able to bring me to a song upon the first time hearing it.It was touching,vunerable,and wistful with a winding vocal. We savored every minute. She knew that we didn't want it to end.But what an ending it was, the sweet end note rolled off my toungue like a fine wine. We rose,cheered,and I yelled a short, "thank you" to our heroine,our goddess,our girl. We left the hall, wiping our eyes and grinning a content smile.It was a long time coming and now I can face the day,knowing I have purpose once again, and that is a delicious feeling. We will never forget the night she came to us in reality and touched our lives as only our TORI can do.

i've got to tell you all about Tori's first trip to Omaha!   My sister
and I went early with a special present.  Here's the story:

I come from a farm near Rising City, Nebraska (population 300).  My
father raises pigs and corn, and I had to paint our barn this summer. 
While I painted, I played so much Tori music!  There's a cornfield
adjacent to our barn, and the corn heard Tori sing while it was
germinating.  We harvested awhile ago, and the corn from that field
yeilded 240 bushels per acre.

I was telling Tori the story, and she asked "So that's good?"...thinking
that she might have suffocated the corn....but I told her that usually
160 bushels per acre is *really good*.  I told her that we proclaimed
her the "goddess of the harvest" at the Dunekacke farm, and that my
mother dried the husks, tied them together, and put a bow on it for her.

She was speechless after that!  The woman of a zillion words (who
reporters can't get to shut up sometimes!!) was speechless!!  I felt
kinda dissapointed because I really wanted to hear what she thought, but
I was happy, because I could see she was really happy.

The show was great, he voice was so moisturized, not like it was at the
other show I saw.  She hardly talked to us.........but what she did say
stuck : (this is from my extended-version story, and jen is my sister)

"This is my first time here (in Nebraska), and that's not my fault.  
I'm really glad I'm here I got the best present practically on the tour
tonight I got two pieces of corn. "

(audience screams)

"....dried and everything with a gorgeous bow and everything."

(audience laffs, jen and i scream, we wonder what mom will think since
she tied the bow.)

"...and um i'm so jazzed about that because nobody's ever given
me...um... dead food before.  but i know what it means totally and i
think you're so fantastic to have thought of that."

(jen and i are ready for the funny farm)

"i did kiss a boy from Nebraska once, but it was alright....the corn's
better."

woo woo!  i'm so excited and i gotta share it!

for those of you who weren't there here's the set list!

Beauty Queen
Horses
Leather

something acapella with "eastern pirates" and "darkest of days" in the
lyrics.

a couple lines from "hurt" plus
"you hurt yourself sweet boy, and i think you always will."

Blood Roses
Little Amsterdam

"thank you for the corn" into
Cornflake Girl (with the dance!!)
Honey
Little Earthquakes
Precious Things

I think she was retiring "Marianne", cause "she's been with us for over
200 shows" and she sounded really down about it.

Caught a Lite Sneeze
Talula
Me and a Gun

Encore 1:
Silent All These Years
Smells Like Teen Spirit

Encore 2:
The Waitress
Daisy Dead Petals
Hey Jupiter

Absolutely fabulous show!!! Here's the scoop. Edd (a good friend of mine) and I left for the Orpheum at 4:30 and arrived by 4:45. As we both hoped, she was outside and doing the meet and greet with approximately twenty other people. Thanks to a relatively small crowd, we were able to get close to her and speak to her. She didn't have much time to chat with us all, but we told her our names and she asked us if we wanted her to sign our books. As she made them out and aksed how our names were spelled, Edd answered "Yes" to his name being spelled as "Ed," but I corrected him and she found us to be humorous to her. After she laughed, she asked me how to spell my name and made sure to see if it also was with two D's. We thanked her and remained on Cloud 9 the rest of the evening. Several other people had brought cameras and had their pictures taken with her.

So began a wonderful experience.

By the time 7:30 rolled around, we were both itching to see her play. After a extrordinary performance by Josh Clayton-Felt and a 45 minute intermission, Tori came on stage to the sound of "Son of A Preacher Man" playing in the background (Quite fitting I thought). She blew the crowd a kiss and sat down on the piano bench.

The stage was quite remarkable. The celing was draped with white Christmas tree lights, all placed above and around her as if she was playing to the stars themselves (Who knows, maybe she was). Her piano was on stage left and her harpsichord was opposite the piano on stage right. The harpsichord looked like something out of the Nutcracker -- It was blue and red with a gold lining near the edges of each section of the instrument. She wore a pair of loose blue jeans and a maroon body-suit with white daisies all over it.

The Set List is as Follows (I apologize if I have made any errors)

Beauty Queen / Horses
Leather
Lovesong / Hurt
Blood Roses
Little Amsterdam
Cornflake Girl
Honey
Little Earthquakes
Marianne
Caught A Lite Sneeze
Talula (Tornado Mix)
Me and a Gun

----- ENCORE 1 -----
Silent All These Years
Smells Like Teen Spirit

----- ENCORE 2 -----
The Waitress
Daisy Dead Petals
Hey, Jupiter

Tori seemed to have a very high energy and was feeding off the crowd's passion for her music. She apologized for not "coming to Nebraska sooner, but, I assure you, its NOT my fault." She also told us that she kissed a boy from Nebraska once, and that it wasn't Caton. Later in the show, she said that she likes to sing to herself, and she likes to sing in the shower, but her neighbors would yell at her to "shut-up." Tori didn't like her neighbors -- she made some humorous comment about them, but I couldn't hear it very well.

She had a very bouncy piano style, last night and it was especially evident when she played Leather, Little Amsterdam, and Little Earthquakes. Her hand motions were very springy and had a jazzy flavor to them. Whenever she sang the word "girl", she would drop her voice and let the sound give a double resonace, making it sound like a growl.

I, along with the rest of the audience, was given the pleasure to see the "Cornflake Girl" Dance. A true delight, she got very close to the edge of the stage and moved very fluidly with the music. Another interesting thing that I noticed was that when she was singing "Caught a Lite Sneeze," Caton was gazing at her and singing to her or along with her. He was funny doing this -- looked like an old crooner.

A very moving moment came right before she was about to sing "Marianne." She told us about this wonderful young woman she knew at the age of 15, but she died. Tori said: "I don't talk to the dead very much, I talk to other things, but not dead people. She came to me a long time ago and she's been with us for over 200 shows. I think this is her last one." Something about her changed and my heart almost froze in sympathy, inspiration, and in passion. She went on to play the song.

After a wonderful show, we rushed outside to the place she had met us before -- Tori said she would see us here after the show and we were taking her up for the offer. It was over half and hour before she came out to see us. My friends and I were at the front and we met her once again. Before she got to our section, Edd and I and our other friends were talking to Caton. He was telling us about how he and Tori started working together and about being with her. I tried to ask him what Tori was sick from at the Miami concert, but he didn't hear me or he simply didn't answer. He signed our books and thanked us for coming

When Tori finally came back over to our section again, I held her hand for a moment and she gave me a warm smile. The girl who was standing near me asked Tori for some advice on moving forward with her music. She played guitar and wanted a little bit of guidance. Tori closed her eyes and became silent for several moments, as if she was listening to someone to help her. She said, "You know, everyone has their own different movement inside of them. It's their blueprint....... Be true to yourself and to your music. Set your objectives and purposes straight. If you want to perform to make lots of boyfriends, then let that be true to you. I tried to be (a heroine, but I can't remember her name -- a lady with a short name) but she was so much better than I was, you know? Be yourself."

She said goodbye to us all and drove off in her limo. So ends my first concert of Tori Amos.

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I experience joy, sorrow, self-reflection, and potato bread during my last Tori concert on this tour.

Click here to see sound check photos I took at Davenport.

It is the night following Tori's concert in Davenport, Iowa on November 6, 1996. I am sitting alone in a Shoneys Restaurant back in Louisville, and I'm writing the first draft of this concert review. The weather outside is rainy, cold, and bleak. It seems appropriate to me at first, because that is the way I have felt inside since the end of the show. NOT because it was a bad show, on the contrary, it was a stellar performance. No, I have the blues because it will most likely be 2 years before I see Tori again, and that can be a painful thought. But I also have hope, and you will see why by the end of this review.

The other unhappy side effect of the tour ending is that I will no longer get to meet all the wonderful Toriphiles who go to the shows. I was reminded how fun this is once again during this trip. Davenport is about 400 miles from where I live in Louisville KY. It took 7 hours to drive there, but fortunately I was joined by 2 people who made the trip enjoyable. Lana Helm from Southern Indiana joined me for the entire drive. Lana is a musician and singer in her own right. (I predict in the future Lana will have her own faithful following.) We also picked up her friend Lisa (from Indianapolis.) On the way there, these two introduced me to the wonders of potato bread, and kept me from going crazy as we drove through Indiana and Illinois. We finally crossed the Mississippi River and entered Davenport.

Sound check was the usual gathering of Tori devotees, sharing their Tori stories and exchanging photos and laughs. I was able to meet more wonderful people. My good friend Lori Keaye was there. If you have read my Cincinnati, Dayton, or Chicago reviews you know that every Tori show I see with her is a classic! I again spent some time with Monica Sanghavi, one of the most devoted "Ears With Feet" I know. I met Dor, who has incredible memories and photos of meeting Tori on the west coast. I also talked to Mia, Denise, and Lisa (from Milwaukee). I met for the first time Joanne Wittenberg and Shawn, 2 of the nicest Toriphiles I have had the pleasure of talking to. Like me, Joanne has really racked up the miles on her car following Tori around the country! As the time arrived for Tori to get there, a crowd of nearly 60 people were hemmed in behind the barricades, the tour buses, and the side of the building. The weather grew really cold. I was grateful to talk to another Tori follower named Becky, who helped me forget my chilled body.

Around 4:30 or so Steve Caton came and talked to the folks in the front of the line behind the barricades. I was in the third row of people, and was unable to speak to him, though I did snap a few photos. He seemed really friendly and happy to talk to people. Finally, Tori emerged and also began to chat with the lucky people in the front. She had on the cutest green scarf-like thing around her neck that she called her "green snaky." She expressed concern for us waiting in the cold for so long. This was one of those times I was grateful to be tall. I was able to stretch my hand forward and Tori grabbed it! I told her hello and my name, and a simple "Thank You." She gave me the sweetest look and said, "ABSOLUTELY." It was short, but very exciting! She then spoke to my friends Monica, Lana, and Lisa. I might also add at this point that her security team, Joel and Steve, were much friendlier than usual. The security staff at the Adler theater was also rather friendly, which was a nice change.

After a complicated attempt to eat dinner at Dennys, and after terrifying Lana and Lisa with some improvisational driving around the confusing streets of Davenport, we returned to the Adler Theater. I missed the opening act, but was seated in time for the main event. While waiting for the show to begin I chatted with a very friendly man behind me who came all the way from Canada to see Tori play. He was super nice, and had a really cool accent. His name was Romain Godbout.

My seat was almost all the way in the back on the main floor, but the view was still pretty good and the sound was excellent. I had the usual rush of adrenaline as Tori came on stage during 'Son Of A Preacher Man.' The concert that followed was relatively short, extremely intimate, and alternatively thrilling and sad. Tori had her hair up and was wearing jeans and a tight black shirt. When she came on stage, she also had a flannel shirt on, which she immediately removed before she began to play.

BEAUTY QUEEN and HORSES opened the show. One very unusual and striking part of Horses was when Tori started singing toward the audience and away from the microphone, so that you could not hear her. Her voice seemed softer and she seemed to whisper more tonight than usual during this opening song. But the effect was very dramatic.

I need to rant a little bit here. I am aware that not everyone will agree with me, but I personally was offended by this one guy who kept shouting 'YEAH' really loud during every silent break in Beauty Queen. There is a difference between the occasional shout at the beginning of a song, and what this guy did. He prevented me from completely enjoying the song. Tori's concert is not some wild party. It is a time to savor the music of a master. In a song, silence can be every bit as important to the meaning of a song as the musical notes or words. But I was forced to listen to this stupid 'YYEEAAAAHHHHHH' during every pause of the song. I think it was wrong and rude to those of us who wanted the full effect of the music. Rant mode off! :)

LOSING MY RELIGION is dazzling live. The version on the 'Higher Learning' soundtrack can not compare to the way she brings this song alive in concert. There were many wet eyes during this one. Tori got really wild at the end, to the point of screaming, and it left me breathless.

CAUGHT A LITE SNEEZE was prefaced with a few lines I did not recognize, including the words "Can't stop" and "Met a few boys." She then sang a few lines from NIN's HURT. This was the first time I saw her do this, and it was brilliant. She seemed to hug herself while singing this, and the effect was powerful.

Tori then spoke for the first time. These are not exact quotes, but what I am able to remember. "Hi everybody. Wow, you're so incredible, I should have come here earlier. You are so wonderful. You know, I only have about 5 shows left." Then she sang, "Five Golden Rings." She again talked about the crowd and her leaving, "I wish you could jump into my back pocket."

CORNFLAKE GIRL began with Caton's guitar intro and Tori's famous dance. As Tori began playing, Caton had a string break on his guitar. Tori said, "Hey Caton, don't you play guitar? That's okay I'll just keep playing" While Caton was brought a new guitar, Tori did an outstanding improvisation for a few minutes, where she sang lyrics I did not recognize and really JAMMED on the Bosey while moving her body to the music. It was a spontaneous and stunning performance, and a lot of fun. You have to experience moments like this yourself, for my words can not explain it. The crowd cheered once Caton got his guitar and began to play!

TEAR IN YOUR HAND had a long, moving intro. This beautiful song had me in tears, especially that part that was so applicable to myself and many others there that night. "Maybe it's time to wave goodbye now..." She performed it much the way it is on the album, but I enjoyed it. And I cried.

LITTLE EARTHQUAKES also has a wondrous intro. I thought again back to my very first Tori concert back in the summer of 1992, when she opened the show with this earth-shattering song. As the lights on stage blinded me, I almost fell to pieces thinking about the last 4 and a half years, and how much this woman has affected my life.

MUHAMMAD MY FRIEND was next. Before this song, someone shouted "Where's Willy," referring to Willy Porter, who was Tori's opening act for the first half of the tour. Tori misunderstood at first, "Where's Lilly? Who's Lilly? What's going on, I feel like I have Alzheimer's." She finally heard it right, "Oh WILLY. Willy's misses said to him, 'You have to come home now.' She's very nice but I told him not to listen to her. I mean she could have come along too. Oh well, Willy did a great job and I got him a voodoo shirt..." Then someone yelled out something that included Tori's birth name, Myra Ellen. Tori went, "Ugghh, Can you imagine that, Myra Ellen, that is so BAD." Then in response to fan named Mia who shouted "Tell us a story!", Tori told another variation of the always hilarious story about being home with her father at Christmas. She spoke quickly, "I like my father but he is very very very very very very very very Christian. I don't have a problem with Christians except when they expect YOU to be very very very very very very very very Christian, which when you think about it, isn't very very very very very very very Christian. So I'm home for Christmas at the church service, and I'm 32 right, and I am sitting in church with my father, thinking about that hot piece that I should be with. So I'm there out of guilt and I'm watching these kids in the choir. There's always that kid in the front row doing this (She simulates picking her nose) and you're like, 'Put DOWN your hand.' And they are singing like.." and then she holds her nose and hums part of 'Away in The Manger' in this really irritating and nasal kid's voice! "And my dad would want us to join along and he would say, 'MYRA ELLEN, sing.' And I would say, 'I just finished a world tour, pass off.' He would go, 'I'm still your father and I want you to sing.' And I said, 'I'm not hearing what they are singing, I'm going to sing my version.' And he would say, 'What are you hearing?' And I would go.." and she does some Robert Plant like moaning, followed by my favorite new Christmas tune, Muhammad My Friend!

CRUCIFY followed. The audience attempted to clap along, but the tempo variations that are inherent in this song threw them off! As she sang about the guilt that I personally know all too well, I noticed she had a small light glowing on her piano. I did not see it very close, but I think this might have been the virgin mary night light I have heard about from earlier concerts. She really drew out her notes at the end, and it was simply incredible.

PAST THE MISSION was tori's next song, sung in the glow of bright red lights. This 'girl' is relatively rare at Tori shows, and it was wonderful to hear. I saw what looked like people dancing on the triangular screen behind her, which was something I've never seen before.

TALULA got the place rocking. It is damn near impossible to sit still during this song. Of all the harpsichord songs, this one is the best to watch. Tori really plays that instrument with passion and skill. I am so glad that she enriched the the Dew Drop Inn Tour with this "friend" of hers.

ME AND A GUN followed Talula. To those who find this transition too jarring, I want to mention the interview Tori did with Matt Pinfield on MTV 120 minutes in January 1996. She talked about her rape, and said that people still come up to her and say, "I am so sorry." And Tori said something like, "Oh STOP, this is not about I'm sorry, this is about 'I am DANCING.'" As has been standard the last few weeks, Tori really raised her voice for the word 'FLAT', which tends to startle people. I wonder why she started doing that?

The first encore begins.

HERE IN MY HEAD was the first song. She sang this gorgeous composition while bathed in bluish-green light.

WINTER made me really sad. I was of course upset that my last show was almost over. But then I concentrated on some of the lyrics. "When you gonna make up your mind? When you gonna love you as much as I do." and "so many dreams, on the shelf." Of course I was applying my own meaning at the time to these words and not Tori's, but I realized why I felt so sad about the tour ending. These concerts helped me cope with my low self-esteem. They allowed me to begin the harder work of finding my own fire, of learning to love myself, of working hard to achieve my dreams, rather than letting them just sit on the shelf. I knew that what made these concerts so special was not only Tori, but the great people I got to meet and hang with before the show. Since I am introverted and have a negative self-image, I find meeting new people and socializing to be difficult. I would dream of a time when I could make friends more easily, and end the loneliness that I often create for myself. These concerts were a way for me to do that, and it was fun for me, because I could talk about a subject I know and love, Tori. But sooner or later, I have to make up my mind, love myself, and learn to socialize in the real world . All this passed through my mind during this song. Amazing.

Tori came out again for the second encore, accepting some roses and placing half of them on her harpsichord, and the other half on the piano. Right before the crew moved her harpsichord away and brought out the organ, Tori made a quick motion with her hands toward the harpsichord, as if she were casting a spell on it, or maybe just waving goodbye.

FATHER LUCIFER started, much to the delight of the audience. Despite the metaphor of descending and exploring your dark side, there is a joyfulness in this song, as well as tenderness.

HEY JUPITER ended the show, as well as the tour for me. She finished the song slightly differently than I remember her doing it before, with the 'oooohhhh' part really long and emotional. I wiped a tear as she left the stage for the final time.

I was able to see Tori one more time before she got on the bus and departed. She left the theater around midnight and waved goodbye to us as she boarded the bus. She said something about 'Finding Me', made eye contact with as many people as possible, gave the cutest, most adorable smile I have ever seen, and then climbed into the bus. As it pulled away, she held a puppet outside of the bus and waved to us with it. It lightened a heartbreaking moment for the many tearful people watching her leave.

As I sat here in this restaurant in Louisville and finished this review, it occurred to me that fans may be wrong to call Tori a Goddess. In reality, she helps us realize that the GODDESS is in all of us. I know I will see her again in two years. And I hope to be a better person when I do. Thank you Tori for giving me the inspiration to figure this out. I will truly miss you.

"Overturned Stones" - River City Reader, Nov. 19, 1996
Josh Clayton-Felt
Tori Amos
Adler Theatre,
Davenport, IA
Wed., Nov. 6
(By: James Thurow)

I walked in at the midpoint of Josh Clayton-Felt's opening set for Tori Amos. The largely female crowd of alterna-teens and twenty-somethings sat mesmorized and quiet. In front of them, alone on the stange except for his guitars, Mr. Clayton-Felt pulled every sound possible out of his axe. Whether providing fuzzy '60s psychedelia, or what could have been a freaky soundtrack to a '70s porno flick, or a late Neil Young full-electirc solo, he vigorously layered a bass string groove beneath a melody that continually surger, moved and pushed the sounds one man can create with a guitar.

Clayton-Felt aimlessly wandered about the stage singing about erotic desire and days of roaming streets. Behind him hung a large curtain, lit by spotlight that faded from firey orange to dark purple. His throaty and nasaly tenor voice often broke into falsetto without ever sounding forced or unnatural. The songs - some covers, some from his solo disc "Incarticulate Nature Boy", and others from his previous band, School of Fish - sometimes sounded dark and heavy, but never overbearing or depressing. His intricate melodic guitar playing kept me wanting to hear more than his 40-minute opening set allowed. What made it entertaining was watching a performer enjoying what he was doing. Amid the cat-calls and appaluse was a man who appeared to be happy on stage.

Then there was Tori. She appeared to be going through some form of therapy on stage. While bouncing between a piano and a harpsichord, with a large, lit butterfly looming behind her, she writhed, legs spread wide open, on her piano bench, mouthing, breathing, speaking and hollering lyrics. She appeared to call up and parade about all the demons collected inside her over 33 years.

Her voice and piano playing commanded attention when she didn't hold them back. Tori quietly began her first song, while some fool in the audience continually howled "Whoa!" at every pause. After her attempts to ignore this idiot proved futile, she simply blew him away with her vocal power. Another mishap she overcame happened during "Cornflake Girl". Her accompanying guitarist had tech difficulties, so Tori acted playful, improvising both words and music. She played a bright, twinkling piano solo and used her voice as an instrument while the guitarist quickly tuned a new guitar. This graceful comeback provided one of the more stunning, spontaneous moments of the night. Her guitarist's haunting use of feedback as accompaniment, sounding almost like a cello, was the perfect addition to "simply Tori" after her overcame these difficulties. And when a drum loop was added late in the let, her powerful delivery was fully felt. But more often than not, she restrained the power in her voice, choosing to sputter inaudible phrases.

The crowd didn't appear to mind her curbed prowess. Pleasent, polite applause followed each song, and with military synchronization the crowd stood and then sat when she took the stage, then rose for a standing ovation when she left. For me, watching her sit alon on stage tearing herself open, I felt as if I was intruding upon the lurid confession of someone who couldn't let go of a tormenting sin she had only thought about commiting. It's good to let one's demons out, but one also needs to let them go. It was as if Tori couldn't bring herself to do this or simply wouldn't. She could learn something from her opening act. Josh Clayton-Felt let them out to dance for us a bit before setting them free.

Okay, so I like many others was very excited for this show. It is Tori's last show in the mid-west area, so I figured many people would show up. Tomek and I left the madison area at 10:00. We reached the Quad Cities at like 1:00. Since Tomek is from the Quad Cities area, we went to his house and i met some of his friends. We were going to meet at the Theatre at about 3:00. So we got to the Adler at about 3 and I was so excited to see my fellow "Raisin Girls" as Lana would call us..Almost everyone that I had met over the summer following Tori was there..and plus my very good freinds, MIA, LISA (from indy), LANA, MIKEWHY, LISA (from milwaukee)NATALIE, NICOLE, DENISE and TRACY. It was the best to hang out with these people, it is soo cool how tori fans can become such great friends. When i first got to the theatre I was hugging people for ever..it was the best feeling. Anyways, we waited for a while. At first in just sitting around, and then Steve escorted us into a rectangular barricade type thing that tori was just going to walk across. Tori then came out from the theatre with Joel. I was right in front of the barricade to the left and she walked out and i think she eyed all the familiar faces in the front and just started way to the left. She apologized for making us wait so long. She held peoples hands and asked them their names. She recognized CRAIG and DENISE who were standing right next to me and spoke to them. MIKEWHY who was behind them (hi mike!) held her hand and said thank you, and tori said your very welcome. She then came to me and said "MONICA I've been thinking about you a lot lately.... and we spoke for a few minutes, I gave her my stuffed duck and a few letters from others. She then came to LISA who I think gave her PIXIE STIX right? and then LANA gave had made her her famous spaghetti sauce that tori and her had talked about before. Tori couldnt' believe that she had made it. She then proceeded down the way, people passed their things forward for her. She kissed some drawings that people had done, saying that she was sorry that she didnt' have that much lipstick. She screamed for DENISE who was in the back in a wheelchair. She spoke to MIA and the other LISA, and then looked back down towards us and said, "all the beautiful faces..." She posed with her snakey, a green fuzzy scarf that she had on..and then she walked into the theatre.

I also had the opportunity to speak to Caton. I gave him a letter and a dream dictionary. We spoke for a bit, caught up on the last month. I also spoke to Josh Clayton-Felt. I asked him to release an acoustic cd. He said, for any of you guys that are interested, that an acoustic cd will be available through the fan club. So if any of you guys signed his mailing list, you will hear about it soon.

I had dinner (somewhat) with LANA, LISA, MIKEWHY and DENISE. We were quite rushed. So our dinner pretty much dissolved into nothing. We rushed to the theatre, I had fifth row seats. I noticed there were quite a few new shirts. A jupiter related one, a new little baby doll tee, and a new white one with the lyrics from different songs from all 3 records in a square. I really wanted to get that one, but I had no money..anyone wanna get it for me in CO? They also have a great new poster, similar to the black shirts that they were selling with half of Tori's face...very cool. I did get to hear probobly half of Josh's set. It was very good..I really like his music. Our seats were great and I was sitting right next to NATALIE and NICOLE. Who are two great girls that I met in Chicago. (hi you sillie girls!) After Josh was done, we were very very anxious.

Finally, the lights dimmed and we heard the all-too-familiar-for-last-time SON OF A PREACHER MAN.... little did i know how emotional i would be at this show. I did not write down the set list, because I knew that MIKEWHY would.hehe. so I will just tell you guys what my highlights of the show were (not in any particular order.)...

Tori came out wearing levi's and i think black shoes..a tight black shirt with a round neck and she had this flannel type button up shirt over it...when she got to the Bosey, she took of the shirt..her hair was up in a green scrunchee

LOSING MY RELIGION: i died. I hadnt' heard this song live since Milwaukee in June. It was beautiful...especially how she ends it with the near scream...so moving...god....the tears had already started flowing from the start of the show..

TEAR IN YOUR HAND: I was so happy she played this. They (tori and caton) did a long intro...it was beatutiful...I started sobbing when she sang" Maybe its time to wave goodbye now..."

the intro to CAUGHT A LITE SNEEZE just blew me out of the water..it was HURT by NIN. I almost died with the intensity that she displayed while singing it..she was banging on the piano, grabbing her shoulders and arms..making her palms into fists..just beautiful...at one point, it might not have been during this song, she got up from the piano and just started singing, away from the mic..into the theatre..it was so beautiful.

I just remembered, MIKE, maybe you can help me with this one..I just remember her at one point, grabbing her black shirt..near her chest, more up by the collar, I just cant remember what had happened...or what sTORI she was telling...I also just remmebered that at one point during a song, she just started mouthing words to the audience..not singing them..but MOUTHING the words...? help MIKE! (NOTE FROM MIKEWHY: I also can't quite remember what happened, though I think the mouthing the words part occured during HORSES.)

CORNFLAKE GIRL: god, was it funny.. yah, it started out like it normally does...Tori did the dance and then went back to the Bosey, and right after she started, Caton's guitar went out...Tori noticed and said into the mic.."hey caton, don't you play guitar?" it was so funny...so this guy brought caton out a new guitar,and tori said "thats okay ill just keep playing" it was so awesome, she just improved for like 2 minutes. random lyrics, and just playing the pinao with a vengence. Her head was banging, her feet were swinging, she was just playing, and it was great..and then Caton and Tori exchanged glances, and launched straight in to Cornflake Girl..just amazing..I would love to just hear her improv...god...so good..

LITTLE EARTHQUAKES: ooh a long time favorite. give me life, give me pain, give me myself again...right when i needed it tori, thank you..

CRUCIFY: wow, what a great version of Crucify...even though I really wanted to hear Precious Things, since it was my last show, this song definatly made up for it. she ended with CHAINS...just drawn out, it was beautiful.

PAST THE MISSION: what a beautiful suprise.. I havent' heard this one in a while either. I love the way she started this one..it was interesting what was on the triangle screen behind the Bosey, it seemed like there were dancers of some sort...and Tori seemed to be looking at the screen alot during the song....her and Caton were great on this one...

HERE IN MY HEAD: beautiful. I was not excpecting this one tonight..I love the way she sings the line "maybe im just the horizon you run to..." this one kept the tears flowing...

I can't really remember any thing else..I will add to this review if I do think of anything else.

The show was phenomenal...It was perfect for a last one. for side information, if anyone is interested: Caton is going to go in to the studio to record his own record. He says that he is singer more then a guitarist. LANA LISA(indy), MIA and I are going to start his fan club..so look for it once his record come out..hehe He expects that Tori will probobly go into the studio sometime early next year. When I asked him what happened onstage during Cornflake Girl he said the guitar just broke, and I said, it was cool.and he said, "yah for you but not for me.." it was funny...

I also asked Caton what he thinks the last show will be like, and he said, he just might not show up, because they can't fire him anyway...hehe.. Anyways, I watched in tears as I saw the little blue puppet stick its head out of the bus..for o n e l a s t t i m e .

Thank you Tori for an unbelievable year.

Wow!!  What a show!!  This was my fifth Tori concert on this tour, and
possibly the best I've seen yet.  It could be that I'm drawing off all the
euphoria of last night, but the show was SPECTACULAR.  She didn't play any
songs that I hadn't heard before(except for the a cappela version of "Hurt"
before CALS, and "Here. in my Head"-which I haven't heard since the Under
the Pink Tour two years ago).  But everything seemed right last night. 
Better than Chicago, where I got to meet her for the first time.  Better
than Milwaukee, where I had front row center seats and where Tori played
"Doughnut Song" for me.  I think maybe everything seemed just right last 
night because it was a closing of the tour and represents the closing of a 
lot of things in my own life.  The perfect end-and beginning-of a lot of 
things around me.
Well, I should tell you why it was so spectacular, but here first is a quick
rundown of the songs Tori graced us with last night:

Beauty Queen/Horses!!
Losing My Religion
Tear in Your Hand
Hurt/Caught a Lite Sneeze
Cornflake Girl!!!!
Little Earthquakes!
Past the Mission!!
Muhammad My Friend
Crucify!!
Talula(Tornado Mix)
Me and a Gun
Encore 1: Here. In My Head
          Winter!!!
Encore 2: Father Lucifer!!!
          Hey Jupiter

Well all this took place in Davenport, IA of all cities, and I drove up with
my wonderful friend Cindy from Quincy, IL where we attend college.  We
arrived 4:15 to meet Tori, only to find 50 other fans hanging around as
well.  So we waited for another half hour until she arrived.  Since we were
about eight people back, we got to see as much as her forehead and her hand
holding pixie sticks.  I'd met her before, but wanted this last meeting to
be one final, but necessary "thank you" for all she has done until her next
tour(oh so far away!!).  The meeting didn't happen then and there to my
dismay.  Disappointed, but anxious to see the show, I waited for the show to
begin.
At 8:45, Tori came on looking as wonderful as ever :)--thus began one of the
most emotional shows I've seen.  She energetically went through the set 
riding on the enthusiasm of the crowd(She said that we-the crowd-were
wonderful, and that she wished she could wrap us up and put us in her back
pocket---cute!!!).  What made everything so amazing and wonderful, though,
was her improvisation on nearly ever song.  She was adding bars and bars of
music to each song and performing stunning gestures I've never seen before, 
making the songs the most entertaining I've ever seen(too bad she only has 
only 4 shows left!!).
The show had its highlights.  Nothing beats "Cornflake Girl," which began
with a neat dance and hand gestures as if she was telling a story.  Then she
ran to the piano and began playing.  Soon into the first verse, Caton's
guitar "broke(?)," to which Tori said to him, "you get another one and I'll
keep playing."  And boy did she--for nearly three minutes, it seemed, she 
did nothing but improvise!!!  Awe-inspiring!!!
I'd heard "Horses" performed 4 times before, but something about this
performance was very special.  As with all her songs this time through(I can
remember her working with "Precious Things" and "Happy Phantom" earlier this
year), she seems to be SEARCHING for the songs, exploring them, and letting
the life of their own take hold.  "Winter" was especially beautiful, I
needed to hear "Crucify" again, and "Father Lucifer" was a special treat, 
where she plays it as she did on David Letterman last month.  Finally, much
admiration to Caton, whose experimentation on guitar was absolutely
eye-catching, especially on "Past the Mission" and "Little Earthquakes."
In hopes to meet her after the show, Cindy and I left during the second
verse of "Hey Jupiter" and waited outside(Only one person back!!).  After
over an hour of being packed like sardines in hope to see Tori and fooling
around with Steve and Steve, Tori finally arrived.  (I was such a happy boy
to see her once again)  She took the time to talk to as many as she could(as
she always tries), and wow, did she look wonderful(so cute with that lime
green fuzzy scarf).  When she got to me, she reached out her hand, and after
telling me I looked "stunning" in my hat, I thanked her for the amount of
self-worth she has given me.  She said there is no better thing to hear and
that we need to plan a self-worth party.  All is invited.  What a special
evening.  What a great show!!  I wish everyone could have been there.  Sorry
to everyone waiting for Tori last night that I may have elbowed...we drove
home then, and I found tears on my sleeve.  Thank you, Tori for everything!

I left the theater after the first encore so I would be assured a space at the front of the line to meet Tori. The was such a crowd before the show and I didn't want to miss my last chance for years to greet & thank the goddess. :)

We all waited by the buses for almost _2 hours_ for Tori. Luckily, Steve, Caton, and a few security guards provided entertainment, as well as a few *odd* sing-alongs from crowd members.

Tori finally arrived at about midnight, wearing a fuzzy green *snake* around her neck. She worked her way from left to right as usual. I was all the way on the right up against the building -- the last to meet Tori -- and, by that time, suffciently chilled to the bone.

As she came closer, Joel, her blond-haired, pink-lipped bodyguard commented to me on how cold I looked. I explained to him that I had been there for 2 hours and forgot my gloves at home. My hands were so frozen, they literally resembled eagle talons!

He handed me a folded piece of paper and told me to open it. I thought that this was just a cruel joke because I had a hard time manipulating my hands to open the paper. When I was finally able to open it, I saw that it was an *official* copy of the setlist:

BQ
HORSES
RELIGION
SNEEZE
CORNFLAKE
TEAR
EARTHQUAKES
ICICLE
HEAD                 (I realize that this differs somewhat from
CRUCIFY              what was played, but it was made before the show)
MISSION
TALULA
GUN
**********
WINTER
BAKER BAKER
**********
LUCIFER
JUPITER

I said to Joel, "Is this for me to keep"? He said that it was and I thanked him.

We then talked for a minute about all of the miles I had put on my car traveling from concert to concert (From Chicago to: Indianapolis, Williamsport (PA), Rockford (IL), Normal (IL), Davenport, and various others). He suggested I go to Omaha, Nebraska for Thursday's show. As tempted as I was, I just couldn't do it. :(

Tori finally reached me at the end of the line. I had given her bodyguard caramel appples I had brought from Chicago and asked her if she got them. She asked me where they were bought and when I told her The Fudge Pot, she grabbed me and hugged me and smooched my cheek about a dozen times! DOH!

I told her that when she comes back in two years I would bring her caramel apples to every show I go to -- which will number well into the double digits next time. She told me that there would be a lot of *new girls* on the next tour. I thanked her and told her that we would all miss her. :_(

What a great note to end this tour on. I was purring the whole way home! Thank you to everybody I've met along the way -- you're all awesome! I'll see you again in two years (or at ToriCon -- be there)!

Unlike the other reviews on this page, my physical journey was short (ten minutes actually). With no other person to join me for the concert, I had at first dismissed the opportunity when the tickets went on sale with me out-of-town. As the show date drew closer the desire to attend grew in proportion. Strange, for my only exposure is on CD during the daily commute. This would be my first performance.

My only fear for the show would be that what seats remained on show date would be hidden somewhere in the lobby. Not so. The old trick of waiting for the last-second ticket released paid off, and, at 6:30 (the hour before show time), I went for the ticket. Row WW (which does not sound like much until you find that it is temporary seating for the theatre where the orchestra pit sometimes resides. The front row and the center aisle seat.

I can do no more to elaborate on the beauty and technical expertise in which she performed each song; that has been done quite capably by the other reviews. But caught in her line of sight through out the performance (especially Losing My Religion, Winter, and Father Lucifer) left me in a state where I failed to remember to breathe. At these songs, the show ceased to be a concert and became an experience. With the extended eye contact, I felt my anonymity was lost and that I alone was spoken (sung) to. This was a personal experience beyond any I can recall or thought possible in the presence of thousands of others.

My review, one word and hardly eloquent, is "Incredible."

That was my verbal communication of the experience with Ms. Amos when we briefly clasped hands prior to her second encore.

Musically, the highlights (if you can truly differentiate any of the performances as being more superlative than any other) for me were:

-Beauty Queen/Horses

The intimacy of the experience began immediately with the whispered opening. It felt that, even in the front, we were eavesdropping on her life and emotions, waiting to be invited in (which we were when she refrained with "so I got me some horses to ride on..."

-Losing My Religion

In which I felt the song was sung to me (as greedy/selfish as that may be) from the eye contact we held from the second verse through almost the remainder of the song.

-Cornflake Girl

The blow-out pick-up on the guitar was yet another cosmic accident which led to an even greater performance. The impromptu piano jam instantly placed in a very small pantheon of performers with real, spontaneous ability (Sting & Eric Clapton in his Blues-mode are the only others).

-"Tell us a story..."

Shouted from the crowd, Tori's response and ensuing story as an intro to Muhammad My Friend was at once both comic and identifiably sad.

-Past the Mission

My personal favorite on disc was just plain incredible. Review the past set lists, it seems we were a fortunate audience to hear that song live.

-Father Lucifer

The defiant line of "Nothing's gonna stop me from floating" ultimately resonates in my head even I respond in this review three days later. This song was performed so beautifully that I had to play it first when I returned to the car post-show.

-Hey Jupiter

In Apocalypse Now, Kurtz (Brando) reads of "ending not with a bang, but a whimper." This song, accentuated by the organ brought on stage for this final song, faded out the experience and created a transition back to the "real" world with notsomuch the euphoria of every other "rock" concert, but (to me) almost a lullaby effect.

Thank you for indulging my desire to share the experience of the concert. This show became the finest concert experience I ever participated in (thanks to the audience, the environment, and of course the performer herself).

This almost certainly will be my last Tori Amos concert, though. Between the front row seat, the intimate setting at the Adler, and the unique crossroad of my life, this night's experience will never be duplicated (or sadly, equaled).

Thank You, Tori.

So, I'm hanging out with Tori Amos. . .

No, really. Here's the story.

I've driven the only Honda I ever loved to Normal, IL (for a Tori concert), and Little Rock, AR, (Tori again), and Lawrence, KS (guess who), and Springfield, MO (uh hu). So, the poor Honda is screaming at me, making funny noises when I accelerate.

On the last show (Springfield), I had chatted with the roadies and they told me that Davenport, IA wasn't so far from St. Louis. And Tori had told us that she hoped we could make it. How can you refuse that invitation. So, here I am, suffering Honda and all.

Ok, I can handle this. I'm smooth. I think I can convince my mother to loan me her Olds. So, I invite my sister (ha, great trick. use this one whenever possible. Just joking Cory :) and I make it sound like I have to go to Iowa. Then I drop it on her that I'm off to annother state to see a concert. By this time, she hadn't asked why I was going, and was assuming it was for work. Anyway, she didn't change her mind. . . . Yes!

Ok, Brian says he has annother friend who wants to go. No problem. Its an Olds, it can handle a few people. So, I get the Olds, and Mom takes off for work in my car. Now, a little background. At the time, I lived in Robertsville, MO., About an hour from anything in St. Louis. Not a problem . . . unless your car breaks down.

As it turns out, my car was in pretty bad shape. It broke down on Mom about 15 minutes from the house. So I came around the corner to get onto the Highway, and there she is; on the side of the road; cellphone in hand. (don't have one myself, but they're damn convienent for breakdowns)

So, I pick her up, and we call the tow truck, and the shop, and have them all work out the car stuff while we go on to work. Luckily, Mom is way cool. She's relatively unruffled, and still planning to lend her two kids the car to drive to Iowa for a concert.

So we take off later that day; Lucky we got the Olds. Brian, Jason, Tonya, Cory, and I would have gotten real close in the Honda . The trip is called at 4:21 hours. by www.freetrip.com. So, we took off at about 1 pm.

Now, Mom's olds hasn't given her any trouble. (But, then, neither has my Honda until I sacrificed it to Tori :) So about 2 1/2 hours into the trip, the speedometer goes a little loopy. I mean, I'm pretty sure I wasn't going 110!! And all the dummy lights were flashing on and off.

But, we are undaunted. We keep pushing the Olds. I mean, we were only a half hour outside Davenport. (my grandfather could make it there in less than 4:21) By the time we got to the exit, we were waving people out of the way and screaming at the car to keep going. We were a little bit psyched about going to see Tori, and a little bit slap-happy from the cabin fever. And the car was not happy. So, as we pulled off at the Davenport exit, the car had had it. It slowed to a stop on the top of the exit ramp.

We got out and opened the hood. Not because we knew what to do under the hood, but that's just what you do when the car breaks down on the highway. You open the hood and stare at the engine. :) Oh, and you kick the tires. You can't forget to kick the tires. In fact, that's the only reason we got saved. If I hadn't gotten out an kicked the tires, Lindsay & Faye wouldn't have seen us. And they wouldn't have gone around three cloverleaves to come back and pick us up.

They said "We saw you kicking the tires, and figured that you had come to see Tori". So they managed to fit all 5 of us, and the two of them into a Geo Storm! Wow, those things are small. Tonya and I in the trunk; Brian, Jason, & Cory in the back seat, and Lindsay & Faye in the front. And I had the wine bottle!! (long story, told on annother page comming to this website soon)

Unfortunately, when we showed up at the hall, Tori had already gone inside. Steve Caton was hanging around outside for awhile. So we chatted with him, and went to a nearby hotel to get a latte. As it turns out, Lindsay knew some people there. And she found out that Tori had eaten lunch there. Aarrg, just missed her again.

Well, Lindsay (being one of the most extremely cool people on planet) loaned us her car to go and meet the tow truck. Wow! So, Cory & Brian went off to take care of that, and I went to the box office to get the tickets.

Now, I had reserved tickets the day before. (i.e., the morning after we got back from the Springfield show) So, I went up to the counter, and got the tickets. Now, all was fine and dandy (if you have already forgotten about two cars dying in one day. btw our only savior, the 77 Jeep pickup, was already in the shop) and I brought the tickets out. We hung around and chatted with the people outside the show for awhile. And then I realized that I hadn't picked up the extra tickets that Brian had ordered. So I went back in, and as I was getting them, the people at the next window asked where their tickets were on the map. The guy at the counter pointed to the front row!!

Wait a minute! I asked the girl at my window if those were really front row, and she said that they had just opened up the last few seats in the front row. So, i pushed the credit card back under the window and said "I'll have the rest of those." Turns out there was only one. But that was one more front row ticket than i should have had Talk about psyched. I walked outside clutching that ticket like it was going to get me into the first meal i've had in a week. And a cheshire grin that I had to turn sideways to fit through the door!

My friends almost killed me, but then they figured that I had lost 2 cars to get them there, and they weren't so bad off in twelfth row. Now all I had to do was get this long overcoat with a wine bottle and two cameras into the concert. It's not as if I was going to drink the wine, it was a present for Tori. And the cameras were for later :):)

Aha, why not try the old "ask the guy who frisks you what to do with extra tickets" trick. Whaddaya know, I gave away the tickets, and they were distracted enough to let me slide through without even glancing at the bulging overcoat I was carring.

The concert was magic! But if you've seen a Tori Amos show, you know that. The thing about this one was, when she saw me at the Lawrence, KS show, she had said "Hey, I know you." And, sitting in front row, I think she recognized me again. When she got to Winter, she started singing, very slowly and softly, looking straight at me, with tears in both of our eyes

you say I wanted you to be PROUD of me I
always wanted that myself he says when you
gonna make up your mind when you gonna love
you as much as I do

So, its no surprise that I barely noticed the biting cold wind when I left the concert after the first encore to wait outside by the bus. I had a mission. I had a bottle of wine to avoid breaking.

We waited out by the bus for well over an hour for Tori. Still don't know what the holdup was. About twenty minutes before she came out, Steve came out to give us the rundown on the rules. Now, the front row of people consisted of others who had left early. We all knew the rules. And we had been rapping with Steve for awhile. So Steve said "Ok, you guys all know this, who wants to do my job for me?"

Well, no one spoke up immediately, so I told him I'd do it. And, as you can see, my sister already had one of the cameras.

So, Tori finally came out.

And we were first to talk to her. We, of course, thanked her for the show. And she, of course, thanked us for coming. We wished her the best for her impending vacation. And told her that we hoped this would be the bottle of wine she said she was looking forward to after the tour. And it didn't break this time!! And then Cory got the picture.

More on this story later. I mean we're still stuck in Davenport, IA with a broken car at midnight. . .

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Wow, what a night! This was to be my second Tori show, and this one was in my hometown. Weather-wise, the entire day had been rainy and gray, but Tori's appearance made even that night beautiful.

First of all, I met her! I arrived at the theatre at about 3:45 with my friend Jill. We then met some people also waiting that said that this was going to be the fifteenth show they'd seen on the Dew Drop Inn tour. (Hi, Julie, Tiffany, and Bob!) They were very nice to us and we chatted until Tori arrived- at about 4:45 or so. When she stepped off of her bus, I was enchanted and nearly cried in joy. She took the time to talk to each of the 15 or so of us that were there. When she got to me, I was a nervous wreck and couldn't remember half of the things I had planned to say. I handed her a small gift bag with a butterfly scarf and a note in it and said, "This is for you." She peered curiously into the bag, and I said, "It's a butterfly scarf." "Oh, groovy!" she said. (She liked it!) She then signed my Little Earthquakes tape cover and I said, "Oh, Tori, I just wanted to thank you for helping me with my life.You've helped me with so many things, and..." At this point I started to get emotional, and she reached out and hugged me. It was so wonderful. We posed for a picture together, and then I requested "Tear In Your Hand" and explained why it was so special to me. The whole time I spoke to her, she focused directly on me with her clear blue eyes and nodded, really caring. Afterward, I felt in some way complete.

I went to the show early, and, as if meeting Tori wasn't enough, I spotted Tiffany, Julie, and Bob talking to Caton. I introduced myself and told him that he does a great job. Wow!

The show in itself was great, as I'm sure they always are. Tori seemed to improvise on every song and jumped off out of her seat to explain things quite a bit. She seemed excited. Here's the set list:

Beauty Queen/Horses
Take to the Sky
Talula (Tornado Version)
Doughnut Song
Cornflake Girl (I saw the dance for the first time!)
Pretty Good Year
Mary (I had never heard this one before.  She mentioned that Mary
      Magdalene was her favorite Bible character because "She was the
      only woman in the Bible.")
Silent All These Years
Precious Things (GGGIIIIRRRRRRRRRRLLLL)
The Waitress
Caught A Lite Sneeze
Me and a Gun (A very respectful crowd, thank goodness.)
---------------------
Twinkle
Winter
---------------------
Mr. Zebra  (At this point, I was quite sure that she wasn't going to
            my request, because the harmonium was ready to go, but...)
TEAR IN YOUR HAND!!!   (She played it!  I nearly jumped out of my seat.
                        People around me thought I was nuts.)
Hey Jupiter

It was a great show, but I really feel that my high point was before the show. I don't think I really let myself go during the concert, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I still can't believe that I met Tori Amos...

here's the setlist for the 11/4 show in springfield, mo:

beauty queen/horses 
take to the sky
hurt/talula 
doughnut song
cornflake girl 
pretty good year
mary!!!
silent all these years!!!
precious things
waitress
caught a light sneeze
me and a gun

twinkle
winter

hello mr. zebra
tear in my hand!! 
hey jupiter

-=-=-

in the beginning to "mary", she started by saying "i hear this is a land 
of christians . . . which totally gets me off."

after the show, i remarked that there were a lot of earthquake girls
in the set -- at which she turned and said simply "well, it's a new city.
we've never played here before." 

so i don't know where this fits in to the theory of tori rewriting or 
choosing not to do "eric-era" songs.  i was amazed to hear saty again, 
and to hear tear in my hand at the end of the last show i was going to 
be able to attend this tour was truly heartwrenchingly wonderful. 

i gave her a copy of richard bach's "illusions" with a blue feather 
in the binding.  when i asked if she knew the book, she said "LOVE it" 
and i told her to give it to the next person she thought needed it (but 
i do hope that she reads the dedication in the front cover). 

talking with steve caton before she came out, i asked how long he thought
it would be before they were in the studio: 
"probably sooner than she's saying, knowing how she works.  i'd expect 
to be in the studio early next year, after we take a nice break." 
steve (the bodyguard) said he was going snowboarding afterwards, and 
steve caton said he was going skiing.  i asked steve the bodyguard if the 
crew had any influence on the tour's ending in colarado, since they were
all going skiing afterwards, and he just smiled. 

after she got on the bus and it started driving away from the barricade, 
she stuck a harlequin puppet out the window towards us.  so my last 
image of tori on this tour is her arm sticking out of the window, covered in 
jester-shaped felt, dancing off towards st. louis.  

i'm going to pick up the film now! :-) :-) :-) 

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MORNING (9:45 am-2:00 pm)

I arrived at the Lied Center at 9:45 am (*yawn*) to help Tori's road crew help set up for that evening's show, which was to start at 7:30pm. I went to the loading dock where two huge semi's full of show stuff were open and ready to be unloaded. So, that's what I, and about 15 other people who signed up for stage crew at the Lied Center, set out to do. Talk about using your muscles! We unloaded so much stuff: catering, sound equipment, lighting equipment, wardrobe, cables, scenery, PIANOS, and lots more. After everything was finally unloaded, we started the exhausting task of setting up for the show. I was assigned to sound and I worked with one of the roadies named Mike(?). I helped unload cables from their boxes and I also helped set up the speakers, which weighed about 50-75 pounds each and other odd jobs. Oh, before I forget, I got to help set up that huge triangle shaped screen that sits behind Tori and projects the many fabulous effects seen throughout the show!!!!! Also, I talked with Tori's stage crew, who were all extremely cool people to work with. Many of them are English and have these amazing senses of humor. After three hours of this, the crew decided it was time to set up the piano, harpsichord, and the harmonium. I was sooooooo excited. All I was thinking was, "Oh, my god. I am actually going to get to touch Tori's piano/Oh, my god. I am touching Tori's piano/harpsichord/harmonium". Cloud 9, let me tell you!! So, yes, I helped set up the Bosey, and the Harpsichord, which are both very beautiful. I also got to sit down on her bench, which sounds kind of stupid, but hey, you only live once. :) After this euphoria, the volunteering stage crew (us 15 committee people) were told that our job was done and that we were free for lunch. This was approximately 2:00 pm. I overheard some of the committee asking if they would be able to stick around for the soundcheck (as any Tori fan would), but her crew said 'no' and that it was a closed soundcheck. Before we left, we were all given our backstage passes and were told by the crew to be back at 10:00 that night to start loading up, but I had other plans.

AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING (3:00 pm-6:00 pm)

After my friend Sharon, who is also on the committee and was helping out that day, finished our lunch, we decided to go back to where I live (which is in walking distance from where Tori was to play that night). I told her that I wanted to get back to Lied as soon as possible because I wanted to meet Tori. I knew that we wouldn't be able to go inside the building, so we knew that we were going to have to wait for her outside like everyone else, even though it was about 45 degrees that day. At around 3:45, we left my place and went picked up my friend, Laura, and set out for Lied, again. When we got there about 15-20 other Tori fans and Ears With Feet were waiting there by the stage door, also. I met lots of really cool people while were waiting for the goddess. Okay, after one and a half hours of waiting and trying to keep warm, Steve came out and informed us that Tori was going to arrive shortly, but she wasn't going to be able to sign anything because she was very late for soundcheck, which I already knew because I sneaked a peak at the schedule for that evening, soundcheck was supposed to start at 4:30 and it was already 5:30. Finally, the tour bus pulled up, stopped, and out stepped the most beautiful creature I have ever seen in my whole life. I immediately started taking pictures and during this I was trying not to have a heartattack. All 50 or so of us were in a line and Tori decided to start on my side. :)

After she talked with the 5 people ahead of me, including my friend Laura, it was finally my turn. She asked me my name and after I told her, I asked her if I could have a hug, which she warmly gave me. (Tori gives the best hugs!) I then gave her my presents: a beaded necklace which I made just for her, a poem, a letter, and this funny joke thing which I knew she would like. I was kind of worried that she had already seen it, but she said she hadn't, so I was very happy about that. After I gave her my stuff, she hugged me again. As she hugged me, she told me 'thank you' and then kissed me on the cheek, where I, in turn, kissed her back. She then said 'bye' and moved on to the next fan(my friend Sharon, whom she hugged!) It was magical. I'm still floating. I then took a few more pictures as she was talking to her other fans and waited until she disappeared into the stage door. *sigh* I then composed myself and walked back to my room to get ready for the concert.

LATE EVENING (6:30 pm-12:30 pm)

Sharon and I, yet again, arrived back at the Lied Center around 6:30. We were let in early because we were on stage crew. When I got there, they were still setting up the merchandise stand, and to my delight, I saw two new Tori shirts that weren't there when I saw her show earlier in June. My friend excused herself for a second and then about 30 seconds later, she came running back to me, exclaiming that she could hear the entire soundcheck in the bathroom. So, to the bathroom we bolted. This does sound weird, yes, but there are speakers in the bathroom of the Lied and they were hooked up to the microphones which were being used for soundcheck. It was like we were having our own little private concert there (in the bathroom, no less). The songs she played during the soundcheck were:

--Smells Like Teen Spirit
--Little Earthquakes
--Space Dog
--A few bars of Caught A Lite Sneeze
--A song I have never heard before that mentioned
Doris Day (next album?)

After the soundcheck, we left the bathroom. I went to buy some merchandise and then I found my seat. Finally, 7:30 rolled around. Josh Clayton Felt opened and he was pretty cool. He plays a lot of rock/funk which was really good. Then intermission came -Zeppelin songs time!!! :)- and then about 30 minutes later, the lights went down. "Son of a Preacher Man" came on and out she came. She was wearing a white tank top and jeans and sneakers. Now for the set list:

                        --BQ/Horses
                        --Smells Like Teen Spirit(right after she sang 
                          this I yelled "I love you Tori!" which she 
                          then replied "I love you guys, too!!")  :)
                        --Caught A Lite Sneeze (before this, she played 
                          a little bit from Hurt)
                        --Cornflake Girl(she did her dance, rather well
                          I might add)
                        --Tear In Your Hand
                        --Little Earthquakes
                        --Onward Christian Soldiers/Icicle
                        --Muhammad My Friend (Before this she told a 
                          a funny story about spending Christmas Eve's  
                          at her family's house every year)
                        --Love Song :)
                        --Talula (Tornado Mix)
                        --Me and A Gun
                        Encore 1.
                        --Somewhere Over the Rainbow
                        --Cloud on My Tongue
                        Encore 2.
                        --Father Lucifer
                        --Etienne (very surprised to hear)

And then, it was over. The house lights came up and I promptly made my was backstage to help the crew take down the stage and load the truck back up. As soon as I walked on stage, I noticed Caton off to the side and I went over to him and introduced myself. He shook my hand and we then talked for about 5 minutes. He's a really cool person to talk to, so I hated telling him that I had to leave because they needed me on stage. We said our goodbyes and I then returned to the hard work that awaited me. To my relief, taking the stage down was a lot easier than setting it up. I again returned to sound and helped to take down and speakers and various other things. I was hoping to say goodbye to Tori, but by the time I had the chance to finally get backstage, it was too late. She had already left. :( That's okay, though, at least I got to meet her once. ;) Finally, after about two hours of packing up and joking around with the crew, everything was loaded up in the truck and ready to go. The crew said goodbye to us and thanked us for our help and then they eventually left. Oh yeah, I did manage to get a copy of Tori's set list (the one she used during the show) and it was a little different from what she played that night. According to her list, Space Dog, Sugar, and Marianne were supposed to be performed that night. It would have been really cool to hear Sugar, but oh well, maybe next time (In TWO YEARS). I got home around 12:30, and needless to say, I crashed. I was soooooooo tired and extremely worn out. But hey, I had a GREAT day!

i'm exhausted after driving five hours after the concert and i'm supposed to be up again in three hours, but here's the setlist from the lawrence, ks show (11/3/96).

beauty queen/horses
smells like teen spirit 
hurt/caught a light sneeze (yep -- she transposed the beginning from lovesong)
cornflake girl
tear in your hand!!!
little earthquakes
onward christian soldiers/icicle
       *a great story about her dad forcing her to sing at christmas, segue to
muhammad my friend
love song 
talula
me and a gun

somewhere over the rainbow
cloud on my tongue

father lucifer
eitianne!!! 

interestingly, the "official" setlist said that spacedog would be played before lovesong (i was **VERY** sad it was skipped) and that the first encore was to be sugar and marianne.

i had a seat directly behind the light, sound, and video op boards, and so i got to see some rather amusing expressions from the crew as tori went "off book" and started improvising.

the entire show seems to be run out of a macintosh 8100 a/v and a powerbook 5300ce.

*fun quote: (roughly paraphrased):

"i always get stuck with my dad at christmas. and it's like, i love my father, but jesus christ girls, you're 33, you wanna get laid, there's this hot guy, _what are you doing_? but then dad goes 'oh, you've got to be here for christmas ... we're christian.'" (tori smacks forehead).

another bit of trivia -- there was a setlist on the floor by the light board which said the following:

"bq
horses
anastasia
love song
lucifer
cornflake
honey
earthquakes
the wrong band
china
crucify
sneeze
talula
gun
-----
blue raincoat
cloud
-----
sandman
mr. zebra
jupiter

i heard *nothing* about an extra tulsa show [from the previous day] -- but the brady theatre wasn't even sold out, i don't think. so does this mean that, if the first show *had* had a quantum sellout, another show would have been added, and we would have had THE CHANCE TO HEAR TORI SINGING "ENTER SANDMAN"?!?!?!?!? waaaaah!!

***TORI CONCERT REVIEW IN THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 10/6/96***

Students moved by Amos
by Tommy Gallagher(Kansan staff writer)

Tori Amos clutched her crotch, caressed her breasts and pounded her piano in a spirited performance for 2,000 people at a sold-out Lied Center Sunday night.

Amos plugged through a 15-song, 90-minute set as she hammered away at a piano, harpsichord and organ. She played a well-balenced mix from her three records to date: 1991's *Little Earthquakes*, 1994's *Under The Pink* and 1996's *Boys For Pele*.

Before the first of two encores, Amos ended her set with a stunning a cappella performance of *Me And A Gun*, a song about rape so moving that most of the people were motionless.

"I sang 'holy, holy' as he buttoned down his pants," Amos sang. Niki Beals, Manhattan sophmore, trembled and cried for those who have been victims of rape.

"I'm not sure what the name of the song was, but I bawled when she sang the song about rape towards the end," Beals said. "Any woman who has been raped, or anyone who knows someone who has been raped, couldn't help but feel the honesty in that song."

Earlier response to *Me And A Gun* by her fans prompted Amos to co-found the Rape and Incest National Helpline. She also was awarded a Visionary Award from the Washington, D.C., Rape Crisis Center for her efforts to help sex crime victims.

Susan Robison, Lyndon freshman, said the performance was a success.

"It was amazing; it was incredible; it was orgasmic," Robison said. "She fuses into her songs intelligence with sexuality more than any other artist out there today."

Josh Clayton-Felt, formerly of the band School of Fish, opened the show. He loosened the crowd during a 40-minute set of blues and funk-influenced music that included a cover of The Coommadores' classic *Brick House*.

After a 45-minute intermission, Amos walked on center stage to Dusty Springfield's *Son Of A Preacher Man*. The significance: Her father is a Methodist minister.

"The concept of sin is a whole other story to my father," Amos said after singing *Icicle*, a song about masturbation. "I always wind up spending Christmas with my family, but I'm 33 years old. I want to get drunk, I want to get laid, and he can't understand that."

Although her father might not always understand her, Amos' fans have an appreciation for what her music and lyrics represent.

"I was turned on to Tori about five years ago when I saw an interview of hers because she was so honest and straight-foward," said Scott Ede, Overland Park freshman. "I think that anyone with an open mind could listen to and appreciate her music."

**Note**
The article is accompanied with a picture of Tori taken during the performance that night. She is wearing a white tank-top and jeans. Also,the Virgin Mary night light sits glowing on the Bosey.

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The following concert review, which appeared in the November4, 1996 issue of the Tulsa World newspaper, was sent to me by John.

TORI AMOS
by Thomas Conner
World Staff Writer

Tori Amos is the opposite of Zen. No direct, meditative insights for this woman - everything is emotion, titillation, confusion and sensuality. Search for meaning in her songs and you'll find whatever images and identity you already brought with you, like looking in a fun-house mirror.

A nearly sould-out crowd in Brady Theater on Saturday night stared into Amos's looking glass for an hour and a half, gazing at this bizarre little nymph and trying to believe that her songs of push-button religious symbolism and sweeping classical arrangements were speaking directly to each individual soul. Perhaps they were. To this soul, however, they said both, "I have the communicative power of Angelica Huston and Emily Dickinson," and, "They're coming to take me away, ha, ha, hee, hee, to the happy home...."

This daughter of a Methodist minister sauntered onto the stage to the chorus of Dusty Sprgingfield's "Son of a Precher Man," then began slowly with the one-note aria of "Beauty Queen" from her latest album "Boys For Pele." Like the album, it gave way to the plaintive wisps of "Horses," and in no time Amos was hissing and gasping and roaring and panting - beginning the exhausting cycle of musical climaxes that would continue throughout the show.

Amos exudes a feminine sensuality with the same crushing force as Trent Reznor's masculinity. though, its mission is unclear and its effectiveness muddied by unbridled passion. That's what sensuality is all about, after all.

It's not necessarily what great art is all about, but sometimes she get lucky and makes a point. As mentioned earlier, you find in this music whever you want to find, and sometimes that in itself makes a universal point. Amos, surprisingly, performed "Me and a Gun," an a cappella stream of consciousness about her own rape. (The fact that she performs this highly personal song every night is a testament to her stamina, her infrequent social importance and her pandering.) During one silent moment in the song, after the man in the narrative had unbuttoned his fly and pressed her flat on the ground, some lunkhead in the audience shattered the stillness in the theater with a whooping, "Yeah!" Amos slid her eyes up for one devilish instant and said, "Exactly." The point of the song was made for her, which is just the kind of social or personal stimulus good art strives to be.

Amos just doesn't hit the mark very often. The bulk of Saturday's performance did not redeem Amos's recorded work as being much more worthy than the reams of unicorn posters that decorate so many pink bedrooms. She peppers her poetry with just enough symbolic touchstones (the devil, Jesus, flowers, guns) to raise the gooseflesh on cue, but it amounts to little more than stirring up your emotions with no end offered. It works, too - two nearby girls in their early teens watched most of the show curled into the fetal position, sobbing.

Musically, there's no doubt she's a master. Aside from her over-stylized vocals, she can make a Bosendorfer piano rock like the Bosendorfers never imagined their instruments would. He classically rooted arrangements aid the tiresome swoop and fall of the compositions, but they are certainly a glimmering respite from the rest of modern rock. The show was solo except for occasional flourishes from guitarist Steve Caton and one drum machine track that made "Talula" absolutely righteous.

John Clayton-Felt opened the show with a remarkable solo set. Keeping to the stripped-down theme of Amos's act, Clayton-Felt performed songs from his lushly arranged, multi-instrumental solo album, "Inarticulate Nature Boy," with a lone guitar. For the most part, it worked, and he still managed to lay down a head-bobbing groove. Clayton-Felt is a fantastic songwriter, and his baritone is warm and neat. Most of the songs came from his latest disc (highly recommended), plus a crisp blues number, a quick cover of Prince's "Rasberry Beret" and "Three Strange Days," the one hit from his other band, School of Fish.

i thought i'd go ahead and post the set list for the 11/2 show in tulsa, ok. i doubt that any of my pictures are going to come out, but i'm eventually going to bundle reviews of the oklahoma city, tulsa, and kansas city shows together on my web site, with pictures if possible. all in all, this has been one incredible week.

the show was absolutely phenomenal. maybe it was the halloween energy (combined with having two days off since oklahoma city), maybe it was the fact that i was closer than i'd ever been in any previous concert (7th row) and was able to see her facial expressions for the first time, but i was absolutely astounded at her intensity.

-=-=-

beauty queen/horses
yes anastasia!!! (kudos to shawna, for reminding her to play it!!)
hurt/love song (has anyone listed the roller coasters in the video anywhere?)
father lucifer
cornflake girl (a great dance interaction with a guy standing in front)
honey!!
little earthquakes!!!!
the wrong band!!
precious things (she seemed literally possessed during this song. amazing!!)
crucify
caught a light sneeze
talula (tornado alley homage part one)
me and a gun (somebody actually interrupted with a shout during "yes i wore
a slinky red thing." i hate this state sometimes.)

china
somewhere over the rainbow!! (tornado alley homage part two)

springtime of his voodoo
foodgasm*
hey jupiter

* (rough paraphrase): "i'd love to take you home with me...but i'm homeless. if i come live with you, i eat so much food, you just wouldn't believe it. i'd drive you crazy." what followed was a "when harry met sally"-cafe-scene-esque homage, a breathy litany of food. i wish to god i'd had time to write it down but i was laughing too hard. "pasta! MUSSELS! OHHH! AHHHHHH! **MORE MAYONNAISE**!!"

-=-=-

a very LE-heavy setlist, which i didn't mind a bit. she's played little earthquakes in each of the three shows i've seen this tour. i am so happy.

did anyone tape this show? the legal ramifications regarding the rest of the concert notwithstanding, i would dearly love to have a copy of the foodgasm on tape. upload them .wav files, folks!!

anyway, hi shawna, hi jess, hi to everyone who i got to see in line at soundcheck and after the show, and i'll see those of you who are going to the soundcheck in lawrence tomorrow. (look for the tall redbearded guy in black -- and yes that was me giving tori a rose with a cylaume lightstick wrapped around the stem as she walked offstage after "hey jupiter")

what kevin always tries to say: "hey tori, what's up? i enjoyed tonight's concert. by the way, i'm asking everybody this: what's the meaning of life? i hope to see you tomorrow. you're really really wonderful. thanks so much."

what kevin ends up saying when she's actually standing in front of him: "h-. hah-eye. um. um. hi tori. um. wow. you were great. uh. yeah."

The Brady Theater is an extremely old and compact theater used mainly for plays. Hence, the front row was literally against the stage. Josh even mentioned that this was the closest the audience had been all tour. I'm sure the security was loving this situation.

After a much shorter imtermission compared to OKC, Tori hopped out appearing much more rested than the previous show. She was wearing a red leotard top with blue slacks (Sorry, I didn't get to see what shoes she was wearing.

BQ/Horses : I was still amazed how powerful Horses is live. There seemd to be a technical snafu during these songs. There was some sort of feedback occuring giving a noticable hissing. I believe it was due to the close proximity of Steve's guitars as the stage was extremely small. The problem was quickly fixed.

Anatasia : I was sooooo happy to hear this. She started, as she has, to my knowledge, all tour, with the '1919' part.

Lovesong : She spent a lot of time looking at the rollercoaster

Father Lucifer

She introduces Caton and mentions that this is the first time they've played Tulsa. Also say they only have 8 more shows to go and if we want, we should follow them.

Cornflake Girl : The first row was so close they were almost up there dancing with her. As Tori ran back to the piano, she actually missed the first note by a half beat. Her and Caton quickly got back in snyc, but had a good chuckle over it.

Honey : Seemed a lot of the audience didn't recognize it.

Little Earthquakes : *Now* I know what everyone was talking about regarding the lights. They are a bit much.

Wrong Band : Done as a request. She even mentioned she doesn't play it that often.

Precious Things : Very primal and deliberate. Only about a 20 second grrlll for those who count.

Crucify : Sounded excellent and very precise.

CALS : Could barely hear most of the Zoooooone as the crowd was cheering so much.

Talula : Again, really kicked. Seemd so much louder this night given the size of the theater.

Maag : After the line 'I wore a slinky red thing', someone yelped out 'yeah!'. Unfazed and not missing a beat, Tori said 'Exactly'. I don't know whether this shook her concentration or if she did it purposefully, but she skipped the entire 'Me and Jesus ..... Is it my right ....' part and went right to 'Do you love Carolina' I don't know if I was more dissapointed by the person that yelled or by the omission of the lyrics. Or both ..... She really hammered the FLAT and you could feel the entire theater jump.

E1 :

China : Absolutely spectacular! This may have been requested as Tori seemed to be looking at a specific person for most of the song.

Somewhere over the Rainbow : She really nailed it.

E2:

Springtime of his Voodoo : Great interaction between her and Caton. This song really exemplifies how much Steve adds to the show.

Foodgasm part : Someone yells out 'Take me home Tori' Tori : 'I'd love to, but I'm homeless. You don't want that anyways. I eat too much. You'd go insane. I'd always be eating. Mussles.....mayonaise ...... pickles ...... cheese ....... ooohhh' All this while she was warming up the harmonium. This was really the most she said during this show. The 3 days rest seemed to have her concentrating on the music.

Hey Jupiter : Really belted out at the end.

All in all, I think I liked this show better than the OKC show, however, thats like comparing Reese's with M&M's. Both show were great. Guess this better tide me over for a couple years now.

As for the Tulsa concert, it was just as exciting and powerful. I got center section, seat 2, row M--not bad seats, but w/ 2 BIG men and a women with big HAIR blocking your view, I had to lean & stretch & sit up real straight just to see Tori! "Next time, front row, next time...you're mine, all mine!";)

As "Kevin" reported, Tori had a surprising food orgasm (I would be hungry too after 1 hr & 30 mins of soul-searching singing!). And she also played CRUCIFY--1 of my very faves!!!,& CHINA!!! Yeah:) I also love that little dance right b4 "cornflake girl"---what kind of dance is that btw??? And of course, there's got to be some rude, inconsiderate JERK in the crowd who whops & hollered right b4 Tori sings "yes, i know i wore a slinky red thing..." And Tori replies back: "EXACTLY!"

Afterward, I waited for 40 mins w/ the other fans but Tori never made to the end of the line b4 her bodyguards directed her towards the bus. I wanted to scream out: "Tori, honey, just one more autograph, please!!!" but I didn't. I mean, among the many would she actually hear me and come back to sign a yellow piece of paper for a freezing girl w/ long black hair??? maybe. who knows.

I've only been a fan of Tori since this past December of 95 when I heard "famous blue raincoat" so, I have a lot of catching up to do:)

In article <1996Nov3.010133@centum.utulsa.edu> hkm67815@centum.utulsa.edu writes:
>i thought i'd go ahead and post the set list for the 11/2 show in tulsa, ok.
>i doubt that any of my pictures are going to come out, but i'm eventually
>going to bundle reviews of the oklahoma city, tulsa, and kansas city shows
>together on my web site, with pictures if possible.  all in all, this has 
>been one incredible week. 

I'm developing some good shots.  She looked really good through the
viewfinder.  Let you know how they come out and will post some to a web
site.

>yes anastasia!!! (kudos to shawna, for reminding her to play it!!)

One of my personal favorites.  Thanks Shawna!!! (Nice to meet you too).

>precious things (she seemed literally possessed during this song. amazing!!)

I have a funny story how two people can see the same thing and come away
with totally different impressions.  It was not until I saw Tori almost
ripping her guts out singing this song did I realize that it was a lot
more complicated than being insulted by Billy (okay, I'm not too
perceptive).  Hearing this live made it really clear the song is about
the mindset that would allow her to thank him.  Shhesh, so I was having
this incredible adreneline rush watching her "possessed", screeching,
groaning and having this revelation simultaneously, when my wife, Carol 
(who likes Tori too) leans over to me and says "Is she having voice 
problems?".  Just amazing (:-).  Fwiw, Carol liked China best as she
sang it in a straightforward style.

>a very LE-heavy setlist, which i didn't mind a bit.  she's played little
>earthquakes in each of the three shows i've seen this tour.  i am so happy.

Me too.  Made up for missing Dallas.

Pre-concert report... We got to see and talk to her briefly during
sound-check.  She was really nice and I felt like that Sting song...
Oooo,ooo,ooo,ah,ah,ah...  My daughter Lindsay got to yak with her
about being a musician and Tori signed one of her original songs.  

Post concert report...Alex, my 10 year old (who is a big fan, despite
his age) managed to scoot under about 200 people to get right up front
to get a Tori hug.  I'll leave this quote from Tori to him for you all... 

"Being short is having power"...Tori Amos, 11/2/96

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