5 1/2 Weeks Tour
Minneapolis, MN
September 16, 1999
Updated November 10, 1999
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5 1/2 Weeks Tour |
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Check Out The Reviews And Set Lists Page Tori performed in Minneapolis, MN on September 16, 1999 at the Target Center during the Tori & Alanis Morissette 5 1/2 Weeks Tour.  Set ListGod Encore: |
ReviewsFrom MikewhySeptember 16, 1999 - This was likely my final show of the tour and I was a little emotional during it. It turned out to be a really fantastic performance and one that I am glad to end the tour with. After Crucify, Tori asked if anyone from the audience was from North Dakota. She said she did a show in Grand Forks when she was 15. The ending to Blood Roses is really powerful! Jackie's Strength was done solo without the band this evening. (It was done with the band during the Plugged '98 tour.) It seemed more tender and poignant this way. Tori did mess up during the song, stopped playing, smiled, and said, "I so fucked this up..." and started again with the line, "Make me laugh." Tori put her hands to head to make horns at the start of Father Lucifer. At the start of Riot Poof Tori gave her water bottle to someone in the front row and then danced back to the piano. It was really cool! During the start of Hotel, Tori held a towel or maybe a white shirt in front of her like a bull fighter and then dropped it to the floor. I am not sure why but it was really fun to watch! Because I had to see some people after the show, I was only able to see Alanis perform Univited and Thank U toward the end of her show. I will miss Alanis terribly. I always enjoyed her music and after this tour, I appreciate and admire her even more. I hope I will have a chance to see her in concert again soon. Of course, the big news was the fact that I may not be seeing Tori anymore this year. I did get to see 14 great shows and had such a good time. I will miss Tori and the band. I will miss the passion and energy that seemed to premeate all of Tori's performances. And I will miss the interaction of Tori with the band, which is fascinating to experience. I envy those of you are getting to see her later this year. From Ian MullinsSeptember 23, 1998 - Okay! My very first Tori experience. My first review. That WHOLE DAY on 9/16/99 was AWESOME... Andrew and I got to the venue at about 1pm, and about 15 people were hanging around, some w/ flowers and other gifts...so I knew I was in the right spot. So we waited for about an entire hour - 2pm - and still no Tori! I was so anxious... So then at about 2:30pm I think, a big door opened up at the left of everything and this guy brought out a bunch of barricades w/ a forklift deal... The (now) 25 of us hobbled over to the left side and watched in awe ... The barricades went out of my site though, but we were told not to move so I just stayed where I was. 30 or so minutes later, there was commotion on the right side of everything, and then someone said "they're setting it up over here!".. so then we all hobbled over to the right side around the corner, and saw them setting up the barricades! A security guard came over and said "okay now STOP... and SIT DOWN.. do NOT move forward..".. so we all sit down... and wait and wait some more... So then at about 3:30, a security guard comes up to us and says, "Okay, now--" (at this point we all brace ourselves) "you can walk--" (at this point we are fast walking towards the barricade) "WALK DON'T RUN", he screams - and so we RUNNNNN (LOL) to the barricade. I had no idea what side Tori was going to be on. I thought the left side (facing the street), my friend though the right side (facing the building), but I ended up at the front (facing the sidewalk).. So now we're all at the barricade, waiting some more. I must say it was a wonderful experience. No one was pushing at all - there was room enough to breathe, and everyone was SOOOOO friendly. I'm such a shy person, but I ended up talking to almost everyone around me. We shared stories and stuff about the new album that people hadn't heard yet (btw I heard Tori will be playing Glory of the 80s on eno ).. and it was just a very enjoyable time... So then at 4pm, TORI APPEARS! We all cheer, and she goes to the far left side of the barricade to say 'hi everybody, how ya doin?'.. and there were, of course enthusiastic cheers. SO - the awesome thing is she came along the FRONT of the barricade, where I was! And that's the only side she did visit this time. When she got to me I handed her my Winter single and said "could you please sign this to 'Ian'".. she asked how it was spelled, and I told her.. Then she handed it back and said "there you go," and I said "thank you".. Then I handed her a tape and a note, and said, "This is for you, I run a site on the net and people send in covers and mixes of their own to it, so I put some on it for you..".. she said something like "Oh wow, neat.. thank you Ian".. and I said "you're welcome.." Then she said "is this the note?" and held the note up.. I laughed a bit and said, "yes, that's the note that I wrote at the last minute on map paper" - I had a computer map printed out for how to get to the venue so I had written it on that since I didn't need it anymore. She laughed a bit and said "Okay thanks." And then said, "It's always nice to meet some new faces" .. Further down the line, as Andrew mentioned, there was a mother w/ her baby. Tori saw it and got this huge smile on her face. She picked it up and talked w/ her a bit. The crowd cooed and awwed and we all took lotsa pics of that. The mother told Tori that the baby's name was Anastasia and asked if that girl might show up tonight. Tori said "It'll be there!", and put her two thumbs up.. I groaned at that since I didn't want her to play that...and thankfully for me she didn't! LOL.. Oh well. So then she got to the far right and I couldn't see as well.. she took a lot of time w/ the people there - I was told that they were people who had followed her for awhile, and since this was the last show of the midwest, she was saying goodbye to them. So! Then at around 4:30 she left. And we all shouted goodbye and I LOVE YOU TORI and all that. AWESOME experience! Now for the show! Lotusland was a bit annoying. They need to mix things up a bit more. Their songs sound a bit generic. Maybe if I heard the lyrics..*shrug*.. So then they started setting up Tori's stage. They put lava lamps all around, and they prepped Tori's keyboard and Bosendorfer... And they put Caton's wine glass and wine out for him! I also saw a (I think) Kenny doll - from South Park. There was no sign anywhere of Mr. Puppethead though..outside or inside the venue. Anyone else see him this tour?.. Then .. Tori came on! The crowd went WILD and the first 4 rows rushed for the stage. Andrew was faster than I but got sent back by security (rather rudely *shrug).. So we stayed in third row (which was still great of course).. God is a great opener, if only for the great transition between "I gotta find, find find" and "why you always go when the wind blows".. The lights totally change and the crowd always screamed happily. Before I continue, I have to say that throughout the entire performance, Tori was SO enjoying herself. She was smiling away, and because of that, I was too. My face literally hurt after her set! And she was so animated. She did seductive little dances, and at one point handed a big bottle of Evian out to the front row. So next was SUGAR. I was SO happy to hear this. This is one of my favourite plugged songs. I'm really thankful I was able to listen to mp3s of the plugged 98 tour so that I could really fully enjoy all the songs! She really performed this one wonderfully.. Although the high vocalizations near the end seemed different - shorter in length I think! Still, it was amazing! Next came Crucify. The only time I had heard the new arrangement was on Good Morning America, and I really didn't like it then. It took awhile to recognize.. but I found that when Tori started in on the "Looking for a saviour" part, it was chilling! That's when she started playing on the piano, and the transition to that was just fabulous. Juarez was a real goodie. I didn't know this one well - especially the lyrics - but it was a GREAT song live. The 'no angels here' part was soothing and spiritual in nature. Bliss was GREAT too. I was also very happy to hear this, and as everyone else has said before, it's meant to be played live! Up next was Blood Roses .. again I WAS ECSTATIC! This was 1st, next to Sugar on my list of plugged songs that I wanted to hear! We all went wild once we knew what it was, and again as it had been all before, Tori's level of energy on this was inspiring. The best parts of this song are the 'god knows/graces' part - and the part before the end where she improvs a lot (c'mon c'mon, you know that I - can take it in...) .. CHILLING!!!! A question though, that cool synth sounding sound that is played over and over in the beginning...who does it? We saw NO ONE playing it, yet heard it repeatedly... Did Tori press a key on the keyboard to start it and it kept playing? Now, secret time started. Looking back, it was so sudden. I didn't even see the band leave. Just boom, they're gone, and she started in on the piano intro to SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT. No American Pie intro! -- but this was very nice. She wailed a lot in it and the crowd loved it. Jackie's Strength was up next. Not much to say. It was nice! And she messed up near the end w/ her vocals (I think so anyway.. because she didn't get high enough for the 3rd chorus during YOU SAID WE WERE THE REAL THING) so she stopped and said "aw I really fucked that one up".. The crowd just cheered, and she was smiling still.. and restarted the last chorus. She didn't sing anything an octave higher that time around. Secret time ended, the band came back and Father Lucifer was next. VERY VERY COOL. Again, I had heard this before, and really didn't like this new 99 arrangement. (I did love the 98 one)... But god, live.. I don't know. It was phenomenal. The 'lucy girl' part that she said over and over at certain times was an awesome filler. Riot Poof was nice. However it was the least enjoyable song for me, probably because I knew nothing about it. The only memorable part for me was the sliding ooo-ooo chorus... Still a nice sounding song though. Hotel!!! NOW THIS was awesome. The lighting for this was SPECTACULAR. There were intense flashing polka dot lights for the chorus, and then when she sang "I have to learn..." the lights all stopped and became static. Each of the foil pieces were lit up by a different colour light. It was very well done. I adored this. One complaint though was that I could not hear the keyboard sound during the chorus, which is a really cool part of the song. I'll live though. Waitress... Now I had hoped she wouldn't play this. (god aren't I awful? ) -- and when I heard the beginnings of it, I sorta sighed and started the stopwatch on my watch to time it. ...but...again... LIVE IT WAS AWESOME. The lighting on this one is just so frickin amazing too. There are multiple white spot lights that slowly go around the stage during the song, and as she nears the chorus, the lights get faster and faster, and when the chorus hits, the lights spaz. It was such an awesome effect. And the end !! It really is awesome how she drags the ending out. The crowd LOVES it. She just keeps going! And then she holds the mic and just keeps saying "wai ai ai ai ai ai.." and then finally "tressss".. and stands up and raises her hands! Her main set is now over!! She comes out to the front of the stage, as does the band. They all are smiling and they all hug.. And then they leave. Tori didn't keep us waiting too long. 30 seconds later, Matt comes back, and I instantly recognize the drum loops to PRECIOUS THINGS. I know she has played this for every encore but I am still so thankful she did for this show as well. This is the most awesome closer. The effect from the loud part to the soft 'peach party dress' back to the loud parts is totally bitching. AAAAND Tori, near the end when she's doing the improv thing, was looking my way... Now I know many people say that Tori is looking at them.. And having now been at a Tori concert, I can say that it's really impossible to know if she is or not. When she was looking my way previous times I could not tell if it was at me or Andrew next to me or the person behind me, etc.. But THIS time, I think she was..because during her spazzing, I made a cat face at her, and she immediately did a little cute sneer back. *shrug!* The lighting on this one was also impressive. And so then it was over! Unbelievable... I was so happy. We crawl back to our seats, and sit down, and we didn't say one word for 5 minutes! I felt so tired in every part of my body. It was the strangest feeling I had ever felt. That probably sounds dramatic, but oh WELL. I had been dreaming of this experience for 2 and a half years. Well there's my review. I hope it's not too long. I did wish she had played Winter, Cooling, or Hey Jupiter for secret time.. I did request it in my note. But as I said to my friend, that just gives me a reason to see her again. Also Tori did tell a small story, but I cannot remember it for the life of me! BTW I did stay for Alanis. Some people have said Alanis' lighting is so much better, but I totally disagree. Now, it is more INTENSE just by sheer luminousity - but there is almost no integration between the lighting and the songs. I was disappointed by that. Alanis was in good vocal shape, and she was smiling a lot. She didn't talk to the audience at all except for small talk (dedicated two songs to the audience/people who think they can't dance [you learn and so pure respectively]) and before the last encore, she threw 3 apples to the people in the front row. One interesting thing was that Alanis totally avoided looking at people in the front row. She looked heavily at the sides, and when she was singing to the front, she would always look way in the back. This was how it was for 99.9% of the time. I found it a little odd, since Tori always looks at the front. Well that's it. Thanks for reading all of this.
All Reviews Below Were Originally Posted On The Dent ForumSpecial thanks to Laurie Daniels for her invaluable assitance in getting the reviews transferred to the Dent! From Ben: I posted the first accurate set list from my friend's apartment, six blocks from the venue. Now that I'm home, here's some more detailed observations and opinions. Last year (at the Northrup Auditorium, a theater on the UofM campus), our seats were 17th row center and right behind the sound board. Since it obstructed our view, we were brought to the orchestra pit; AHEAD of front row! There were three rows of chairs set up in there for others lucky enough to have their views obstructed. I was no more than 20 feet away from Tori. This time the venue was the Target Center Arena, and while that orchestra pit experience will probably never be surpassed, the seats were good. To the side, facing Tori head on, 13 rows up. Okay. The songs.
GOD: Makes a perfect opener.
*secret time*
*the boys are back*
*encore* I'm also an Alanis fan, but I'll all about Tori. I'm about to fall asleep here, and this isn't an Alanis board, so I won't go into the same kind of detail. I posted the set list earlier, though. Anyway, Alanis puts on a good show. She really works the crowd, and she's a little demon on stage at times, and just generally charismatic. I like Alanis's lighting a hell of a lot better than Tori's, I'll tell you that much. With it, the strategy is to light the stage, while Tori's is just too flashy. Those beams hurt your eyes, you know. The crowd was a bit more into Alanis, I think. It's hard to be totally sure though because I think Tori fans are just more sedate. I know I'm pretty reserved during her shows, and that doesn't mean I'm not loving it. There were these two guys in front of me and a bit to the right who, as the show went on, warmed up into real spectacles. Have you ever seen that "Three Muskateers" video; "All For One (And All For Love)", by B. Addams, Sting, and R. Stewart? I had Bryan and Rod in front of me. They had the moves down pat. Sweeping geastures with their whole bodies, singing to Alanis like she was their Juliet, right before them. I was amused, the girls they were directly in front of were visibly upset. But that's the closest thing to Tori fan/Alanis fan strife I have to report. From what I could see, most people sat through both sets and were courteous to the performers and the other concert-goers. Early in Tori's set, I smelled pot, though. That just blows my mind, I don't know where people get the nerve. Well, I've gone on way longer than I intended. Good night! -Ben
From anabug: a few comments:
the unknown song after father lucifer was riot poof (yes, poof, there was a discussion about it at the meet and greet... yah) as far as i know.. it was fucking gorgeous.
From kids1st@my-deja.com:
Hi!
God It went by way too fast. The arena was 3/4 sold-out but the crowd was WAY more into Alanis than Tori bummer. I would say the volume of applause at least doubled during Alaniss set. I recognized a lot of her songs from the radio and everyone sang along at the top of their lungs that really didnt happen during Tori (except for me!). Having never really gotten into Alanis I was pretty impressed with her show. Nowhere near the emotion that Tori had, Alanis puts on more of a rock show which seems to be what Joe-public wants. I really dont think this double-bill was the best idea for Tori. It was so sad hearing the audience go nuts for Alanis and nowhere near that for Tori. Still I had the time of my life. - Mark
From ChoirgirlEarthquake:
I can verify Ben's set list and that indeed was Riot Proof which was awesome!! Tori was playful tonight. She acted like she was stripping while playing with a towel and she gave one of her water bottles to the crowd. She also danced a lot more. WE got to see all of it. I though the fans were really loud. Not only that but there were quite a few more Tori fans there bc the entire place was dead silent as far as talking contrary to Milw - but I could be wrong bc I did not stay for Alanis. AGain. Bad me but I was really tired. Tori also played Precious for an encore again tonight but seeing Milwaukee and then the Cities was awesome bc the set lists were VERY different!!! WEll I am off to bed - I hope everyone enjoyed the most awesome concer I have seen yet - I just wish I could see more Tori. Sabrina : )
From mrfreeze: I thought the concert was great, although I didn't hear everything that I wanted. I wanted to hear Winter, Silent all these Years, Hey Jupiter, and Me and a Gun. I especially enjoyed "Jackie's Strength", which I thought was the best song of the night... although my date had to leave for that song to use the restroom...she just couldn't hold it any longer. It sounds like some of you were near where I was sitting, lower level, left of the stage. I was in section 112, row 2, seats 1 and 2.... light blonde hair, glasses, red, white, and blue long sleeved shirt. Like it matters.. but it's cool if you saw me. I'm going to develop my film ASAP... I smuggled in a camera...got caught... had to Re-smuggle it... took some pictures... then got caught.. I did have the flash off...but when you are right in front, and there is a security guy and an usher right in front of you... it's not easy to hide. I put on my sad face, and did some negotiating... and the guy let me keep the film, as long as I put the camera away and he didn't see it again... so I thanked him and shook his hand...and put way the camera. I talked to the guy at Intermission, and he was pretty cool... except he was too into himself...thinking he was the sh*t...and talking to all the girls who thought they could use him to get backstage. I went up the stairs after "You Oughta Know"...but waited through the piano solo for Uninvited... and then left to beat traffic...because my date had to work Friday morning. Overall, the concert was good, but it could certainly have been better... but there will be more concerts in the future.
From Epitaph: Tori's performance was great, although the voacls were overcast by the music alot. I sortof have to disagree about Alanis being more of the fave here. I was on the floor, about two rows from the back, just to the right of the sound board, and from the view of things, the place REALLY emptied out after Tori finished up. I 'spose the rest were the more die-hard Alanis fans/very curious parties, or just vanished to use the bathrooms. Anyway, the only really negative thing is that she didn't really talk at all...no intros to her songs, just the band introductions and the J.S. "I really fucked up." *shurg*
From FlyingDutchman:
2. Father Lucifer (love the new version, and BR, too!) had the Steve McQueen bit at the end. 3. She did the whole "Hang ten, honey, I'm gonna go where she goes" at the end of Waitress. I loved my seats! My friend and I were in Section 129 (side of the Target Center, looking directly down on stage), Row F. We could see everything that happened on stage. I was ready to die!! Everyone on the floor stood the whole time, but most other people sat. The crowd got annoying; the Alanis fans screamed at really inappropriate times, even during Alanis' set. (Which I really liked, btw. I just wish I would have stayed for the encore.) I got to give Tori lip gloss at the M&G, plus she signed my Winter single. I can die happy now! Oh yeah, one last thing. There was this adorable baby at the M&G named Anastasia. Tori picked her up and carried her for a little bit, then played peek-a-boo and blew kisses with her once she went back to Mommy. It was just so CUTE! P.S. I have a request. Did anyone buy an XL of the purple shirts (Tori on front, Venus and tour dates on back) and have it be too big? If so, I would be willing to exchange my too-small L shirt with them. Email me at scta9801@stcloudstate.edu if you'd be willing to do this. Thanx!! Tait
From veronicahayworth@hotmail:
AHHHHHHHH. I love Tori. I got into town at around 10:30 am. I went to Milwaukee the night before. I had to take the greyhound at 3:20 am in order to get here in time for the meet n greet. Anyway I ran home, took a shower, then called Robin who I met the night before. We live a block apart and just met on wed (kind of funny). Any way I rode down town with her and her roomate. When we got down there I saw one person I recognized. We went over and sat by him. There was a bit of confusion about the meet n greet. I was a liitle worried that I would not get anywhere near Tori. I wanted a picture with her so bad. Anyway we had a long wait. But I met so many cool people Like Ana and Kate. Well there was a little bit of chaos when we went up to the barriers. I got close
After the meet n greet I went to the bus station to meet up with my friend Christin. Then we headed to my house to wait for my sister. A lot of annoying things had been happening leading up to the shows. Most things did not go as planned but in the end it all worked out and was worth it. It would take to long to explain any of it though so anyway back to the show.
From Northerngirl: Wow...that was my first Tori concert and I must say it blew my mind!! I could not believe I was in the same "room" as this redheadded goddess that I am obsessed with. Well..along with quite a few others. I missed the meet and greet :-( becuase of construction traffic that was unanticipated...crap!!! But my friend and I did see Mikewhy heading down the escalator...I think...I wasnt sure so I didnt say hi...I wish I had though...I sooooo wanted to meet him. The sound in the Target center kind of pissed me off because it was drowning out Tori's voice. And I REALLY wanted to hear Cornflake girl and Playboy Mommy...oh well..I LOVED BLISS and Hotel...they were so incredible. I wished she had talked more but I felt she was rushed. All in all...it made my year!! Great concert!!!!
From NovacekaMoon: hey, guys the concert totally kicked ass!!! Why was everyone so damn unsociable??!! I was saying hi to people left and right...I was like "hey!!! are you here to see Tori too?" to these two guys behind us in line, and they were like "uhh...yeah" with sort of shy smiles...I was like, c'mon!! It's damn TORI AMOS!!! show some ENTHUSIASM!!! I saw Mikewhy *he was about 20 feet from me!* but he left right after Tori's performance so I couldn't get a chance to say hi. I talked to this guy Tom who said he'd been from the dent but never in the forum, so if he shows up, heya! I'm the nutty girl who had way too much energy that said hi to ya I saw Shannon!! I said hi heya, shannon. I just love people!!!
During Jackie's Strength I started crying, though...I just thought of my best friend Jackie and how much I miss her...we deemed it "our song". It had to be the bestest concert I"ve ever been to in my life. I totally went nuts when she started doing Smells Like Teen Spirit. What was that "woooo...woooooo" song? I can't tell, Goddamnit! I knew everything BUT that song. oh, btw, I was in the 5th row, section 2. So yeah...if anyone was near there maybe you saw me I was super tall and blocking everyone's view, hehe *hugs to you all* that concert totally helped me come off this whole "oh, woe is me!" phase...I hope it lasts
Teen Spirit
Father Lucifer Precious Things And for those who didn't hear correctly, Tori asked if anyone was from NORTH Dakota, not SOUTH. I know because the second I heard those two words, I screamed loudly, and then screamed even more loudly when she said she'd played a gig in Grand Forks, which is where I live now. Although, that does not top her last show in Portland, OR (where I'm from) when she said we grew pretty good weed in our part of the world (or something of that nature). OK, I know I'm going to get in trouble for asking this, but I must: has anyone heard anything about Tori possibly being pregnant? I haven't, but last night from my vantage point she had an interesting shape to her tummy. She would arch her back away from the piano and kind of stick out her stomach, and it looked a little more *round* than I've seen on her before. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying she looks like she's gained weight--the shape of her stomach was different than someone who's put on a few pounds. Can anyone who was at the M&G or in the front few rows elaborate on this for me? My binoculars may have been playing tricks again, but who knows...oh also, I was in Sec 101, Row F, seat 2, directly behind the sound and light boards....if the guy who sat next to me in Seat 3 reads this, I just want you to know that you sang along to JS beautifully! :-)
From Ben: A few more thoughts on the morning after (okay, afternoon). Epitaph...I guess by coincidence your section were more Tori fans, and mine were maybe a little more into Alanis. The floor didn't look like it emptied too much to me, though. Since I also like Alanis, I thought I wouldn't feel any of this jealousy toward her, for Tori, that I've observed in some other people on this forum. But when she was on, I did feel a few twinges of it. When the crowd's reaction to Alanis surpassed their enthusiasm for Tori, I started getting catty thoughts. Like Alanis played all her radio songs except for "Head Over Feet" (though in fairness, she's got a lot less material). Everyone just rose the roof any time she spun and hopped around (okay, I thought it was kind of exciting too), and really exploded any time she picked up an instrument (she played haromonica a couple times, some kind of woodwind I don't know what I'm not good at identifying that kind of instrument, and a little bit of guitar). And then they really went mad at the long piano intro to "Uninvited", performed by Alanis's talented-but-not-Tori-level keyboardist. Not that Alanis isn't worthy to be adored like this, but Tori is even more talented. And yeah, I was disappointed by how little Tori talked to us. I forgot to mention she introduced the brothers after talking about Grand Forks, after "Crucify". Alanis does more talking, but mostly small talk. How's everyone, I dedicate this to, thanks to Tori, this song was gonna be on the last album. Not much to add to the minutia section of the FAQ. iieeeboy...I'm also curious about how other ears with feet are so sure the song in question was "Riot Poof"? Have they heard it before, and recognized it from that promo disc (or whatever it was...was "Riot Poof" even on it)? Did they hear the title during the performance? There WERE a lot of "hoo-hoo"s in it, and I don't recognize the key phrases you pointed out. Mikewhy has great connections; can you confirm or deny for us, Mike? embla...Regarding Grand Forks, NORTH Dakota. I'm not certain that the mistake wasn't mine and not Tori's. Maybe she said "North". I wrote it down on my memo pad, but probably a song or two after she said it. I thought she said "South", but I'm not sure. I didn't know which state it was in, myself. Um. I think that's really it this time. -Ben-
From mainlinecherry:
I don't understand how hard it was for people to figure out the setlist. I was even able to do this despite the fact I had been interuppted twice by one of the ushers (or whatever you'd call 'em). Anyway, my opinion of the show...I enjoyed the Northrup last year WAY more (this could be that the day of the show @ the TC was horrible for me). Of course I loved Tori and I enjoyed myself immensely but I couldn't help but get very pissed off towards Alanis for being 2nd and having this huge set. I guess I resented the fact that she played after Tori because I like leaving a show in awe and with an incredible rush and knowing that Alanis was next I had to leave the building. I just didn't like the atmosphere @ the TC...it wasn't as intimate and I wonder what vibes Tori felt there too...
From northernlad: Tori gave so much that night. I was in the nosebleeds, so she was basically a little red dot of energy on the Target Center stage from where I happened to be worshipping, but I thought she was divine. This was the first Tori show I've been able to get to since falling ass over teakettle in love in 1991, but I'd heard that she made herself very available for autographs and things, and I'd brought a collection of Tori videos and a Sharpie pen, but didn't know where to hang out after the show, and the cynical friend I was with (who hadn't a clue, really) said we'd miss our bus waiting in downtown Mpls. standing in the wrong place til 2 a.m. and not meeting Tori. TORI VETERANS: I know because everyone knows that Tori will actually hang out with actual fans after the set, but for future reference, where should the fans stand? I saw a coven starting in the lobby , but wasn't dead sure that was where she'd be (besides, y'all looked so depressed!) As for me, the trek from Minot took me through Grand Forks, which she got absolutely right. A 15-year-old remembers where the plane lands when she plays that far from home. As for the show, there aren't enough superlatives. P.S. -- I could only sit through Alanis if Tori was on deck. The show was over when Tori left the stage, and this pre-fab Maverick creation started lurching around with ther new fitness regimen, "Heavy Hair." "Remember folks, if you're like me and your neck is simply too scrawny for the weight of the world, start working out today with Heavy Hair by Ronco. It's ironic!"
From icicleicicle: I thought it was a good concert, but last year's was definitely better. Tori didn't play as long this time, nor did she talk to the crowd as much. The song list was also better last year. AND I WAS SO SADDDD! i didn't get to meet tori at meet and greet b/c some stupid people were sneaking in the doors and she freaked out and they put her in an armored car and she just left...it sucked. Oh well. I WILL meet her someday! just to stop the rumors about tori's pregnancy-which i also thought too, because of the gestures she was making at the concert-she is NOT pregnant. My friends and I met the piano tech who is with tori almost everyday and he told us that she is not. He may have been lying (?) to protect tori from rumors....but certainly he has her best interests in mind, and if those are her best interests, let's do the same and stop saying she's pregnant. IF she is, there is a chance she will have another miscarriage. So let's just stop saying that stuff.
From EasterKat:
I'm re-posting this here in case there are people who don't want to wade through a pile of fake setlists from the first Minneapolis thread--this is the real deal, baby:
Teen Spirit
Father Lucifer Precious Things
From prettyhatemachine: What a wonderful, wonderful experience yesterday was. My best friend Ian (spark) and I got to the m & g around 1pm, and waited around in various stages of movement until around 4:00, when Tori came out. She talked to Ian for a bit (but I'll let him tell that story, heh heh) then said "hey babe" to me and signed my BfP piano book. I was in 7th heaven. There was a couple beside me with a baby named Anastasia, and Tori was absolutely delighted with her. Tori held her and made faces at her and everything...it was so adorable. Then she moved out of my sight and I couldn't see what was going on until she waved and left about five minutes later. I felt disappointed for a lot of people who had showed up early and somehow ended up near the back of the crowd... Then, of course, came the concert. We had fourth row floor tickets, so we got to see everything up close. Lotusland was decent, apart from having songs which differed very little from each other. They played five or six, if memory serves. Tori hit the stage at around 8pm. She was wearing a white blouse with blue piping, and very dark blue jeans. Her voice was absolutely astounding, and having never been to a Tori concert before, just seeing her play was like having my internal organs tickled, massaged, and made weightless... Here's a partial blow-by-blow: God - We all know how it sounds. Absolutely awesome, a great opener and very energized. Tori seemed to enjoy herself quite a bit. Sugar - It was at this point in the concert that I realized how on-the-ball Tori's voice was. She wailed the high notes at the end and finished on a dramatic subito piano. Crucify - I know it's been said many times, but she has REALLY changed the beginning. It sounded kind of tribal at first, and then the old familiar music kicked in. She interspersed "please be save me" throughout the song, rather than just playing it at the bridge. I enjoyed this version far more than the recordings I've heard of it during Plugged 98. The loud, electric feel makes it quite similar to the remixed version on the Crucify single, which I think is far superior to the LE album version. Juarez - I was so delighted to hear this. As soon as Tori turned to play the keyboard, the entire side of the arena that was facing that way started screaming and going crazy. It was dark and sensual throughout, then crescendoed to a stunning climax in which Tori was screaming "no angel came for my little girl, no angel came for my little one" while playing a fast passage on the piano. Bliss - As Ian and I agreed, this song was meant to be played live. Jon's weird and wonderful bass playing added an ethereal, distorted sound. Tori's hair was getting kind of messed up at this point. Blood Roses - I almost spazzed when I recognized this. I love the harpsichord version, but this one is awesome in its own right. Jon and Caton had a very interesting interplay going on throughout, smiling and making faces at each other. Tori sang some different lyrics in this one - "not going to waste any more time" or something to that effect. Tori and the band had an amazing jam towards the end of the song, right before the last "when chickens get a taste of your meat". Smells Like Teen Spirit - I've never heard a more emotional version of this song. Tori wasn't wailing per se, but she sang much of the latter part of the song in her upper register, and the effect was so haunting. Jackie's Strength - This one was a lot more together than when she played it solo on the Roseanne show. The missing band's part was more than compensated for by her left hand playing. She messed up the chord structure towards the end - not horrendously so, she could likely have improvised her way out of the mistake - but she stopped, held her hands up and said "I really fucked that up" and started playing from the last chorus. It was cute. Father Lucifer - I didn't recognize this one at first. It was so powerful, and the switch to 3/4 time in the bridge was flawless. She sang something different towards the end of the song, and the last two words were "Lucy girl". Kind of odd, but beautiful. Riot Poof - We didn't recognize this song, and truth be told, I don't remember much about it. The only words I recognized were, predictably, "riot poof": sung very high and repeated a couple of times. Hotel - A pleasant surprise. Dramatic changes in the lighting accompanied the dramatic tempo changes in the song. Tori's keyboard playing was top-notch. The band kicked in quite loudly at the "where are the velvets" part. Tori sang the last few bars of the song so mournfully, it brought tears to my eyes. Waitress - I don't care much for this one, but it was entertaining to see Tori's interaction with the band. She frequently grinned at Matt and made some suggestive hip movements. I was quite impressed by the hyperventilation at the conclusion of the song: she sustained it far longer than she usually does, and I was almost surprised that she didn't pass out. I could have sworn that she looked directly into my eyes for around 20 seconds of this song. Precious Things - This is one of my all-time favorite Tori songs, and I absolutely love the band arrangement. I've heard so many mp3s of this song live, and none of them even came close to being right there in front of it. The chorus was so loud and angry, and my whole body tingled in response. The bridge was accusatory and haunting until the raucous "nine inch nails" part, which was so awesome. Tori spread her legs and rubbed her body during the "girl" growl, which lasted about 10 seconds. During the last chorus/jam session, I could have sworn again that she looked directly into my eyes. It was such an experience. She left the stage after Precious Things. We sat there in a complete silence as the crewmen fixed the stage for Alanis's set. I was so disappointed that Tori's part of the concert was over, but overjoyed that her set list had been so awesome and her voice was so tuneful. Alanis played a respectable show, and it was neat to see her up close. She appeared to be enjoying herself far more than she has on her previous solo tours, which was a welcome change. She smiled often and danced energetically. The highlights of her set were "That I Would Be Good", which almost brought *her* to tears, "Uninvited", during which I swear *again* that she looked into my eyes, and "So Pure", which she "dedicated to anyone who thinks they can't dance". The experience was fantastic and wonderful, and I'm exhausted from the 8-hour road trip so I'm going to bed...I want to say hi to Kate and Teresa, if either of you read the forum, because you were both wonderfully nice and it was delightful to meet you.
From spark: Okay! My very first Tori experience. My first review. That WHOLE DAY on 9/16/99 was AWESOME... Andrew and I got to the venue at about 1pm, and about 15 people were hanging around, some w/ flowers and other gifts...so I knew I was in the right spot. So we waited for about an entire hour - 2pm - and still no Tori! I was so anxious... So then at about 2:30pm I think, a big door opened up at the left of everything and this guy brought out a bunch of barricades w/ a forklift deal... The (now) 25 of us hobbled over to the left side and watched in awe ... The barricades went out of my site though, but we were told not to move so I just stayed where I was. 30 or so minutes later, there was commotion on the right side of everything, and then someone said "they're setting it up over here!".. so then we all hobbled over to the right side around the corner, and saw them setting up the barricades! A security guard came over and said "okay now STOP... and SIT DOWN.. do NOT move forward..".. so we all sit down... and wait and wait some more... So then at about 3:30, a security guard comes up to us and says, "Okay, now--" (at this point we all brace ourselves) "you can walk--" (at this point we are fast walking towards the barricade) "WALK DON'T RUN", he screams - and so we RUNNNNN (LOL) to the barricade. I had no id ea what side Tori was going to be on. I thought the left side (facing the street), my friend though the right side (facing the building), but I ended up at the front (facing the sidewalk).. So now we're all at the barricade, waiting some more. I must say it was a wonderful experience. No one was pushing at all - there was room enough to breathe, and everyone was SOOOOO friendly. I'm such a shy person, but I ended up talking to almost everyone around me. We shared stories and stuff about the new album that people hadn't heard yet (btw I heard Tori will be playing Glory of the 80s on Leno ).. and it was just a very enjoyable time... So then at 4pm, TORI APPEARS! We all cheer, and she goes to the far left side of the barricade to say 'hi everybody, how ya doin?'.. and there were, of course enthusiastic cheers. SO - the awesome thing is she came along the FRONT of the barricade, where I was! And that's the only side she did visit this time. When she got to me I handed her my Winter single and said "could you please sign this to 'Ian'".. she asked how it was spelled, and I told her.. Then she handed it back and said "there you go," and I said "thank you".. Then I handed her a tape and a note, and said, "This is for you, I run a site on the net and people send in covers and mixes of their own to it, so I put some on it for you..".. she said something like "Oh wow, neat.. thank you Ian".. and I said "you're welcome.." Then she said "is this the note?" and held the note up.. I laughed a bit and said, "yes, that's the note that I wrote at the last minute on map paper" - I had a computer map printed out for how to get to the venue so I had written it on that since I didn't need it anymore. She laughed a bit and said "Okay thanks." And then said, "It's always nice to meet some new faces" .. Further down the line, as Andrew mentioned, there was a mother w/ her baby. Tori saw it and got this huge smile on her face. She picked it up and talked w/ her a bit. The crowd cooed and awwed and we all took lotsa pics of that. The mother told Tori that the baby's name was Anastasia and asked if that girl might show up tonight. Tori said "It'll be there!", and put her two thumbs up.. I groaned at that since I didn't want her to play that...and thankfully for me she didn't! LOL.. Oh well. So then she got to the far right and I couldn't see as well.. she took a lot of time w/ the people there - I was told that they were people who had followed her for awh ile, and since this was the last show of the midwest, she was saying goodbye to them. So! Then at around 4:30 she left. And we all shouted goodbye and I LOVE YOU TORI and all that. AWESOME experience! Now for the show! Lotusland was a bit annoying. They need to mix things up a bit more. Their songs sound a bit generic. Maybe if I heard the lyrics..*shrug*.. So then they started setting up Tori's stage. They put lava lamps all around, and they prepped Tori's keyboard and Bosendorfer... And they put Caton's wine glass and wine out for him! I also saw a (I think) Kenny doll - from South Park. There was no sign anywhere of Mr. Puppethead though..outside or inside the venue. Anyone else see him this tour?.. Then .. Tori came on! The crowd went WILD and the first 4 rows rushed for the stage. Andrew was faster than I but got sent back by security (rather rudely *shrug).. So we stayed in third row (which was still great of course).. God is a great opener, if only for the great transition between "I gotta find, find find" and "why you always go when the wind blows".. The lights totally change and the crowd always screamed happily. Before I continue, I have to say that throughout the entire performance, Tori was SO enjoying herself. She was smiling away, and because of that, I was too. My face literally hurt after her set! And she was so animated. She did seductive little dances, and at one point handed a big bottle of Evian out to the front row. So next was SUGAR. I was SO happy to hear this. This is one of my favourite plugged songs. I'm really thankful I was able to listen to mp3s of the plugged 98 tour so that I could really fully enjoy all the songs! She really performed this one wonderfully.. Although the high vocalizations near the end seemed different - shorter in length I think! Still, it was amazing! Next came Crucify. The only time I had heard the new arrangement was on Good Morning America, and I really didn't like it then. It took awhile to recognize.. but I found that when Tori started in on the "Looking for a saviour" part, it was chilling! That's when she started playing on the piano, and the transition to that was just fabulous. Juarez was a real goodie. I didn't know this one well - especially the lyrics - but it was a GREAT song live. The 'no angels here' part was soothing and spiritual in nature. Bliss was GREAT too. I was also very happy to hear this, and as everyone else has said before, it's meant to be played live! Up next was Blood Roses .. again I WAS ECSTATIC! This was 1st, next to Sugar on my list of plugged songs that I wanted to hear! We all went wild once we knew what it was, and again as it had been all before, Tori's level of energy on this was inspiring. The best parts of this song are the 'god knows/graces' part - and the part before the end where she improvs a lot (c'mon c'mon, you know that I - can take it in...) .. CHILLING!!!! A question though, that cool synth sounding sound that is played over and over in the beginning...who does it? We saw NO ONE playing it, yet heard it repeatedly... Did Tori press a key on the keyboard to start it and it kept playing? Now, secret time started. Looking back, it was so sudden. I didn't even see the band leave. Just boom, they're gone, and she started in on the piano intro to SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT. No American Pie intro! -- but this was very nice. She wailed a lot in it and the crowd loved it. Jackie's Strength was up next. Not much to say. It was nice! And she messed up near the end w/ her vocals (I think so anyway.. because she didn't get high enough for the 3rd chorus during YOU SAID WE WERE THE REAL THING) so she stopped and said "aw I really fucked that one up".. The crowd just cheered, and she was smiling still.. and restarted the last chorus. She didn't sing anything an octave higher that time around.
Riot Poof was nice. However it was the least enjoyable song for me, probably because I knew nothing about it. The only memorable part for me was the sliding ooo-ooo chorus... Still a nice sounding song though. Hotel!!! NOW THIS was awesome. The lighting for this was SPECTACULAR. There were intense flashing polka dot lights for the chorus, and then when she sang "I have to learn..." the lights all stopped and became static. Each of the foil pieces were lit up by a different colour light. It was very well done. I adored this. One complaint though was that I could not hear the keyboard sound during the chorus, which is a really cool part of the song. I'll live though.
Waitress... Now I had hoped she wouldn't play this. (god aren't I awful? The lighting on this one was also impressive. And so then it was over! Unbelievable... I was so happy. We crawl back to our seats, and sit down, and we didn't say one word for 5 minutes! I felt so tired in every part of my body. It was the strangest feeling I had ever felt. That probably sounds dramatic, but oh WELL. I had been dreaming of this experience for 2 and a half years. Well there's my review. I hope it's not too long. I did wish she had played Winter, Cooling, or Hey Jupiter for secret time.. I did request it in my note. But as I said to my friend, that just gives me a reason to see her again. Also Tori did tell a small story, but I cannot remember it for the life of me! BTW I did stay for Alanis. Some people have said Alanis' lighting is so much better, but I totally disagree. Now, it is more INTENSE just by sheer luminousity - but there is almost no integration between the lighting and the songs. I was disappointed by that. Alanis was in good vocal shape, and she was smiling a lot. She didn't talk to the audience at all except for small talk (dedicated two songs to the audience/people who think they can't dance [you learn and so pure respectively]) and before the last encore, she threw 3 apples to the people in the front row. One interesting thing was that Alanis totally avoided looking at people in the front row. She looked heavily at the sides, and when she was singing to the front, she would always look way in the back. This was how it was for 99.9% of the time. I found it a little odd, since Tori always looks at the front. Well that's it. Thanks for reading all of this.
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