5 1/2 Weeks Tour
Charlotte, NC
August 24, 1999

Updated February 28, 2001

Check Out The Reviews And Set Lists Page

Tori performed in Charlotte, NC on August 24, 1999 at the Blockbuster Pavilion during the Tori & Alanis Morissette 5 1/2 Weeks Tour.

Set List

God
Sugar
Juarez
Cornflake Girl
Bliss
Little Amsterdam

Angie
Icicle

Little Earthquakes
Glory of the 80s
Blood Roses
Waitress

Encore:
Precious Things

Reviews

From Mikewhy

September 3, 1999 - Of the first five shows if the 5 1/2 Weeks Tour, Charlotte was my favorite. It is hard for me to pinpoint why this was my favorite show so far, but it was. I had a great seat in roughly 6th row right in the center. Tori and the band were just unbelievable tonight.

This was the last show that Greta Gaines would open for, so I made sure to see all her set. Afterwards, I met her at the Mp3.com tent and got an autographed photo and a sticker. She mentioned that she has her own band in Nashville and does shows there. I want to see her whenever I get a chance. I will miss her on the tour.

Tori is obviously going to start all these shows with God, which is fine by me. She starts singing it backstage with no instruments, and then the band kicks in, and Tori takes the stage. It is a good opening.

I about had a coronary when Juarez started. This was my first time hearing this new song from "to venus and back," and it is a mysterious and exciting song. On record I hear it is real industrial with distorted vocals, but live you could hear Tori's vocals and the song was striking. We were all really excited about this one!

Little Amsterdam was another shocker. It was good to experience that one again. She did it more straight forward than she has in the past. While I would say that I still prefer the way she did Little Amsterdam during the 1996 Dew Drop Inn tour better, it was still a good performance. There were apparently North Carolina references added to the song, but I did not catch them.

Great to hear Glory Of The 80s again. This is such a fun song live. Kind of like the Raspberry Swirl of this tour, though not as frantic.

Angie always has a profound impact on me, and the version tonight was beautiful. Before the song Tori said something like her dad wanted her to learn "Bringing in the Sheeves", but she heard Angie and said "Fuck That."

Reports from people who were at the soundcheck said she did a lot of Juarez, Little Amsterdam, and Northern Lad. I noticed that this was the first outdoor show where it rained. We were under cover but it could not have been pleasant on the lawn!

I can not provide details, but Tori looked really nice tonight and had a really cool looking outfit on. Hopefully the other reviews will elaborate.

I really noticed all the interaction between Tori and the other band members tonight. It is so fun to watch this. They are really comfortable with each other and obviously having a great time. I am so glad Tori was able to get the same band for this tour. Those guys are great and have the ability to follow her wherever inspiration takes her during a performance.

Alanis really surprised me tonight by altering her set list fairly significantly. She started with a different song other than Baba. I think it was a new song that will be on the Dogma soundtrack. It was a slower song that I never heard before and I really liked it. Then she did Ironic early in the show instead of the final song of the show. She did "Not The Doctor" for the first time this tour. I think Tori is rubbing off on her and she is starting to mix up her set list more. I hope so! It was refreshing.

From Heather Parsons (Posted to the Precious Things mailing list)

Added to the Dent February 28, 2001 - The Charlotte Show
Subtitled: How We Sold Our Souls to MP3.com

WARNING: This is long! And rambling!

I shall start this review off with obligatory shout-outs. Ahem:

Jessica and her ex's mom (whose name I forgot, sorry!); Kelley and her husband John (?); Erin and PJ Harvey Shirt Guy (who declared that the best Divas show ever would be Tori, PJ, Bjork, and Sinead O'Connor, and that if Tori would have toured with PJ, this tour would have been the best EVER) -- thanks for offering to take a picture of us with Tori at the Meet and Greet, though we didn't need it!that was way cool; thanks to Blue Lipstick Girl Maria for being a friendly EWF; thanks to The Girl with the Purple Lighter; major hugs out to Richard Handal, whose emails do not do him justice -- he's a sweet and funny, funny man, and a treasure!say hi to him at a show if you see him!; and shout-out to the girl from last year's Columbia show, who actually remembered Deborah and the faery sculpture she made for Tori -- I think you made at least part of Deborah's day. And a shout-out to the guy I met while spraying people with mp3.com tattoos -- not the guy who stuck the sticker on my ass. ;)

And hugs all around to Amanda, Drew and Beth, the first two responsible for here.inmyhead.net and those nifty Jackie's Strength fundraiser shirts -- if you wore one of their shirts to the show, be assured they saw you! That was the first time I had an opportunity to see the shirts, and I have to say they came out beautifully. I know they spent an astronomical amount of time on the project, as well as a bit of their own money, so I just wanted to publicly applaud them for their hefty donation to RAINN (they made no profit!). I also want to take the time to say how disgusted I am with anyone who put said shirt up for auction on eBay, especially if you made a profit. Is nothing in Tori's spirit anymore? Sometimes I feel like people would auction off their hand if it said Tori on it.

Hugs also to Mirm and Jay, who we "met" at Columbia last year -- Jay's the guy who gave me the random bootleg. They are two of the warmest, funniest people -- true EWF. And Jay? I tried not to make a lot of noise, I really did, but The Waitress just does this thing to me, and I find myself screaming!sigh. I tried. ;)

And finally, hugs to Chris and Stephanie, who we met at the show. You guys rock! Please keep in touch!

Okay, the show. It was exhilirating, even though I felt like the entire thing was a bit!rushed? I don't know if that's the right word. And the Meet and Greet beforehand, which Deborah and I hadn't planned on going to, was really organized and docile. But, here's the big 'ole spiel!

Deborah and I left Raleigh between 11 and 12, after getting an unintentional early start. We grabbed some Bruegger's (their cinnamon and sugar bagels are awesome) and hit the road to Charlotte. It's about a three hour drive, and we sustained ourselves with Dr. Pepper, Camels, and, of course, Tori!and Catherine Wheel. We found the Blockbuster Pavilion immediately, and then grabbed some Mickey D's before camping out in the parking lot. There were already several people lined up outside of the gate, but Deborah and I had already met Tori in Columbia, and since the experience at that M&G was so fantastic and ideal (everyone was terrific), we decided to let people who hadn't had the opportunity to meet Tori have their fun without our sorry butts infringing. Besides, I kind of wanted to see people meeting her without getting all anxious and jumpy. So after we wolfed down nourishment, we went up and hung out with Jessica and her crew, who were in line. I think by the time we showed up, there were about 70 people there, but you never would have thought that, considering everyone was so chilled and laidback and, in general, very cool. It was very nice. Finally, Steve came and got everyone, and we waited outside of the barricades for about an hour or so. Deborah and I, and several other people, just hung out in the back. I can't describe how great it was to just relax and watch other people when they met Tori. Tori did finally show up, and she was wearing blue, and as always, was beautiful.

People were talking about the Meet and Greets before -- about why they've gotten so bad, and while I've only been to three, it's not hard to see what the problem is. The answer lies somewhere in the middle. Some people say it's because of new fans being obnoxious, and while that is true in many cases, I've noticed that a handful of people who consider themselves "true fans" are the ones who ultimately make the experience miserable for everyone. Raleigh at the Creek is a perfect example. We had the pleasure of being next to a girl who found it necessary to condescend to the newer fans every chance she could -- I couldn't believe it. There is this pervasive attitude that because someone doesn't know every aspect of Tori's very existence, they are not a true fan. That's complete and utter bullshit. It's about the music, and always has been. I think sometimes all of us have our heads up our asses, and forget this. I know, because I'm totally guilty of it sometimes. I have to consciously check myself when I'm talking to someone who may not be familiar with Tori. There is also an attitude that Tori is obligated to do these Meet and Greets, which is the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard. It's crazy for a person as famous as she is to put herself on level with her fans, show after show. But she does it, and everyone thinks she's nuts. She is in no way obligated to meet with us -- it's her choice. I honestly believe that Tori gets as much out of the M&G's as fans do, which is why she keeps them going despite logic and despite practicality and despite everyone telling her she should stop. It's her gift to us, as fans, and to herself. Not enough people go into the thing with the right attitude. I also think the numbering system is bullshit -- didn't someone ask Tori about it last tour, and she basically rolled her eyes? My sentiments exactly. I think it's sad the numbering has to be done, because you would think Tori fans, of all people, would be tactful enough to respect everyone else's place in line when they arrived, or whatnot. Plus, there are always several of the same faces show after show in the front!coincidence?

Okay, now that I've said that, all in all the M&G was very cool. It was over about 4:15, and the venue asked that we all leave, and come back at 5:30 (originally it was 5, or so I thought). Deborah and I drove to the University Plaza about a mile or two down the road and sat by the lake they had there. It had swans and geese, and I think we wanted to peace and quiet. I know I did, only because the day had seemed a bit unreal up to then. This tour happened so suddenly -- I feel like I was just at Plugged, and the fact a new album is coming out hasn't quite absorbed yet. The fact we were going to be seeing Tori that night was still unreal. We ended up driving back to the venue at 5 and being told to come back at 5:30, but luckily, we spotted Amanda in the movie theater parking lot nearby and hung with her until we could go in.

Can I just say I adore the merchandise for this tour? Every single one of the shirts is gorgeous, and the Venus Envy necklace (thanks, Deborah! Eee!) is ten times cooler than the Raspberry Swirl necklaces from last tour. And I love the purple theme. I don't know why purple seems to be the predominant color for this album, but I love it. And the program/tour books are absolutely gorgeous, featuring the most beautiful pictures I've seen of Tori. My only gripe with it is that they spelled Neil Gaiman's last name as "Gamen." I'm amazed that managed to happen, considering. I'm sure he feels special. ;) Oh, and everything's expensive, but what else is new?

While we waited for the gates to open, Deborah and I hung with Amanda, Drew, and Beth. I spotted Richard, and went and talked to him for a few minutes, and we did see Mikewhy, but I didn't venture over. I didn't have anything to say, and I didn't want to just stand around with my thumb up my ass. Before tons of people showed up, and the radio stations started playing their obnoxious promos, you could hear Tori at soundcheck, and the only song I heard was Northern Lad. After the other three went in, Deborah and I finally met up with Mirm and Jay, after worrying about whether they would be making it. We were all chatting, in no major hurry to rush inside, and then the most amazing thing happened. This guy walks up to us, waiting as whoever was talking finished their sentence, and interrupts by asking if the four of us would be interested in front row tickets. My initial impression was that he was a scalper trying to rip us off, but upon closer inspection, he was decked out entirely in mp3.com gear. He proceeds to explain to us that if we are willing to stand in front of the mp3.com tent and give people little temporary mp3.com tattoos, the tickets are ours. At first, I completely didn't believe him, if only because Deborah and I bought our tickets two days before the show, because we weren't positive we wanted to go, but changed our minds. Second, we had SHIT seats out on the lawn. There's no way we could be this lucky, but sure enough, the guy gives us each a front row tickets to keep, and temp tattoos and spray bottles to spray people with. So if you were practically assaulted by four people with spray bottles while you were walking into the pavilion, that was us earning our keep. I actually had a lot of fun doing it, despite the fact we were shamelessly whoring ourselves. I'm not so apologetic to be honest. =) Most people were really cool and nice, and we met Chris and Stephanie! Actually, Chris was the first person we talked to upon arriving at the Pavilion before the M&G, and we also ran into them afterwards, briefly, but we sort of had to rush because Deborah needed to find a bank. Luckily, they walked by, and they are two of the sweetest people! We talked with them for a bit, in the midst of our spraying spree, and we also met this other couple, and the guy had no idea about Tori's M&Gs, but it was obvious he was just NUTS about Tori, so we filled him in, and I gave him my email -- he was a really nice guy.

It started to rain about ten minutes before Tori went onstage, so we tossed in our gear, grabbed our tickets and ran for the Pavilion. We slid right into the front about a minute before Tori came waltzing onstage. She was wearing blue jeans and (I think, Deborah or Mirm?) a pink shirt underneath this gauzy, sheer pinkish-peach wrap. And I think she was wearing white boots. Being that close to the stage was just incredible. The four of us were standing right in front of Caton, and it was fantastic to watch that band work. Deborah said after the show that it's so fun to watch a band that is obviously very tight, and it's so true. We could see every eye exchange they made, and smiles, and see them mouthing the words to songs!it somehow made the entire experience more meaningful.

I'll work through the songs as she played!

GOD: Maybe not as powerful of an opener as Precious Things, but still one rocking, hell-raising good time. I haven't heard the song live since the Pink tour, so it was an especially cool treat. Tori was all smiles -- she just seemed to be glad to be in familiar territory. We were angled just right so we could see her face framed through the paino, so we caught every facial expression, and as Deborah put it, "You could see the glitter in her eyeshadow." Caton's fun to watch during this song.

SUGAR: Ohmigod, this song will never lose its power live. She could put the heaviest rock band to shame with the live version of this song. She sings as if she's possessed. And I still love the yellow lights. This was positively primal, and the bass/drums add so damn much to this song's dynamics. You had to have been dead not to move to this song.

JUAREZ: It's hard to really absorb the new songs having never heard them before (nope, I hadn't even heard Bliss!), but I think the reason I remember this one is because she said something about angels!I think. Someone can correct me on that. This was a very cool song, possibly my favorite of the new material she played.

CORNFLAKE GIRL: Before she went into Cornflake Girl, she actually sang James Taylor's "Carolina On My Mind", which I thought was really funny and cool. She segued directly into Cornflake Girl, and of course the crowd went wild and mad dancing ensued. I still love the improvised "Man with the golden gun" part.

BLISS: This was actually my first opportunity to hear this song, and it was my least favorite of the new songs, I think. Like I said before, it's hard to absorb the new material in the live setting, especially when there's so much restless energy -- I'll have to hear it when I buy the single before I make any sort of judgement. It sounded as if she was pronouncing "Bliss" as "Blees."

[band leaves]

SECRET TIME

ANGIE: I about fell down on the floor when she began to play this. She introduced this by talking about how her father had wanted her to play "Bringing In the Sheaves", but she promptly said, "Fuck that." The crowd howled. I can only imagine what the Alanis fans were thinking. =) But this was just gorgeous, and such a surprise. Then, she followed it up with!

ICICLE: Did anyone notice that Bliss, Angie's intro, and Icicle were all sort of directed at her father? I wonder if that was intentional? And does anyone know if Rev. Amos was there last night? This song was very powerful and mildly sinister!intense. I loved watching Tori's eyes during this song.

[band comes back]

GLORY OF THE 80S: I LOVE this song! I can't wait to hear it on the album, and I agree with Chris when he said he think this one's going to be fave on it. It's sassy and one hundred percent Tori in experience and delivery. The band seemed to have tons of fun. I know I did.

LITTLE EARTHQUAKES: Shiver-worthy. Just beautiful. One of my favorites all night.

BLOOD ROSES: I KNOW I wasn't the only one who didn't know what the hell this song was at first. I was like, "Ooh, another new song" and then I heard the word "chicken" and looked at Deborah, and asked her if it was "Blood Roses", but I think she thought I was telling her, because she nodded and said "I know." Very different from the album version -- I mean, it's an entire stratosphere away. It's cool, but I'm hooked on that chiming harpsichord with that song. As a separate song, it was definitely cool, though.

THE WAITRESS: Absolutely incredible. Someone said that they thought the song had lost some of its power since the last tour, but I MUST disagree. Oh my GOD, it was intense last night, especially near the end. Tori just kept going and going!my lower back was in agony from standing and getting chills. The band seems to find the "Hang Ten" hand thing that people do at the front very funny. Caton had this expression on his face like, "Um, yeah, folks, whatever floats your boat!" and Jon was laughing. I don't quite get it myself, but that's okay, because people were having fun, so. =) Caton's guitar makes this song -- it's incredibly eerie.

ENCORE

PRECIOUS THINGS: While I really wanted to hear this again, I didn't want to hear it at the end of the show. When I leave a Tori show, I need a song to slowly let me set my feet back down onto earth. This just made me want to go out and maim and kill and smash things -- my energy level was through the roof. I wish they had had time for just one more song, but it was obvious they were in a sort of hurry to get off-stage. I'm surprised they don't have to bolt down that damn Bosy.

Overall, a really great show. I had such a blast, and those first row tickets were the best thing that could have happened to us. The show seemed far more intimate than we had expected, having lawn seats. Deborah said she actually looked back behind us at one point, and she said there were just acres and acres of people. It's hard to notice that when you're crammed down front like that -- I can definitely see why people fight to get tickets close to the stage, besides for obvious reasons. It's an entirely different experience.

We didn't stay for Alanis, and met with Amanda, Drew, Beth, Chris and Stephanie at Shoney's for their dinner bar and some caffeine. We had a three hour drive ahead of us, so we needed that buzz. Plus, it was POURING when we left, and 85 is incredibly dark. You can't see anything for shit.

But the entire day was a blast, overall. I just hope it doesn't become habit for Tori to tour big venues, because I would really miss it if that was the case. Plus, something I noticed during this show which kind of gave me a twinge!well, I don't know quite how to describe it, but Tori seems as if she's not completely "feeling" a lot of the songs. But that could just be the pace of this tour, especially since Charlotte (like Raleigh) has a sound ordinance which requires outdoor shows to be over by eleven. Hell -- if they'd started the concert at 5 o'clock, and let Tori play for 4 hours, I would have been in heaven. =)

Will there be a bigger, longer and uncut tour, sans Alanis, in support of the new album?? Let us pray so. A Tori tour would be ideal in bringing in the new millenium.

All Reviews Below Were Originally Posted On The Dent Forum

Special thanks to Laurie Daniels for her invaluable assitance in getting the reviews transferred to the Dent!

WHEW!!!! I just got in from the concert. IT WAS AWESOME!!! I saw Mikewhy with a girl (I assume Danica) but was too far away to say hey. (Sorry, Mike) Anyway, the Tori set was awesome. It felt a little rushed and was not as intimate as the smaller venues but she REALLY rocked!! Caton was dancing a little too. The highlights from the night were a very soulful rendition of ANGIE!!! She also played Icicle during secret time. Precious Things was the encore. She also played (not in order) God, Cornflake Girl, Bliss, Glory of the 80's, Waitress, Little Earthquakes, Sugar, Blood Roses (and BR was absolutely the BEST I've EVER heard it!!!!!) There was a song she played that I didn't know but I really liked it. I assume it's a cut from the new album. Oh, and she played Little Amsterdam,fabulously.

i believe the new song was "Juarez" just because that was the only word i sort of made out. the sound at the venue was terrible. the show was...okay for a tori show (of course, they're all wonderful...). maybe i was too tired, maybe it was the rain, or the fact that i couldn't even see her because everyone in front of me was standing. it just didn't feel as special as nashville. Waitress & PT were incredible, however. g.

OK, here's the setlist as I pieced it together in the car on the drive home (in the nasty pouring rain. Some of the songs may be slightly out of order:
God
Sugar
Juarez
Cornflake Girl
Bliss
Little Amsterdam
--------
Secret Time:
Angie
Icicle
--------
Glory of the 80's
Blood Roses
Little Earthquakes
Waitress
--------
Encore:
Precious Things

I'm too keyed up for detail right now... I'll mull it over and come back.

Overall, I thought it was a wonderful wonderful show. The crowd seemed very energetic, and very into Tori. I didn't want to stand, but I ended up having to stand, so I decided if I had to stand, I might as well dance. So I did. Before the band intro Tori sang a little a cappella "In My Mind I'm Going to Carolina." It was too cute. Angie was probably the highlight of the show for me... The Waitress was kind of ruined for me by these morons in front of me who would not shut up. And they were drunk, and they stank of beer. But anyway, I won't dwell on my bitterness... Oy, I'm tired... Here in NC we have a saying, "The only good thing to come out of Charlotte is I-85." That town stinks!

Good vibes,
-Adam

Tori was more than energetic and very powerful. She was also very happy tonight.
And I finallly no what song "No Angels Here" is....IT IS JUAREZ!!!"

Soundcheck (What I heard ) - Juarez and Northern Lad

Show:

God
Sugar
Juarez
Cornflake Girl
Bliss
Little Amsterdam

Angie (w/story and Bringing in the Sheeves intro) Icicle

Little Earthquakes
Glory of the 80's
Blood Roses
Waitress

Encore:
Precious Things

Tori was supposed to sing Cloud on My Tongue, but replaced it with Angie. Which was a very good choice becaue it was the most beautiful performance of Angie I have ever heard. Tori's strong voice is still there.
Tori's dad wanted to learn Bringing in the Sheeves, but heard Angie and said "Fu%k That".

This show was so wonderful I can barely put it into words. She sang little parts bits and pieces about being in NC. At one point I think she did a little of James Taylor's In My Mind I'm Going To Carlina (I don't think that's the right title :-) During little Amsterdam she kept adding little things like, "in N. C. ". IT was really awesome.

Juarez is awesome live! Matt is now "the human drum loop".

i might post an extensive review later. This show was so unbelieveable

Tripp Gwyn
tgwyn@infoave.net

A good show. Angie was a complete surprise and very beautiful. Little Earthquakes moved me to tears. I had good seats, but the piano blocked my view of Tori. I really felt sorry for the people with lawn seats since the rain started right before Tori came on. This is my fourth show, and I agree with earlier posts that everything seemed rushed. I wanted more Tori! We left after a few Alanis songs, and gave our ticket stubs to a couple of very drenched Alanis fans with lawn seats. I felt so bad for them.

well- the show was awesome and it was a really good meet and greet too
a very very nice and mature crowd better than some i have seen in the past.
i ended up going to the stage and the view was really good and i am sure that i got really nice pics.

my friend taped the show and we listened to it on the way home...it sounded great.

the show was the best i have seen in a long time and when i am not so tired, i will post more (i was a blockbuster for 16 hours today and i am TIRED)

-sara

Hi there....
I just got back from the Charlotte show & it was awesome. just one word: ANGIE!
I'm actually posting on a longshot here... i'm looking for a tori fan from the concert, but i don't know his name....

he was driving a white jeep wrangler with a kermit the frog in the front window. he was with one passenger, a girl, & they left right after the tori set.
if that happens to be you or you know the person.... email me.... at khvat@hotmail.com

wow. i don't think i'm going to be able to sleep tonight... tori's got me too wound up... i can't believe how loud she's gotten... i mean that in a good way. she is certainly the rock star she aspired to be. but for me secretime's where it's at. grrrr.... i'm going to go break out my old us crucify.
smooches,
derrick
email me if you're the jeep-boy(, or if you're not.)

the show tonight in charlotte was fantastic! i was also thrilled to finally have made it to a meet and greet... i met so many wonderful ears with feet i didn't get to meet tori unfortunately, but i did take several pictures of her and sang along as the group wished her a late happy birthday. she made the cutest little face when we started to sing!

i also met mikewhy (who is so incredibly nice) and dor today, as well as chris (leroy!) and stephanie and a group of four friends from newton who were wonderful! it's awesome to meet people who love tori as much as i do.

i don't know if anyone else noticed how much tori seemed to be "grooving" tonight with the music... she gyrated a lot more than i remember from previous shows and it really was awesome to see her so worked up for the performance.

since the setlist has already been posted, i'll only mention here that her rendition of Angie tonight was indeed incredible... and i was particularly moved by Little Earthquakes as well... it brought me to tears.

tori was wearing blue pants/jeans(?) and a long peach colored top. her hair was pulled up on top of her head with a blue flower bow... just like it was for the meet and greet. i didn't see her parents anywhere (and i looked for them).

side note: kudos to the tori fan in section 1, row F, seat 30 who turned around and told the loud alanis fans in front of me to BE QUIET. they didn't seem to like being told what to do, but they didn't talk anymore either!

saw no mr. puppethead anywhere, but i did notice a cartman doll wearing his "authority" uniform and sunglasses over near the right side of the stage.

overall, the show was great and meeting so many wonderful EWF made it that much better.

Ok, I was reading through the reviews before and well, didn't like them. I was glad that they were there at all, because for some reason I've been anticipating this album and tour a lot more than previous ones maybe because it came so unexpected. But anyway, I want to write a review that I think I could relate to and hopefully one that other Tori fans like me can relate to as well:
~~~God~~~Sometimes you're just a really good opening song It rocked everyone was happy that She finally came on. ~~~Sugar~~~The best It almost equaled the version she did in Atlanta during the preview tour in April of '98. That one was magical 'cause my friend was talking to Michael Stipe of REM and he said something like "I really like this one." So boom I have something in common with Michael Stipe I'm "special" or something. Plus it really is one of my favorite songs of hers and it always evokes lots of high school memories like me crying over the phone to a certain someone about five years ago with my China single playing in the background.
~~~Unknown~~~I don't know, but it rocked. I definitely had Venus Envy during this song.
~~~Cornflake Girl~~~Groovy as always, I miss the little "horney" dance she did during the UTP and BFP tours. But she still does it a little bit. Maybe it just doesn't take as much work to pull in the energy she needs from the audience to do the song anymore. ~~~Bliss~~~I love it so much I think more than I loved Spark when I heard it the first time on the internet. Even though I don't want to give her up to pop appeal and stardom, wouldn't it be cool if this could be Tori's breakthrough song. Even if she doesn't want it Tori deserves a Grammy or two, and a little more recognition. ~~~Little Amsterdam~~~Yay!!!! Get your grits on the plate girl!!!!!! ~~Angie~~I really enjoyed this I hadn't heard it in so long either. I wonder what significance this song has to Tori and why she keeps it in frequent rotation, anyone?
~~~Icicle~~~Doesn't it make you feel better that Tori's a perv too and you're not the only one. The only other artists I know that have the balls (or clit) to masturbate on stage are Marilyn Manson and L7. ~~~Little Earthquakes~~~ Yellow bird flying I sent my friend Joanna to get me a coke so I didn't have to leave. She didn't get shot on the way there though
~~Glory of the 80's ????~~I'm not sure but I really loved this one I think it's going to be one of my faves on the new album. ~~Blood Roses~~New, didn't recognize it at first. Different I'll have to think about this one and hear it a few more times. ~~The Waitress~~Well, to be perfectly honest I think it's watered down a bit Professional Widow is pretty much the same thing and more healthily hateful... I believe in slow southern vengeance bitch I think Tori does too, but she's too much of a lady to admit it. ~~Encore - Precious Things~~Perfect it's one of those things that needs no description. It filled me up, it emptied me out. It completed my evening with Tori in an orgasm of sound. Well, that's my review hope it's not too long I'm going to bed 'cause I have a 9am class tomorrow!!!!
Peace, Love and a you know the rest
PeepingTommy

I have to say that as each song came on, my thoughts were "Oh my God Tori is REALLY getting me NOW!". When Little Earthquakes came on, my eyes were closed the whole song with hot tears screaming down my face. I know other people say this too, but I could almost swear Tori was looking straight into my soul at certain points.

The show was awesome!!!
Tori was soooooo great! Words can't describe it. This was my second live Tori show, I saw her last October on the Plugged tour. I looked around for laminates... the only ones I saw were mine and my best friend's. I thought it was funny a lot of people were asking me if it was a backstage pass Alanis was great too! It was my first time seeing her live, and I loved it (but Tori was better, of course )

There were a few things that got on my nerves, but not enought to ruin the evening. This ^%#&ing kid in front of me kept making fun of Tori, imitating her and making gestures liked she hated it, even made some comments. Then the little %#@$er did it to Alanis too. What was the point of her going?! And then the lady behind me spilled her beer all over my best friend and me. Try explaining why two nearly-17 year olds come home (well, to the hotel room) smelling like beer without drinking any. I got the "To Venus and Back" shirt, and the Tori program. I love them both!

I wish I could get my hands on a tape of the concert. Precious Things... God... Sugar... Bliss... all of it! It just took my breath away!

Unfortunately, I didn't make it to the all-day "events" or the Meet and Greet I really really really wanted to go. Oh well I met a really cool person. She hadn't seen Tori since '94, and we had a lot of fun!

This is getting waaaaaaaay long, so if I think of anything else to say, I'll post again I HAD TONS OF FUN! Tori rules!

My husband and I got to the m&g about 1:00; got our numbers and waited and waited. He made an origami piano out of a piece of our NC map ~ it was adorable. When Tori got there I was able to pass the card I'd made her up and she said "What's your name honey?" She called me Honey!! I almost peed, I said "Kellie" and she said "Thank you Kellie". Took lots of pics. Oh, I kept passing my Tori Stories book up for her to sign and it kept coming back unsigned. Oh well.
Then we went to eat with a girl I had met last year in Charlotte ~ good calamari at Houlihans. When we got to our seats, which we had paid $125 for gold-circle, our view was totally obstructed by all the speakers. I sat there with tears streaming down while the security guards just stared at me like I was mental. Anyway, the lights go down, the show starts and I ran to the front row and had a wonderful time singing with Tori and laughing with Caton. Loved Angie. By the way, we were gonna leave after Alanis' first song - but she was incredible!

Ok, here's my "two cents" on the whole Charlotte Tori experience. I know some of the things I say might make a few people hot under the collar, but I feel I have to say them. So, please read with an open mind, and don't ball me out for having some negative opinions about the meet and greet and the numbering system. My best friend, her Uncle, and her sister and I drove 3 hours plus to arrive at the Meet and Greet. I know a lot of the EWF are HUGE fans of the number system, but I personally found it unfair for all those who were stuck in the back. I know you might find this a tiny bit critical, but everyone in my party has never met Tori. Everyone who was around us (and was unlucky enough to have a high number!) had never met her either. And it seemed like we were cheated because most (but not all those at the front) everyone at the head of the line had met Tori a gazillon times. (we even heard some bra gging about meeting her sooo many times and gloating about being at the front of the line). So my one complaint (ok, I have another complaint, some person took it upon himself to bark quirky orders at us like we were a herd of unruly school children. I personally think that the crowd of EWF that was at the meet and greet was VERY intelligent and VERY organized, and we didn't need this person to tell us to line up,and how to act at a meet and greet because he had been to sooo many, etc. I do not think any of us unlucky ones in the back would have pushed and shoved to the front and ruined it for anyone there.) about the meet and greet was that I think some of those EWF should be considerate to those of us who have never had a chance to meet the great one. I know, I know, I sound like a bitter old pill, but how often does one get the chance to meet someone like Tori? If you have met her over 5 times.. give those of us a chance to meet her. There were a lot of disappointed people at the back, and I know you could say sleep over night and get there really early to assure a number in the 1-10 range, but some people have to work or have other circumstances that prevent them from sleeping overnight or arriving super early. So, overall for my party, the meet and greet was a
HUGE disappointment. We did meet some really nice EWF though, who shared in our pain of not meeting Tori, so that was a benefit. Enough on my beef about the numbering system and the meet and greet. Let's have some happiness about this glorious concert. Charlotte is a terrible town, and I've never been a big fan of the Blockbuster Pavillion, but Tori really made the Pavillion SPARKLE. The stench in the air from the sewer was blown away by her magical sounds that filled the air with a sweetness that town needs Now, let me talk a little bit about the show:
We all had 3rd row center seats (which brightened the day after the m n'g experience) which was incredible. Tori and the band were sooo close. She indeed looked stunning, I especially liked her blue glitter eyeshadow. It was lovely. Jon's shirt was especially interesting, almost military. And who can't LOVE Caton's hat? I thought the lava lamps and the "Respect my authoriti" Cartman were a nice, playful touch. Now for the songs...
god (what a way to start the show. It was intense, it was fast-paced, I personally like this song a lot live.)
sugar(pure gorgeousness! My best friend and I were jamming during this song.)

juarez (I think this was my favorite. It was so dark and mysterious. I really wanted to hear "Cruel," but this was a beautiful choice.)

cornflake girl (A crowd pleaser. Some chick screamed my ear off during this one, so my experience of this song was hindered.)

bliss (The more I hear this song, the more I LOVE it!! It pleased the crowd as well, and thank god the screaming girl was quiet during this song because it is such a lovely gem from the new CD.)

little amsterdam (this was a treat. Although I unfortunately did not catch the NC references

angie (My best friend's Uncle was so pleased to hear this song. The acoustics of the pavillion prevented me from clearly hearing her story prior to the song, though)

icicle (WOW! I was so excited to hear this one live. It's one of my fav's.)

little earthquakes (beautiful and moving. This was an emotional song for me and my best friend. It reminds me of important things in our relationship. I got a smile for Tori during that song. Very special!!)

glory of the 80's (peppy and happy. It was a joy to see Caton jamming out on this one.)

blood roses (God, this was incredible live. I didn't care for it before w/o the band, but now I love it.)

waitress (always good. I love it with the band, adds a little of the gothic darkness that I so love).
precious things (I'm glad this was played too. A nice ending to a TERRIFIC concert.)

I am so glad I got to have this experience. We did not stay for Alanis, I personally don't like her music. But My best Friend's sister did stay (because the rain was coming down by the time tori went off stage) and said Alanis was awesome.

Please do not yell at me for what I said about the meet and greet and the numbering system. I've found that the EWF are pretty open minded, and I would like to keep this opinion. Since this is the only show that I will have the pleasure of attending (unless she ventures back to NC/VA area on a solo tour... hey I can hope can't I???) I would like to say Charlotte was awesome!! Tori is so much fun and puts on a great show. A big hello to all the EWF we met in the "unlucky" end of the line , the lovely EWF with the gorgeous fairy tatoo on her shoulder (I believe you were from CO, and forgive me for forgetting your name), and HI JESSICA and Raindrops (we were at the back of the line with you and your husband). Take care all!!
the spooky one

What a wonderful show! YEE-HAH. But i think after reading the rest of the reviews my favorite line is "the best thing to come out of Charlotte is I-85", LOL, for sure,no doubt about it. This was my first of 4 concerts on this tour, and we left Richmond about 5 am. Got to Charlotte pretty quick (GOD LOVE MAPQUEST.COM), about 9:30 in the morning. My friend Pam and I were numbers 31 and 32, which I knew were not excellent, but they were good enough to watch her and get some pictures.

This was one of my favorite meet and greets ever, not because of how it went or my number, but just the fun people that were there to wait around with. A lot of EWF usually annoy me from time to time, but everyone at this show was very kind, mature, and respectful, even the very younger fans. Pam and I met some kick-a$$ EWF, especially a guy named Andre from Greenville, NC. WE had a lot in common with each other and hit it off, it was really odd to find out that last year in Deleware, Tori played a song for each of us, and she played them together, she played COYI for me, and used it as an intro to Mother, which she played for him! ROCK ON! Other really cool EWF were Erin from NY, and her friend Pete. And everyone else was really cool too, especially if you sat near Pam and us, played our stupid games and witnessed our annoying exitement !

I saw someone post about the guy who gave out some orders and rules about the meet and greet. His name is Brian. At first, I thought the same thing about him, it's like "he's got to be kidding right?", but Brian is a really nice guy, and his intent is really good, to keep everything sane and organized. I just think, that if you dont' understand where he's coming from and his played the same role yesterday in DC, and purpose, he tends to come off a little snobish and condensending, but he doesn't mean to be, BRIAN ROCKS! Not to mention, he didn't even stay for the meet and greet, he had such a high number...

YAWN, i'm going to post about DC next...

charlotte was a great show, and i had the best seats i've ever had for a tori show before in my life. dead center, 4th row, and many a time i would swear she was looking straight through me. it was very cool. a few points:

*glory of the '80s, which i was terribly frightened about when i heard the concept, is absolutely grand.

*in all of my years of going to see tori, i had never gotten the opportunity to hear little earthquakes live. it was wonderful, and it made me cry. and i am not really a crier.

*there were two people in front of me (i'm sure they're not on the dent, but the bald and trollish-looking man was wearing a bright yellow tshirt and his wife was wearing a red tank top, both were in their early 30s?) who had loud conversations or made out the WHOLE TIME the concert was going on. they did it for tori. they did it for alanis. the making out portion, as wholly disgusting as it might have been (i am now fully acquainted with the geography of both of their tongues) was not nearly as annoying as the loud conversations. when i asked them to please be quiet (during angie) they got angry and huffy and continued, if anything trying to be more obnoxious. then, once tori was done, they went back to the lady checking tickets for our section and told her that i was taking pictures. (which i was. with a non-flash, disposable camera. which couldn't have been bothering anyone, even if it wasn't really allowed) so the chick came down and told me if i took any more pictures she'd have to take my camera away. so to the troll couple who paid 100 bucks to sit int he 3rd row center and not give a shit about any of the artists onstage or any of the rest of the audience: FUCK YOU. whew. long story. sorry. i feel better now.

*post tori-set, caton came out looking for someone and no one was saying anything to him, so i said his name and waved and he turned and grinned at me and waved and gave me the little hang ten sign. he's such a cutie.

*alanis was much better at this show than she was in atlanta. she was worth staying for.

*greta gaines was still a big old ball of suck.

*i, too, was beginning to grow tired of the waitress, but charlotte's show re-inspired me about it. it's so great with the band, and the hang ten interlude is so kickass cool.

*mikewhy & danica are 2 very cool humans, and i'm glad i had the opportunity to meet them. it was great to see sara again too!!!

*finally, to those of you who detest charlotte, let me say this: then go away and don't come back. i moved to charlotte 2 years ago and i really, truly love it. it's a great city with enough large-city fun stuff going on to balance out the occasional negatives associated with its small-town goodwill and charm. it's a fabulous place to live. and, miss spooky_lady, you wouldn't have had to drive 3 hours if you lived in a town that ever had anything happening in it. you could have just drive 15 minutes across town, like i did. so nyah. go away. i'm feeling very mature today.

so that was charlotte. my last show of 5 1/2 weeks. hope the rest of you have lots of fun at your upcoming shows!

I made a spur of the moment decision the night before the Charlotte show to drive 5+ hours to see Tori, and (as expected) it proved to be a worthy experience. I hadn't even bought tix until before the show, and ended up snagging some great tix from a fellow Toriphile (I didn't get your name, but thanks again!!! ). I was able to rush the stage, and get real close to Tori (the experience of seeing Tori that close is almost indescribable). Anyway, my impression of the set: 1) God- the vocal intro. was a nice touch; as usual, it pretty much rocked, 2) Sugar- always love to hear this song; I just wish she would have done that same intro she used at the end of the Plugged tour (anyone remember what I'm referring to?), 3) Juarez- very GROOVY song, probably my favorite of the 3 new songs. ALSO, did anyone else notice some of the lyrics to Juarez reminded me of an intro. she had to a Plugged98 song (I think it was Mohammad My Friend: "time to keep it up, time to keep it in..". I dunno, maybe I'm on crack!), 4) Band Intro/ Cornflake Girl- I don't know how popular an opinion this is, but personally I wish she'd play Cornflake Girl a bit less. It's a great song, with some really nifty and cryptic lyrics, but I guess I'm just yearning for some other UTP songs I haven't heard in awhile (Yes Anastasia?!?). The a capella improv she did introducing the band was, well, fuckin beautiful, 5)Bliss- first time I'd heard it live, haven't decided how much I like it. It's got a very nice beat, 6) Little Amsterdam- Not my favorite BFP song, but Tori made it very groovy; I loved the way she had an extended pause between her "don't"s!, 7) Angie (Solo)- Every time she plays this, it seems so special and unique. There's always 1 song that potentially brings me to tears, and this was it!, 8) Icicle (Solo)- I'd only heard her play this once before, methinks, and it was refreshing to hear it again. I do love how irreverent Tori gets during this song , 9) Little Earthquakes- I'm so happy she plays this song with the band now, it adds such a life to it, the way it builds up, etc., 10) Glory of the 80s- It's odd hearing Tori perform a song I don't know, it doesn't happen very often. But, it was fun, b/c you can kinda sense the spirit of the song without really knowing the specifics yet. This one was pretty fast and upbeat, I can't wait to hear the recorded version..., 11) Blood Roses- As good as everyone was saying it was gonna be! It reminded me of when Tori played BR on the harpsichord on Dew Drop Inn tour; both versions are great!, 12 and 13) Waitress/ Precious Things- In the back of my head, while driving to Charlotte, I was thinking, maybe I'll start to tire of these songs, having heard them all 12 times on the last tour: NOT!!! Overall, I was impressed with the set. There's always those shining moments of any Tori show where she completely amazes and impresses you, and she did it again. It was nice to hear the newsongs; I think that was the first time she played Juarez right?... I WILL say, however, that it took (and will take) some getting used to listening to a shortened Tori set. I'm not saying I can't deal, but it's gonna take some getting used to, that's all. But, as we all probably know, Tori is aware that those time constraints may concern some of her fans, and just means she'll put even more energy and focus into every show (if that's possible!!!).

Thanks again to the girl who sold me her ticket; if anyone is heading to her OH or IN shows, maybe I'll see you there!!! *hugs*

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