I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: May 9, 2022] Tori Amos

I last saw Tori Amos over 20 years ago.  I was a die-hard looney fan back in the 90s. That has since passed.  I saw her a lot of times in the span of five years and then I was kind of over her.  I still enjoyed her music but the fanbase was getting too intense for me.

I wasn’t even sure if I’d be able to get tickets to this show, I though it would have sold out immediately.  But when the presale was announced, I was able to score third row.   When I was a huge fan, I was never anywhere closer than half way back.  So this was sort of a last hurrah for seeing her.  If I had gotten these tickets twenty-five years ago I would have ben beside myself.

Turns out that the intense fanbase is still there and they may have been unhappy that I was in that third row seat because there was a coordinated effort by the folks in the first three rows to control the audience.  Not in a “you must do this” way but in a “this is how it’s done” way.  It almost felt like church–which is very funny given Tori’s upbringing.

Tori’s band (bassist Jon Evans and drummer Ash Soan) came out and did a little jamming before Tori walked out in a lovely flowing kimono type thing and the highest spikiest heels that one might ever see on a pianist.  

She opened with “Juárez” from To Venus and Back.  Not my favorite song from the album (I would have loved to hear “Bliss”), but a promising start to the idea that she was going to be playing from all over her career.  Plus, the all sounded great–the band was excellent and Tori’s voice sounded in good form.  She also made a lot of eye contact and gestures to the folks in the front row–just like the old days, but I could actually see them.

After playing a song I didn’t know (I have American Doll Posse, but couldn’t tell you when I last listened to it), she jumped all the way back to play “Little Earthquakes.”  The crowd went berserk (as they should) and then we sat back and enjoyed it.  Because this was part of the coordination from the front row,  as soon as the second song was done, they turned around and motioned for everyone to sit, like they knew the next song was going to be a slow one and we should sit now so we didn’t sit during the song.  It was weird (although not unappreciated).

Up next (we all stood up) was a grooving bass and drum intro to “Sweet Sangria.”  Basically I don’t really know anything after 1999’s To Venus and Back all that well–but I enjoyed watching her switch from keys to piano mid song.  Except, that is, for songs from the new album.  Which I also don’t know that well, but which I have listened to and did like.

Tori has always been a performer who does her own thing.  And often it works well or is at least fun to watch.  Like during “Ocean to Ocean” when she played a melody section on the high end and seemed to get lost in staring at the keys.   I also enjoyed the way she dealt with her outfit (which wasn’t quite right for the piano–a lot of draping seemed to get in the way–even though it looked fabulous.  I’d always felt that she would happily flip off anyone who didn’t like what she did. but now she had the air of a lady of a certain age who absolutely does not give a shit what you think.  And it works wonders in a live setting.

After “Spring Haze” (hey, I knew that one!) she played “Selkie” from a very new album (although she threw in a verse or two from “Merman” (a b side from an album that I love).  

After a Bruce Springsteen cover (I understand why she did it and everyone was thrilled that she did it (except me, apparently)), she played another song from an album I don’t know and I was getting a little concerned that I picked the wrong show to go to.

Then she played one of my favorite deep cuts, “Northern Lad,”  I have sung along to this song hundreds of times and I was so very excited to hear it live (for only the first time!).  The fact that it was the only song off of From the Choirgirl Hotel was, indeed a bit of a bummer, but what a song to pick.  (And she didn’t play ANYTHING from Boys for Pele?!]

“Addition of Light Divided” was unusual for having Tori’s backing voice looped in–something I feel I’ve never seen before.  I recognized “Give” even though I wasn’t all that familiar with it.  It’s the first song off the album that it’s on, which might explain why I knew it better than some of the other, deeper cuts.

Then she surprised and delighted everyone by playing “Take to The Sky” (a hugely popular B-side).  The crowd danced, Tori had fun and even did some weird clicking sounds while she got to the chorus.  And in another instance of this clearly being a scripted thing, during the chorus between lines she sang “yea yea yea yea yea yea” and everyone next to me pumped their hands in time with it–before it even happened–like it was a thing and not an improvised bit of fun.  

At some point around here a fascinating thing happened.  A signal was given (not by Tori) and all of a sudden, everyone in this group of people rushed the stage.  They climbed over seats!  The guy next to me, who was a bit bigger and older actually fell while climbing over the seats and landed on someone!  

After one more new song, she played “Cornflake Girl.”  Now I’m totally fine with musicians not playing the hits,  Tori has a vast catalog and I could have easily made playlist that didn’t include this and I would have been happy.  And yet, there had been so few songs that I knew, that hearing this undeniable hit was exactly what I needed.

I really like her new song “Spies” and was worried that she might not play it, but she played that as the encore.  The bass line is just so excellent.  And she ended with an, of course, excellent version of “Precious Things.” 

This was a weird show for me.  It was good to see her.  She sounded great.  But it was like seeing a friend who I had grown apart from.  We had a few things in common, but there were far more differences.  That’s a lot to think about for a rock concert.  But at one time I was a one of those crazy fans, and it’s now interesting to look in on the scene from outside.  It’s also interesting to me that, at least compared to the shows the last time I saw her, this one seemed kinda short.  I don’t have show length at all, but it’s not like she played an epic twenty minute song.   But the last few shows I saw she had played five or six more songs.  

May 9, 2022 The Met Philadelphia	October 15, 2001 Wang Theater, Boston	October 11, 2001 Beacon Theatre
Juárez ⇔	’97 Bonnie & Clyde Θ (Eminem cover)	’97 Bonnie & Clyde Θ (Eminem cover)
Bouncing Off Clouds ∇ (with “Reindeer King” interlude)	Icicle ⇓	Icicle ⇓
Little Earthquakes £	Rattlesnakes Θ (Lloyd Cole cover)	Little Amsterdam ß
Sweet Sangria §	Daisy Dead Petals A (Incomplete version; done at audience request – no ‘falling down…’ and final verse)	Leather £
Ocean to Ocean Ø	Sugar A	Upside Down (B-side from £)
Spring Haze ⇔	Tear in Your Hand £	Rattlesnakes Θ (Lloyd Cole cover)
Selkie ⊕ (with “Merman” interlude)	Cool on Your Island (Y Kant Tori Read cover)	Winter £
Streets of Philadelphia  (Bruce Springsteen cover) (Solo)	Beauty Queen ß	Beauty Queen ß
Russia ♣	Horses ß	Horses ß
Northern Lad ∏	Leather £	Flying Dutchman A
Addition of Light Divided Ø	This Old Man (cover)	This Old Man (cover)
Give ≅	Upside Down (B-side from £)	Not the Red Baron ß
Take to the Sky (with “I Feel the Earth Move” interlude)	Crucify £	Crucify £
Devil’s Bane Ø	Little Earthquakes £	Yes, Anastasia ⇓
Cornflake Girl ⇓	Me and a Gun £	Me and a Gun £
Encore	Over the Rainbow (cover)	Landslide (Fleetwood Mac cover)
Spies Ø	Encore	Encore
Precious Things £	Thank You (Led Zeppelin cover)	Honey A
	Enjoy the Silence Θ (Depeche Mode cover)	Hey, Jupiter ß
	Please Come to Boston  (Dave Loggins cover)	Encore 2
	Encore 2	Playboy Mommy ∏
	Honey A	Time Θ (Tom Waits cover)
	Marianne ß
	Pandora’s Aquarium ∏

 

August 31 1999 Tweeter Center, Boston	August 28 1999 PNC Bank Center, Holmdel	August 27 1999 Blockbuster Center, Camden
God ⇓	God ⇓	God ⇓
Sugar A	Sugar A	Professional Widow ß
Juárez ⇔	Juárez ⇔	Concertina ⇔
Cornflake Girl ⇓	Cornflake Girl ⇓	Cornflake Girl ⇓
Bliss ⇔	Bliss ⇔	Bliss ⇔
Cruel ∏	Crucify £	Blood Roses ß
Angie (The Rolling Stones cover) (solo)	Silent All These Years £ (solo)	China £ (solo)
Winter £ (solo)	1,000 Oceans (solo) ⇔	Baker Baker ⇓ (solo)
Suede ⇔	Suede ⇔	Honey A
Professional Widow ß	Professional Widow ß	Juárez ⇔
Crucify £	Father Lucifer ß	Graveyard ß (deluxe)
The Waitress ⇓	The Waitress ⇓	Tear in Your Hand £
Encore	Encore	The Waitress ⇓
Precious Things £	Precious Things £	Encore
		Precious Things £
Co-HEADLINING w ALANIS MORISSETTE	Co-HEADLINING w ALANIS MORISSETTE	Co-HEADLINING w ALANIS MORISSETTE

 

November 1998 NJPAC	August 1998 Fleet Center, Boston	July 1998 Madison Square Garden
Precious Things £	Precious Things £	Precious Things £
God ⇓	Cruel ∏	Cruel ∏
Girl £	Caught a Lite Sneeze ß	Cornflake Girl ⇓
Hotel ∏	Jackie’s Strength ∏	Spark ∏
Past the Mission ⇓	God ⇓	i i e e e ∏
Sugar A	Cornflake Girl ⇓	Sugar A
Yes, Anastasia ⇓ (solo)	Winter £ (solo)	Leather £
Merman A (solo)	Cooling A (solo)	Landslide (Fleetwood Mac cover)
Baker Baker ⇓ (solo)	Putting the Damage On ß	Jackie’s Strength ∏
Little Earthquakes £	Spark ∏	Tear in Your Hand £
Crucify £	Raspberry Swirl ∏	Raspberry Swirl ∏
Black-Dove (January) ∏	The Waitress ⇓	The Waitress ⇓
The Waitress ⇓	Encore	Encore
Encore	She’s Your Cocaine ∏	She’s Your Cocaine ∏
Talula ß	i i e e e ∏	God ⇓
Raspberry Swirl ∏	Encore 2	Encore 2
Encore 2	Horses ß	Horses ß
Tear in Your Hand £
Beauty Queen ß (solo)
Mary A
Silent All These Years £ (solo)

 

September 1996 Harborlights, Boston	May 1996 Wang Theater, Boston
Beauty Queen ß	Beauty Queen ß
Horses ß	Horses ß
Take to the Sky A	Leather £
Caught a Lite Sneeze ß	Blood Roses ß
Little Amsterdam ß	Little Amsterdam ß
Cornflake Girl ⇓	Cornflake Girl ⇓
Little Earthquakes £	Doughnut Song ß (Onward Christian Soldiers, Please Come to Boston, Like a Virgin, and Happy Birthday snippets)
Sugar A	Space Dog ⇓
Mother £	Crucify £
Precious Things £	Putting the Damage On ß
Flying Dutchman A	Precious Things £
Lovesong (The Cure cover)	Not the Red Baron ß
Talula ß	Caught a Lite Sneeze ß
Me and a  Gun £	Talula ß
Encore	Me and a Gun £
This Old Man	Encore
Putting the Damage On ß	Over the Rainbow (cover)
Baker Baker ⇓	China £
Encore 2	Encore 2
Father Lucifer ß	Pretty Good Year ⇓
Purple Rain (Prince cover)	Professional Widow ß
	Hey Jupiter ß