My Tori Amos record collection, which ends at From the Choirgirl Hotel, has been on the shelf for years. I was obsessed with her in high school -- I spent countless hours trying to decipher the convoluted sexual metaphors in her songs and then wrote my own afflicted derivations. I sang "China" at a pops concert. And I even named my dog Tori.
I started to lose interest, though, after Amos' unfortunate 2001 covers album, Strange Little Girls. The strange little girl in me perked right up, however, as soon as my old idol appeared last night at the Starlight Theatre and began pounding out enchanting melodies to which she sang in that signature voice that can grow from serpentine crackle to a fairy's wail.
The elfin-faced Amos emerged with a drummer and guitar/bassist a little before 9 p.m. in a gingham dress that was mini-skirt short in front, with a slight train in back. Beneath it she wore tight pink leggings and high heels. On a beautiful evening, a crowd that probably would have filled the Uptown looked sparse at the Starlight. Those who did attend were treated to a genuine and at times even magical performance. The wash on stage varied from purple and green hues to a starlit blue design. During "Cornflake Girl" I saw two birds swoop in unison over Amos and into the backstage and wondered if it was real.
The empty seats didn't faze Amos, who mentioned that she had friends and family in the audience. She was obviously having a good time in the spotlight, ever smiling and directing lots of private looks into the fully occupied front rows. For virtually the entire set, she perched, wide-legged, between a piano and a Yamaha keyboard. She sang a seemingly impromptu ode to those instruments a few minutes before the Yamaha got swapped out for an organ.
The set was broken into three sections. Perhaps the most beautiful moment of the night occurred during the Lizard Lounge portion of the night when Amos plunked out the very old song "Cool on Your Island," an arresting account of a woman whose devotion to her man goes underappreciated.
Hearing Amos' older songs alongside her new material, it becomes obvious how the singer songwriter has blossomed into a true diva. The themes of victimization are rife in earlier works like "Precious Things," while such newer tracks as "Strong Black Vine" reflect the perspective of a dominant woman.
I hope the next Amos-inspired poem I write does the same thing.
This set list is courtesy of a friendly light tech with a British accent. The only discrepancy I caught: Amos did not actually perform "Caught a Lite Sneeze," which happens to be one of my favorites. Boo.
Showing 1-7 of 7
came from little rock arkansas to see her.
show and venue were both amazing
the first band was called One Eskimo, they were terrific!!
I also came from Saint Louis to see Tori Amos.
It was my first Tori Amos concert and it was the best concert I ever seen. It's something that's amazing about her music and I enjoyed ever bit of her concert, it was amazing.
BTW, could anyone tell me the name of the band that opened for her, they were pretty good!
This was the third time for me to see Tori Amos and first time at Starlight. I had a fascinating evening and cannot wait for both Tori to come back again and another show at the wonderful venue: Starlight. We traveled from Omaha, Nebraska to attend.
I came in from St. Louis for this show. Hadn't seen Tori live since '02. I must admit I was pleased with the rare songs, especially Siren which is one of my favorite non album tracks. However, I thought it was strange she only played 4 songs from the new album. She played just as many from Under the Pink. I really wanted to hear Police Me and Fire to Your Plain, my two favorites off her current album. Now reading this I am disappointed that she skipped Caught a Lite Sneeze. I thought the encore was a bit short.
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