So, Tori...
I've not been to a lot of concerts in my life, and Tori Amos is only the second I've seen twice (the first was Ian Anderson/ Jethro Tull). This show couldn't have been more different than the first, which was for her To Venus and Back release.
We weren't sure if there was going to be an opening act, and then this young dude with bare feet and a guitar came onstage. He sort of sang, and sort of played the guitar; his website no doubt describes his music as "mesmerizing" or "ethereal," but I would describe it more as "emo teenager playing with electronic effects and vocalizing his bad poetry." I didn't hear anything that could remotely be called a "song." He was just weird. People talked all through his set, which I put down, at the time, to the poor performance.
When Tori came out, there was much cheering, screaming, and clapping. She was in her "Pip" persona, who is raunchy and wild. She was wearing an electric blue short dress (similar to the one in the linked pic) and black, skintight leather leggings & boots. She sang a few rocking songs, made crude gestures, and flipped off the audience when she left the stage for a costume change.
I admit that I don't really get the entire persona thing; I understand that she's playing, experimenting, trying to show different sides of herself, but maybe it's just a little too avant garde for my taste. I really just like Tori. Which is who she came out as, sort of, for the second act.
I liked this part of the show much better. She played a lot of familiar favorites, like "Cornflake Girl" and "Crucify" (which was stuck in my head after the show), and showed off her amazing talent by playing, simultaneously and while straddling the bench, a piano and an electronic keyboard. I got chills just describing that scene to a coworker yesterday.
The lighting was by turns really cool, and really distracting. Tori, or her lighting designer, has a penchant for moving lights that shine out onto the audience, and I don't especially like having bright lights shone in my eyes. Must be part of my feline nature. *g*
The other real annoyance of the evening was the audience. I have never encountered such a rude, obnoxious audience before in my life! People talked all through the show, most especially a pair of girls right behind us who talked, loudly, throughout the show. In a fit of pique, I finally turned around and asked them to keep it down, which they did for one whole song. Sheesh. If you're going to chat through a whole show, why don't you just stay home and play the CD so that the rest of us can enjoy it?
I was also astonished at the sheer number of people who seem to be so addicted to their cell phones, taking pictures (some with flash!) during the whole show. When did this become OK? Part of me was irked, and another part wished I had brought my camera.
I love Tori's music, and she's an amazing performer. Her voice is just incredible in its range and power, and she uses it well. I'm so glad I got the chance to see her again! Many thanks to perseph12 for inviting me along.
We weren't sure if there was going to be an opening act, and then this young dude with bare feet and a guitar came onstage. He sort of sang, and sort of played the guitar; his website no doubt describes his music as "mesmerizing" or "ethereal," but I would describe it more as "emo teenager playing with electronic effects and vocalizing his bad poetry." I didn't hear anything that could remotely be called a "song." He was just weird. People talked all through his set, which I put down, at the time, to the poor performance.
When Tori came out, there was much cheering, screaming, and clapping. She was in her "Pip" persona, who is raunchy and wild. She was wearing an electric blue short dress (similar to the one in the linked pic) and black, skintight leather leggings & boots. She sang a few rocking songs, made crude gestures, and flipped off the audience when she left the stage for a costume change.
I admit that I don't really get the entire persona thing; I understand that she's playing, experimenting, trying to show different sides of herself, but maybe it's just a little too avant garde for my taste. I really just like Tori. Which is who she came out as, sort of, for the second act.
I liked this part of the show much better. She played a lot of familiar favorites, like "Cornflake Girl" and "Crucify" (which was stuck in my head after the show), and showed off her amazing talent by playing, simultaneously and while straddling the bench, a piano and an electronic keyboard. I got chills just describing that scene to a coworker yesterday.
The lighting was by turns really cool, and really distracting. Tori, or her lighting designer, has a penchant for moving lights that shine out onto the audience, and I don't especially like having bright lights shone in my eyes. Must be part of my feline nature. *g*
The other real annoyance of the evening was the audience. I have never encountered such a rude, obnoxious audience before in my life! People talked all through the show, most especially a pair of girls right behind us who talked, loudly, throughout the show. In a fit of pique, I finally turned around and asked them to keep it down, which they did for one whole song. Sheesh. If you're going to chat through a whole show, why don't you just stay home and play the CD so that the rest of us can enjoy it?
I was also astonished at the sheer number of people who seem to be so addicted to their cell phones, taking pictures (some with flash!) during the whole show. When did this become OK? Part of me was irked, and another part wished I had brought my camera.
I love Tori's music, and she's an amazing performer. Her voice is just incredible in its range and power, and she uses it well. I'm so glad I got the chance to see her again! Many thanks to perseph12 for inviting me along.