Santa Barbara
And yet another amazing show put on by Tori & co.
Nikki and I headed out once she got home from work in the early afternoon, and the drive to Santa Barbara was beautiful. I called Clyde when I saw a helicopter in the air, and was still curious to see if Pip would tag along. (FYI-- Clyde is the doll I identify with most as the Persephone archetype and has most of my favorite songs. She's the sensitive, shy, subtle and mysterious one.)
The area the venue was in was very beautiful, upscale and yet homey, nice shops, cafes and such. We were starving, but decided to find the meet and greet crowd first, which was behind the venue in a Von's parking lot. There were about the same amount of people as my last one, but these people seemed more approachable. A group of them were sitting on the ground and painting and I was curious about that. Then, a girl came out with more paper and asked who wanted to make signs. All we were told is that it was for the last show in LA. I took one, because of the fun, but I was nervous and having a brain fart on what Tori-related thing to paint.
Nikki refused to help me at all so a girl named Jennifer did. There were no paint brushes left so I just used my hands to paint heart-shaped rose colored glasses for Almost Rosey, and she got the idea to write, "Have a nice day," with a big question mark. Then we added the "Hey! Hey! Hey!" with exclamation points to give it a totally school spirited cheerleader feel. We were supposed to put the stuff away before Tori came out, I guess she wasn't supposed to know; however, my hands were covered in paint anyway. But at this point it was getting late in the game, VIP and soundchecks were about to begin. Basically Tori's people were just using us. But it was a fun and unique experience and I loved this meet and greet even though it technically wasn't one. It got me out of my head, so much so that if Tori *did* come out, I probably would have been able to really talk to her.
Nikki went to eat and warm up (it was quite chilly) but I stayed in the parking lot with a Tori-loving family once I heard some soundcheck (Juarez, Little Earthquakes, Bouncing Off Clouds) even though I knew Tori wouldn't come out since she had to meet the VIPers and change her wigs/outfit. A twelve year old girl was telling me about her Tori-love, and how no one at her school even knows who Tori Amos is besides one teacher. I told her that makes her the cool kid.
When I went to pick up my tickets and will call, I could hear Roosterspur Bridge so clearly, as if it were on the radio but she was IN THE NEXT ROOM! I was very excited and wished I could stay in there. Instead we got Starbucks and I managed to eat a muffin and get even more excited with a coffee before heading into the venue.
The Arlington Theatre was very small, old and intimate looking. It had a pretty Mexican style to it... and this is just judging from the outside. On the inside, wow. The ceiling had a starlit sky and it was set up to look like you're outside in a Mexican Villa, very interesting room. As we were sitting in there after Yoav played, I told Nikki, "This is the perfect moment." Even though Tori wasn't even out yet, I was so excited and yet peaceful. The seats were pretty good, row N on the right. I had binoculars so I could catch the subtle things this time (a necessity for a Clyde show).
After some waiting... Clyde came out! It was all smokey and she covered her face with a handkerchief thing as she made her way to the piano. WHen the lights came on her you could see her pretty green-ish dress. Much better than those MC Hammer pants she wears. Everyone was on their feet for her entrance and Bouncing Off Clouds.
Clyde might be the shy one but she can rock out especially on Juarez. She did all the "gun" songs, so did the guns hand motion a lot for Juarez and Little Amsterdam. I loved the way she moved, her sexiness surprised me. Might not be like Santa but the way she grabs her dress and body, and she has that mysterious gaze. She's my role model, haha. I loved how the lighting changed, especially in Beauty of Speed when the backdrop turned to rainbows.
When Clyde was done she scampered away like an adorable puppy.
Then, after the band jammed to Professional Widow... Tori came out with the glittery leopard jumpsuit!
She immediately seemed like she was in an extra-extra good smiley mood. She got into the dancing to Big Wheel even more than at my last show, and the audience stayed up and dancing through the whole thing. I think my top fell down at one point, thankfully no one noticed. After Big Wheel, the setlist was just, bam. Song by song, rarities for this tour and debuts popping out.
Parasol started it off. I had never heard ANY Beekeeper songs live before this. It sounded great with the band.
Then, the lights and mood turned darker. For a split second there the band sounded like the Bells For Her intro, except as Tori danced in a sultry way to the keyboard, I could tell it was NOT Bells. It was fucking Spark!!!!!!!!!!!!! (<--exclamation points indicate I was pleased.) Even though the mood became dark like that, she was still all smiley throughout as she whipped that wig around. (I noticed a big grin to Dan or Matt right after "you don't really mean it.")
Then, her hellos and band intro before Cornflake Girl. She couldn't understand what people were yelling at her once again, and threw out a playful "Eat me." I don't even remember what she said but she talked throughout the show about the tour winding down which got a lot of "aw's" from me and the rest of the audience. At one point she was talking about trying to get requests in but "if yours isn't played it's too fucking bad."
Lust was total love. As was Black Dove, my second one this tour but I was just as excited to hear it.
T&Bo. She started off with an improv about burying grandmother. She continued the death theme with Alamo (which is a b-side I don't even have so it was a treat to get a rare one) and then Toast. She stopped. She did a silly little improv about driving her sound guy crazy with getting her EQ right and commented on how funny the room was before starting it over. Even with the tone of this T&Bo, I felt a sense of peace with Mr. Bojangles instead of getting all emo like my last show.
I don't know when it was-- but through my binoculars and because of the intensity of the wig, I began to see a very strong turquoise aura around her. It just reinforced the calming effect for me, the songs didn't get me in the same way as the last show at all. It was like meditating while screaming my lungs out.
After T&Bo, she brought out Past the Mission and Talula. Talula was especially cool because the sound was reinvented and Tori threw in a lot of lyric improvs and got up to dance.
Encores were Precious Things and Tear in Your Hand. Didn't want to wave goodbye! But with the 11:00 curfew she could not fit in a second encore.
One of the best parts was on the drive back home. We swore we saw a shooting star straight ahead.
Set List:
Part I - Clyde
Bouncing off Clouds
Little Earthquakes
Juarez
Rattlesnakes
Amsterdam
Beauty of Speed
Professional Widow Interlude
Part II - Tori
Big Wheel
Parasol
Spark
Cornflake Girl
Lust
Black Dove
T&Bo
improv - buried you today/Alamo
Toast screw up/improv/Toast
Band returns
Past the Mission
Talula
Code Red
Encore
Precious Things
Tear In Your Hand
Nikki and I headed out once she got home from work in the early afternoon, and the drive to Santa Barbara was beautiful. I called Clyde when I saw a helicopter in the air, and was still curious to see if Pip would tag along. (FYI-- Clyde is the doll I identify with most as the Persephone archetype and has most of my favorite songs. She's the sensitive, shy, subtle and mysterious one.)
The area the venue was in was very beautiful, upscale and yet homey, nice shops, cafes and such. We were starving, but decided to find the meet and greet crowd first, which was behind the venue in a Von's parking lot. There were about the same amount of people as my last one, but these people seemed more approachable. A group of them were sitting on the ground and painting and I was curious about that. Then, a girl came out with more paper and asked who wanted to make signs. All we were told is that it was for the last show in LA. I took one, because of the fun, but I was nervous and having a brain fart on what Tori-related thing to paint.
Nikki refused to help me at all so a girl named Jennifer did. There were no paint brushes left so I just used my hands to paint heart-shaped rose colored glasses for Almost Rosey, and she got the idea to write, "Have a nice day," with a big question mark. Then we added the "Hey! Hey! Hey!" with exclamation points to give it a totally school spirited cheerleader feel. We were supposed to put the stuff away before Tori came out, I guess she wasn't supposed to know; however, my hands were covered in paint anyway. But at this point it was getting late in the game, VIP and soundchecks were about to begin. Basically Tori's people were just using us. But it was a fun and unique experience and I loved this meet and greet even though it technically wasn't one. It got me out of my head, so much so that if Tori *did* come out, I probably would have been able to really talk to her.
Nikki went to eat and warm up (it was quite chilly) but I stayed in the parking lot with a Tori-loving family once I heard some soundcheck (Juarez, Little Earthquakes, Bouncing Off Clouds) even though I knew Tori wouldn't come out since she had to meet the VIPers and change her wigs/outfit. A twelve year old girl was telling me about her Tori-love, and how no one at her school even knows who Tori Amos is besides one teacher. I told her that makes her the cool kid.
When I went to pick up my tickets and will call, I could hear Roosterspur Bridge so clearly, as if it were on the radio but she was IN THE NEXT ROOM! I was very excited and wished I could stay in there. Instead we got Starbucks and I managed to eat a muffin and get even more excited with a coffee before heading into the venue.
The Arlington Theatre was very small, old and intimate looking. It had a pretty Mexican style to it... and this is just judging from the outside. On the inside, wow. The ceiling had a starlit sky and it was set up to look like you're outside in a Mexican Villa, very interesting room. As we were sitting in there after Yoav played, I told Nikki, "This is the perfect moment." Even though Tori wasn't even out yet, I was so excited and yet peaceful. The seats were pretty good, row N on the right. I had binoculars so I could catch the subtle things this time (a necessity for a Clyde show).
After some waiting... Clyde came out! It was all smokey and she covered her face with a handkerchief thing as she made her way to the piano. WHen the lights came on her you could see her pretty green-ish dress. Much better than those MC Hammer pants she wears. Everyone was on their feet for her entrance and Bouncing Off Clouds.
Clyde might be the shy one but she can rock out especially on Juarez. She did all the "gun" songs, so did the guns hand motion a lot for Juarez and Little Amsterdam. I loved the way she moved, her sexiness surprised me. Might not be like Santa but the way she grabs her dress and body, and she has that mysterious gaze. She's my role model, haha. I loved how the lighting changed, especially in Beauty of Speed when the backdrop turned to rainbows.
When Clyde was done she scampered away like an adorable puppy.
Then, after the band jammed to Professional Widow... Tori came out with the glittery leopard jumpsuit!
She immediately seemed like she was in an extra-extra good smiley mood. She got into the dancing to Big Wheel even more than at my last show, and the audience stayed up and dancing through the whole thing. I think my top fell down at one point, thankfully no one noticed. After Big Wheel, the setlist was just, bam. Song by song, rarities for this tour and debuts popping out.
Parasol started it off. I had never heard ANY Beekeeper songs live before this. It sounded great with the band.
Then, the lights and mood turned darker. For a split second there the band sounded like the Bells For Her intro, except as Tori danced in a sultry way to the keyboard, I could tell it was NOT Bells. It was fucking Spark!!!!!!!!!!!!! (<--exclamation points indicate I was pleased.) Even though the mood became dark like that, she was still all smiley throughout as she whipped that wig around. (I noticed a big grin to Dan or Matt right after "you don't really mean it.")
Then, her hellos and band intro before Cornflake Girl. She couldn't understand what people were yelling at her once again, and threw out a playful "Eat me." I don't even remember what she said but she talked throughout the show about the tour winding down which got a lot of "aw's" from me and the rest of the audience. At one point she was talking about trying to get requests in but "if yours isn't played it's too fucking bad."
Lust was total love. As was Black Dove, my second one this tour but I was just as excited to hear it.
T&Bo. She started off with an improv about burying grandmother. She continued the death theme with Alamo (which is a b-side I don't even have so it was a treat to get a rare one) and then Toast. She stopped. She did a silly little improv about driving her sound guy crazy with getting her EQ right and commented on how funny the room was before starting it over. Even with the tone of this T&Bo, I felt a sense of peace with Mr. Bojangles instead of getting all emo like my last show.
I don't know when it was-- but through my binoculars and because of the intensity of the wig, I began to see a very strong turquoise aura around her. It just reinforced the calming effect for me, the songs didn't get me in the same way as the last show at all. It was like meditating while screaming my lungs out.
After T&Bo, she brought out Past the Mission and Talula. Talula was especially cool because the sound was reinvented and Tori threw in a lot of lyric improvs and got up to dance.
Encores were Precious Things and Tear in Your Hand. Didn't want to wave goodbye! But with the 11:00 curfew she could not fit in a second encore.
One of the best parts was on the drive back home. We swore we saw a shooting star straight ahead.
Set List:
Part I - Clyde
Bouncing off Clouds
Little Earthquakes
Juarez
Rattlesnakes
Amsterdam
Beauty of Speed
Professional Widow Interlude
Part II - Tori
Big Wheel
Parasol
Spark
Cornflake Girl
Lust
Black Dove
T&Bo
improv - buried you today/Alamo
Toast screw up/improv/Toast
Band returns
Past the Mission
Talula
Code Red
Encore
Precious Things
Tear In Your Hand