From: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org (precious-things-digest) To: precious-things-digest@smoe.org Subject: precious-things-digest V3 #379 Reply-To: precious-things@smoe.org Sender: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "precious-things-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. precious-things-digest Wednesday, October 28 1998 Volume 03 : Number 379 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Meet and Greet: Earn it ["turbid blue" ] Ithaca show - M&G Questions [RSwirl658@aol.com] The Columbia Show (late, I know) ["Heather Parsons" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 02:44:50 CST From: "turbid blue" Subject: Re: Meet and Greet: Earn it Hi, it's Gina again.. I'm not one to argue much, but this post made me very angry. I'm trying to understand where Beth is coming from, but I just can't. And I don't mean to shoot anything down.. everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I'm just going to try to express my opinions about what was said. I hope it doesn't turn out too angry. I didn't know if I should post this to the lists or not, but I think everyone should hear what I, or anyone, has to say about it. Please understand I don't mean to offend anyone at all. Sometimes I can say really stupid things and not mean them the way they are taken. I think mostly all Tori fans rock. Some of us just have our differences. Anyway, here goes. >Tori is not obligated to meet each and every person who is touched by >her music. It isn't humanly possible for her to hear every voice >that wants to personally tell her thank you. I'd like to know about >the 10% that Tori counts on seeing? Those are the folks you are >complaining about. She relys on certain people who have been >part of her core audience to ground her in a way in every concert. >Seeing the same people (and the 10% that you are speaking of isn't a >huge numberof people, maybe 5 at each concert) gives her a sense on >continuity and safety. Well, I said in my post that I *know* tori can't meet everyone. that's common sense. Everybody *does* deserve a _chance_, though. No, Tori can't meet 50 people at one meet and greet.. but she can meet, say 15 or so. And it'd be *nice* if about half of those 15 weren't the groupies, for a change. It would give other deserving Tori fans a chance. You would not have posted what you just posted (the entire thing) if you hadn't already met Tori.. and a number of times, I'll bet. I don't think it's possible for you to see how the rest of us feel. But, anyway, who are you to *speak* for Tori? Are you saying that I'm not part of her core audience because I can't make it to 2383546 shows so i can "ground her in a way" (according to you) by being in the front row at all the meet and greets to take snapshots and say "hi" for the 50th time? Argh, that frustrates me so much that you can say that. Not only are you speaking for Tori by saying that she relies on these people (maybe you are included?) for continuity and safety, but it seems to me like you might be implying that those are the only people who deserve to meet her. >Personally I feel that if you want to truly thank Tori for how she >has touched you, then you should reach out to others and help them. >Work your ass off and after you have gotten Tori's attention, then >you should have the opportunity to meet her. Do you really think most Tori fans have not reached out to others to help them? I don't know how this fits in to meet and greets at all, but since you're making it part of your argument, what exactly do you mean? If I'm understanding you right, you only think that people who have reached out to other people b/c they were inspired by Tori, and who have caught Tori's attention (really, i think most of the people who have "caught her attention" are the ones who follow her around.. how could they not catch her attention?) are the ones who deserve to meet her. I think about half of the Tori fans have done this--helped other people in the ways that they know how. It's not easy to "get Tori's attention" and I do not see what that has to do with having a *chance* to say "thank you" by whatever means, whether it's through a letter or a gift or a story we have to share. But I disagree with you. I don't think that is what it should be based on at all. I think it's silly. >I think every person who attends the meet and greet should be able to >finish the following statement: "Tori, your music inspired me >to...(fill in good works here)". If you answer, "But I'm so busy" or >"I don't have any way to help" or any excuse for not helping your >fellow human beings and making this world a better place, then what >makes you think Tori would be excited to see you? That comment makes me so ANGRY for so many reasons! And I think the reasons are obvious! How can you say Tori wouldn't be excited to meet *ANY* of her fans? *Again*, you're speaking for Tori. Tori loves *all* of her fans. Geezus. Grr. *Snarl*. That was a bitchy thing to say. Sorry. But it was. And, in my opinion, totally untrue. I can't think of anything else to say except.. where did you pull this out of your ass? Ugh-eroonies. Well, at any rate, trying to put that behind me, you're right. It is a good thing to be able to do some good, tori-inspired deeds. I still don't think that has anything to do with who should be able to meet her, though. But in response to the "But I'm so busy" answer, well. Some people ARE busy. Most people have lives that don't revolve completely around Tori. You know, they live a life for *themselves*. I'm not saying that doesn't mean they couldn't volunteer time to do good, tori-inspired deeds. I'm just saying a lot of Tori's fans go to school and take difficult classes and work because they have goals they are trying to accomplish. Not everyone can meet your standards. That shouldn't mean they don't deserve a chance. I'm starting to feel really silly now. Going on about this, and in such detail and depth. It shouldn't be magnified to this. It shouldn't have to be about who gets to meet Tori and why. I thought there was a sense of equality among Tori fans. I didn't know that when it really came down to it, there would be "disintegration" among us. Ah well.. I'll continue anyway. >After all Tori Amos gives to her fans, you'd think instead of >complaining about the rudeness and unfairness of it all, they would >take her words to heart. After all Tori Amos gives to her fans, you'd think instead of being selfish or inconsiderate at the meet and greets, that the people who have met Tori a gazillion times (gawds, this is getting repetitive), would be a little more giving themselves.. and be more considerate towards the other fans who have not had a chance to tell their story. I don't like to complain, but sometimes it has to be done. The meet and greets *are* unfair, in my opinion, because of the way they are run. I would have been completely okay with not having met Tori after 4 tries if it had not been the same people in the front every time. I really mean that. And as far as taking her words to heart.. I'm assuming you mean Tori's words.. I think what she teaches us is to be compassionate, caring people, and to be true to ourselves (which i'm trying to do). To me, that's what part of being a Tori fan is all about. There's a deeper understanding there. And I never really expected to see "hardcore" Tori fans act the opposite of that. I have heard that a few people who feel the same way I do have expressed their feelings directly or indirectly to the groupies who are always taking control of the meet and greets. And, from what I've heard, they've only gotten bitched at by them. Hmm. I respect your opinion, Beth. I really do. (= I just think your e-mail was way harsh. And.. I really doubt you'd be saying these things if you were in my position. And I doubt you ever had to meet any of these standards you've abstractly thrown out there. Of course, the meet and greets have changed a lot.. that's to be expected. But it shouldn't change the fact that everyone deserves a fair chance. Blah blah blah. I don't feel like I'm finished, but I'm getting way too redundant, so I guess that's it. Thanks to those of you who emailed me in private with encouragement.. I really appreciate it. (= Peace to all of you. Much love, Gina ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 17:50:16 EST From: RSwirl658@aol.com Subject: Ithaca show - M&G Questions Hi all! You must all be getting sick of all these Meet and Greet questions, but here comes a few more for you! I'm going to the Ithaca NY show (anyone else going... 'cept you Tom, I already know, heehee), and it's at Ithaca college. It's going to be a smaller show, since the venue can only hold 3000 or so people I hear. Do you think there'd be a Meet and Greet? And if so... how many people would you estimate coming? I'm only 5'1''... would I have any chance against the crowds? And if you're going, and you see a little girl with black- red hair in pigtails wearing glasses, will you try to help her out? I tried going to a M&G in August, but I missed it since the car's tire popped on the way there. I'm not saying I deserve to talk to Tori any more than anyone else, but I would absolutely DIE to even catch a glimpse of her. It's my dream. I have to wrap this up, so... thanks. :) Love Always, Melissa L. "I know all the robins bring, bring me many things but sugar - HE brings me sugar..." - tori amos "Mary walks down to the water edge and there she hangs her head..." - sarah m. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 14:34:13 PST From: "Heather Parsons" Subject: The Columbia Show (late, I know) So I'm finally sitting down to write about the Columbia show. This is going to be long. =) Sorry, but I just had SUCH a good time, and everything about October 20 will be ingrained into me for the rest of my life, it was that amazing. Me, my friend Deborah (who I met through the Dent's Registry--we're both North Carolina preacher's daughters, so go figure, eh? lol) and my fiance Terry left Raleigh for Columbia around 9:30 am so we could try and be in Columbia for the Meet and Greet. This was Deborah's first Tori show ever (she was unable to make it to the Raleigh show) and it was Terry's second (his first was the Raleigh show, and while he liked Tori, he wasn't hardcore into her or anything. He's bought the albums--his fave is Under the Pink--and when I asked him how he liked the show he said "It was a lot better than I thought it would be." =I We're talking about a guy whose heroes are Korn and Fear Factory, so I guess I should be content in that response. lol) So under oppressive gray skies and all loaded up with Brueggers and caffeine, we hit the road, and I'd like to endlessly thank Cresta, wonderful fellow Toriphile that she is, for reading her email and calling me right before we left (GREAT timing, Cresta! lol) and giving us directions through Columbia. They were priceless. So as a result, we rolled up into Columbia around 2 in the afternoon, and our first priority was to find the auditorium. So we did just that, and it was the weirdest thing 'cos there was this huge marquee with Tori's name on it, and the other acts were two-bt traveling acts that play fairs or something. I don't know. It was just strange. And my first reaction was, "Oh. My. God. But it's so SMALL!" It was like going from grapefruit to an itty bitty berry. And it was the big brick structre and just really nice, right there on this massively busy street--right ON the frikkin street too. Deborah and I just looked at each other, grinning from ear to ear, going "Oh God." Sign one that this was going to be a great day. After spotting the auditorium, we went down the street to this fast food seafood place (ala Long John Silver's or something) and I could tell we were not in the good part of town, 'cos I had to get a key to use the bathroom. Eh. In a fast food place. What's more is that there were these big signs on the doors stating in no uncertain terms to LOCK THE DOOR BEHIND YOU and NOT TO LET ANYONE INSIDE WHO KNOCKS (as if). Oh, and to hang onto belongings. Needless to say, we got the food and ran. We went to wait for Tori. =) We got to the auditorium, and snagged a prime parking spot right in front of the gate to the backstage door. This is about when I started getting really excited in this shaky insides sorda way. A couple of girls came up and made nice small talk and numbered our hands--20, 21 and 22. They were like, "You will definitely meet Tori, so don't even worry about it." Fantastic. So we waited. They set up the barricades at around three/three-thirty. They did them this way: Here's the main fence surrounding the auditorium and where the gate was: *********************** *********************** * * * * And they set up the barricades inside to form a sort of box, with all the EWF having their backs to the street. Took some of the pressure off of security that way. Everyone got up there, and while the front row stuck to numbers, I don't think everyone else really did. =) But people were so respectful and just damn NICE. It was SUCH a change from the condescending and rude people at the Raleigh M & G (for the most part). I mean, the atmposphere in Raleigh was so on-edge and high-strung, and I really think it was because of security. Just having all these big guys in the yellow Creek shirts standing around looking at us as if we may all go nuts at any minute was just oppressive. It stifled the feeling of the thing for me. They were major assholes. Everyone here was just laidback and talking to each other, and we all joked around. God, it was refreshing. Jessica and Jenna, two other Tori fans I met online, showed up around this time, and we all just had such a blast. There were only about, I'd say, thirty people there by this point. By the end, it was about fifty. But it didn't seem that way because everyone was so well-mannered and non-pushy. Just a great crowd. People in front were like, "We'll move over so you people can see Tori" and all like that. I wanted a big group hug, I swear to god. =) I ended up being on the far left, sorda catty-cornered on the barricade at the front. The guy in front/next to me was so great. His name was Shannon and he was holding hardback copy of "Death: The High Cost of Living" by Neil Gaiman, and I'd gotten my copy signed at the Raleigh M & G by Tori (she wrote the intro, for those who may not know) and I asked to see it 'cos I'd never seen that particular cover, and I opened it, and lo and behold, my guts just about came out onto the ground. It was autogrpahed by Mr. Gaiman himself--"Shannon, Don't die, Neil Gaiman." and (AND!!!) artist Dave McKean, who does the covers for the Sandman anthologies and did the Vertigo tarot deck. Brilliant man. I wanted to hit the guy over the head and run off with it. He was getting Tori's sig to round it off. God, I hated him. =) So we talked about Sandman and everything, and Neil's new anthology "Smoke and Mirrors" and then Steve came up and gave us the rules but it was so unnecessary 'cos everyone was just MELLOW, swear. But he's gotta have something to do, and he told us Tori would be there at any minute. So we waited s'more, and she finally came. I just have to say this: her outift was the shit. Everyone was talking about it for the rest of the night, and I got a lot of full-body shots of it (as did Deborah) and I'll try to get 'em up soon, 'cos it was just so great. It was this knee-length gray/black skirt with fuzzy stuff along the hem, and then this long-sleeved blue linen shirt with white collar and cuffs, these totally knock-you-on-your-ass suede/leather (couldn't quite tell) knee-high heeled boots (black) and GLASSES! I was so pleased! I wear glasses, and here she is with these tiny wire famed glasses and her hair up in a sloppy ponytail! She looked absolutely gorgeous. So my heart's going a million miles a second as she's walking up arm in arm with Joel. Everyone sort of moved forward, and she comes straight toward me and Shannon. Shannon said later that he was just like, "A-duh!" and I'd have to say those were my sentiments exactly. =) lol She signed Shannon's copy of Death, and then she leans right toward me. Okay, so I had rehearsed in my head what I had wanted to say. After much consideration, I had decided upon, "Thank you for playing 'Tear In Your Hand' at the Raleigh show Sunday night." Not too many syllables. Short. To the point. I didn't want to go into a long spiel about how she's affected my life because I just don't know how many times a day she hears that, y'know? And that is in no way meant to belittle people who DO do that, but with my tendency to ramble (as you can see) I just knew I'd make a great big fool of myself. So Tori is standing right in front of me, smiling at me with her warm, generous mouth and sparking crystal blue eyes, looking completely and utterly beautiful, and I went completely blank. I lost all mental capacities right there. All that I could see in my mind's eye in that space of a few seconds was me sitting in my lavendar room in the seventh grade, hearing "Crucify" on the radio for the first time, and then that same week, seeing the video on MTV--this gorgeous woman spread on her piano bench, playing the piano with more passion than Eddie Van Halen could ever wish to have with his damn guitar. See me listening to Little Earthquakes every damn day for a year, taking solace in Tori after my father had become a minister and I was havng all these questions about who I was and what I believed. She has personified everything I have wanted to be as a woman, and just...I can't even explain, and I really think it was right then that I realized what she has done for me as a person. People can say all they want that Tori's a kook and she's "just" a musician. Y'know what? So fucking what. You can go to church is you want to, and maybe Jesus does something for you. He was a prophet, true enough, and I think Tori is a creative one in a certain aspect. I'm not trying to inflate her to Goddess status or anything, but she speaks to ME and I am not the only one, folks. God KNOWS I'm not the only one, as we all can attest to. That's all that matters to me. So Tori says "Hi" in this wonderful, mildly scratchy voice, and all I can muster because I'm afraid I'll start crying if I try to say my TIYH spiel, is "Hi" and I hand her my Winter disc and she signs it along the back of the Tori in the picture and goes to hand it back, Steve right over her shoulder the whole time. At this second, I remembered where I was and I reached back and moved Deborah forward. Deborah sculpts, and she had sculpted the most beautiful naked girl fairy sitting on a black rose, and Deborah kinda leaned forward and said, "May I give this to you?" And Tori's face just lit up and she took it and said, "Oh, of course, thank you. Oh god, she's absolutely GORG." Steve was looking at it as if it may explode at any moment but Tori just cradled it. She reached back over and took Deborah's hand and asked her her name and she said it and Tori said, "Thank you, Deborah." It was such a beautiful moment. Deborah was on Cloud Nine. We couldn't stop hugging. =) And thanks to the really cool girl who had a Polaroid and got a pic of Tori holding Deborah's statue with Deborah's head in the picture. She gave it to her afterwards, so now Deborah has a cool reminder. And double thanks to all the people who passed down Deborah's lithograph to get signed after she forgot to give it to Tori! =) Those guys rocked! And they made sure Tori personalized it which was just incredibly cool of them. Jessica, I swear to god the crowd parted like the Red Sea for ya girl! Tori just spotted her and it was this total "Can I get a hug?" moment. It was really funny and Tori was all smiles. Terry, with his usually bland response to everything, was gushing like a girl afterwards. It was hysterical. "She touched my hand! She asked how I was doing! She is the SHIT! Augh!" Shannon hung out for a while and we listened to the entire soundcheck, and to let you know how anal the Creek was in comparison, we were sitting on the side exit, where we could see inside the auditorium, and the security guys could see us right through the window (we could have touched them, they were that close) but all they did was smile and wave at us. It was great! Tori did Muhammed My Friend, Past the Mission (which one of the guys told us she would definitely play because there was a mission right down the street from the auditorium), Spark and a snippet of Girl. The Girl thing was weird, 'cos Deborah and I were just singing along to everything, and the notes sounded and we just automatically started singing, not realizing it was a song she has yet to do in concert! Maybe she'll pull that one out of her bag of tricks for a future show. The radio station in Columbia had a contest where a bunch of people got to meet Tori, get their picture taken with her and her autograph. We would catch them on their way out to see their pictures and everyone was really nice about it. (Shout outs to the especially nice ones, Martha and Kristy). Then the most unbelievable thing hapened. We were sitting there, and I was writing down what Tori was playing during the soundcheck, and this guy and this girl walked up, and he was looking at what I was writing and he said something about he was sure she'd play Past the Mission, but he really wished she'd play Honey. And I said, "Oh, wow! Me too!" Plus, it's my bud Sienna's FAVORITE song, and then they left, and then they came back about twenty minutes later and he asked if she'd played anything special yet and I mentioned Girl and then he hands me this tape and says, "This is a boot of the Spartanburg show" And I just stared at him, and he goes, "There's a lot of really great stuff on there, like Space Dog and Purple People, oh and Doughnut Song" and I'm like about to just die right there, I couldn't believe this guy was just giving me something for absolutely no reason. After thanking him profusely, we all just looked at each other because the whole incident just wrapped up completely that this show was absolutely fantastic. The people were just so amazing. The glow just intensified. We met up with Cresta and her husband Dave before the show, and they were really cool. We didn't realize how cool until after the show, when they shacked us up in their apartment for the night. My confidence in fellow human beings just went through the roof. Toriphiles are the greatest, swear to god... Okay, I promise I'm going to talk about the show now. =) After enduring the pathetic and sad screeching of the man outside playing harmonica and violin and singing extremely badly (I considered paying him to stop), we went inside, and the Township is just a beautiful auditorium. Way nicer than Raleigh Memorial. And the best thing was that even if you were sitting all the way in the back, you would have been able to see everything much closer than I did with my shit seats at the Creek in Raleigh. It was so intimate, with these huge vaulted ceilings (the drummer for the Unbelievable Truth even complimented on it) and it was just... We were a few rows behind the center walkway, so we basically could almost read over the shoulders of Mark Hawley and the light guy. Being close to Mark was REALLY weird, 'cos I just keep thinking of those wedding pictures. And that man rocks OUT during the shows! I thought he was going to hit his noggin on the board. =) I didn't comment on the Unblievable Truth last time, and while I think they're a pretty good band, as people they just seem really nice. The lead singer (is it Marc Yorke? Matt? Something like that?) and the drummer were standing near us before Tori came on, and the family resemblance between the Yorke brothers is stunning. That is the closest I will ever be to Thom Yorke of Radiohead. That was great. =) lol But their set was pretty good, with the obligatory comments of, "We're the Unbelievable Truth. Our album comes out today. Please buy it." hee hee I just thought that was cute, 'cos they did it in Raleigh too. My fave was when they said "We're from England" and a bunch of us screamed really loud 'cos I felt bad that not a lot of people were paying attention ('cos, as I said at the M&G, God himself could open for Tori and everyone would be yawning) and the drummer kinda chuckled and raised his fist in the air, saying, "Well, that's good. Alright. We got some England fans in here." The wait for Tori this time was EXCRUCIATING. I just had this very strong feeling that the show was going to kick my ass more than the incredible Raleigh show did. So when the band came out, and we all stood (and the people directly in back of us bitched, and I was like "Look, Tori is coming out and I am standing, alright?" to myself, of course, lol) and the opening bars of Precious Things played, everyone was just shaking in anticipation (or was it just me?) and then Tori walked out and everyone just went crazy. This reaction set the tone for the whole show, IMO. The crowd was just amazing for this show. They were so responsive to everything, in all the right parts and it made me break out in chills. Everything about this show was magnified ten times over from Raleigh. It was sheer technicolor. The set list... PRECIOUS THINGS: This version rocked my world even more than Raleigh's. I mean, the place was so small and you could feel everything in your seat and the crowd was just going bonkers. You should have seen all the chikas raise their hand like they were praising the Lord and screaming when she said "So you can make me cum/that doesn't make you Jesus." It was way powerful. (Here I go with my limited adjectives again...) LITTLE AMSTERDAM: I have never liked this song very much, and I've heard her do it live, and still wasn't very impressed, but this version--maybe it was the band, I dunno--just reached out and pummeled me. It's Jon and that bass, it's gotta be. After she said the last, "Mama, it wasn't my bullet" she reached down and slapped the piano, hard. Loved this version. SIREN: Here's where I started getting this way funny feeling in my stomach. Before I had attended either of the shows, I had a "list" of songs I really really really wanted to hear live. Top of it were Liquid Diamonds (because it is my absolute, hands down fave off of FTCH), Siren, Sugar, Black-Dove and Tear In Your Hand. So this began, much slower and slinkier than the Great Expectations version, and it was as if Tori had decided it was time to bleed the song of some of its poison and inject some sad, melancholy beauty into it instead. It had the feel of the ocean to it, and was just very mellow. Loved the chorus, especially. [I think she introed the band here, but I can't remember...it's what I get for waiting too damn long to write this thing...] SUGAR: I didn't recognize this at first, but as soon as I realized what it was, me and Deborah gripped hands, and I about started crying, 'cos the song was just...here I go with my limited vocab again...POWERFUL. I mean, it was as if she was pulling it straight up from the earth. Her voice was so beautifully guttural in all the right places, and she knocked the piano during the "hammer" part and the lights lit up the stage like she was playing for the great universe up in the sky, all golden and it was as if the sun was coming up behind her or something. God, it just made me want to melt into the floor and never come back up. A favorite of the entire night. HOTEL: This song live kicks so much ass over the album version, IMO. Something in it translates much better onstage. And the lights compliment it all so much, 'cos you sorda can't listen to the song without thinking in color and flashes. The tempo changes are flawless, and Tori's voice just changes pitch and...god. I just love it. It's sort of an unexpected thing. I know that sounds dumb, but you know. I hope a video comes out for this. And I swear to god at one point, she actually said, "Neil, where are you now?" Did anyone else catch this? PAST THE MISSION: I hope everyone in the world is able to hear this song live at one point or another, because it is just sheer ear candy. After never hearing it live, and with the band, it just hits you right in the stomach and leaves you breathless. This was another fave of the night. I was singing softly along to it. It was irresistable. =) LIQUID DIAMONDS: Okay, so I about had another Tear In Your Hand in Raleigh coming unglued momnet, but managed to just cry silently. =) This song is my favorite off FTCH because to me, it encompasses everything about that particular album and what it is to be a woman. (You can read my explanation on the Strange Fruit site so I don't bore you here). It was heartbreakingly beautiful. SECRET TIME Tori talked with us a bit, saying that she had decided to do all-request for the solo part of the show, and people started yelling out "Tori, play--!" and stuff like that and she got this really amused grin and waved everyone off all silly-like. It was really funny. WINTER: How I would love to hunt down the middle-aged acting like they were drunk couple who were sitting in the row in front us, down to the side. This song was such a pleasant surprise, and it happens to be Deborah's favorite and this couple were talking at the top of their lungs. I couldn't even believe it because everything had been so wonderful up to that point. So people started shushing them nicely, subtly--y'know. But then the guy started talking LOUDER. I couldn't believe my ears! So finally, Deborah said not too nicely, "SHUT UP!" It was loud too. =) They left and everyone was pleased. So that aside, the song was gorgeous. I know people complain when people yell on parts of this song, and there were only two instances where people did, but it just seemed oddly appropriate at that point. The energy was so intensely high. COOLING: My heart about busted out of my chest. I was really hoping to hear this (or Merman) live, and I was so happy. This song is just beautiful. Sigh-worthy. A girl yelled "Thank you!" afterwards, so someone was definitely happy. =) [Band came back...] JACKIE'S STRENGTH: Weakest song of the night, IMO. I just never see Tori feeling this song, it doesn't matter where or when she does it. I don't know how to explain it. So she seemed to sorda hurry through it, but it was nice to actually hear the "Beene's got some pot" verse. It always seem to get cut out when she performs it on TV. GRAVEYARD: This seemed even shorter than in Raleigh, but still just her singing solo and haunting. TEAR IN YOUR HAND: As if hearing it once was not enough! I got all choked up again but it was easier to control myself this time. This song is definitely a crowd favorite. Some people stood and grooved, and others just got down in their seats. I don't know why I worship this song as I do. I think it's because it's a subtle empowerment song. Plus, there is a note to her voice when she sings it...like with the "baby baby babies" and "caught a ride with the moon" verse and the chorus: "Maybe she's just pieces of me you've never seen." Oh god. i i e e e: One of the most wrenching moments of the show happened during this song. First off, hearing this one live turns the place into a cathedral. I got the coolest imagery in my head from this. And I'm glad Tori had the button for the background vocals, 'cos they hold so much ambience for the song. During where Tori clutches her stomach and improvs, she was looking right at Mark, just STARING at him, rubbing her stomach and they were toally locking eyes when she said, "You took my little girl." It was so sad. You could just feel it around both of them. I've never wanted to have tea with anyone worse in my life than with those two when I saw that. When they have their first child, it is going to be so joyous, I just know it. They deserve every happiness they can get. So sad. THE WAITRESS: Can I just say for the millionth time that this version takes the album version, smacks the bitch up, stomps it with its red high heels and shoves it into some hole somewhere? =) God, it fucking rocks. Her voice is completely sinister and just floats over the song like black oil. Terry and Deborah said they don't like this version as much, but it makes me want to go out and kill...well, I guess, some waitresses. =) lol I just worship it. And during the hard rocking ending, which lasts an orgasmic forever, Tori was just going nuts with the whole "I believe in god/I believe in heaven/I believe you're up there/I believe you're down there/I believe you're the devil, bitch" stuff. Can I marry this song? =) ENCORE I: SHE'S YOUR COCAINE: HOLY SHIT. That's about all I can manage. Everyone was standing and everyone was dancing like mad people. Even Terry was dancing! And he got all irate with me when I pointed this out to him afterwards when he told me he would NOT dance because it was STUPID and his reply was something to the effect of, "Well you don't have to talk about it, fer chrissakes!" =) The "Sweet Leaf" bridge seemed a lot more obvious to me than in Raleigh. It's like they stopped, played it, started again. It was soooo cool. Tori did an improv that about caused the whole place to just come tumbling in when she said "C'mon, I can take it, take it out, boy, and I'll fuck it again". Man, she was SEETHING that! And then she shoved the mic so hard it fell. =) RASPBERRY SWIRL: By the end of this everyone was so exhausted because it was like Tori's Rave in there. No one stopped moving for the world. It seemed especially vital tonight. Got Swirled AGAIN. Can't believe it. I wished it had never ended, that song. I could've danced all frikkin night... ENCORE 2: HORSES: I looooove this version. I mean, the original still hold a very special magic for me, but this...oh god, it felt like horses, y'know what I mean? Like the music was moving about the room like a pack of horses. I sound really idiotic right now, but that's the best way I can explain it. The disco balls were streaming lights out over everyone, and the whole thing was just positively magical. HEY JUPITER (solo): I thought Horses was it, but then she sits down at the piano, and here's where I started crying. This song is another favorite--the whole set list could not have been more perfect, IMO--and it was so haunting and longing and beautiful (and as Tripp pointed out, she did a lot of Eric songs in the span of three days). It was the perfect ending for the show. We needed to sorda come down after the first encore....I had to sit down and cry there. My only complaint about the end of Tori's shows is that with all the lights...especially the streamy disco ones...I wish they'd not bring up the house lights so abruptly. It sorda snaps you out of what you want to last all night. I like that dreamy quality of leaving the show. Since we were parked right where the Meet and Greet was, me and Deb sat on top of her car roof, and watched everyone. There was a big crowd and a lot of people were obnoxious, ESPECIALLY the moron who snuck through the fence not once (he just strolled right up to Steve like "Hey, I'm here to see Tori"), not twice (where he and his friend literally RAN towards Tori and you've never seen security guys move so fast in your life), but THREE TIMES, and then had to run like the prick he was 'cos he would've been arrested that time, I do believe. Shit like that ruins the experience for everyone else, y'know? Cresta and Dave went up to the fence and caught a glimpse. There were a ton of people though. I found the guy yelling at Tori, "Hey! Hey! I'll pay for that pizza!" pretty damn funny when the Dominos guy showed up. =) A nice way to end the night was Cresta and Dave's generous offering to let us poor broke college students crash on their floor. They are two warm, hilarious (how's the sac Dave?), perfectly wonderful people, and I look forward to keeping in contact with them for a long, long time. (Another road trip, Deborah? lol) I was just overcome with the generosity of the Toriphiles in general that day. I got the feeling that this is what it's all about, and now I definitely know why people follow Tori everywhere. After talking (however brief) with her like that, I am dumbfounded. Yeah, she's a person, but she's also the person who shaped my high school years. =) Kinda hard to compromise that, y'know? I would name my firstborn after anyone who can help me get my hands on a bottleg of this show. I will erect a shrine to you, I swear to god. I would. I've already cleared out a corner in my dorm room. My roommate didn't need her computer anyway. =) And I would really appreciate if anyone could possibly help me out in tracking down the nice guy who gave me the boot. He was about 5'11" with long light brown hair tied back, glasses, and his female companion was tall, slender and gorgeous. She had short straight blonde hair that came down to her ears. They apparently had been to several shows this tour, and anyone who might know him, please let me know. I would really like to thank him for the very very very good boot of the Spartanburg show. Thanks for enduring this, folks. I'm sorry it was so long-winded. =) Heather "I hear she still grants forgiveness, though I willingly forgot her..." (Liquid Dimaonds, Tori Amos) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 18:33:49 -0500 From: kytiara Subject: Re: Meet and Greet: Earn it - -->Beth responded, somewhere in the middle of her email:<-- >It got lost in the self-centered, self-absorbed additude of the New Fans. >Those "established fans" the ones who got started on the DDI tour and >continued the madness to this tour are selfish basterds. They do nothing >for society. NOTHING. They are losers. What can Tori possibly say to >them after seeing them for the umpteenth time. "uh, don't you have a life?" Right off the bat, let me say ... sorry I snipped so much out, hope you guys can find where I'm quoting here, but I hate excessive, extraneous info in replies. I don't pipe up too much on the lists, but this topic is truly something that strikes a nerve in me. I have been to 3 Tori concerts in my life, once on the DDI tour at Harborlights, once on 8/1 at the Fleetcenter this tour, and last Sunday at Providence. Never have I attended a M n' G. I got involved with Tori during the DDI tour, via a friend who had a thing for singing 'Leather' at all hours of the day. :p Since then, I have slowly branched my way out into many things Tori.:p I remember joining precious-things, about a year and a half ago, and posting eagerly, "hey! i just found this band called Pet, and I'm so kewl because I'm so sure no one knows about it!" **wince at my own painful exaggeration** It took me quite a long time to gain the amount of knowledge I have now. Knowing about the albums, the b-sides, the private jokes, the band, the covers, the brief spots on other ppls albums... it takes devotion and time and effort to learn about it. Where am I going with this? I dunno... **goofy grin** No, seriously, I was so prepared to go to the Providence Meet n' Greet, but then... I just kind of changed my mind. So many ppl, all clamoring for the attention of one frail, beautiful woman... why? would you wait in the hot sun or cold wind for four hours, to tell a friend you thought of her once? I wouldn't. Would you push, shove and elbow hundreds of ppl in order to glimpse a butterfly? Not me. I wanted to go so badly, but I couldn't... because I didn't want to go unless I could somehow make it special for both me + Tori. So many ppl need her for so many reasons... For example... when Tori played Merman for Matthew Shepard. Someone had to pass the message along... What if I had just taken the place of the person bent on delivering that idea, only so I could gawk at Tori's gorgeous hair, and tell her she's "kool"? This has rambled quite a bit, I'm sorry. I've been trying to quit smoking, and, well... it's taken it's toll on my concentration. :7 But I think that perhaps we should all consider whether we want to meet Tori to brighten our day... or hers. Or someone else's. That's my say. ::stashes soapbox under chair furtively:: :) - -vanessa- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- kytiara majere kytiara@rossi.com "...maybe i'm just the horizon you run to, when she has left you..." =tori amos= *ears with feet* :) *fcr3w member* icq# 13673886 13673886@pager.mirabilis.com <-- for icq-disabled - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ End of precious-things-digest V3 #379 *************************************