Definitely “YAY”
A Concert Review of Tori Amos: American Doll Posse
She walks onto the stage holding nothing more than a lit cigarette. The glow of her sleek blonde, synthetic hair sways naturally as she swings her head from side to side. With a few puffs of smoke she calls out to the four corners: North, West, East and South and welcomes her audience into her world of beauty, music, and "multiple personalities."
Transparent, white circles dance around her as she makes her way towards the shiny, black piano at center stage, waiting patiently for her to play its keys. We are introduced to a side of her we may have heard in song, but never had the privilege of meeting before tonight. Yet just before a single note is played, she takes a moment, looks up and breathes in all the energy around her. Here she stands. One woman. One voice. And ten talented fingers. - Tori Amos.
She prepares herself, as only she knows how, cradling the bench in-between her legs and pressing her lips against the microphone. We scream with anticipation! What will the Talented Tori do next? Her latest album, American Doll Posse gives her the opportunity (for the first time since I have seen her) to walk off stage and play dress up. This album tells the tale of five female characters: Clyde (the Emotional), Santa (the Sensual), Pip (the Confrontational), Isabel (the Political), and of course Tori (the Everything In-Between), hence why I mentioned being introduced to her "multiple personalities."
Each of these feminine archetypes is based upon a Greek goddess or god and represents a part of Tori. Blending old with the new, Tori acts out these roles using a mixture of melodies from the past and present. Pieces from each album all dropped by to say hello. Radio-play favorites like "Cornflake Girl" from Under the Pink brought the audience to their feet. While "Cruel," off of From the Choirgirl Hotel changed the tempo, putting us into a hypnotic trance making a great transition to the electronic sounds of To Venus and Back. "Jupiter," from Boys from Pele as well as songs from Scarlet's Walk focused on her softer and spiritual side allowing tracks like "Cooling," (that never made it on any of her records) make its appearance on stage that night.
However, by far for me the best moment came when she relived "Silent All These Years," from her first breakthrough album, Little Earthquakes. This takes us back to a time in the mid-90's where a young woman struggled to free herself from herself with her somber lyrics and little piano. After the failure of her first rock album, Y Kant Tori Read, which she claims represented more of what they (the Record Label) wanted her to be (a skanky rock star) than who she really is (an artist), radio stations refused to play her songs. So when she picked herself up, dusted herself off and started all over again, she began with what she knew: Her life. This album was her story, but still record companies kept turning her away, insisting that the music industry was just not ready to support her artistic expression. Fortunately, for us she did what any strong, powerful woman would do. She ignored them and as she played, I felt even more drawn to her. With every push of the piano keys, she sang to shut out those who would not let her in and continued to leave the door open for those of us who did.
Every fan got a taste of where she came from, how it all began and the journey she took to get her where she is now. It is amazing to me how an entire musical history could easily be brought to life with a few wardrobe changes, thousands of lights, a drummer, a guitarist, a bassist, and a redhead named Tori.
Transparent, white circles dance around her as she makes her way towards the shiny, black piano at center stage, waiting patiently for her to play its keys. We are introduced to a side of her we may have heard in song, but never had the privilege of meeting before tonight. Yet just before a single note is played, she takes a moment, looks up and breathes in all the energy around her. Here she stands. One woman. One voice. And ten talented fingers. - Tori Amos.
She prepares herself, as only she knows how, cradling the bench in-between her legs and pressing her lips against the microphone. We scream with anticipation! What will the Talented Tori do next? Her latest album, American Doll Posse gives her the opportunity (for the first time since I have seen her) to walk off stage and play dress up. This album tells the tale of five female characters: Clyde (the Emotional), Santa (the Sensual), Pip (the Confrontational), Isabel (the Political), and of course Tori (the Everything In-Between), hence why I mentioned being introduced to her "multiple personalities."
Each of these feminine archetypes is based upon a Greek goddess or god and represents a part of Tori. Blending old with the new, Tori acts out these roles using a mixture of melodies from the past and present. Pieces from each album all dropped by to say hello. Radio-play favorites like "Cornflake Girl" from Under the Pink brought the audience to their feet. While "Cruel," off of From the Choirgirl Hotel changed the tempo, putting us into a hypnotic trance making a great transition to the electronic sounds of To Venus and Back. "Jupiter," from Boys from Pele as well as songs from Scarlet's Walk focused on her softer and spiritual side allowing tracks like "Cooling," (that never made it on any of her records) make its appearance on stage that night.
However, by far for me the best moment came when she relived "Silent All These Years," from her first breakthrough album, Little Earthquakes. This takes us back to a time in the mid-90's where a young woman struggled to free herself from herself with her somber lyrics and little piano. After the failure of her first rock album, Y Kant Tori Read, which she claims represented more of what they (the Record Label) wanted her to be (a skanky rock star) than who she really is (an artist), radio stations refused to play her songs. So when she picked herself up, dusted herself off and started all over again, she began with what she knew: Her life. This album was her story, but still record companies kept turning her away, insisting that the music industry was just not ready to support her artistic expression. Fortunately, for us she did what any strong, powerful woman would do. She ignored them and as she played, I felt even more drawn to her. With every push of the piano keys, she sang to shut out those who would not let her in and continued to leave the door open for those of us who did.
Every fan got a taste of where she came from, how it all began and the journey she took to get her where she is now. It is amazing to me how an entire musical history could easily be brought to life with a few wardrobe changes, thousands of lights, a drummer, a guitarist, a bassist, and a redhead named Tori.
