CONCERTINA

Recently, the BF and I went to a Tori Amos concert.  It occurred to me that I have seen her in concert FIVE TIMES.  I was a completely different person every single time I saw her.  She has been one constant in my life all the way through.  I only have one friend that has been in my life every time I went to see her in concert.

 

My sister Tammy took me to this one for my birthday.  My 19th birthday!!  I owe it to her for introducing me to Tori in the first place.  No matter how far she and I drift apart either geographically (she lives in New Hampshire) or politically (she's a raging republican) we will always share this.  We held hands and got teary-eyed during Silent All These Years.  That song will always remind me of her.  I was living at home and hadn't even met Mike, been drunk, smoked pot or smoked a cigarette.  I was barely out of the closet.  But, I guess, crying at Tori Amos concerts isn't the straightest of activities.

 

Minneapolis, MN - State Theater - July 14, 1994 

 

UNDER THE PINK TOUR

 

Space Dog

Leather

Icicle

Precious Things

American Pie/Smells Like Teen Spirit

God

Silent All These Years

The Waitress

Bells for Her

Me and a Gun

Winter

 

Encore 1:

Cornflake Girl

A Case of You

 

Encore 2:

Upside Down

Baker Baker

 

At the time of this concert I was living on my own in a studio apartment near Loring Park in Minneapolis.  I went with my friend Mara and her new girlfriend Tina.  We had pretty decent seats.  I worked at AT&T and paid $375/mo for my apartment.  I was a huge pothead and smoked regularly.  This was the day of the Hennepin Avenue block party where the Smashing Pumpkins played a FREE concert.  This was my favorite concert.

 

July 17, 1998 at Northrup Auditorium

PLUGGED 98 TOUR

Precious Things
Spark
Cornflake Girl
Sugar
iieee
Playboy Mommy
Crucify
Marianne
Upside Down
Doughnut Song
Cruel
Liquid Diamonds
The Waitress

1st Encore:
God
Raspberry Swirl

2nd Encore:
Landslide

Weird. This was after 9/11. A little more than a month after. I worked at American Express but not for much longer. Being on the 26^th floor of the tallest building in Minneapolis made me nervous. The job also outsourced to India not too long after. I soon started a disastrous job at Qwest that I would get canned from; the first of THREE jobs in a row that would can me. George W. Bush was president and no one could believe it. I went to this one with my best friend Sarabellem. We thought this concert was great. I remember she was especially pleased to hear "Rattlesnakes".

October 21, 2001 at the Orpheum Theatre

STRANGE LITTLE TOUR

'97 Bonnie & Clyde
Little Amsterdam
Sugar
Take To the Sky
Putting The Damage On
Leather
Beauty Queen
Horses
I Don't Like Mondays
Winter
Concertina
Crucify
Rattlesnakes
Me and a Gun
Cooling

1st Encore:
Purple People
Upside Down

2nd Encore:
Space Dog
Famous Blue Raincoat
1000 Oceans

Wow. At the time of this concert I was working at Allianz and living in Lauderdale. In March, the same day the stupid war started, I would be canned and begin 8 months of unemployment that would nearly destroy me. Sarabellem and I went to this one as well. We were less than pleased for some reason. Neither of us liked the inclusion of "Hotel" and "I Can't See New York". Shortly after being canned, Sarabellem stopped talking to me and we went through a "Friendship Makeover" as we term it now. It was necessary. I needed to have everyone turn their back on me and rely only on myself for awhile to prove that I could get myself through tough times with no one's help. I also did a lot of writing once my cable was shut off. I learned a lot.

Saturday, November 30, 2002 at the Northrop Auditorium.

SCARLET'S WALK TOUR

Wampum Prayer
a sorta fairytale
Take To the Sky
Pancake
Cornflake Girl
Honey
Juarez
Crucify
Wednesday

Band leaves

China
Famous Blue Raincoat
Josephine

Band returns

Your Cloud
Girl
Sweet Sangria
Lust
Hotel
I Can't See New York
Spring Haze

1st Encore
Taxi Ride
Etienne

2nd Encore
Strange
Tear In Your Hand

This brings us right up to last Wednesday, when I went to the concert below with the man I love. What a ride, what a journey. I don't think way back in 94 that I would ever believe where I am today. It is absolutely mind-boggling. At this concert I had a strange, bittersweet feeling watching her and watching the much younger audience around me. Among all the lesbians and patchouli I think I figured out that maybe I need to pass the torch on. Who knows. Maybe I'll see her again, but if I don't I won't mind.

Wednesday, November 7^th at Northrup Auditorium

AMERICAN DOLL POSSE TOUR

Act I – Isabel

Yo George

Sweet Dreams

In the Springtime of His Voodoo

Devils and Gods

Almost Rosey

Tombigbee

Scarlet's Walk

Interlude

Professional Widow

Act II – Tori

Big Wheel

Space Dog

Pancake

Cornflake Girl

Doughnut Song

Siren

T & Bö

Graveyard

Jackie's Strength

Silent All These Years

Band Returns

Putting The Damage On

Black Dove (January)

Code Red

1st Encore:

Precious Things

2nd Encore

Hey Jupiter