Tori Amos - The Orpheum - Boston, MA - 10.19.07
Posted by Jesse Coy on 11.05.2007
Tori brings a couple personalities to Beantown. See the show through the eyes of an outsider.
So this would be a gonzo sort of concert review, or one coming from a certain perspective, that being from a non-Tori Amos fan. I’m well aware of the one album, Little Earthquakes, which I’ve heard via my ex-wife. I bought her Strange Little Girls a couple years back, and I like that one, especially her cover of Slayer’s “Raining Blood” (okay, Tori gets cool points for that). She also graces my music collection at two points, first via a Led Zeppelin tribute album, where she does a duet with Robert Plant on “Down by the Seaside,” and then via the Escape from L.A. Soundtrack with “Professional Widow.”
Originally, I was going to go with my ex-wife at a point when she was still my wife. I bought those tickets and Tori’s newest album as a gift for her in August. When our separation became evident, I told her, “go and take my mom along.” Well, Shirleen had to go to Pennsylvania to prep a property. We’d gotten into a slight argument. “You’re gonna get old and tired really quick,” I told her. And I believe that. So I’d bought two tickets. One went to waste. I figured, screw it. I’ll go to this show myself.
I bet I was the only solo guy who went to that show. Had to take the train into Boston, and as I stepped outside, it was raining. Great… just my luck. I half dashed my way to the Orpheum. Lingered on the outside for a bit, hoping maybe I could sell the extra ticket. But it was a printout. Good luck on that. I lost heart on trying to do it. Hell, I’d have an extra seat to spread my stuff out on. Asked at the door if they knew how long before Tori Amos began. I had twenty minutes. Time enough for a drink somewhere else. Give me a Sam. It’s a Boston thing.
What does this have to do with Tori, right? Okay, I’ll fast forward to the show. The first comment I jotted down? “The metrosexual dangle dancing like a fish on a hook.” He was way up front, and his silhouette looked silly. There was a gay guy behind me, he and this girl talking about how Mel went to India, and she’s come back so spiritual. Dude, they steal people’s shoes over there on overnight train rides. That’s how spiritual it is there. I know... I was there.
Did I mention that I’m sure I was the only solo, straight guy in attendance?
If the guys there weren’t gay, then they were there because their girlfriends dragged them along. If you think I’m going to list all the songs she played, you’re wrong. I don’t know many of them. I was there, though. Her guitarist had a mohawk. Her bassist was kind of thrashing out, headbanging at times. Was he in an alternative universe?
I’m not going to knock Tori. She has a great voice, which sounded great live, and she was playing the piano, and sometimes even a keyboard at the same time. She could be immensely sensual with her piano playing. Jerry Lee Lewis, for example, rages and pounds on his piano. Tori, in contrast, seduces hers, occasionally making love to it.
The problem I have with her is that the subject of her lyrics usually bores the hell out of me. I’m sorry, but I just don’t care about feminist or feminine focused subject matters. By the same token, cock rock male dominated perspectives in lyrics bores me, too. At least sometimes that music has a lighter tone, though. This sad, tragic feminine stuff rarely does. A lot of these gal musicians need to take a Debbie Harry lesson. If you’re going to sing of men, and male and female relationships, go the “one way or another… I’m gonna get you” route. Lighten up!
Speaking of which, of the two songs I liked, both were at least musically upbeat (the only two of their kind). Both were done in her persona of being dressed in a silver shimmering dress, and long orange hair. Much of what she did in the maroon gown with the long brown hair? Dour. But what do I know? The crowd loved the hell out of her. I can’t deny that. The light show, too, was pretty good. It’s just too bad she doesn’t sing about anything that remotely interests me.
Those two songs? Can I figure out if what she did was off the new album, because I’d guess it was … yep, it is. The song I really liked was “Big Wheel.” It’s a pretty cool song. I really like that one. Okay, the other tune was a comical number with just her on the piano. It was a bit raunchy, too (cute). I forgot what that one was. I missed the last couple songs because I had to leave at 10:15 (the show started at 8:30) to catch the 10:35 train back to Haverhill.
Bye-bye, Tori.
The 411: Undeniably a great voice and great on the piano. For that style, yes, it's very good. What I do find average is the kind of anti-male attitude of many of those female musicians coming out of the mid to late 90's. It's not a show I would've went to on my own had I not had tickets that would've gone to waste. But different perspectives are what we're all about here...
