It Felt Like a Dream, Honey

But it wasn’t all in my head. It really happened.
The lights came up and there stood the Apollon Musagete Quartet that consisted of 2 violins, a viola, and my favorite, the cello. Then the spotlight hit the side of the stage and she appeared in an emerald green frock with hair as red as a Wyoming sunset. A week ago yesterday, after 2 years of (im)patiently waiting since the last tour, I was finally at my ninth Tori Amos concert with my best friend sitting right beside me.

She opened with Shattering Sea, the first song off the new album, performing it flawlessly. She pounded on the Bosendorfer as the quartet played with just as much power, it sent chills all over my adrenalin rushed body. Her voice was smooth and her mastery over the piano while singing is astounding.

She covered Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide and Joni Mitchell’s River. Even though we didn’t make it to a meet and greet before the show to make requests, Terri and I always like to say “oh she played this for you and that for me”. Highlights for Terri were River, Maybe California, Crucify, Cruel, and Precious Things. For me, Here in My Head,  Fearlessness, Star Whisperer,  Silent All These Years, Honey, and Siren were top on my list. And I’d like to think she payed A Sorta Fairytale for my mom. When mom would get home from grocery shopping, she’d call me up and tell me she heard that Tori song on Kroger radio. “How cool is that sweetheart?!”, she’d say.

The quartet would occasionally go off stage and she’d perform alone at the piano. Beulah Land solo was a southern favorite for sure.

We cheered louder when she’d flash us a smile which happened often. She seemed so excited to be touring in the states and was on TOP of each and every song.

She told us in a funny little improv about the “old woman”. Her Bosendorfer is about 80 years old and almost didn’t make it on this tour. Other pianos that she tried just didn’t have what it takes in the low end. But low and behold, she showed up in Atlanta just for us.

The rest of the setlist included Suede, Nautical Twilight, Girl Disappearing, Your Ghost, Hey Jupiter, Spark, Leather and Big Wheel. The quartet played one of their own compositions, A Multitude of Shades.

In all, we were graced with 25 songs for a night we will never forget. Not a bad way to end my month long stay in Georgia. I was pooped the next day traveling through airports to get back to the western sky, but it was all worth it.

So, thanks for letting me share this experience with you.

Tori Amos means a lot to me (as she does for so many fans out there) and has since I was an adolescent. Her songs of angst, heartbreak, love and loss have inspired me as a person and artist for many years. When I lost my mother to cancer in 2006, her album “The Beekeeper” was on repeat in my CD player and iPod. When I met her in 2007, I was able to tell her how much she has meant to me in all these years, especially through the pain of losing my Queen Bee. You can see that story on my website.
Terri and I were unable to get a press pass to this show for our concert blog the Concert Sutra so I shot these from our seats in the balcony. I did get a press pass for the 2009 concert at Chastain Park and I hope you will enjoy those images on my website as well.

It’s windy outside today but I hope to take a walk later and bring some Wyoming beauty to you in the next couple of days.

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