Tori On The Tonight Show With Jay Leno May 11, 1998

Tori appeared on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on May 11, 1998. The program was repeated on NBC Europe on May 12th. Tori performed "Spark" with her band, and got to talk for a little bit with Jay. She also had maroon colored eyebrows! You can also find a photo from the performance on the Tonight Show Web Site at: http://www.nbc.com/tonightshow. Go to the "on air" section.

Toriphile Oliver has created a wav sound clip of Tori's performance and short interview on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. Find it on his web page, called Tori Amos, by a zebra.

Click on thumbnail to see a larger image.

Toriphile Kim H. was at the taping of The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on May 11, 1998 in Los Angeles, CA. She has sent me a complete account of the entire day, including the wait for Leno tickets, the taping of the show, and meeting Tori afterwards! She also sent me some exclusive photos from the day, including many of Tori meeting her fans outside the NBC studios. You can see a sample of one of the photos to the right.

Read Kim's Account Of The Day And See Many More Photos!

Here is a report on the show from Lke2Learn, who was at the taping!

Just got back from the "Tonight Show" taping. The audience was filled with screaming Tori fans...I felt sorry for the other guests.

Tori sang "Spark", with a similar stage set-up to the one she had on Letterman a couple of weeks ago. Jay briefly interviewed Tori after the song was over, and asked her about her marriage. He wanted to know if it was her first marriage proposal, and she told him that Robert Plant had previously proposed to her.

Before the show, when Jay was talking to the audience, he referred to Tori as "his friend" a number of times. He seemed genuinely excited to have her on the show, and it they spent a lot of time talking to one another off camera.

One more note for the L.A. crowd. Postcards were just mailed out to people who previously stood in line to try and get tickets for the El Rey club show. When we were in line, we were told to self-address the cards to be on "a mailing list". A lot of people didn't do it, thinking they'd just get a bunch of junk mail. Got the card today, and it offers advanced ticket purchase for the Tori shows at the Anaheim Pond on Sept. 18 (8 ticket limit) and the Greek on Sept. 22 (4 ticket limit). Orders must be received by May 15th.

That's it from L.A.....

Here is a report on the show from RaysinGyrl who was at the Leno taping:

As some of you know, today was the day I was lucky enough to go to the taping of the Jay Leno show with musical guest Tori Amos! Thanks to a friend of mine that I used to work with arranged for vip tkts for me and my pal and fellow toriphile Robert! We arrived, checked in with guest relations and stood around noticing that the majority of the audience were Tori fans. Robert had a "from the choirgirl hotel" lyric book in hand, and I had my poster from the Fillmore show just on the off chance we would catch her signing. We also had camera's in hand, but read on the ticktes NO CAMERA's ALLOWED so Robert ran back to the car (3 blocks) to put them away. He got back and we all proceeded into the theater. The security guard stopped me at the metal detector and demanded that I give up my Tori poster as it was NBC policy yadda yadda yadda (get it.. NBC.. yadda.. oh nevermind). After arguing with the security about how totally stupid that rule was I finally got him to agree to lock up my poster in a closet and left in a huff.

Robert and I took our seats just left of center stage, first row balcony. The Tonight Show theater only holds about 250 people so it was very intimate. We sat thru Don Nickels and some chick from Dawson's Creek and then there was Tori. She was wearing a blouse that was part pink sheer and part black velvet it seemed. Looked a bit like an iceskaters leotard. She was wearing black tights and a black leather skirt, long and loose down to her knees with silver stiletto heals with a black strap. She had these little sparkles all over her arms and on her eyes. Not just glitter, actual individual gems.. very cool. She sang "Spark" and although it seemed a bit rushed seemed to enjoy herself. When she sang "6:58 do you know where my spark is" she pointed to her heart and that touched all of us cause we knew she was talking to the fans.. thanking us for our support. She finished her song and joined Jay onstage waving to us on her way to her seat. We all told her how much we loved her and she told us she loved us back. Jay handed her a microphone to attach to her clothing but she said she couldn't find a place for it on her blouse so she held it. Jay and Tori talked for a microsecond and then he cut to break. When he returned he asked her about her marriage and if it was her first proposal. She giggled and said "no actually" and related a story about how when she was young she LOVED Robert Plant and how he had proposed to her but she didn't really take him seriously because she knew he was proposing to like 10 other girls that same day so it didn't really count. After the show went off air Tori came to the edge of the stage and shook hands with some fans. She hugged one fan and then the NBC gastapo reprimanded her and she took her leave. The pages and most of the people at NBC were rude and didn't seem to care for the core of the audience, but I think we all behaved rather well. Robert and I left the theater and I retrieved my poster which was in the hand of the security guard. I felt so bad about coping an attitude earlier and apologized and gave him a hug. He smiled and didn't seem to hold a grudge. Robert and I walked outside and I suggested we make our way to the gate on Bob Hope Drive. We walked past Jessen and I said Hi.. he assured me that Tori never does meet & greets at these shows because there is so much security around. Never-the-less I pursuaded Robert to stick it out with me at the gate. There were about 15 or so others there already, and we had nothing but time.. so we stood there. A limo would pass and we would say 'Tori' but no response.. after the 4th we just sorta chilled and hoped she would stop without our begging.

So a limo pulls up and stops.. Joel hops out. He lays out the ground rules, she will not be signing ANYTHING and no one is to get pushy. She begins at the front of the line and is so sweet greeting everyone and shaking their hand or hugging them. Joel is getting impatient with people taking up all her time (as there are about 30 fans or so lined up now and their limo is blocking one of the exit driveways). She's taking pictures and taking time to talk to her fans. Joel says no more pictures but Tori continues. I ask Joel if I can give her a letter I wrote the night before, he says sure I can give it to her. He reiterates she can't take pictures with everyone.. the people standing in front of me end up taking like 3 pictures with her. I looked at Joel and said, "they aren't listening to you Joel", he said "no, they aren't and you know what it is.. they're greedy and selfish". At just that time they finished with their photos and walked away to which Joel added "you see, they got what they wanted and now they're gone.. they aren't going to stay like the rest of these people (indicating the people she had already met that were still just standing there in awe)". I said "well they aren't really fans now are they", Joel replied "no, no they aren't. I said "that's more of an obsession I'd say", Joel said "yes, i think you're right". Then.... it was my turn. Tori was standing right in front of me and I didn't know what to say so I handed her my letter and said "would you please read this (tears welling up) you know, whenever you get a chance". She took my letter in her hand and replied with her motherly sympathetic tone "sure... sure I will" and she looked at me with those beautiful eyes that seemed to look right thru me and grab my soul and reached out and gave me a hug. I was in full tears and panic now and all I could think to say ( and so I did ) was "you're so beautiful". She pulled away and looked at me again stepping onto the next person and then paused when I began to cry and she said "What's your name?", I said "Heather" and she said "Well it's good to meet you Heather" and began her conversation with the next person. Man, I'm even crying now relating this story. Everyone who knows me knows how much I appreciate her music and her message but man.. she is so real. She's not a Goddess, she's a dear friend and treated me as such tonight.

I didn't have a camera, and I didn't get an autograph, but I made a friend tonight and her name is Tori Amos.

Here is a report on the show from christ who was at the taping:

goodness.

NO one thought she would stop.

and she never has before.

but she did, eek.

she was so cute with the audience during the show, she waved so much, i would say..95% of that audience was there because of her. okay, before the show, sorry, had to mention this. this girl kept saying loudly, "all-knowingly" that she thought the oONLY song she could see tori doing was raspberry swirl girl and all her friends are going "uh-huh, raspberry swirl girl!". and i wanted to turn around and tell her tori doesn't know how to play it yet, but instead out of my mouth came "okay, sorry, but it is NOT raspberry swirl girl. it's raspberry swirl, so could you PLEASE stop calling it that?" it was mean, but i HAD to. lots of tori shirts abound, but she wasn't signing anything, and they asked everyone to leave "signable" items by the door, they could pick it up later. two rows were reserved for friends of tori, and of course most mae a fashionably late appearance, hehe.

she had on a LOT of body glitter, i guess she likes the reflection off the light (shrug eh)

and her eyebrows..i didnt notice this until i met her but they were like maroon, bright maroon. it was scary. and she had one eye jewel..eh..i guess she likes the reflection of this, too, heh she gets so nervous on these t.v. shows. she seemed giggly shy when they had to do promo shots for the show. she sang directly to the camera a lot. it was a bit surprising.

anyhoo, for after the show. everyone thought she was gone. there were maybe thirty.

and joel gets out of a limo, has us all scoot back off the sidewalk, and we wait to meet her. no signing, but she did pictures. she was so sweet. and when she saw valerie at the end of the line, she growled a "valerrrie!" and gave her a big hug, and they whispered questions and answers to eachother. she recognised erin, and she made david shake her hand. i finalyl got to ask her about the harpsichord based songs, woo.

and she said the haprs isn't coming, she's on vacation, but that she is thinking about bringing some of the girls over onto piano, so "we'll see", and more pele is going to be added in eventaully, depending on if they come out or not..

i am looking forward to when she comes back, yay :)

Here is a report on the show from Happy Phantom:

Well, I just got done watching the Tori appearance on leno.... There was something wrong.... something quite 'off' about the whole thing. First, it was quite short. The bare bones structure of the song was there, but the multiple refrains and what not were cut (similar to the Letterman appearance, but this felt even shorter).

That sound effect that her voice goes through on the beginning "she's addicted" didn't seem to be working, it ended up sounding like she was singing in a box... very dull and hollow. During the song, and afterwords during the few brief words between her and Leno, she seemed very distracted. In fact, that's how I would sum up the entire performance, very distracted. THe emotional intensity present on both the album and on her Letterman performance were missing; it seemed as if something had happened before she was to perform, and she was wholly elsewhere, playing simply because she had to, there was very little passion in it, on the whole.

I was, to say the least, disappointed. Actually, I was hoping for something other than spark (simply 'cause I saw her do that on Letterman), but the song choice was still fine. I felt bad, I just had the feeling that she didn't want to be there at that moment, that something else was going on, yet she played anyway.

Even though I didn't like it, I still admire her courage. Everyone has bad nights. I just hope whatever was going on (or rather, that I inferred was going on) is OK......

Here is a report on the show from Mark H Weidman:

i watched tori on jay leno tonight. she did a shortened version of "spark" and it sounded cool like she was singing the backup parts only sometimes. she had her eyebrows painted red, and it looked pretty weird but cool at the same time. jay talked to her afterwards and said "nice eyebrows" to which tori replied by imitating an alien with atennae as if she was saying that she was a freak, but jay said he thought the eyebrows looked ok. he's always real nice to her whenver she's on so that's good. she talked about having a crush on robert plant since she was 8 and how he asked her to marry him but she said it was too late(this comment was after jay had congratulated her on her marriage). the other guests were katie holmes from "dawson's creek" who tori talked to a lot, and don rickles.

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