North American Plugged '98 Tour
Nashville, TN
October 21, 1998

Updated December 14, 1998

Check Out The Reviews And Set Lists Page

Tori performed in Nashville, TN on October 21, 1998 at Vanderbilt Memorial Gym during the main North American leg of her Plugged '98 tour.



Set List

Tori performed Graveyard, Here. In My Head, Mother and Cooling solo. Thanks to Danica Knox for keeping track of the set list for me at the show.


Precious Things
God
Black-Dove (January)
Muhammad My Friend
iieee
Graveyard (solo)
Tear In Your Hand
Here. In My Head (solo)
Mother (solo)
Cooling (solo)
Jackie's Strength
Little Earthquakes
Hotel
The Waitress

1st Encore:
She's Your Cocaine
Raspberry Swirl

2nd Encore:
Cornflake Girl
Northern Lad



Reviews

The most recent reviews are posted after mine...

From Mikewhy

December 14, 1998 - I must apologize for not reviewing this show sooner, and for the briefness of the review you see here now. All the shows I saw this month followed the death of my dear friend Stacey Russell. On the day of this show, Stacey passed away in my hometown of Louisville, KY at Jewish Hospital. I did not find out that she died until about 2:00AM the next morning. I was devastated, and so it is hard for me to review this show or the ones I saw a week later. If it were any other artist, I would have had to cancel the shows, but Tori concerts are helpful even when you are in tremedous sadness.

I arrived at the venue around 7 or 8:00AM with my friends Danica Knox, Lana Helm, Francesine, Sanders and J' ason. I wanted to get there early so I could have a good chance to talk to Tori at the meet & greet. It was a very orderly and fun meet & greet, with the weather being sunny and cool. I met some more wonderful people there, as I always do at these "events." There were too many wonderful people for me to remember, though I do want to say hello to Toriphile Alicia Parker and her terrific mom! They came all the way from Atlanta to see this show. Alicia was only 14 years old, but had the maturity and insight of a young adult. Her mother was extremely supportive of Alisha's love of Tori, and I was greatly impressed with her desire to help her daughter meet Tori. Alisha not only got to meet Tori at the meet & greet but requested "Cooling" and later got her request!

After an orderly line-up at the barricades, Tori arrived around 4:00PM. She looked positively radiant in her outfit, which many said made her look like Pocohontas. When she was told this, she said that she would prefer to look like somebody in drag, though I don't recall the name of the person she mentioned! I was able to talk briefly with Tori and tell her about the condition of my friend Stacey, who I assumed was still in critical condition with a failed liver caused by hepatitus. (I did not realize until later that she passed away at roughly the same time I was talking to Tori.) For privacy's sake, I will detail the entire conversation, but it was quite sad. I am not sure why I needed to tell Tori about Stacey, but I did. I asked Tori to keep Stacey in her thoughts. Tori was so wonderful and said she would think of something. A few moments later her bodyguard Joel asked me if Stacey had a favorite song, and I told him "Here, In My Head." I could still remember back to a concert we saw together in September 1996 in Muncie, Indiana during the Dew Drop Inn Tour. Stacey had asked Tori at the afternoon meet & greet for that song, and when Tori played it during the encores that evening Stacey was in tears. (You can still read about that show on the Dent.)

During "secret time," Tori performed "Here. In My Head". I was so touched and had a hard time keeping myself from breaking down sobbing. I so much wanted to return to Louisville the next day and somehow see Stacey in intensive care and tell her about this, even though I knew they were keeping her sedated and that I had failed previously to get into her hospital room because they were only allowing family members to enter. But she had already died, so I was unable to do so. I hope that wherever she was, she knew about what Tori did that night. I personally will never forget the kindness that Tori and Joel showed me that day.

The concert in general was really spectacular, one of her best that year. The venue was the ugliest I have ever seen...it felt like a concrete box. Tori's crew did a great job with the sound in that box, though I did notice a few odd reverbs and echoes at times. We sat during most of the show on these wooden benches, and they were so uncomfortable that I was actually thrilled when people started standing later in the show. This was my first time hearing "Muhammed My Friend" on this tour, and it sounded really great with the band. "Mother" was also an unexpected treat. This song is so beautiful.

I could go on, but I will close simply by saying that the show was fantastic and one I will remember for a long time. Tori always seems to do astonishing shows in the south in general and Tennessee in particular.


From Jennifer Dean

October 27, 1998 - Well, I've never posted a review, so bear with me! ÝSorry it took so long for me to get it to you.

First of all I've seen many concerts at Vanderbilt Memorial Gym and have always hated it - the sound is kind-of "echoey", everyone is crammed in those awful bleachers, but when Tori played I forgot all those things for a couple of hours.

I didn't watch the opening band, I hung around in the lobby area. I love to Toriphile watch. Everyone is so friendly, you can just feel the "love" in the air, and everyone is very polite and courteous to one another. ÝPlus, it always amazes me to see what a diverse crowd Tori draws. Tori seems to touch people in all walks of life, and I think anything that brings that many different people together like that is a beautiful thing.

I was in the 5th row to the right of the stage, directly in front of Steve Caton. Before the show started I was watching some of the sound crew play around - they seemed to be having a good time goofing off! ÝOne of the guys was walking around with something (I'm not exactly sure what) inside his shirt, that made it appear that he had breasts, All the crew seemed to really be getting a kick out of this.

She started the show with Precious Things, which we've all come to expect. This has always been one of my favorite Tori songs, and I think it's really powerful the way she's been doing it on this tour. The best thing about the rockin version is the "with them nine inch nails............" part, because without a band she always seemed to do it kind of quietly.

God - Great to hear this song live with a band. She added a little "you dropped a bomb on me" part to the end of it. She did not play this one at the Grand Ole Opry show earlier in the year, so I was glad she decided to play it here.

Black Dove - The first time I had heard this song live. Her vocals were awesome during the "On the other side of the galaxy...." part. This was a very magical moment in the show for me, she seemed to really be into it. Although I think the echo thing of the gym was apparent on this song.

She introduced the band calling them the "brothers". Then she started talking about a step class she had done this morning and her butt was hurting.

Muhammad My Friend - Before she started this song she said something about when she wrote it Isarel didn't want her to come there, so I knew it was gonna be Muhammad. This song had a very cool intro with some improvised lyrics, which I can't remember enough of to put them here.

iieee - I absolutely love this song live. The lights are very cool, and Tori really seems to have fun with it. I think it's cool that she has the actual "iieee's" Ýpre-recorded through her keyboard. so she controls that too.

Graveyard (solo) - I've never heard this one live, and all I can say about it is STUNNING. I was so engrossed in this song, when it was over i felt like I had gone there with her. Just amazing.

Tear in Your Hand - Quite a surprise! I hadn't heard this one live in a while. The crowd seemed to be really pleased and alot of people stood up during this song. I think Tori likes it when we stand up because she kind-of smiled when we did.

Here. In My Head (solo) - Wow!!!! ÝAnyone who regularly visits The Dent knew about Mikewhy's friend Stacey being very ill on this day. I figured he had seen Tori before the show and asked her to do a song for Stacey. When I heard the first few notes of this, I just KNEW that this was the song. ÝAt first I thought no one knew the song or didn't recognize it because everyone was so quiet, but I now think it was out of respect and lots of us knew about Stacey, so this song had a very dynamic effect on the audience. I was mezmerizedand I had to fight back the tears. I had never heard this one live, so I would say this song and the next were the highlights of the show for me. ÝI feel priviledged to have shared such a magical moment with Tori and all those in the audience, which I think became even more poignant when I read on The Dent that Stacey had passed away.ÝMikewhy- we were thinking of you & Stacey.

Mother (solo) - Another one of my Tori faves, and I haven't heard this one live in like 5 years. Ý=) ÝDone beautifully.

Cooling (solo) - Before she started this song, she said something like "I usually only do 2 songs solo, but a girl asked me to do this one and I'm in a good mood." Then she said something along the lines of "I know that sounds bitchy but after playing so many shows, you don't know, sometimes I get PMS........" She also added that "this song was supposed to be on BFP and then supposed to be on FTCH, so now you know how stupid I am".

Jackie's Strength - The first time I had heard this one live, and while not one of my faves, but I think I might have changed my mind about this song because it was extremely powerful live.

Little Earthquakes - Another pleasant surprise, and a crowd pleaser. When I heard the first few notes of this I turned to my friend and said "Oh my god, I can't believe she's playing this". ÝI was so happy!! ÝVery good with the band.

Hotel - Probably my least fave on FTCH, but her vocals were amazing on the high parts of this song.

The Waitress - By now we all know how this song rocks. She sang "I believe she's the devil, bitch" a couple of times instead of the normal lyrics.

Everyone was going crazy and begging for more after The Waitress, and Tori did not dissapoint - she never does.

1st encore...........

She's Your Cocaine - First time seeing this song live, and I realized Tori is indeed enjoying touring with a band and being a "rock" star. It just made me think of all the times I've heard her talk about Led Zeppelin. Towards the end, during the instrumental part they did about four measures of "Sweet Leaf" by Black Sabbath, which Caton seemed to be enjoying immensly! ÝAnd Tori was smiling at him like "You go boy!" It was very sweet. Then at the end when she does all the heavy breathing & such, she grabbed the microphone really forcfully right up to her mouth, and practically threw it away from her when she was done. Very powerful!

Rasberry Swirl - Another crowd pleaser, everyone was enjoying the light show and doing their "Swirl girl" dance. =)

By now everyone is on their feet after dancing away to Rasberry Swirl, and we are screaming because we know Tori wants to give us some more.

2nd encore...........

Cornflake Girl - Everyone went nuts. This has always been a song that everyone seems to know and love.

Northern Lad - I was not expecting this especially after all the "rockin' out" of the previous 4 songs. First time I had seen this one live and one of my faves on FTCH. The lighting was beautiful, and I thought it was a perfect song to end the show with. She really seemed to be putting alot of feeling into this one. And the disco balls were going. Everyone stayed standing through this song, and the crowd seemed to really enjoy this one as well.

Well, a very good Tori show, however hearing "Mother" & "Here in My Head" really made me long for the days of "just a girl and her piano".

Thanks to everyone who was there for making it such a wonderful experience for everybody.


From Michael White

October 26, 1998 - I would like to tell you what a pleasure it was to finally meet you and all the other EWF's I have become familiar with on the Dent. Lana, Danica, and Francesine were all great and I hope to keep in touch with you all.

Now for the show. How lucky us Nashvillians were to merit two visits from Tori. Not to mention that this show certainly made up for the unruly audience at the Opry show in August. It was almost like the old Tori solo shows.....except of course I had to be seated in front of 3 girls who obviously had never been to a concert before because every song they shouted....."Oh My God!!!!!!!!"

I won't go into a lengthy song by song analysis, but I will touch on the high points. (This was my fourth and final show of this tour, by the way). Great to finally hear Muhammed my Friend, my personal favorite from BFP. Mother, Tear in my Hand, and Little Earthquakes were all firsts for me on this tour and long overdue. Don't get me wrong...Choirgirl is good but Little Earthquakes started this whole thing for me. I was so glad she dug deep and pulled these out for us. Perhaps it enlightened some of the newer Tori fans. She's Your Cocaine absolutely rocked, especially with the Black Sabbath sample stuck in there. The ending was the most intense I had seen her do yet.... literally throwing the microphone down at the end. Finally, Northern Lad...... I had hoped to hear this one (my favorite song from Choirgirl) and what a perfect finish to a perfect show.

I don't know what we here in Nashville did to deserve a second show, but we got one hell of a second show. To Tori I send a big huge THANK YOU!!!!!!! And to all the EWF's see you next tour!!!


From Chris Cochran

October 23, 1998 - I went to Tori's concert in Nashville Wednesday night, and the best word I know to describe it would be "beautiful," or "pleasant." She was in such good spirits, the crowd was very well-behaved, and the whole mood of the place was just enjoyable. That's how it seemed to me, at least. It was a lot different that the Nashville show in August at the Grand Ole Opry (you can read my review to that, too). The crowd on the floor didn't stand up, except for the encores. Everyone clapped when they should have, and was quiet when they needed to be. I was definitely impressed with the crowd. The students got the floor seats, so since I didn't get a ticket till I got there, I was in the balcony. This was my ninth show, and the first time I've been in the balcony. It was better than some of the floor seats I've had. And this was a pretty cool place to see a show because you could see all the stuff you don't normally see. There were no wings, just a black backdrop Tori would walk behind when she left, so we could see all the sound equipment and all the security people just milling around while she performs. It's kind of humorous, and you don't realize how much sound equipment there is - about ten feet of soundboards and mixers. It was wild.

Now the show...

Precious Things - It was good, of course, but rather than jumping right into the fun of the show, Tori seemed to be finding the groove during this one. She didn't do as much screaming/groaning as the other shows, I'd seen, but of course, it rocked. She hit a wrong note at the very end, but it worked. She hit several wrong notes throughout the show.

God - This works alright as a second song, but I think it works better as an encore (but not as well as Cocaine). She seems to have a lot of fun with this.

Black-Dove (January) - This was the first of the many songs she played that I either hadn't heard live, or hadn't heard with the band. This one was odd. She was either hitting some wrong notes, or the loud volume added a twang to the keyboard, or the keyboard just wasn't getting it. During the second verse, she began playing the piano and keyboard, and the audience cheered, which was nice. The "other side of the galaxy..." was quite loud. In fact, by that time, I was beginning to realize how much louder this show seemed than other shows. (This song is just so bombastic anyway.) Maybe it was because of the acoustics in the gym. It was very loud. I still feel like the band sometimes drowns out Tori and the piano, and sometimes the guitar really does it. I love the drums and the bass, but the guitar seems to get a little repetitive. Dare I say, he could even stand to sit out on a couple of songs, or really tone it down (like Horses).

i i e e e - I knew this one was coming. She's played it at every show I've seen this year, and I never tire of it. I'm just fascinated watching her work the buttons on the keyboard. It's a very intense song, and she obviously has fun with it, and does it nearly every night. Before the first "with your ease..." she took a really long pause before she sang.

Muhammed My Friend - She said, "I want you to meet the brothers," and she introduced the band. She said something like her butt hurt, but it was ok. Then she said, "When this next song came out, Israel didn't want me to come there because I'd written this song. So we had to have a talk over the phone. They missed the boat." This was one that I really was hoping to hear, and if you haven't heard it with the band, it rocks. It starts with percussion, which has a Middle Eastern feel to it, then she does a lot of improv. All I could make of it was something like, "I don't ask much, but what you ask of me..." Is that right? If anyone has been able to decipher the new lines, please post it. They're harder to understand on this tour.

Anyway, she started and ended the song with those lines. Everything in the main part of the song was pretty much the same. Very nice arrangement with the band.

Graveyard - oooooohh....wonderful. She went through it twice, singing "It's June again," but never the "old man" line. She ended it with "I know you're still alive somewhere," or something like that. Please, I know some people managed to record the show (which was no small accomplishment because security was tight), so you people listen to the bootlegs and tell us the words. I know I'm not doing it justice.

Tear In Your Hand - A crowd pleaser, and for good reason. I hadn't heard this yet on this tour, and it really didn't matter to me if I heard it or not, because it's pretty much like the album version. But I have to admit, this will be one of the songs that stick with me from this night. This was the reason I called the concert pleasant. The performance of this with the band was just wonderful. The instruments blended well, it wasn't too loud, and Tori sang it beautifully. When she sand "time to wave goodbye," she paused and went "Huh!" to bring in the band again. I'm telling you, I love the song, but just didn't think the live version would be anything incredible, and I stand corrected.

Here In My Head - She said the usual, "They go away now, and we do some songs." She looked out in the audience and smiled, then launched right into Here In My Head. This was another that I hadn't heard live in all my days, and it was just wonderful. When she sang, "I held your hand at the fair," she whispered "fair," and of course the ending was very powerful.

Mother - After Here In My Head, she sat there for a minute, looking like she was deciding what to play next. This was a wonderful performance of Mother. That piano solo after "oh my God," just really gets to me. She really emphasized the "change my name" lines.

Cooling - She said, "This girl asked me to play this, and I usually just do two songs here, but I'm in a good mood. (Audience roars.) I know that sounds really bitchy, but you haven't done 140 shows since April, so you don't know. This is a song that was supposed to be on Boys For Pele, then it was supposed to be on Choirgirl, which....shows you how stupid I am." She played the piano part just before "Piggy got a message for me" before she sang "Maybe I..." I don't know why she leaves out the bridge in this song. It's such an important part of the song. The live version is beautiful, and this was the best version I've heard (It was the third time I've heard it), but I wish she'd include the middle part. It could be because she wrote it back in 96, so maybe she decided that doesn't need to be in there. (And is it "Peggy" or "Piggy?" And if it's Piggy, what's the significance?)

Jackie's Strength - Not one of my faves from Choirgirl, but I do like the live version better. She seemed to be enjoying this one.

Little Earthquakes - Ok, this was the first I'd heard this with the band, and to be honest, I haven't made up my mind about what I think of the band version of this. The 96 version was incredible (see the RAINN video), and the reason that was so powerful is because the piano part when she sings, "eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee," is beautiful. This song is another example of a time when the loud volume of the band keeps the piano from coming through. This song is made to make you think, and stir up some emotion, but I wasn't getting the emotion with this version. The band rocked out as hard as they could on the "eeeeeeeeeeeeeee" part, but I don't think of this as a rocking song - more of an intense song. (That's one of Tori's best quotes - "Eeeeeeeee.") What do the rest of you think about Little Earthquakes with the band?

Hotel - I was relieved when I heard this because I thought Earthquakes might have been the last thing before Waitress. This is one of my two faves from Choirgirl (i i e e e is the other), and it didn't disappoint. The tempo could have been a little faster. It was interesting to see which parts she played on the keyboard. The bass and drums went on for a little while, then it sounded like she was playing some type of percussion sound on the keyboard. It's wonderful that she plays the piano with "I have to learn to let you crash down." It's just beautiful. And she really emphasizes "crash down." The horn part at the end is gone, but "King Solomon's Mines," is really nice. I just love this song.

The Waitress - This song has evolved this year. It seems to just go haywire at the end and lose all rhythm. It was so loud, and so wild, and I looked down at the audience on the floor, and they were just swaying to their own beat. She sang, "But I believe she's the devil, bitch" about three times."

She's Your Cocaine - What a great first song for an encore. Everyone was dancing, and Tori came out doing the bunny hop, then swaggered over to the piano, improvised a little, and sang it. This was a great version of the song. It's impressive to watch her play the keyboard and piano at the same time. I also didn't realize that her keyboard was doing all that it was - after the piano comes in, there are four measures where there's one high pitched note over the piano. I thought this was the guitar, but it's the keyboard. Her heavy breathing at the end just kills me. She grabbed the microphone and her whole body was shaking.

Raspberry Swirl - I really like how she sings, "You......you," and holds it out. She built it up, then kind of jumped and sang, "And she swirls..." Great performance, lots of fun. I enjoyed watching everybody from the balcony, too.

Cornflake Girl - I know she's done this as an encore before, but I didn't see it coming. She did the improv at the beginning quite a bit longer than usual. It could go on for ten minutes, and I'd be fine.

Northern Lad - What a way to end my Tori concerts for this year. She's ended with Horses at the other three shows I'd seen, so I wanted to hear Pandora, but when this started I was thrilled. I didn't know if she was going to close with this or not because the disco balls weren't going. Then, when she sang, "I feel the west in you," there went the disco balls. I heard a girl next to me go, "Ooooh! Look!" It was funny, and kind of a cute moment. But it was a little sad because I realized that this was it. The tempo on this one could have been slower. It's a good way to end the show, though.

So it was a wonderful show. Good crowd, good performance, very enjoyable. The songs I'll remember from this show - Tear In Your Hand, Here In My Head, Graveyard, Muhammed My Friend, Hotel, Northern Lad. It is probably my last show of this year, so it was nice to end it on such a positive note. If you were there, or have a good recording of this, or have comments, e-mail me. thehotelnh@aol.com Thanks.


From Lavender Moon

October 23, 1998 - To all the people at the before show meet and greet, the ones I knew and the ones I met, thanks for being so wonderful! It was a blast. Tori came out in a Pocohontas looking outfit which I think was the most beautiful that I've seen her. She seemed to be very happy. One emotional part of the meet and greet was when Mikewhy was telling Tori about StacEy. I had to turn away or I would have started crying. Tori was very sympathetic.

~Precious Things~
we all know this one....VERY energetic and the Grrrrrl was EXTRA SPECIAL LOOOOOOOOONG and BEAUUUUTIFUL!

~God~
oh wow, when I heard this song (as I think most would agree) we all knew this would be an outstanding show. the whole "you dropped a bomb on me, Jesus" part was so much better than I've heard it.

~Black-Dove (January)~
I felt this song very much when Tori played it. When I looked down at Tori it just seemed like she was somewhere else while playing this; like it had taken her somewhere or something.

~Muhammad My Friend~
what an awesome live version of this song. the lighting was BEAUTIFUL and the bass was awesome. and the "ashre ashre ashre ashre" part sent chills up my spine.

~i i e e e~
I think this was my favourite band song of the night. It was the best I've heard this song done. Lots of two second Tori solos during the song. Lots of energy.

~Graveyard (solo)~
this one just kind of came out of the middle of no where. the band was kind of switching guitars and stuff and Tori just started playing. it was soooo beautiful.

~Tear In Your Hand~
never heard this one done so well. very beautiful.

~Here. In My Head (solo)~
when I heard the intro to the song I kind of started to tear up. then I didn't know whether to cry or just smile, because I think all of us on our row knew exactly who this song was for.

~Mother (solo)~
this song was for a very wonderful person I met at the show (Ashley). Very haunting. my favourite part of course is the "poison me against the Mooooon" part.

~Cooling (solo)~
I had heard this at my last show, so I wasn't very enthusiastic about hearing it, but she did a VERY good vocal improv of the word "cooling" toward the end. this one was played for a young girl from Atlanta named Alisha and her mother (it was her mother's first tori show).

~Jackie's Strength~
wonderful to actually hear the David Cassidy part of the song live.

~Little Earthquakes~
no words can express. it was wonderful

~Hotel~
I have LONGED to hear this sone SOOO bad on the tour, and I finally got to. I was so happy to hear it. it is my favourite off of Choirgirl and it was definitely one of my favourites live.

~The Waitress~
as J'ason told Mark Hawley after the show..."this song is becoming hazardous to our health"

Encore 1:

~She's Your Cocaine~
oh my god...the ending of this song was so wonderful. she did a really raspy thing at the end and just shoved the microphone which practically flew off the keyboard

~Raspberry Swirl~
i danced a lot. nothing very special, but I loved it.

Encore 2:

~Cornflake Girl~
now I was saying to myself....where did she get the energy to play The Waitress, She's Your Cocaine, Raspberry Swirl, and then pull Cornflake Girl out of her ass (it wasn't on the original setlist)? I mean...talk about the energy of these four songs it was WONDERFUL.

~Northern Lad~
I was so happy for my friend Joseph when this song started. he doesn't have Choirgirl yet. He had heard the album though, and this was his favourite song. I just kind of cradled myself during this song. it was a WONDERFUL way to end the show.


From Ann Ribe

October 23, 1998 - This show was incredible! I was my second show of this tour; my first was the Birmingham, AL show. I drove from Birmingham to Nashville on Wednesday, arriving at 3:00pm. I got lost trying to find the gym, so I missed the meet and greet. Ate lunch/dinner and went to my aunt and uncle's house.

I arrived at the gym (after calling for directions) at 7:30pm. Immediately, I realized why the tickets were less expensive then other shows. It is literately a college basketball gym. The stage was in one fourth of the gym floor and the seats were the bleachers. It was not prominately noted on the tickets which section the ticket was for. There was not really enough venue personal to help direct people to their seats. So a lot of people were in the wrong seats. Also, quite a bit of people took their seat while The Unbelieveable Truth was playing (in the dark). This just added to the confusion.

I was in section H, row 23, seat 10. It was not that bad. The bleachers were tiered so I could see. The Unbeliveable Truth started at 8:00pm and played for 35 minutes. I feel really sorry for any act opening for Tori. Some parts of the crowd are really not that respectful. Anyway, they were really good. I liked them more than the Devlins.

So they left the stage at 8:35 pm. Lots of people started coming in to take their seats. Way too many people were either in the wrong section or finding people in their seats. Finally, security started trying to help get it straightened out. Tori did not start until 9:30 pm. The audience was really restless at that point. I heard a lot of people bitching about her taking so long. I think she couldn't go on with so many people trying to get seated.

First song is Precious Things. I love this with the band. I couldn't help but smile during the whole song. Tori was wearing dark blue jeans, a blue spandex top with the shoulders pulled down, and a cream/gold sequined apron/smock. Very tall black shoes. She looked beautiful.

God was next. She did the, "You dropped a bomb on me" at the end. At the end of the song, she drank some water and ate some soup (?) in a cup.

Black Dove (January). I had not heard this song at the B'ham concert. I really liked it.

Tori started talking about a Baptist exercise place? (I'm not from Nashville). She said she took a great step class this morning. Her, "Butt is killing me." She then said that the next song was odd. When it came out, Israel said she shouldn't visit anymore. She said she had to do some explaining on the radio. I knew it would be Muhammad My Friend, but I couldn't tell from the music until I heard the, "Muhammad my friend, it's time to tell the world..." I loved this live.

Fifth song was iieee. At the end she did a bit of, "I know you understand."

Graveyard was next. I couldn't believe that I was hearing this. It was beautiful. She then went into Tear in My Hand. I hadn't heard this in a while, it took me a little bit to remember which song it was.

She said she was going to send the boys away. She then played Hear in my Head. I kept saying, "wow" during this song. I don't think she has played this before (I could be wrong). It was wonderful. Mother was next.

Tori said, "A girl asked me to play this next song. Normally I only do two here, but I'm in a good mood. I know that sounds bitchy, but I've done over 100 shows since April." She then played Cooling. I have read that people think this is the best Tori song. I liked the song, but didn't think it was the best when I got the single. Hearing it live is so much better than the CD. It was stunning.

Band comes back. Jackie's Strength. Really nice.

Little Earthquakes. I love this song. My favorite part is, "give me life, give me pain, give me myself again."

Hotel was next. Amazing!!!!

Waitress. I like this version, but it's sad hearing it knowing the concert is coming to an end.

Tori and the band have a group hug. Off stage. For first encore, Tori came out doing the bunny dance. Really cute.

She's Your Cocaine. The whole audience was on their feet. Quite a few (inculding me) were dancing. Then Rasberry Swirl. It sound like the Lip Gloss Version. At the end, there was some, "Swirl girl". About 80% of the audience (from my view) were dancing.

Left again. When she came back, Cornflake Girl. More dancing. Then Northen Lad. It was a great song to end with.

My only complaint (other than seating chaos) was lights in the audience. It didn't bother me in Birmingham but I've been getting migraines lately. I had a horrible migraine (they are light triggered) when I left. But that's my problem, not Tori's. I had a wonderful time. I couldn't believe she played 18 songs! Tori really was in a great mood.

P.S. It stinks to leave a Tori concert and go home and the only person to talk to is your non-Tori loving husband on the phone. I was so excited and was trying to explain to him why this one was so much better than Birmingham. He didn't get it. :)


From Cristina

October 23, 1998 - Hey Mike, I LOVED this show. In my opinion, the experience was infinitely better than the last show at Opry. I went to my first meet and greet, got a sunburn on my face, and met some really nice people. It was so cool to finally meet the authors of previous concert reviews and of course, our webmaster Mikewhy! Everything was so ORGANIZED! Didn't get to meet Tori (I was 21 out of 40) but I did get my first edition All These Years book signed and my card did get passed up to her. Thanks to all the EWF who helped me on that! Our seats were fantastic. Perfect. The audience was so respectful and energetic. My only complaint is this: The sound needs to be worked with a lot for these shows (it's just a tad too loud and Tori's crucial piano is drowned out quite a bit) but it was still a high energy quality show. I missed half of Cooling at the August show so I was glad that she played it again at this one. Magic. Pure magic during her solo set. Kinda makes me nostalgic... Oh well, thanks to all who made this such a great concert!!!


From Darren Fuemmeler

October 23, 1998 - I'm not going to go over all the songs she played, except to mention that I was quite happy to hear "MohammedÝ My Friend" and "Little Earthquakes". I was hoping to hear "Winter" and "Spark", but that wasn't to be. Ý The meet and greet beforehand was great. It started with me stumbling upon the EWF group and Lana asking me if I needed a number. "Uhh... I guess so..." I replied. "You look confused," she said. Actually I wasn't confused, I was just taking in the peaceful group of people in front of me. Finally meeting some of the people that I read about on-line and seeing that they're just as friendly and "real" as I had hoped is always a treat. I was number 26, so when Tori came out of the bus I didn't get to actually meet her, but that's fine. I could tell that it meant more to some of the other people who were there than it would've to me. Ý After they opened the doors and let us in, Mikewhy was happy to find out that the Louisville Gardens wouldn't be the ugliest venue that she played in. He accurately described the Vanderbilt Memorial Gymnasium as "a concrete box." Although Tori's sound crew did a wonderful job, the acoustics were... well, that of a concrete box. Ý This is my third time of seeing Tori, and my second time for the plugged tour. Her band continues to impress me. I'm not a musician, so I know I don't always give credit where credit's due, but who could help but notice how well they work together. I especially enjoyed the part where Tori and the guitarist (I'm terrible with names...) seemed to go back and forth in a little acoustical dance. He stood where she could see him if she looked between the top of the piano and the piano lid. There were clearly enjoying each other, and so was the audience. And the drummer is amazing. Ý I'd like to put in my two cents worth on reserved seats being used with any show that's meant to energize the audience. THEY SUCK!!! (I had third row seats, so I'm not just bitching about crappy seats.) I realize that they are greatly beneficial for musicals, plays, classical concertos, and Tori's previous tours. But this tour is different - it's a celebration of freedom, emotions, life's experiences, and life that by the inclusion of drums and bass is a primal invitation to the audience to come together and instinctively participate as a whole. Reserved seating, with its need to separate and categorize people (and the security that goes along with it) destroys much of what could be. I enjoyed her show in the Grand Ole Opry more than this one because, despite the reserved seats, it wasn't as "controlled" of an environment as Vandy. What's needed is for these concerts to be held in venue that has ample room for standing in front of the stage with elevated seats behind the standing area. That way, perhaps the standing and sitting crowd would be happy. Ý Well, that's my two cents. As always, others may differ...


From Joanna

October 23, 1998 - thought i'd give my comments on the nashville show... i was enjoying it, as she started with precious things, then God, and then a few others, before her wellexpected acoustic set, with three that were so entrancing that i can't even remember them right now, and the rest of her show, and then her encore ended up being four songs, including rasperry swirl, cornflake girl. at one point she played a third acoustic, after telling us, "i'm in such a good mood, i might even play another one. this girl asked me to play her song." and play the song "piggy" and i think it's really called here in my head, but anyway, the girl i was sitting behind, that i knew from around town, started whispering, and i asked her what was going on, and she said piggy was sitting in her row, and sure enough there was an older woman sitting three people away from us. very exciting. i don't know what to tell you, besides that i've just always enjoyed her shows, and this was my third time, taking a fellow fan to her FIRST show. i'm so glad she came to nashville twice, although i was wondering WHY?


From Ja'son

October 23, 1998 - hi people, here's the setlist for the Nashville show, 10/21/98:

Precious Things
God
Black-Dove (January)
Muhammad My Friend
iieee
Graveyard (solo)
Tear In Your Hand
Here. In My Head (solo)
Mother (solo)
Cooling (solo)
Jackie's Strength
Little Earthquakes
Hotel
Waitress
Encore 1:
She's Your Cocaine (w/ excerpt from Sweet Leaf by Black Sabbath)
Raspberry Swirl
Encore 2:
improv/Cornflake Girl
Northern Lad

All i can say now it... holy shit...

I've seen 7 shows on this tour, this one was the most intense.. I literally almost passed out after The Waitress, a girl in front of me Did pass out. it was insane. i'll tell more about it later.. but if you have a heart condition, be careful at these shows...


From adam alexis

October 23, 1998 - i just got back from the nashville show. i don't know if anyone remembers me. i was wearing the pink scarf, fishnet tank top, fishnet stocking, and pink lipstick. anyway, it was great. i liked the setlist from the opryhouse one better, but this one was great because the setlist was almost completly different, so we didn't get the same show 2 times.

my favorites of the night were northern lad, hotel, god, and iiee. raspberry swirl was fun, as usual. god was the best. i was spellbound the whole time. she is so amazing. it was like i was in a trance. i have jus trecently really gotten into tori amos. i have my girlfriend to thank for that. well, if anyone from the show actually remembers me give me an e mail.


From Rachel A Rogers

October 23, 1998 - a few friends of mine and i were lucky enough to be able to watch the soundcheck..

the set list for the soundcheck was

iieee
Tear In Your Hand
Father Lucifer
Muhummad My Friend
Horses
Black Dove


From Ula

October 23, 1998 - the nashville show was last night. it was very awesome. Steve Caton gave me one of his guitar pics! i was so excited. Tori played wonderfully but there was an echo on some songs.

Here in my head (she played this one for Mike Why and his friend)

it was a great show, but my last :(


From Eric

October 23, 1998 - this show was awesome, as usual -- she was in high spirits and played longer than usual (i think). cooling was better than the last nashville show (she sang it with a little more feeling this time or something). and muhammad my friend -- mmm so glad she played old stuff.i hadnt heard jackie's strength live before and it was great too. why was security so tight?



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