The last time I saw Tori Amos in concert was, I am pretty sure, somewhere around 1996, not long after she released Boys for Pele. So I may not have recognized very many of the songs on Saturday, but I can tell you this: her voice has only grown more beautiful with time. And while she’s not as angry as she used to be, she has lost absolutely none of the raw power that made (makes) her great.
On this particular tour, which is in support of her new record Night of the Hunters, she’s expanded her stage show to include the Apollon Musagète string quartet, and the overall effect is really, really lovely. The tour is still going; she’s in Toronto tomorrow (12/8) and will be swinging westward from there. Go see her if you can.
Meanwhile, here are some pictures from the evening:
This one is from when she got up to talk to us, briefly, at the end, and is included at least in part because i really love her dress. It is my favorite color (red and sparkly!) and, though you can’t see it here, came with a bubble-y cape-like thing on the back. It was dramatic and beautiful and perfect.
And finally a few of Thomas Dybdahl, the singer/songwriter from Norway who opened the show. He has a lovely voice, a finely tuned sense of humor, and he got the Beacon Theater to sing with him on one chorus, which was awesome.