It almost seems pointless to write about a Tori Amos show, for a couple of reasons. First of all, if you haven't been to one of her shows, you can't imagine the atmosphere there. While the audiences are wildly enthusiastic, they are respectfully silent while she is actually performing. The only other concert I've been to that was comparable in this regard was a Dead Can Dance show several years ago. Furthermore, what can you really say about the performances of a woman who's made thousands yearn to be reincarnated as a piano bench?

In all seriousness, though, attending one of Tori's shows is an experience on a number of levels. First of all, the crowd is largely composed of borderline obsessive fans, so there's this weird feeling like being in a shrine, waiting for the Virgin Mary to drop by for a visit. Then there's Tori herself. As a rule, she doesn't do the thing of working the audience into a frenzy. Rather, she'll just occasionally chit-chat with the audience between songs, talking about how her soundcheck went and so forth. Sometimes, she'll even directly converse with individual audience members from stage. This creates the impression of a very strong bond between her and the audience, which makes sense, as in a previous conversation I had with her, she described how she views a performer and an audience as being in a sort of symbiosis. That is, the performer provides their talent and art, and the audience provides their appreciation and energy, and the two build upon one another to a crescendo that she described as very sexual for her.

Of the four performances of hers that I've attended, in every case this symbiosis was very much in effect, with both her and the audience giving it their all. On her current Dew Drop Inn tour, in support of Boys for Pele, she does everything right. The thing that I liked best about this show, as contrasted to the one accompanying Under the Pink, is that it felt less overproduced. There was less canned music, and the accompaniments were almost all live variations of the recorded tracks. This return to the simpler, more spare feel of the tour for Little Earthquakes was definitely much appreciated.

If you should develop some off-the-wall urge to see someone who truly is into putting on a show, and pleasing the fans, go see Tori now!!!