Simply Millennial

  *This is Tori’s performance of “Toast,” after the tuning improv. Video courtesy of sakreh.*   

   Thursday morning I woke up and dragged myself to work; I had to put in at least 5 hours. I worked through lunch, without really paying attention to what I was doing. My heart was fluttering and my mind was wandering aimlessly. I spent the day wondering which member of the American Doll Posse I was going to see that night.

   By 3:00p.m. I was out the door to pick up my car, and then I placed my “non-Toriphile” friend into the front seat. Poor thing, she didn’t know what to expect. But she’s always down for a good night out, so off we went to Santa Barbara! We enjoyed a rich Italian dinner at the notorious Pascucci’s on State Street, and sipped red wine until the bottle was empty. It was time and I was ready.

   Walking up to the Arlington Theatre, I felt an overwhelming sense that I had been pulled there by some sort of magnet. Among the other ticket holders were hipsters, art students and their teachers, gays and lesbians, and hippies. The range in age was wide, and the “non-Toriphiles” could be spotted quite easily. (Usually they were caught standing around, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, wondering how the hell they got there). 

   Because I was insistent on drinking one more glass of wine, we only caught the last song from the opening act, YOAV. I wish I had decided to take our seats sooner, because I would have loved to hear more from this “one-man-show” acoustic performer.  I was left in my seat during intermission, staring up and looking around the theatre, while I waited for Tori. The Arlington Theatre is a great venue–full of old mission architecture and style. The ceiling is done as a night sky and it sort of gives you the feeling that you’re really outside enjoying live music. On the stage sat Tori’s beloved Bösendorfer piano – an Austrian made instrument known for its full-bodied sound. The Bö turned out to be its own character in the show.

   For those of you unfamiliar with Tori’s latest album, American Doll Posse, it can be described as a musical project that divides Tori into 5 characters, including Tori as her stage self. Each woman is an extension of a different personality and sings her own songs in the style of that personality. (I had read in an interview that Santa, Pip, Clyde and Isabel were all based on goddesses from Greek mythology.) Each night of this tour, Act I is performed by one of the characters, while Act II is Tori as her stage self.

   Before going that night, I thought Santa would open the show. Besides having the character’s moniker in its name, Santa Barbara seemed to be the place for the high-heeled, red lipstick wearing, dirty martini drinking Aphrodite character to sing her songs about lust and sexuality. But to my surprise, Clyde came out of the darkness and opened the show with a roaring rendition of “Bouncing Off Clouds.”  I knew then that the night would be artisitic, clever and a bit introverted. I was pleased.

   Clyde rounded out Act I with:

• Bouncing Off Clouds
• Little Earthquakes
• Juarez
• Rattlesnakes
• Little Amsterdam
• Beauty of Speed

   I was excited to hear the older song ”Little Amsterdam” live; the newer “Beauty of Speed” was accompanied by a phenomenal light-show, and it translated VERY well onto the stage. Clyde’s outfit was really pretty too, and I couldn’t help but notice how her shoes – a black pair of high-heeled Mary Janes-pressed down on the Bö. I was in a trance.

   Clyde glided off the stage, and during the costume change, the crowd was left bouncing to a club remix of “Professional Widow.” At the song’s end, Tori came out in a bright red wig and a one piece shimmering gold pant-suit. I was reminded of Liberace and Elton John – it was so piano glam rock of her. She got the crowd on their feet with one of the hits from ADP, “Big Wheel.”

During Act II, Tori played: 

• Big Wheel
• Parasol
• Spark
• Cornflake Girl
• Lust
• Black Dove (January)  

   Maybe it was all of the wine that I’d had, but I thought I was going to wet myself when she played “Spark,” and then followed it with “Cornflake Girl.” These two songs are definetely in my Top 10 of Tori favorites. After this act, Tori introduced her band members and noted that they only had three more shows left on the tour. You could smell the bitter-sweetness of it all. The band left the stage, and Tori stayed with her piano to play a very personal set.

The T & Bö  segment included:

• “buried my son today” improv
• Alamo
• Toast

   At the beginning of “Toast” Tori freaked out because the tune was way off, so she stopped and went on to sing an off the cuff improv about “EQ.” It was hysterical, and at the end the crowd gave her a thundering applause. I think we all felt fortunate to see Tori a bit unhinged – I guess there was a little Pip coming out of her at that moment. She finished “Toast,” which was absolutely beautiful after the tuning issue was fixed.

   The band came back on stage to play:

• Past the Mission
• Talula
• Code Red

   The night before in San Diego, Tori was in the middle of “Code Red” when she decided to kick out two girls in the front row for being rude. On our night, she made it through the whole song. It is probably one of the most haunting on the album–great to watch live.  Afterwards, Tori and the band took off and we went wild for an encore.  The demand was satiated.

The encore included:

• Precious Things
• Tear In Your Hand

   “Precious Things” is probably one of Tori’s most famous songs and I’d heard from extreme Toriphiles that she almost never sings it live. I felt privileged to see it.

   After the whole show ended I felt kind of sad, but really full. I didn’t really feel like talking for the rest of the night. I felt the need to let the whole experience marinate for awhile. Actually, I think it was still marinating up until today. I guess that’s why I’m finally dishing up this review.

   Live music is so cathartic and uplifting. I sometimes wish we could put it in a little pill and drink it with our glasses of orange juice every morning.