Author: Svetlana Sohoni
When I got the opportunity to go see Tori Amos at the Paramount Theater I was beyond excited. I grew up listening to her first record Little Earthquakes and although I had not listened to her music since childhood I still had strong memories associated with her songs. Her song “Sleeps With Butterflies” was one of my favorites as a child and felt magical to me as a young girl dancing around in the living room. Despite all this I had no idea what to expect from her show.
When I entered the theater I was extremely surprised at how filled the venue was. Almost all the seats were completely full and the room was buzzing with excitement. When Tori took the stage the whole room started cheering and immediately rose to their feet. Her voice filled the room along with her piano playing. The piano was an extension of her and through the show she used it to add music in the background as she spoke to the crowd and beautifully transitioned from song to song. She had a couple of other musicians on stage who would join in for a song now and then to play bass or drums but Tori and her piano were front and center. Her ability to capture the crowd’s attention with delicate and complicated piano introduction before entering the song with her voice which seemed to have endless range was extremely impressive. At one point she sat between two pianos and played them both at once.
Her set was also just a compliment to her stage presence. The lights were used to highlight her piano playing and her booming stage presence. Projections in the back along with colorful lights were a simple and successful set design. She played many songs from Little Earthquakes and the crowd sang along the entire time. When she came towards the end of the show and started playing cornflake girl everyone got up and started dancing. It was a beautiful thing to experience because the crowd was mainly filled with older folk and I could feel their energy and their desire to let loose all around me.
Tori Amos was everything and more I expected her to be. Her sensitive and expressive lyrics were even more emotional to hear live. Her songwriting ability is extremely impressive and that combined were her stage presence and piano playing made for a fantastic show. I would go see her again in a heartbeat and am not ashamed to admit that since seeing her I have been listening to her music constantly.
Svetlana Sohoni | KXSU Music and Arts Reporter