Tori Amos Bass Concert Hall Austin, TX December 21, 2011

Touring to support her latest release, the classical and superb “Night of Hunters”, I was feeling enthusiastic to attend this particular concert. Curious as to how the new songs would be reproduced live, as well as how they would mesh with a varied and more melodic back catalog. To Amos’ credit, which was one of the two shining points of the evening, they mixed and were duplicated quite nicely.

As stated, I am a fan and while others might have found no flaw due to allegiance, my reverence only goes so far. Taking her place on the sparse, blue, chandeliered stage in an evening regalia and smile, along with her ever-present piano and keyboard, Amos was joined by four energetic, musicians. Their goal, it appears, was to add some sort of lively excitement to the event via whipping bodies and head banging (classically trained style, of course), in lieu of what seemed to be Amos’ lack of enthusiasm for the night.

The hall reverberated loudly with the penetrating tandem of piano and string quartet for “Shattering Sea”, the opener of the new album and tonight as well. The audience truly seemed in for one heck of an evening, and they certainly wanted it. Yet, in what I considered to be prophetic set list placement, the song to follow the night’s opener was a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide”, replete with the well-known chorus of “I’m getting older, too”, which as the evening progressed seemed rather fitting.

At 48-years old Amos still certainly commands the stage. Naturally daring, and at times seemingly demanding, she pulls the audience into to her performance and into to her songs. However, in a live setting it can be difficult to mask when one is simply tired. Or perhaps, ready for a tour to be over? Judging by Amos’ back and forth, been here, done that motion and the very easy to discern lack of power coming from a woman possessing such a truly intense, emotional voice, it became obvious that this second to last show of the tour was one that while perhaps intentions were for the best, was simply going to be a by -the -numbers, get it done event. It wasn’t her songs that were lacking; it was, to be frank, the energy and firebrand passion she typically wields in a live setting.

The second major boon to the evening would definitely have to have been the set list itself. Seamlessly weaving new and old original material along with covers the audience responded quite approvingly to the siren of the evening’s choices to play. The well-known and adored “Little Earthquakes”, the splendid B-side featured on 1999’s “To Venus and Back”, “Cooling” and “Spark”, from 1998’s fantastic “From the Choirgirl Hotel, seemed to stand out the most.

By the time “Cruel” closed the set I was left happy to have heard the material and to have seen a truly legendary performer play, yet wholly unsatisfied in thinking I took part in a warm-up of better or future shows to come. Fortunately, for those in attendance, who made it known via roaring approval, two encores featuring “Leather”, “A Multitude of Shades” and “Siren” gave the crowd their happy ending, their palates satiated by a deep treasure trove of songs by their adored Tori Amos.

* Photos taken in Chicago, IL on August 31, 2005

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