Artist satisfied audience, Amos crosses boundaries

Libby Hill

Libby Hill

I’ll admit straight away that I was pretty nervous about attending my first Tori Amos concert. I’d heard enough about her concerts being overflowing with crazed little girls in fairy wings to be more than a little wary about what I was in for.

But what I saw upon arriving was more than a little surprising. As I entered Sioux City’s fabulous Orpheum Theatre, I was greeted by a lobby full of the most diverse people I’d ever seen at a concert. There were large groups of women, as would be expected, but also “Goths” and “punks,” lots of alternative couples and other stereotypical groups, but there were also middle-aged couples and parents with their young children.

People I never would have imagined having an interest in Tori Amos were there. It was incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it at a concert, and I doubt I ever will.

After the fun-yet-laid-back stylings of opening act Rhett Miller (frontman of the Old 97s) I was excited to get to the crux of the concert.

Of course, there was the obligatory wait between acts during which they began to pump some sort of noxious fumes at us (to add to the atmosphere, I can only imagine). Finally though, my waiting paid off and Tori Amos began to sing.

And sing she did. Though disappointingly only taking a short time to address the audience, Amos is the type of performer who communicates with her audience as she sings through her body language, eye contact and act of singing itself. Amos commanded the stage playing at four different keyboards throughout the concert, occasionally playing two at the same time. She played a variety of songs, including some not featured on any of her 8 albums.

I have some friends who I’m sure would have wanted more from this concert, but these same people, also feel as though their loyalty, or in some cases, mere interest in her entitles them to something more than an impressive concert by an incredibly talented artist.

Which is exactly what they got.