Until I experienced the magic of (finally) seeing Stevie Nicks (on my second attempt) live, I'd always opted to watch (and hear) live musical performances from the comfort of my home's TV screen, preferably in my jammies, with an unobstructed view and my own drink and snacks, without an inebriated fellow concertgoer screaming song lyrics in my ear and invading my personal space.
In short, there are only a handful of musical artists that I'll go out of my way to see live. Tori Amos, at whose altar I've bowed since the awkward age of 10, is unquestionably one of them. By some fluke, or unexpected stroke of luck, I scored a reasonably-priced sixth-row center seat at North Carolina's DPAC for last fall's Native Invader tour when they went on sale in July, subsequently adding an affordable round-trip flight and an overnight stay at a hotel near the airport. All my plans easily aligned, giving me something to look forward to between the end of summer and the holidays.
As the tour wound its way through Europe and into North America, I followed its progress courtesy of an online Tori fan board with setlists and show reviews from each venue. It was through this that I discovered that Tori, depending on her availability, conducts free meet-and-greets before or after soundcheck, offering each lined-up devoted fan a precious moment with the goddess, to snap a selfie, share a personal story, get an autograph, or sob on her shoulder. (Her music is just that powerful.) I doubted I'd be able to participate since I was flying in from NY and arriving within hours of the show (and doubted I could squeak out anything more than "thank you" or "I love you"), likely too late to be one of the lucky hundred or so meeters, but I was amazed by her kindness and generosity to fans. (I mean, who else does that?!).
Finally, my turn to see Tori (on stage, at least) arrived on Nov. 11, 2017. My day started early, waking up to my alarm at 4:30 AM and leaving for the airport - earlier than planned - with my bags at 5:15 (probably a personal record) for an 8:00 AM flight to Charlotte, followed by a quickie flight to Raleigh-Durham at 1:00 PM. I'd learned online the day before that Tori had cancelled her planned meet-and-greet because NC unfortunately shared NY's chilly 40-degree weather, which she considered too cold for queued-up fans standing outside the venue for several hours (her fans might have disagreed).
Not attempting the M&G removed a considerable amount of the hustle from my bustle. I took a courtesy shuttle from the airport, arrived at the hotel at 2:45, and relaxed rather than rushing to the venue. I was too amped to sleep, so I visited the fitness room, showered, dressed for a night on the town, ate an airport wrap, and requested Uber, which arrived (literally) two minutes later and dropped me off at 7:00 PM sharp, giving me sufficient time to pass through security, buy a bottle of water (no sloshing lidless cup!), find my amazing seat, and scour social media for show updates.
The show started promptly (surprisingly) right at 8 with opening act Scars on 45, a three-member indie-folk-pop band with one male and one female vocalist, both on acoustic guitars, and a male keyboardist. They were pleasant - performing catchy radio-friendly songs - but not extraordinary. (And not Tori, but, really, who is?) They thanked Tori's fans for showing them love, and acknowledged that they knew we were "desperate" to see her following their set. (Yes!)
The anticipation - glorious anticipation that I almost didn't want to end - finally eased at 9:15 when Tori emerged to banshee wails and sat down between her Bosendorfer and keyboard (which she plays alternately and occasionally simultaneously). In my ecstasy, I unintentionally broke protocol, attempting to snap a smartphone photo of Tori and being politely (this is NC after all, where security officers apologize for the inconvenience of searching your bag) but firmly asked to cease and desist (which I did...immediately). I popped my phone in my bag and lost myself in the music, as I had since discovering it 25 years earlier, never imagining in all those angst-filled tween and teen years that I'd ever be there live, so close to the stage, as she performed those vulnerable, soul-piercing songs that became the soundtrack of my life.
She kicked off with a trippy "iieee" and moved on to "Crucify," "Baker, Baker," "Reindeer King," "Little Amsterdam," covers of "Personal Jesus" (dedicated to her grandmother who, she suggested, "needed Jesus") and "Landslide" (!), and encored with "Cloud Riders," "Cornflake Girl" (arguably her best-known and most popular song), and a ravey "Raspberry Swirl" that had almost everyone dancing. Basically an overview of her entire musical history from beginning to present (though only two from her newest Native Invader album), all packed into one magical 90-minute set (which changes every show based on meet-and-greet fan requests and her mood, apparently; again, who else does that?!) She has more than earned her crazed cult following. She was passionate, theatrical, and enchanting. For me, at least, she gets better with age, each album crafted as a gift to the universe.
There are many days in my life that I can't wait to end, and only a precious few nights that I want to last forever. This was one of them.
Thank you, Tori. I love you.
