Tori Amos

Tickets for the Louisville, KY show will go on sale to the general public NEXT Friday, August 3rd at 10:00 a.m. NOT today, as previously announced.

The Tori Store is up and running (hoorah!) but the VIP Tickets are not available yet (booo!). There will be mass emailing with plenty of advance notice as to when they will be available again. So my advice is to go to The Tori Store website and follow the instructions for

Email Newsletter Sign Up.

This will create your account, if you don’t already have one, so that you will receive the email when the VIP Tickets are available, AND it will ease the check-out process, as you will already be established in the system.

There is also a FAQ Section about the VIP Tickets, detailing the differences between the Gold and Platinum tickets, where and when to arrive…

1. What do I get with my Platinum VIP Ticket Package?
2. What do I get with my Gold VIP Ticket Package?
3. I don’t see my date for sale. When will the rest of the shows go on-sale?
4. When will I receive my ticket for the show?
5. When should I plan to arrive at the venue?
6. Will I meet Tori?
7. How long are VIP Ticket Packages available to purchase?
8. How do I get added to your mailing list?
9. None of these answered my questions. How do I get into touch with you?

My understanding is that NOT every show on this leg of her tour will allow VIP Tickets, for one bureaucratic reason or another. So if your city isn’t listed as having VIP Tickets yet, keep checking back. But if the tickets are on sale for the show in your city and there are no VIP Tickets listed with The Tori Store, looks like you’re outta luck. Unless you want to travel to the next closest city, which for me would mean going to Atlanta, which would mean 10+ hours in the car each way, so let’s all hold hands and say “Ommm” in the hopes that VIP Tickets will be available for the FL show.

Tori Amos, U.S. Tour, American Doll Posse Tour, Louisville, KY, Sale Date Change, VIP Tickets update, FAQ

An important VIP ticket message from the folks at The Tori Store, that comes via undented.com:

Hello patient Tori Store customers,

As many of you are well aware, we had many problems with our VIP Ticket sale. First off, sincere apologies for this. We knew the demand was going to be amazing and were told the technology we had in place would be able to handle this. Unfortunately not.

Having said that, there are a lot of orders that were successfully placed and those people have been emailed and notified.

We would like to point out that before our server crashed we did sell out of VIP Packages for the following…

Syracuse Platinum
Philadelphia Gold
Philadelphia Platinum
Boston Gold
Boston Platinum
DC Gold
DC Platinum
Pittsburgh Platinum

Additional packages are still available for:
Albany Gold
Albany Platinum
Syracuse Gold
Buffalo Gold
Buffalo Platinum
Pittsburgh Gold
and will be back on sale shortly. As well as packages for over 20 more dates.

Please note we were able to capture the check-out queue successfully and responded to those who were in line before tickets sold out. If we have not individually responded to you then it means your attempt was not successful regardless of whether you had tickets in your shopping cart or not. Please remember this is a very limited supply offer.

We will be continuing with the VIP Ticket sales but orders will not be fulfilled directly through our servers. We will be sure to send out emails announcing new and additional on-sale dates and where you need to go to purchase. All this information will also be available on the front page of The Tori Store as soon as it is available.

Once again, apologies for all the confusion and frustration. As regular customers know this is not a usual occurrence. We did everything we could to rectify the situation in real time but after a while we had no choice but to take the site down. The Tori Store will be back up and running Thursday morning, excluding any VIP Ticket Packages.

Thanks for your patience,
The Tori Store

So if you were one of the people who had the tickets in their cart, check all 12 of your email addresses to see if The Tori Store has accounted for yours or not.

One more thing: The VIP Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.
What does that mean?
If someone else purchases tickets for you (qualifying for a non-transferable clause): As is always the case online, when you purchase with a credit card you are required to include both a billing address and a shipping address. If someone else — your mom, brother, roommate, summer school teacher, pit bull, whoever —purchases VIP tickets for you and puts them on their credit card, as long as they use the address that is on your personal ID/Driver’s License as the SHIPPING ADDRESS, you will be able to get your tickets. In other words, as long as the billing address or shipping address — one or the other — is the one on your personal ID, you’re good to go.

The Tori Store is still not online yet, but keep checking!!!

Patience truly is a virtue.

Tori Amos, U.S. Tour, VIP Tickets, Tori Store, Update

Okay, so here’s the real deal:
The pre-sale tickets for cities previously listed, but I’ll list them again because I’m so nice:
Albany, NYC, Syracuse, Philadelphia, Boston, Buffalo, Washington DC, Detroit, and Louisville, are ON SALE NOW!!!!

You must go to the Ticket Master website (open that link in a new window) AND you must have your password from when you pre-ordered American Doll Posse from iTunes.

What if I didn’t pre-order American Doll Posse from iTunes?
You will not be able to order the pre-sale tickets. The tickets are being sold through Ticket Master, but you need to have the password from your pre-order purchase of the album through iTunes, NOT your TicketMaster account password.

What about the VIP Tickets? Can I still buy those if I didn’t pre-order American Doll Posse from iTunes?
Yes and no.
Yes, you must go to The Tori Store to order the VIP tickets. Only certain cities have VIP tickets available. However, due to the fact that the new site launched only days ago, there has been a breakdown within the site and the message reads as follows:

Due to the overwhelming response from fans for the VIP Ticket Packages, we have experienced unforeseen extreme technical difficulties and have had to temporarily take down The Tori Store in order to fix these problems. We apologize for all the frustration that this can caused. We are working very hard to resolve the problems as soon as possible. VIP Tickets will go back on sale. We will let everyone know via email when that will be so you can all plan accordingly. Please bear with us.

Thank you,
The Tori Store

So the best advice I can give is to make sure that you have an account set up with the new Tori Amos website so you will receive an email alert when the VIP tickets will be on sale again. VIP Tickets are ONLY FOR SALE through the Tori Store, so don’t check Ticket Master for those.

Confused yet?

Email or comment with any questions and I will do my level best to answer them.

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse Tour, North American Tour, U.S. Tour, VIP Tickets, Update, Pre-Sale Tickets, iTunes, Ticket Master

Pre-sale info has been added for NY, Detroit, and Toronto.

Please note that the regular on-sale dates will be the Friday immediately following the pre-sale date.

10/11 Madison Square Garden, NYC
iTunes pre-sale begins Wednesday, July 25th, 10am Eastern

10/12 Madison Square Garden, NYC
iTunes pre-sale begins Wednesday, July 25th, 10am Eastern

10/23 Toronto, CANADA
Circle Of Friends pre-sale begins Thursday, July 26th, 10am Eastern
**you need to be a member of Hummingbird Centre’s Circle Of Friends to participate in this pre-sale

10/28 Detroit, MI
iTunes pre-sale begins Wednesday, July 25th, 10am Eastern

There have been some disgruntled Tori fans with regard to the iTunes exclusive pre-sales. (Hell hath no fury like a Tori Amos fan scorned…isn’t that the saying?)

The deal is this: if you pre-ordered American Doll Posse through the iTunes Store, you received a log in ID and password. The log in and password given to you for the album pre-sale will be the same for the concert tickets pre-sale, which will begin July 25th at 10am. You will receive another email from iTunes when more shows become available for this promotion.

As I mentioned in a previous post, the shows with pre-sales so far are the following:
Albany, NYC, Syracuse, Philadelphia, Boston, Buffalo, Washington DC, Detroit, and Louisville.

But it is my understanding that you should still be able to purchase pre-sale tickets through the TicketMaster website, as it states the pre-sale dates and times. I can’t seem to find any confirmation or denial of this. Anyone with any information leading to the resolution of this hot topic will be rewarded with… the knowledge that he or she helped resolve the issue… or …something…

Tori Amos, Updated Pre-Sale Ticket Information, American Doll Posse Tour, North American Dates, U.S. Tour

The following shows will have a pre-sale date of this Wednesday (yes, that’s tomorrow!) at 10:00 a.m. The link will take you to the TicketMaster site with more info:

Albany, Syracuse, Upper Darby, Boston, Buffalo, Washington D.C., and Louisville.

In addition, the Madison Square Garden show is listed as going on sale on August 3rd, so the pre-sale for that show will most likely be next Wednesday.

updated tour information, Tori Amos, American Doll Posse, U.S. Tour Dates

This is almost how excited I am now…

Well, if I thought she was busy before…

The ALL-NEW Tori Amos website launched today! Check it out now at the same web address: www.toriamos.com

What’s changed?
Well, I’ll tell you. Now, you can create your own profile pages within the site, upload photos, comment on news and blog posts, review shows, rate songs and much more!

Why the change? ToriAmos.com was pretty kickin’ just the way it was…
In her own words:

“So many of the letters I get from fans include stories of how they’ve met some of their closest friends at one of my shows. I love that they’ve created this network. It inspired the idea of creating an online place outside of the tour where my fans could get to know each other and hang out and once in a while I can pop in and say hello. This seemed like a fun way to do both.” — Tori Amos

Wow, that’s awesome!
But wait! There’s more!!!

Tori announced her North American Tour today! Kicking off in Albany, NY on October 9th and finishing in Los Angeles, CA on December 17th, Tori and the band will be playing close to 50 dates in the US. Here are initial dates with more to be announced shortly:

10/9 Albany, NY Palace Theatre
10/11 New York, NY Theatre at Madison Square Garden
10/12 New York, NY Theatre at Madison Square Garden
10/13 Syracuse, NY Landmark Theatre
10/15 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre
10/18 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
10/21 Montreal, Canada Place des Arts
10/23 Toronto, Canada Hummingbird Centre
10/24 Buffalo, NY Shea¹s Performing Arts Center
10/26 Washington, DC DAR Constitution Hall
10/27 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre
10/28 Louisville, KY Palace Theatre
10/30 Pittsburgh, PA Benedum Centre
11/1 Cleveland, OH
11/2 Indianapolis, IN
11/3 Milwaukee, WI
11/5 Chicago, IL
11/7 Minneapolis, MN
11/9 Lawrence, KS
11/10 Omaha, NE
11/12 Nashville, TN
11/13 Charlotte, NC
11/14 Atlanta, GA
11/21 West Palm Beach, FL
11/24 Dallas, TX
11/25 Houston, TX
11/26 Austin, TX
11/28 Denver, CO
11/29 Salt Lake City, UT
12/3 Vancouver, CAN
12/4 Portland, OR
12/5 Seattle, WA
12/7 San Francisco, CA
12/17 Los Angeles, CA

As I mentioned before, the presale will be exclusively through iTunes, so check iTunes or the new Tori Amos website for more details. However, keep in mind that as of today, the shows with presales will be: Albany, NYC, Syracuse, Philadelphia, Boston, Buffalo, Washington DC, Detroit, and Louisville.

Wow…even cooler! Thanks!!!
But wait, there’s even MORE!
More??
Yup.

The Tori Store is pleased to announce the availability of VIP Ticket Packages for select dates on Tori’s upcoming US fall tour. VIP ticket packages? Of course–> Very Important Posse tickets. In an endeavor to provide fans with guaranteed preferred seating, VIP treatment, and backstage access to Tori, a limited amount of these VIP Ticket Packages will be available for select dates on this fall’s American Doll Posse World Tour.

Fans will have the opportunity to purchase either gold or platinum status VIP ticket packages.

Platinum packages include:
- A reserved ticket in the first 10 rows of the venue
- Special viewing of a portion of Tori’s sound check
- A Meet and Greet with Tori before the show
- An exclusive Tori gift bag
- Crowd free merchandise shopping

Gold packages include:
- A reserved ticket in the first 20 rows of the venue
- Special viewing of a portion of Tori’s sound check
- An exclusive Tori gift bag
- Crowd free merchandise shopping

Visit The Tori Store for more information and details about when VIP ticket packages go on sale.

Holy crap! That’s almost too much delicious, Tori goodness to handle in one sitting!
I know, just remember to take deep breaths and concentrate on one thing at a time. Got it?

Tori Amos, U.S. Tour, North American Tour, Fall 2007, Tour Dates, American Doll Posse, New Tori Amos website, VIP Tickets

I’m almost as excited as these guys…almost.

Finally! Some information from TicketMaster with regard to Tori Amos’ 2007 U.S. American Doll Posse Tour!!!!!! Of course, it has been said that it is not unusual for tickets to “disappear” from TicketMaster, this feels pretty solid…

Tori Amos Ticket Information

Monday 10/15/07 08:00 PM Tower Theatre Upper Darby, PA
presale begins: Wed, 07/25/07 10:00 AM
On-Sale to Public–> Friday, 7/27

Sunday 10/28/07 08:00 PM Louisville Palace Louisville, KY
presale begins: Wed, 07/25/07 10:00 AM
On-Sale to Public–> Friday, 7/27

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse, U.S. Tour Dates, Ticket Master, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Confirmed

Saturday morning, I woke up with “Girl Disappearing” playing inside my head. Sunday, it was “Digital Ghost” and this cloudy Monday morning finds “Beauty of Speed” going round and round.

It’s not as harrowing as it seems. This is the normal course a Tori Amos album takes for me. First, I listen to it a few times to become familiar with the songs, next I analyze most or all of the songs by reading the lyrics as I listen to the songs, then I set them free to do what they will. Typically, I wake up with one or two songs stuck in my head sporadically and/or some of the songs attach themselves to past or present relationships or epiphanies in my life.

This is the first time that three different songs have echoed in my head on three consecutive days. What I’ve determined from this so far is that “Girl Disappearing” most likely has her roots in the Mary Magdalene story, of which Tori is so fond. There was recently another special on public television about who Magdalene really was and why she all but disappeared from our stories and knowledge. This may have prompted the connection.

“Digital Ghost” and “Beauty of Speed” are two of the songs that speak to me of the special relationship I mentioned in Reconciling the Feminine. Invariably, there will be at least one (usually more) song from the Tori Amos albums subsequent to our fall, that connects she and I. Reminds us that what we had was real and is still alive, however small a part it may play in our current lives. This is reassuring and also a little sad.

“Bouncing Off Clouds” and to some extent, “Roosterspur Bridge” also serve as this pipeline of sorts… the next time I talk to her, I’m sure I’ll find that she agrees.

Tori Amos, Beauty of Speed, Bouncing Off Clouds, Digital Ghost, Girl Disappearing, Roosterspur Bridge, American Doll Posse

This info comes via Tori Amos.com, which was actually taken from various posts on undented.com, found here and here and here.

Unconfirmed (but likely) U.S. Tour dates:

Oct. 11 and 12 New York City - WaMu Theater (Possibly Onsale July 27th at 10:00 am)
Oct. 15th Philadelphia,PA Tower Theatre (Possibly Onsale July 27th at 10:00 am)
Oct. 26 Louisville, Kentucky Palace Theater
Oct. 30 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Benedum Center
Nov. 2 Live Indianapolis, Indiana Murat Theatre
Oct. 26 Louisville, Kentucky Palace Theater
Dec. 7 & 8 Oakland, CA Paramount Theater

I’m assuming (read: hoping) that this is not a complete list, there will be more stops in the U.S. (*ahem* Miami) but as the info (rumors) trickles down, I’ll keep posting what I hear/see/read, even if it feels a little like the he-said, she-said stuff from junior high.

Tori Amos, U.S. Tour, American Doll Posse, Update

Busy Little Bee

Tori Amos will never be criticized for being lazy. She is all over the place with this new album: television appearances and performances, both morning and late night; interviews with reporters in essentially every town she visits on tour; magazine interviews; choosing a winner for her contest; performing at AOL Music Live… it’s exhausting just to keep up with all she’s got going on, I can’t imagine actually doing all these things.

And yet, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve heard her music on the radio. (All 3 of which were years ago when I lived in Michigan) Or heard a DJ mention her songs or even just her name. I don’t watch MTV or VH1 anymore, but I can’t assume that she’s all over those channels either. This is the brilliance of Tori Amos. She doesn’t need (or want) the mainstream “support system,” because she understands that the mainstream is what kills an artist. Sure, for some it’s a springboard, perhaps even a necessary evil, but in the end the artist needs to know that what she or he doing is greater than their ’self.’ The artist needs to know their own voice and what it’s saying. As she points out in this July issue of American Songwriter “…as a songwriter, greatness is not measured by how many eaters of fast food there are, there’s more fast food eaters and beer drinkers than there are of good wine. So you have to know, am I making good wine, or am I making Pabst for the planet?”

Three cheers to Tori for making wine. Lord knows we don’t need any more Pabst.

Tori Amos is featured in two other recent articles: the July issue of American Way and the August issue of Harp.

Nils van der Linden for IAfrica.com also recently reviewed American Doll Posse, giving it 3.5 stars out of 5. Check out the review here.

Still no updates about the American Doll Posse 2007 U.S. Tour Dates.

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse 2007 U.S. Tour Dates, Interviews, Articles, Mainstream

Of the dozens of reviews I found over the weekend, a trend seems to reveal itself:
The “critics” are only mixed to a certain degree, with the majority of them claiming American Doll Posse as Tori Amos’ best work since insert favorite album here. A lot of the reviews say that Scarlett’s Walk and The Beekeeper were “too heavy,” that Strange Little Girls was too… well… strange, and that people were losing faith in Tori’s ability to compose/perform like she used to. The main complaints about this album have been stated as having “too much conceptual malarkey” from Rolling Stone , and this from a lengthy review on Pop Matters (American Doll Posse) is a little bit too bogged down with its sometimes preachy, non-descript politics and too many of the usual suspects in the mix.

This came as a surprise to me (although not completely), which is why I enjoyed researching what people are saying about this album. I have never really paid attention to the critics in any arena. Film, books and music are highly personal and although a mention of something coming out may draw my attention, I certainly don’t let what someone else thinks sway my decision to see/read/listen to anything. So to read all these people saying they thought Tori was slipping, that motherhood may have been taking too much out of her, etc, etc was a wake up call, of sorts.

Most likely because I have a sort of blind faith in what Tori does. I may not understand it, or even necessarily enjoy every note of every song on every album, but she resonates such integrity that I at least respect her journey; as well her willingness to share her journey with the rest of the world, as I’ve mentioned before. And so, I normally buy her albums in spite of whatever the critics or users are saying.

The other trend that emerged was the user reviews were almost all between 8-10 on a 10-point scale. The actual people out there who are listening to this album are totally satisfied and even excited about the 9th studio album from Tori Amos. One user from this website put it quite well:

At first listen, its good. Second, its too heady, you sense she’s tried to hard. Third time, you still sense its worthiness. Fourth, you get it. Fifth listen and then on its a guilty pleasure and you’re hooked.

Metacritic’s website also has a handy break-down of what the main critics are rating this album.

Spin Magazine says “No longer just singing to the converted, this consummate cult icon now sounds committed to taking on the world.”

Whatever the case, people are talking about this album. They are talking about the album AND the tour, which is proving to be a fantastic display of Tori’s talent and creativity. I can’t wait until her U.S. Tour dates are posted, and I can only hope that she come further south than West Palm Beach this time…

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse, Review, Spin, Rolling Stone, Metacritic, Critics, User Reviews

Isabel, the last of the dolls, is stated to be a documenter, a lens, a developer of vision, a presenter of perceptions. Another thing I admire about Tori Amos is that she is ever searching for the vision, her vision, the next vision, seeking completion, balance, understanding… not vainly, or only to know things for the sake of knowing them, but she seeks with integrity. I think it’s a human trait to seek for answers, seek for truth of some kind, understanding of any kind.

I know I seem to be seeking in a similar fashion. As I get older, I realize that the “answers” are sometimes elusive, because the questions I have are temporary. This has allowed me to be gentle with myself, ask the questions as they arise, but not become discouraged if the answers don’t come at the break-neck pace I so often crave.

Isabel’s songs are more political than the others:

Yo George, calling out George W. directly and also asking America, “Where have we gone wrong?”

Mr. Bad Man: could also be about the president… (ha) more likely about an abusive relationship; a sweet little ditty about a bad man.

Devils and Gods: another short song about personal responsibility. I really love the feel of this song; I wish she had made it longer

Almost Rosey: a beautifully composed song about … well, about a lot of things, actually. Mainly about keeping your chin up, looking on the bright side, etc, but also a little bit of darkness in there… or a retrospective, of sorts. She keeps the cryptic lyrics that she’s so adept at weaving throughout…

Dark Side of the Sun: speaks of the war, I believe… the soldiers who “lay down their lives” but also the ways we have “soldier on” in our own lives, whether we’re military or civilian.

Isabel has her own blog, found here.

This was an interesting little side trip, going through all the dolls with such attention to detail.
I hope everyone walks away with something new; I certainly did.

I’ll be posting some reviews of the album over the weekend, maybe some more video clips and then starting next week, I plan to get through some of “Piece By Piece,” so if you have the book and you want to freshen up to be a part of the dialogue, that would be magical…

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse, Isabel, songs

I told myself I wouldn’t save Pip for last. She makes me the uneasiest so far… but also the most relieved. So I guess that’s (one of) Tori’s point through all this. Discomfort is a small price to pay for liberation.

Pip is described as dark energy; and dark energy can be found in everything from “religious extremists to cheerleaders.” I totally grant that; and I’m a Scorpio, so I have a dark side built in…but mine is more of a mysterious-ness (if that’s even a word), rather than a literal dark, evil side. Then I suppose if I’m really honest…reeeeally honest…I suppose we all have something dark and evil way down, deep inside. And the societies we live in actively repress it. And that’s “for the best” because we need a sense of right and wrong, baselines to live by kind of a thing.

But then I think what happens is we forget that it is acceptable, even necessary, to let some of that out somehow. There has to be some kind of an outlet. For women (for me) the outlet is (was) typically sexual. What better to pair with inappropriate darkness than with inappropriate feminine sexuality? But that only goes so far…there is a point where it’s not effective anymore, and/or it’s a delicate balance to begin with. One must take great care not to lose one’s self in the process…

Pip’s songs speak about this, especially Teenage Hustling and of course, Fat Slut: “Don’t you dare, I said, judge me… I’m sick-a hearin’ it”
Her other songs: Body and Soul, Velvet Revolution and Smokey Joe are of another breed of darkness. Body and Soul, and even Velvet Revolution to an extent, is the mixture of religion and sexuality that Tori is so fond of. Smokey Joe is another one that I immediately was drawn to. With the layered lyrics that Tori does so well, and that dissonant sort of haunting sound…

Here is Pip singing a G8 improv before Fat Slut at Philipshalle in Dusseldorf (June 6, 2007).
Lyrics: (tho, this clip actually begins ½ way through the second line)

G8 Fuckers
G8 can you penetrate this gluttony
from every pore
from every man
who is now whore
who whores this land
who rapes my mother
G8 you cocksuckers

I especially enjoy her message here, but the way she sings this is so incredibly potent. We should all have an ounce of that potency and the world might be a very different place…

Here is a link to Pip’s blog. It also seems to be updated with candidness, but again (disclaimer forthcoming:) I have no idea if it’s actually Tori/Pip posting the updates. The fact that all the dolls’ blogs are at different sites makes me think that it’s not actually Tori… but I’ve been wrong once before.

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse, G8, Pip, darkness

Santa is stated to be about beauty and passion. (You all know by now that I’m getting this from the 36-page color booklet in the Deluxe Edition CD, right?)
Webster Online defines beauty as: the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.

Where do you find beauty? What gives pleasure to your senses or pleasurably exalts your mind or spirit?? Where do I find mine…

- in laughter of any kind
- in the sand mixing with the suntan oils and salt water on my skin
- in asymmetry
- in black and white photography
- in the scent of jasmine at night
- in the mirror

I was shocked to find that the first entry from Webster Online defines passion as: the sufferings of Christ between the night of the Last Supper and his death. Who says the Roman Catholic Church has no influence on our day-to-day lives whether we like it or not??

For the purposes of this blog, however, I will use the 4th entry, which defines passion as: a: the emotions as distinguished from reason b: intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction.

This question of “what are you passionate about?” has been one that I’ve contemplated for years. Not in the romantic or sexual passion sense, but just in general. What is my passion? What invokes anything even remotely intense or driving??
I’m still working on it…

Santa’s songs on American Doll Posse are:

- You Can Bring Your Dog
- Secret Spell
- Body and Soul (shared with Pip)
- Programmable Soda
- Dragon

As Dragon is the last track on the album, I’m ultimately drawn to love this one as well. Without exception, the last songs featured on her albums are traditionally the most powerful and enchanting to me. Gold Dust from Scarlett’s Walk; Toast from The Beekeeper; Yes, Anastasia from Under the Pink.

Here is a video of the PS22 Chorus in New York singing Dragon for Tori! It’s really an amazing video. It’s actually part of a series that you can check out by using that link.

Santa has her own blog, as do all the girls, so check it out here. It appears to be updated pretty regularly, but again, I can’t verify if it’s actually being written by Santa (Tori), and I can’t really imagine that she would have the time to keep up with all the blogs… it’s a mystery… but then, what else did I expect from Tori Amos?

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse, Santa, PS22 Chorus, Passion, Beauty

Tori is the second “doll” that I will be discussing. She may have seemed an obvious first choice, but then that’s probably why I didn’t choose her first. Then when I really think about it… yes, she may have been an obvious one, but certainly not an easy one to write about.

What does Tori mean to me?
I could think of something new each day to respond to that question, but I’ll give it a go from my ‘right now’ place and see where it takes me.
She is familiar and comfortable on a level that rivals even some people in my “real life,” people whom I actually know and see and talk to. She is a haven, she is a respite, she is always there.
Doesn’t seem odd to speak this way about someone I’ve never met?
Another thing I adore about Tori: she is always so real. She grows and changes, but it is never forced. She doesn’t seek the next big thing or shove a new image on to the world (think Madonna), yet she is never the same for having been where she’s been and having done what she’s done; and she shares almost every moment of it with us! I admire that… I’ve never been good at sharing.

Tori also makes me uncomfortable on some level. Strange Little Girls made me so uncomfortable that I didn’t actually buy it until recently…
What is that? Here’s my theory:
I think she pushes herself to discover, experience, create… and she’s felt/seen/experienced the benefits of doing so, that she feels compelled on some level to ask the same of her audience. Push yourself. Just a little at first… but once you start to push yourself, you expand your comfort zone and then you have to push a little more. “So it ends. So it begins…”

Tori’s songs on this album are:
Big Wheel
Digital Ghost
Father’s Son
Code Red
Posse Bonus

Again, from the Deluxe Edition booklet, Tori is stated as being a perceptive channel, creating music from the “multiverse” (vs. the universe; many vs. one) and of being a co-creator, instead of selfishly creating for her own pleasure…

“Tori’s” songs on this album are so classically Tori, one could never mistake them for another of the dolls’. Big Wheel touches on a lot of the themes she’s so fascinated with, “get off the cross, we need the wood,” I’d have to do some research, but I’d be willing to bet that Jesus has made an appearance on each of her albums. Digital Ghost is a fantastic and beautiful example of how Tori uses the duality of meaning to express a deep sentiment about this technological age meshing with the ever-human emotional ‘nets’… “Switch you on my friend, pull you from that rip current…” Father’s Son is quintessential Tori: God, her father, sacraments.

So far, Clyde + Tori = my favorites of the album. But that’s another thing about Tori Amos’ albums… as I go through my own transformations, her songs speak to me differently. So what is now my favorite may not be in a few months time. But I trust that she will have something to speak to me differently when I need it… she always does.

All the dolls have their own blogs and Tori’s is listed as her MySpace page, though I cannot verify if she is actually the one updating it…

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse, Dolls, Tori, songs