10:11 p.m. - 2005-04-20
\"Caught a Ride with the Moon...\"
So I went to see Tori Amos in Dallas on Sunday night with GEB (of course). It was okay, but the other three times I saw her were better. Actually, the most fun I had at the concert was people watching.
Most musicians have a fan base from a particular segment of society. When you go to a concert, you might see some diversity, but for the most part, the people are pretty much from the same age group, dressed somewhat alike, etc.
Not so with Miss Tori. Her fans run the gamut from gay and lesbian teenagers to thirty-and-fortysomething chicks, from goth to grunge, from glam to garage sale. We saw:
~A gay teenage boy who needed to learn about the proper application of hair products (it looked like someone spooged in his hair)
~Two girls dressed to the nines in goth-looking cocktail gowns, fishnets, and spike heels�and their boyfriends, one of whom had the "Robert Smith from the Cure" fashion look, and the other wearing jeans and a t-shirt and walking as far away from the other three as possible
~The most awful pink ruffly tank top thing, showcasing nasty tattoos
~An older gay couple in jeans and polo shirts, one of whom got really drunk and showed off his interpretive dance skills
~A bunch of chicks my age with their GEB's
~A bunch of chicks of all ages who dragged their significant others
Being that this concert was in Dallas, didn't start till 8, and that we had to drive back for work and/or class (GEB is in law school), we were in a hurry to leave once it was over. I will say that, during her encores, they let us get close to the stage, and that was cool�except for the fact that we were behind the interpretive dancing guy.
We hope to beat the crowd out of the parking lot (by this time, it was after 11)�well, we didn't. The line was going nowhere, and two people were trying to make a Camaro sandwich by backing simultaneously into my car. I decided to just pull up and not let them out. Well, I got a flip-off through the sunroof (WE WERE NOT MOVING, I MIGHT ADD), and then they started with the name-calling (yes, Andria, they busted out the "hoar" word). As things ended up, they pulled forward and went in a faster-moving line. Of course, they couldn't just be happy�they continued with the name-calling. I pretty much ignored them�I mean, what did they want? I paid my karmic debt for not letting them out. No need to gloat, asshats.
It was 3:15 a.m. before I got home. Then I couldn't sleep. I'm too old for that shit.
The concert did get me thinking, though. Tori Amos has some provocative lyrics�for example:
So you can make me come
That doesn't make you Jesus
~"Precious Things"
I think the good book is missing some pages...
Getting off
Getting off
While they're all downstairs
Singing prayers
Sing away...
Lay your book on my chest
Feel the word feel the word feel the word...
~"Icicle"
You think I'm a queer
Well I think you're a queer
~"Blood Roses"
Original sin?
I don't think so
~"Original Sinsuality"
kicked off my shoes
shut reason out
he said "first let's just
unzip your religion
down"
~"Crazy"
What always surprises me at concerts are the reactions of the crowd to these lyrics. I can understand a certain amount of cheering when you hear your favorite passage or favorite song. But this? This was kind of disturbing in a way. For example, at the "queer" line, all the gay people went nuts. At "I think the good book is missing some pages," everyone went nuts.
I don't know why I find this so bothersome. I guess it just seems rather voyeuristic. People are picking things out of context and adopting them, without the faintest idea of what the real meaning of the songs are. For example, "Blood Roses" is really about a killer...the last line of the song is "sometimes, you're nothing but meat." But it's like she said the magic "power" word and everyone has to stand up and demonstrate.
I think that's why this concert wasn't as enjoyable for me. For the first time, the audience was not appreciating the integration of artist and art. They knew all of the brand-new songs, but not the old ones. Tori has the reputation of being out of the mainstream, very much a pioneer, and her position on things like religion is very well known. But there is much more to her music than just pure provocation...and these morons don't get it. Word has been passed along among the "rebellious" that she's their icon, and so they're just following blindly along.
She did a few cover songs. One of them was Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus." The other was a song from the musical Godspell called "By My Side." I would be willing to bet that I was one of the few people in the audience who recognized the second song. (GEB didn't, either...which surprised me.) Probably not one of them appreciated the irony in those song choices.
It seems like I have more to say on this subject, but somehow, my thoughts are not coalescing tonight.
Since everyone else seems to be doing this, I'll close by asking for questions from the audience. Ask me a question. Any question. I may not answer, but you can ask....hehehe. What's in it for you, you ask? Linkage! And of course, my brilliant responses.
Bring it on.
