you for a while

All reviews in this series are written by Kelli.

Dallas, TX

Featured Doll: Santa
Rating: 4 “Sweet the Sting” wigs outta 5

Santa in a Cowboys Guernsey. Ok, well yeah, it’s hot. Santa does Sugar, Secret Spell, Cocaine and Swirl. And at times like these, you thank the good lord that Tori decided to bring the band on tour again. Because, Sweet the Sting with the band is all kinds of hot! Seriously. I love this song! You can’t go wrong with a song about two pianos getting it on! Tori is talkative in this one, with a lot of energy, and we get some Father Lucifer, some Tear in Your Hand, some Lust, some liquid diamonds, some Jackie, and an improv. about ‘remembering 44 years ago maybe your mothers were there and a bird that got a wing caught and something about a stop sign’ – of course, Tori is talking about the assassination of JFK in 1963. Beulah Land? It’s yummy. Not just because Tori mentions licorice. Horses with the band. Some Digital Ghost…

Houston, TX

Featured Doll: Clyde
Rating: 4 out of 5 wigs

Clyde does some Maraaaaay. Clyde is pretty solid with her sets, she doesn’t really do anything way-out-there. Some kick ass Space Dog. Sorry, but it’s just like cake. It tastes good no matter where and how you have it! Andromeda intro ensues. Ok, so there is a nine-minute version of Doughnut Song, like always. Does anything spectacular happen? Not really, it is just a pretty song with a pretty little jam.

Apparently one of Tori’s best friends from high school was in the audience, so we get a concentrated show. Glory of the ‘80s, meh. Unless you are gagging mad for this song on a boot, then meh. Ok, so this is the first of the Rolene improvs. Who is Rolene? She is a Native American lady with some special tobaccy and tea, which Tori needs. She returns throughout the L&Bs.

But the real star of this improv. about Tori ‘burning until then,’ is that we learn that she’s been breaking down but she can hold on still because she can keep on playing. Fascinating. A lovely Cloud on my Tongue as usual, and a surprise Peeping Tommi. Ok, so some Black Dove love and some Virginia. And, and, wait for it – Not David Bowie! The only Not David Bowie available, it’s a bit shaky, but dude, it rocks!

Boise, ID

Featured Doll: Clyde
Rating: 3.6 wigs out of 5

Standard Clyde setlist again, I’m afraid. Some LE, some BOC, some Maraaaay, some Upside Down, some BOS. Unless you just have to have Not The Red Baron on good quality and on a different CD to the Manchester Original Boots, or Black Swan, it’s not worth getting just for that unless you love these songs to death. However, the quality on the Manchester boot is a bit dodgy for me– the eq. is too trebley, and the crowd is too loud. What is great about these L&B’s is that you hardly get any audience noise at all, and they’ve been properly remixed again by the awesome ‘team Martian’ – obviously they’ve worked out the kinks either in the concert halls or in the recording, because the quality is superb compared to the Original Bootlegs. And Not The Red Baron recording holds the fragility of the BFP version, it is just spectacular. It is a pity that you can’t download individual songs.

Anyway, funnies! Tori tries Northern Lad but can’t do it – she launches into a ‘spud day not a stud day’ improv! And a lovely Putting the Damage On… *sigh* Rolene makes a reprise in the improv… Rolene must meet Tori in Phoenix… will she do it? Tea Mysteries. And fun! Tori does Concertina as an encore! I luff variations to the mind numbingly predictable encores! 3.6 wigs.

Phoenix, AZ

Featured Doll: Clyde
Rating: 3.9 out of 5 wigs

So much Clyde! I’m getting fat on Clyde! Clyde has a lovely Little Amsterdam, some Upside Down. Tori pours you some Sweet Sangria (none for me thanks, I’m the designated driver), some Space Dog with the Andromeda intro, some Purple People with the band. Rolene finally gets to Phoenix. I think. And there is a loverly improv. about Rolene again. A lovely version of Northern Lad with the seething ‘it gets so fucking cold’ line. Some more Black Swan. Sprinkled with the jazzy Father Lucifer, marinated with some Code Red and sautéed in Precious Things. And then we get some Tear in Your Hand and, wait for it, yup, The Beekeeper! With an extended outro that that goes for like 2 minutes where Tori sings over and over “I have come for The Beekeeper.”

Filed under: Legs and Boots Review on January 6th, 2008