you for a while

All reviews for this series are written by Kelli.

Syracuse, NY

Featured Doll: Clyde
Rating: 4 out of 5 Wigs

So, first up is Syracuse, NY. Was it that long ago that I was checking the site every hour to see if it was ready for download? Seems so. Syracuse was opened up by Clyde, aka, emoTori. Clyde does Little Earthquakes with a kick ass ‘can I reach you’ bridge. Beauty of Speed and the rare Roosterspur Bridge are awesome. Parasol/Spark is cool, as is the first improv. – Spank that Ass. While Tori was getting dressed, some guy came into her changeroom and the ditty just writes itself really. It’s funny and cute and I’ve even found myself singing it.

Next up is Northern Lad. If you are a fan of this song, buy this boot. It’s a great version, with lots of emotion. Tori is practically seething. The improv., the proper improv. before Yes, Anastasia, is brilliant. It’s about a child crying while watching their mother cry while their father is away, either because he is dead, or away at war. It is profoundly touching, as is the version of Yes, Anastasia. I’m always jealous when people say they’ve seen it live. Such an epic, such glory. “We’ll see how you brave you are.” Oh, and did I mention she does Never Seen Blue? 1,000 Oceans and Taxi Ride are heart stoppers, she fucks up during Taxi Ride, but that’s ok. The encores don’t really offer much, unless you need to hear every time Tori plays Code Red/Precious Things/Tear in your hand/Hey Jupiter.

Philadelphia, PA

Featured Doll: Santa
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Wigs

Santa does Sugar and debuts Hoochie Woman in Philly. Also a rare version of Dragon (yeah, I know, she played it all the time before She’s Your Cocaine owned the song spot, but this is mp3 quality soundboard people!), one of my favourite ADP songs. Ohh… Crucify. I love it when she plays this. Reworked and extended. Joy. But I have this on WTSF, I hear you say! But do you have it on mp3 quality soundboard, with the band? Purple People into liquid diamonds? As Homer Simpson would say “groin-grabbingly transcendent!”

Improv – you say you have this poison, broken dreams and LA streets, tell me ‘how is it now?’ this sweetness you held in your hand, I will defend. Vague, obscure? Yup. Leather into Cloud on my Tongue? Well. I would buy this boot just for Cloud on my Tongue, personally, because it seriously is one of the best songs Tori has written and it sounds fab anywhere – on the road in the Australian Outback, walking down La Ramblas, Lake Gardens in Kuala Lumpur – it fits any mood, baby! Ok, and Hotel. Well, I love this song back to front and this is a groovy version. Tori sounds drunk (yup, those damn mojitios been making her crazy.) Tori does Code Red/Precious Things/Pancake/BOC/HJ.

This boot also comes with TIYH from the sound check. 3.5 out of 5 wigs.

Boston, MA (10/18/2007)

Featured Doll: Pip
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Wigs

Miss Massachusetts is in the audience, sashing it up with her sash. The Homecoming queen is in town for the football game, but the thing is, she’s also here to kick your ass with a piano, and some fine, fine, musical men! So we get Pip for Boston Night 1. With the Judy Kansas ‘Cruel’ bridge – “I’ve got to help you Judy.” She comes back in the infamous Pip Chicago show. With Teenage Hustling and The Waitress, how can you go wrong? Concertina. But I’m not even done yet. Hold on, peeps. Ok, so Putting the Damage on leads into the ass-kicking piece de resistance, Take To The Sky. Do I thrash around to this song when I am angry? Yes, I do. The improv. is totally worth the boot! Tori taking the piss out of Miss Massachusetts and some Bostonians? Hell yes. Jackie’s Strength (with a bit of a Tourette’s “you are NOT a fucking virgin” outburst) and Etienne chased up by Virginia and Hotel. Whoa. Stop. I think I’m getting a little too hot! Hoo. Also comes with Seaside from the soundcheck.

Boston, MA (10/19/2007)

Featured Doll: Clyde
Rating: 3.9 out of 5 Wigs

Little Amsterdam and Girl Disappearing. Luverly. Space Dog – wooo! Extended with the Andromeda interlude. Sugar and Bells For Her are great. If you haven’t heard the Bells’ ‘new’-which-is-the-old-intro yet, it’s worth it for that! Also, the crowd sounds like they were really, really, really drunk. Good Times! Possibly the best of the best ‘deep’ improvs. ‘You have a well – he has an ocean’ is chilling, it could be a song, intensity plus 11. The other improv. is cute. It tells a cute story about Tori crossing the border in 1992 and getting caught with a little sumpin sumpin. Merman, yeah, well, and Northern Lad again. Ohh… and God as an encore! With a remixed ‘ohh hoo’ overdub. Awesome. Well, this is a 24 song download, so how can you go wrong?

Buffalo, NY

Featured Doll: Clyde
Rating: 3 out of 5 Wigs

Ok, so Clyde time. And the debut of Upside Down with the band. Do I approve? Having heard Upside Down solo as part of T&Bo, I can confidently say that I preferred it without the band. That doesn’t mean that Clyde doesn’t rock it, just personal choice. Little Earthquakes, man, it just keeps on getting better! Tori fucks up on Big Wheel. The improv. is great. ‘Matty what did you have for dinner?’ just answers itself really, doesn’t it?

Ok, so apart from the staples, Your Cloud is hot. Dan Phelps does some great background work there. And dude… a groovy Take To The Sky into Cloud on my Tongue into Here. In my Head is just brilliant. It’s like buttah! Virginia and Concertina are good; however, unless you are a die hard fan of both, I wouldn’t buy this boot just for them. They are good performances; don’t get me wrong, the remix to Concertina is a bit heavy. But if you like that sorta thang, go for it!

Washington DC

Featured Doll: Isabel
Rating: 3.5 Wigs

Does it surprise you that Isabel has come out for the D.C. show? That’s right. If you are Isabel’s biggest fan, you need this boot. Isabel is seething throughout this set. The highlight has to be Tombigbee. ‘Roll me a carpet from here to Okalahoma; I’m a coming after you.’ So much emotion, you feel the rage and injustice of stolen and broken land. Also one of the best versions of Almost Rosey. Another excellent version of Hotel. What do I do when I’m bored? Why I play all the Hotel I have on my iTunes of course. This song is so wonderful and I’m so glad that Tori has given it some love on this tour! The improv. is niiiicee, it’s a flowing piece about ‘one house to unite us.’ What I love about Tori is that she doesn’t shy away from political issues, I love a ball breaker!

Possibly the nicest version of Spring Haze of the tour. So we have Leather and Jackie for T&Bo, and how does it taste? Well, it’s fab, a very nice version of Jackie, haunting actually. Apart from the staples, Pancake is awesome for dessert. Dig it.

Pittsburg, PA

Featured Doll: Santa
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Wigs

The night before Halloween, pumpkins. Guest starring Santa, the Steve McQueen bridge, and Tash (aka the good witch, Dana Rose, the Countess of Darkness). Full points, of course for Dragon/ She’s Your Cocaine/ Hootchie Woman/ You can Bring Your Dawg. So, this Steve McQueen bridge in Father Lucifer, is it worth it just for that? You already have it on WTSF, and possibly solo on an Original Boot? No, but it is worth it for Mr Zebra, Sister Janet, Putting The Damage On, and Happy Phantom! It’s your call guys. Do you want some Tori to put on every Halloween for the next few years? I know I do (even though we don’t celebrate Halloween in Australia.) For that purpose only, I give the Pittsburgh show 4.5 wigs.

Filed under: Legs and Boots Review on January 2nd, 2008