
(note: this is the actual review i wrote 2 days after this show. in its entirety. it's cheesy, i know.)
**MORNING (9:45 am-2:00pm)**
I arrived at the Lied Center at 9:45 am (*yawn*) to help Tori's road crew
help set up for that evening's show, which was to start at 7:30pm. I went
to the loading dock where two huge semi's full of show stuff were open and
ready to be unloaded. So, that's what I, and about 15 other people who signed
up for stage crew at the Lied Center, set out to do.
Talk about
using your muscles!! We unloaded so much stuff: catering, sound equipment,
lighting equipment, wardrobe, cables, scenery, PIANOS, and lots more. After
everything was finally unloaded, we started the exhausting task of setting
up for the show. I was assigned to sound and I got to work with the sound
guy, Mark Hawley. I helped unload cables from their boxes and I also helped
set up the speakers, which weighed about 50-75 pounds each and other odd
jobs. OH!! Before I forget, I got to help set up that huge triangle shaped
screen that sits behind Tori and projects the many fabulous effects seen
throughout the show!!! Also, I talked with Tori's stage crew, who were all
extremely cool people to work with. Many of them are English and have these
amazing senses of humor. After three hours of this, the crew decided it was
time to set up the piano, harpsichord, and the harmonium. I was *sooooo*
excited. All I was thinking was, "Oh my god. I'm am actrally going to get
to touch the Bosey/Oh my god, I'm touching the
Bosey/harpsichord/harmonium(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)." Cloud 9, let me tell you!!!
So yes, I helped set up the Bosey and the Harpsichord, which are both very
beautiful. I also sat down on her piano bench, which sounds kinda stupid
but hey, you
only live once.
:) After this euphoria, the volunteering stage crew (us 15 committee people)
were told that our setting up job was done and that we were free for lunch.
This was approximately 2:00pm. I overheard some of the committe asking if
they would be able to stick around for the soundcheck (!!!), but her crew
said 'no' and that it was a closed soundcheck. Even they weren't suppossed
to be in there. :( But, before we left, we were all given our backstage passes
(yes you heard me correctly) and were told to be backstage by 10:00 that
night to start loading up, but I had other plans...
**AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING (3:00pm-6:00pm)**
After my friend Sharon, who is also on the committee and was helping out
that day, finished our healthy lunch of Burger King, we decided to go back
to where I live (which is in walking distance from where Tori was to play
that night). I told her that I wanted to get back to Lied as soon as possible
because I wanted to meet Tori (duh). I knew that we wouldn't be able to go
inside the building, so we were going to have to wait outside for her like
everyone else. At around 3:47, we lift my place and picked up my friend,
Laura, and set our for Lied...again. When we got there, about 15-20 other
Ears With Feet were waiting on the grassy hill by the stage door. I met lots
of really cool people, including Valera. She's soo sweet, as soon as I met
her, she goes, "Do you want some chocolate?". Hee!! She showed us her dress
that Tori had
signed the night
before. It was beautiful. :' ) Okay, after about one and a half hours of
waiting and trying to keep warm (45 degrees mind you), Steve came out and
informed us that Tori was going to arrive shortly, but she wasn't going to
be able to sign anything because she was *very* late for soundcheck. I already
knew this because I sneaked a look at the schedule for that evening. Soundcheck
was suppossed to start at 4:30 and it was already 5:30. Finally, the tour
bus pulled up, stopped, and out stepped the most beautiful creature I have
ever seen. I immediately started taking pictures and during this I was trying
not to have a heartattack. All of us (about 50 EWF's now) were in a line
and Tori decided to start on my side. :D
After she talked with the 5 or so people ahead of me, including my friend
Laura, it was finally my turn. :::pant pant::: As soon as she got to me,
I held my arms out and said in a voice of pure adoration, "Tori..." and she
gave me the warmest hug. She then asked me my name. Surprisingly, I remembered.
; ) I then gave her my gifts: a handmade beaded red/black/and silver necklace
(I have the matching one), a poem, a letter, and a piece of silly sheet music
called 'Faeries Aire and Death Waltz'. I was kind of
worried that
she had already seen it, but she said she hadn't, so I was very happy about
that. After I gave her my gifts, she hugged me again. As she hugged me, she
whispered 'thank you' in my ear and then kissed me on the cheek, where I
in turn, kissed her back. :::sigh::: She then told me bye and moved on to
my friend Sharon. It was magical. I was floating! I then took a few more
pictures as she was talking to other EWF's and waited until she disappeared
into the stage door. :::sigh::: I then composed myself and walked back to
my room to get ready for the concert.
**LATE EVENING (6:30pm-12:30am)**
Sharon and I, yet again, arrived back at the Lied around 6:30. We were let in early because we were on stage crew. When I got there, they were still setting up the merchandise stand, and to my delight, I saw two new Tori shirts that weren't there when I saw her show earlier in June of that year. My friend excused herself for a second and then about 30 seconds later, she came running back to me, exclaiming that she could hear the entire soundcheck in the bathroom. I've never ran so fast. Okay, I bet you're think, "What??? The soundcheck in the bathroom???". Well, there are speakers in the bathroom of the Lied so if you have to wee during the show, you don't have to miss anything. So yeah, heh, the mics were on. I don't know if they were suppossed to be, but I'm glad they were. ; ) Well as soon as I entered the bathroom, that familiar voice enraptured me. It was the strangest thing; it was like I was having my own little private Tori concert right there. I had my lighter going and everything (hee!). I also wrote down what she played during the soundcheck:
-Smells Like Teen Spirit
-Little Earthquakes
-Space Dog
-Caught A Lite Sneeze (a few bars)
-An unreleased song (don't have a clue)
After the soundcheck, I went to buy some goodies and then I found my seat. I had, like, 8th row off to the side. Good seats, wooha!!!!
Finally, 7:30 rolled around. Josh Clayton Felt opened and he was pretty cool!! He plays a lot of rock/funk stuff which was really good.
Then,
intermission came (Zeppelin!!!) and then about 30 minutes later, the lights
went down. "Son of a Preacher Man came on and out she came. She was wearing
a white tank top, jeans, and sneakers. And she played:
-BQ/Horses
-Smells Like Teen Spirit (after this I yelled out, "I love you, Tori". I
couldn't help myself. oh..."I love you guys, too!!")
-Hurt/Caught A Lite Sneeze
-Cornflake Girl (go Tori!!)
-Tear In Your Hand
-Little Earthquakes
-Onward Christian Soldiers/Icicle
-Muhammad My Friend (before this she told a funny story about spending Christmas
Eve at her family's house every year)
-Love Song :)
-Talula (Tornado Mix)
-Me & A Gun
Encore 1:
-Somewhere Over the Rainbow
-Cloud On My Tongue
Encore 2:
-Father Lucifer
-Etienne :D
And then it was over. The house lights came up and I promptly made my way
backstage to help the crew take down the stage and load the truck back up.
As soon as I walked on stage, I noticed Caton off to the side. I went over
to him and introduced myself. He shook my hand and we then talked for about
5 minutes. I asked him if he was sad that the tour was almost over and he
said, "No!! I'm ready to go home!!" Eeeeek!! I was having such a good time
talking to him and I hated
telling him
that I had to leave because they needed me on stage. We said our goodbyes
and I then returned to the hard work that awaited me. I again returned to
sound and helped Mark take down the speakers and various other things. To
my relief, taking down the stage was *a lot* easier then setting it up. I
also had to say goodbye to the Bosey, and that was really sad. She's such
a sweet girl and I'm glad I got to meet her. I was also hoping to say goodbye
to Tori, but by the time I had a chance to, she was gone. :::insert pathetic
wail here::: Oh well.
Finally, after about two hours of packing up and joking around with the crew (silly-butts), everything was loaded up in the truck and ready to go. The crew said goodbye to us and thanked us for our help and then they eventually left. Oh yeah, I did manage to get a copy of the official set list (the one she used during the show) and it was a little different from what she played that night. According to the list, Space Dog, Sugar, and Marianne were suppossed to be performed that night. It would have been really nice to hear Sugar, but I guess she was at a party that night. Oh well. Finally I got home around 12:30am and needless to say, I crashed. I was *exhausted*. Still floating, but exhausted.
.more pictures.
(click on the thumbnail to see larger)
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