Dancing Barefoot with Tori Amos at Ovens Auditorium

Ocean to Ocean’s Tour 2023 – Charlotte, NC

Reliving the 90s is something in music I try to attain at any given opportunity. My teenage angst, finding my womanhood, and most of all learning to find my artistic voice. One of the musical legends of woman empowerment is Tori Amos. Hers is the voracious outspoken voice of f*ck the world and how to embrace your inner demons. The voice of an LGBTQ ally in an abyss of what is going on in the world is beautiful to still hear, and hear clearly.

An intricate look at her legacy is laced heavily with piano virtuoso as well as powerful vocals. No matter where she lands in a song with someone her voice is unmistakable. As we all funneled into Ovens Auditorium on a stormy humid summer night, what we anticipated as one of those shows you will be telling your grandchildren you attended, happened.

For me, the story with Tori starts back a quarter of a century ago when I first took my camera into her photo pit. Fast forward to last night on The Ocean to Ocean Tour‘s 7th stop, I could not believe how fabulous she looked on stage with her bright colors, and her signature flowing crimson locks.

I think everyone knows at least two Tori songs, one is always “Cornflake Girl,” but tonight we celebrated Ocean to Ocean, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard current alternative albums chart, along with an even blend of her greatest hits.

She took the stage to sit at her infamous keys, a piano, and a stacked keyboard behind her. Started with “A Sorta Fairytale,” with her intensely crisp mezzo-soprano voice belting and bouncing off all the walls. The rest of the stage was a simple drum riser and one stage right for her bassist. A toned down light display, and some floating visuals, and with that we were meant to experience the performance and not worry about much else.

Next up was the title track to the tour where we were left feeling with the visuals we too were swimming ocean to ocean. The light show was very tastefully minimalistically done not too much to overwhelm the three of them on stage, but enough to draw you into another layer of art-isms.

Between the lights and the songs, I expected the crowd to be more lively but you could hear a pin drop as no one wanted to miss a single note.

The cheers roared only in between songs, for such a large crowd this is almost unheard of. Her demanding stage presence is literally not one to be F*cked with!

Between the first few songs she introduced her bandmates [bassist] Jon Evans and [drummer] Ash Soan,” who I honestly could not take my eyes off all night. The way they gelled and could adjust any part to a song to go along with some of the unscripted parts.

I loved watching Soan dance and jam to all the different parts. If I had not been able to hear the songs I’d swear sometimes he was playing a metal show – and that lit my music nerd heart aflame. Evans kept time and gave parts to the night to vibrate our entire being. It’s always a pleasure to witness a truly skilled drummer who you can also tell is having the time of their life. I could not imagine a better duo to be out with Tori.

Amos played her piano and her keyboard sometimes at the same time, or flip-flopped effortlessly between notes to jam and give us that layered sound she is infamous for.

We soared through an impressive set list consisting of songs from, “American Doll Posse,”Scarlet’s Walk,”Ocean to Ocean,”A Piano: The Collection,”Boys for Pele,”Native Invader,”Scarlet’s Hidden Treasures,”Under the Pink,” and “Unrepentant Geraldine.”

I always like to reflect on a perfect moment I see in the crowd or a way a song is mixed, or possibly a speech. And while I did not catch the perfect photo of it, there was a tiny barefooted beauty probably no more than 8 in the middle of the aisles while Tori slammed the keys dancing her little heart out.

Not a care in the world, letting the music flow through her body and vibing like all of us should anytime we hit a concert.

Consensus, at a year shy of 60, Tori’s performance is more beautiful every time you are allowed to experience and I think the best way to do this is barefoot and dancing free. You still have a chance to catch this tour – and if not I recommend you see her next go around. Tori Amos is an iconic part of the music legend’s story of decades worth of gems and I’d be remiss if I didn’t encourage all artists to watch her set once in their life and then try to strive for half of the perfection you hear in her tones and effortlessly beautiful performance.