Archive for October, 1999

10.24.1999 Sci-Fi Lullaby Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV

Posted by Andrew on 24th October 1999 in Alternative Rock, Indie Rock

From what I heard of Sci-Fi Lullaby, their sound was pretty good. They were one of several opening acts that were culled from then MP3.com which in 1999 was all the rage in promoting unsigned bands.

10.24.1999 Alanis Morissette Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV

Posted by Andrew on 24th October 1999 in Alternative Rock, Pop

Alanis performed a set very similar to her show in April of 1999, pared down to one and a half hours to accommodate the double bill.

Nothing in Alanis Morissette’s set was crisp. Not her vocals, nor her band. But truly, the audience was there for her (Tori’s fans left the building by the time Alanis launched into “All I Really Want.”) The middle of the set was heavy with Junkie tracks which are very discordant but she hit her stride by the time she finished the b-side rant “These Are The Thoughts” and it was greatests hits until the end. She turned “You Oughta Know” into a sonic experiment and then let us stew on it during an extended piano solo, but hey, end with “Thank U” and “Ironic” and I’ll be a happy camper any day.

Alanis Setlist
Baba
All I Really Want
Hand In My Pocket
Would Not Come
Are You Still Mad?
Sympathetic Character
That I Would Be Good
You Learn
Forgiven
These Are The Thoughts
Right Through You
So Pure
You Oughta Know
Piano Solo
Uninvited
Thank U
Ironic

10.24.1999 Tori Amos Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV

Posted by Andrew on 24th October 1999 in Pop, Singer/Songwriter

10.24.1999 Tori Amos / Alanis Morissette 5 1/2 Weeks Tour Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV Opener: Sci-Fi Lullaby
This tour date was televised on pay per view which I never saw, but I did obtain an audio copy of both sets. The Tori highlight for me was “Riot Poof” and “Bliss” both from her then new album, To Venus and Back.

“Thank you for exposing yourselves,” Tori Amos says by way of introduction because of the seven or so cameras covering the stage for Pay-Per-View. I never saw the actual performance televised, but I always think it’s weird that Tori Amos never worries about censorship in her music. From a riotous version of potty-mouth “Professional Widow” to some not so subtle attacks on gender roles of “Precious Things,” there are a lot of taboo topics in Tori songs that she gamely throws out there. You need more proof? Peruse the words to “Blood Roses” or even “God,” which is probably one of the least provocative of her tunes. Her music is undeniably gorgeous, and the real treat here were extended versions of “Riot Proof” and the main set closer “Hotel” which ran almost ten minutes and stopped just short of the rapture in my book. Add some old standbys, a few glorious minutes with just Tori and her piano, and presto, you have one of the hands-down most visceral shows I have ever attended, and it wasn’t even a full set.

Tori Setlist
God
Sugar
Cornflake Girl
Riot Poof
Bliss
Blood Roses

Solo
Silent All These Years
Merman

Suede
Professional Widow
Hotel
Encore
Waitress
Precious Things