Last Friday, I saw my 25th Tori Amos show  since 1996. Yes, I said 25th show. That may sound excessive, but believe me, that’s peanuts compared to the number of shows some of my friends and fellow Tori fans have seen.

I saw my first Tori show in August of 1996 in Dayton, Ohio during her extensive “Dew Drop Inn Tour” in support of the incredible Boys for Pele album. This was before I had any kind of regular Internet access, so the only way I knew about the show was hearing on the radio that tickets were on sale. I took a friend who wasn’t a big Tori fan and who spent a good chunk of the show out in the hall or in the bathroom, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the show immensely. I was awestruck by her performance and immediately decided that the next time she toured, I was going to see as many shows as possible

During the “Plugged ‘98 Tour,” which supported her fourth album, From the Choirgirl Hotel, I saw four amazing shows. The show I saw in Dayton proved to be another significant one for me, as I met Tori for the first time at the before-show meet and greet (these meet and greets have been a staple on “Tori Tour” for many, many years). After that, she could’ve gotten on stage and played the theme song from Green Acres twenty times in a row and I would’ve still been over the moon. I had so much fun that day, spending most of it camped out in front of the venue waiting for Tori to arrive, meeting and hanging out with some fantastic people. In fact, meet and greets became an integral part of my tour experience over the years. And even though I haven’t done one since 2003, I am glad that they gave me the opportunity to meet some of my dearest friends, who I still talk to regularly and see at shows I attend. (more…)