Tori Amos at The Olympia | Review

Tori Amos at The Olympia Theatre, Dublin, 7th May 2014

Absence, as they say, makes the heart grow fonder. With Tori Amos absent from our shores for quite a few years, it was no surprise when her two Olympia Theatre shows sold out. Indeed, there is an air of anticipation in the old theatre as people shuffle in. The pre-show chatting is hushed and wary, crowd members worried they might miss something.

When Amos emerges to sit at her grand piano – there is also a keyboard at her back – she cuts a teacherly figure, with her face mostly hidden behind her long, iconically red hair and red rimmed glasses.

From the opener Parasol, there is a purity in her voice too, that keeps up the image. There is no strain, no exaggeration, hardly any noticeable breathing; just a warm, soft voice. Her piano skills are shown too. Her hands move as a pace you feel would fit an orchestra. Cheers and applause burst through the silence as the final keys are played.

Horses is an early highlight, with Amos releasing her siren call, and almost apocalyptic paino playing. She sings of pansies and posies, but it feels like she is beckoning us to our watery doom. Here, we’re more than happy to follow her.

There is quite often a charming dichotomy to her music, perhaps best captured in Silent All These Years; with lyrics like “Boy you best pray that I bleed real soon/How’s that for thought for you?” in stark contrast to the gentle lament of the song’s tune.

It’s largely a risk-free show, with covers of Rickie Lee Jones, Miley Cyrus and Sinead O’Connor – all performed during the ‘Lizard Lounge’ section of the show – acting as the only surprises in the show.

Still, the show never really hits. There is never a sense of grand theatre, and the moments of true intimacy are few and far between. When she truly attacks the keys, the heart begins to beat faster. When she is more methodical and clinical in her playing, her voice is hair-raisingly affecting.

Amos is a fantastic pianist with a wonderful voice but all too often she tries to showcase both simultaneously, blunting the impact of both. Everything, as a result, tends towards the median; mid-paced, mid-range, average.

The high notes are never held, or lingered over – granted she is 50 – and the lyrics are never given room to breathe. There is no sense of enchantment or awe inspired from the stage.

For someone with such talents and such an extensive back catalogue, that’s the biggest disappointment of the night. It’s a show that easy to appreciate, to politely enjoy, but not one that ever truly affects the heart.

For the rare chance to see Tori Amos live in Dublin, perhaps the €40 tickets are justified. Unless she comes with something different, a show in the next few years wouldn’t be worth such money.