Tickets went on sale about an hour ago. Thirty minutes ago I found out. Twenty minutes ago I got two tickets for the November 14th Atlanta performance at the Fox Theater.

I’ve seen Tori Amos in concert a few times before. The Fox is my favorite venue in Atlanta. It’s not too big, it’s nicely designed, the sound is good, and there are few bad seats in the house. I like Chastain because it’s outside, but for the best sound, the Fox is the place. There is also a sense of intimacy that’s hard to beat. I love the whole set-up. I’ve seen all sorts of plays and concerts and comedy and movies at the Fox over the years – and I’ve never had a bad time.

I’ve got nice seats – Right center orchestra. Woo-hoo!

I hope that she sings some of my favorite songs in concert: Sweet the Sting, Cornflake Girl, God, Parasol, General Joy, Mother Revolution, The Beekeeper, Happy Phantom, Snow Cherries from France, Hey Jupiter, Mr. Zebra, Muhammad My Friend, Crucify, Real Men, Father Lucifer, Silent all these Years, Leather, Precious Things, Icicle, Girl, Sleeps with Butterflies, Space Dog, Winter, China, Little Earthquakes, Sweet Dreams, Baker Baker, The Wrong Band, Past the Mission, and The Power of Orange Knickers.

I’ve got some reservations about Tori’s latest creative experiment. I like the splitting, creating separate and definable aspects of the self – playing with a kind of multiple-personality channel switcher. I think most people have several facets of themselves that could they could consciously split off like that.

I’m just not sure I really like where it’s all going. The personalities are not terribly attractive to me – and I’m a fan. Some of the aspects that I love about her most are not reflected in the choices she has made with the visual appearance of each character. I’m not sure she’s sliced up the reality so much as constructed new aliases. I think that she is more interesting than these personae suggest.

It’s a weird leap from the flavors of The Beekeeper to American Doll Posse. I’ve got the new CD, but I haven’t really absorbed many of the songs yet (basically, that means I don’t know any of them well enough to sing).

My faves so far are Secret Spell, Big Wheel (MILF? -hmm), Beauty of Speed and the microsongs Velvet Revolution and Devils and Gods.

I think I’ll eventually like Girl Disappearing, Bouncing off Clouds, Father’s Son, Body and Soul, Dark Side of the Sun, Smokey Joe and Dragon. It usually takes me a least a dozen listens to warm to some of the songs.

There are always a couple that I don’t like at all. For example, I can’t listen to ’97 Bonnie & Clyde from Strange Little Girls – it makes me shake with nausea and dread. I actually can’t listen to it. My reaction is too extreme.

Still, I like a higher percentage of her songs than anyone else (except perhaps Kate Bush).

I’ll be delirious with happiness at this concert. She is one on the short list of artists who helped ground me, kept me singing, gave me a way to navigate, continue, be recharged. When I listen to Tori, I’m hearing someone that resonates with me. When I sing with Tori, I’m more than myself, but also more of myself.

I saw a recent clip of her watching a children’s chorus – she was very touched (to a tear in her eye) to hear her music sung so sweetly, harmoniously. Almost like… I wept, too. I got it, and it confirmed my sense of her.

Now I only have to wait until November…