Here’s a little left over from last week’s South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX … IFC managed to get some interview time with Tori Amos and got her to play a game of What If with the songstress … resulting in one of Tori’s most charming interviews ever. Watch it below:

The interviewer, Alessandro Minoli, asked some really great questions (my fave was the one about the major/minor key) to make for a really great interview. I had no idea that Tori would be so happy to roast a man alive rather than burning a piano for warmth (tho, on second thought … I guess I should not be surprised at all). She is a lioness, indeed. The interview is really great but it only makes me more anxious for more — I am really looking forward to hearing more new music from her new album Abnormally Attracted to Sin which is due out in May and then seeing her on tour afterward. Woot!

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After last night’s lateness and today’s hotel check out-ness, I only have time to write one post before I have to get on my plane back to LA. Please forgive the shortness but the last night of South by Southwest for me here in Austin, TX was a late one … and it was awesome. After I finished blogging yesterday, I made my way to the closest Sonic to enjoy some amazing deliciousness to get my day started:

If Chick-Fil-A is my fave Southern fast food restaurant, Sonic has to be my #2. I LIVED for their Frito’s Pies back when I lived in Oklahoma … but they’ve since turned into Frito Chili Cheese Wraps — and they’re just as amazing. OMG, I could’ve honestly eaten 8 of those things but I wanted to munch on the tater tots and the popcorn chicken … oh and a large grape slush. It was so delish :)

So after I ate all that yumminess, I made my way downtown and met up with my friend Devin. We grabbed some drinks at the Shakespeare’ Ale House, got hit on by some drunk girls and got to talk music. I really wanted to see DJ Dieselboy but his performance was too close to Yelle’s performance who was all the way across … so we skipped him to see Yelle only to find a massively long line. Devin only had a wristband so I waited with him in line and we determined that we weren’t going to get in. We cut our losses and got in line for Perry Farrell’s solo show at midnight. The line wasn’t too long when we got there but the door people were telling us that they didn’t think anyone would get in cuz they had to fulfill a “guest list” which I understand is a no-no here at SxSW. A few locals in the know started complaining and magically they let the folks with wristbands in … Devin and I got a prime position right at the front of the stage. I kinda thought that all of Jane’s Addiction might perform but it turned out to be Perry, his small band and a couple of go-go dancers. Here are a few photos:

The show was just fun as hell!! Perry is such a happy man, his show was just really jovial and he was in great spirits. The whole place was a total lovefest. His performance ran a little longer than the usual 45 mins. cuz he did an encore of the Jane’s Addiction song Jane Says to close out his show. After the jump, watch video of that performance …

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Yesterday was another fun-filled day here in Austin, TX for the South by Southwest music festival … I got to see a few really great performances, including a couple of repeat performances to round out my third day of the fest. Before the fun got underway, I met up with my friend Rachel, her boyfriend Nathaniel and their friend Carey for a sumptuous dinner at Buenos Aires Cafe. The food was amazing but the dessert … omg … was to die for:

My show line-up for last night was made up of Jump Back Jake (from Memphis, TN), Erin McCarley (from Dallas, TX), Javelins (from Detroit, MI), Melissa Auf Der Maur (from Montreal, Canada) and The Von Bondies (from Detroit, MI) … here are a few photos:

The shows were all really great … Jump Back Jake was my fave discovery of the day. Erin was fun to see again and I was really happy to see my Detroit boys the Javelins on stage again. The last time I saw them live they were performing at an arcade/pizza parlor in Toledo, OH a few years ago. My ex-boyfriend Erik is a huge fan of theirs, he’s the one who introduced me to the band. My big show of the night was former Hole and Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur. I LOVE her to death. Her debut album is one of my faves … she’s been away from music for a few years but she’s back and promises to release a new album this summer. After the jump, check out video of Melissa performing her song Follow the Waves …

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OY! I am tired and beat … all this South by Southwest fun is beatin’ my ass up! It wasn’t that long ago that I used to have the kind of stamina that it takes to go all day long from concert to concert without much sleep … but I guess in my old age, that ability has died down a bit. I have to say, tho, that I am having the best time ever tho. I made my first SxSW friend yesterday, got to see a few amazing performances and even got to dance a little bit. Day Two was really fun and really packed ;) I started out by grabbing a bite to eat at the nearest Chick-Fil-A:

The day just got better from there. I met my new friend Devin while we were waiting in line to see The Von Bondies perform at the Bat Bar inside the Austin Convention Center. We hit it off and hung out for the VB show and then made our way to the Peter Murphy show that was right after. We lost touch at that show but met up later on in the night. After Peter, I made my way to La Zona Rosa to await Tori Amos and saw Gabriella Cilmi and Erin McCarley who performed before Tori’s set — they were both really great. On the advice of Neil Gaiman, I hauled my ass all the way across town as soon as Tori’s performance was over to see Amanda Palmer … which is where I met up with my friend Devin. So many great performances!!! Here are pics of the artists that I saw yesterday:

The Von Bondies were so great … it was the first time I saw them perform outside of Detroit. They looked and sounded amazing. The new stuff is really good. Peter Murphy was just fabulous … he was in total Grand Dame mode and seemed to be having a great time. Gabriella Cilmi was a nice surprise … her cover of Justin Timberlake’s Cry Me A River was pretty rad. Erin McCarley was another new find for me. I’m deffo gonna have to pick up her album … and I may see her again tonight. She did a great version of Tom’s Diner by Suzanne Vega … totally killed it!! Tori was heavenly, as I already mentioned HERE and Amanda Palmer … wow! So far, she is my fave new discovery. Her raw passion and talent is really inspiring. She reminds me a bit of Ani DiFranco on piano. I am gonna get as much of her music as I can as well.

After the long day, I needed a drink … so Devin suggested we head over to Oil Can Harry’s for a beverage or two … which was great cuz the club was hosting a nekkid boy in underwear contest :) Not a bad way to unwind. Devin and I hung out for a bit and then I decided to call it a day by 2am. So much fun, tho. I have to give a shout-out to all the people I got to meet yesterday like Steve, Katie, Carrie and Laurie … there were others and I wish I could remember all the names but, alas, I failed to jot them down :( Here are pics of me with Pink readers Erica and Brittany at the Tori show and Javier from the Red Bull party the night before:

Tonight I’m meeting up with my friend Rachel for dinner and then I’m planning to see the Detroit band the Javelins and Melissa Auf Der Maur. I’m sure I’ll squeeze in some other shows too so … the fun never stops :) Seriously tho, I’m gonna need a vacation from this vacation. I hope I can make it thru ’til Sunday. OY!!

Last night I had the privlidge of attending Tori Amos’s South by Southwest performance at La Zona Rosa here in Austin, TX to bear witness to the debut of three new songs from her new album Abnormally Attracted to Sin. Playing for just about 45 minutes, Tori played a 9-song set that included the songs Lady in Blue, Curtain Call and Mary Jane from her new album in addition to beloved classics like Crucify, Silent All These Years and others. Here are a few of the photos that I snapped of Tori’s performance last night and the full show setlist:

Tori Amos – La Zona Rosa @ SxSW 03.19.09

Lady in Blue
Curtain Call
Crucify
Cloud On My Tongue
Beauty of Speed
Mary Jane
Take To The Sky (With I Feel The Earth Move Under My Feet interlude)
Silent All These Years
Barons of Suburbia

The show was short but very sweet. Tori performed with just her piano and a keyboard, no band … and sounded divine. Each Tori Amos performance is a special one and you could tell that she was in great spirits last night. She gave a shout out to all of the “familiar faces” in the crowd and lovingly played thru her very short set. The new songs are interesting but I’ll need a few more listens to formulate a full opinion. Tori introduced the new song Mary Jane by explaining that it was inspired by a “true story” of a teenage boy (who she didn’t want to name) who asked his mother if he could invite Mary Jane over to their house … or something to that effect. The song is very cute. I managed to record video of her performing that song which you can watch behind the cut. The classic songs were amazing. Cloud on my Tongue is one of my favorites, I love hearing her perform that song solo without the band (sorry guys ;) After the jump, check out video of Tori performing the songs Crucify and Mary Jane …

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I have arrived in beautiful Austin, TX … and I am excited and tired as hell ;) My red eye flight wasn’t problematic at all but since I only got about 2 hours of sleep, I’m not sure how much longer I can go on without a nap of some kind. I want to finish a few more posts this afternoon but today may be more like a weekend day rather than a weekday. I spent much of this morning getting my rental car and now I’m all set to take on the SxSW fest:

I’m prolly only gonna see 2-3 shows per night which is more than enough … the schedule this year is pretty fantastic. Tori Amos tomorrow night is my MUST see show but the rest of the options look really fun. I’m gonna see Ladyhawke and Young Love tonight. I’m not sure how much energy I’ll have for a full night but I’m gonna do my best to take it all in. I’m hoping tomorrow will be a more normal day workwise …

I had forgotten how much I missed the South … everyone here is so friendly, it’s great to be in Austin, TX again. I’m hoping to meet some of y’all in town tonight … please say hello. If I look a bit bedraggled, please don’t hold it against me :) And away we go …

AMAZING NEWS just out … Tori Amos has revealed the title of her new album and has confirmed that she WILL be playing a showcase concert at the South By Southwest Festival in Austin, TX next month. According to a new press release from her new record company, Universal Republic, Tori’s new album has been titled Abnormally Attracted to Sin. Additionally, Tori is scheduled to play the La Zona Rosa nightclub in Austin on March 19. Here is the full text of the press release announcement:

Tori Amos to Headline Universal Republic Showcase at South by Southwest Music Conference on March 19, 2009

New CD, ABNORMALLY ATTRACTED TO SIN, Due Spring 2009

There will be thousands of artists and tens of thousands of music fans gathering at over 60 venues for this year’s South By Southwest Music Conference in Austin, TX, but all eyes will be on groundbreaking star Tori Amos, headlining one of the most anticipated events in the conference’s two decade-plus history, on Thursday, March 19, at historic Austin club, La Zona Rosa.

The Grammy nominated singer/songwriter is headlining a star-studded Universal Republic Records showcase at the popular venue, sure to be looked on as one of the must-see events of the four day festival. Tori will be performing new songs from her upcoming Universal Republic debut album, ABNORMALLY ATTRACTED TO SIN, scheduled to hit stores and the digital domain this spring, as well as other classics from her influential repertoire.

Tori’s recent signing with Universal Republic is in keeping with the inventive star’s unconventional approach to the artist/record company relationship. Universal Republic will distribute Tori’s new album, as well as correlate other ventures in tandem with Tori’s prolific creative output. ABNORMALLY ATTRACTED TO SIN, her tenth studio album, is another innovative chapter in the artist’s trailblazing story. Every track on the album will be accompanied by a corresponding ‘visualette,’ featuring footage that has been captured over the past year. Shot in HD and Super 8, the visualettes will incorporate a documentary style.

Tori’s most recent album, AMERICAN DOLL POSSE, which has been hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as ‘her best album in years,’ was released in 2007 to a chorus of rave reviews. The captivating album, like many of her previous efforts, adhered to a strong conceptual theme, with Tori inhabiting multiple archetypal female personae, a testament to her willingness to continue to push the boundaries of the female singer/songwriter.

Regarded as one of the most emotionally fearless live artists in music today, her most recent world tour, launched in the summer of 2007, saw her soar with her first full-fledged rock band in nearly a decade. Media platforms such as the BBC lauded both her live show and album as ‘returning Tori Amos back to the forefront of a genre she defined…still pushing her own boundaries.

Woot! This is such great news for Tori Amos fans like myself. As soon as I learned of this news, I immediately called my BFF Sarah to gush with her … and then began writing up this post for publication. I am so thrilled that new Tori Amos music is on the way — you have no idea! If I can be assured entry into this SXSW showcase performance, I will do everything I can to get my buns down to Austin to attend the show. I’ve never done SXSW but I think seeing Tori play an intimate venue like this would be the best way to be introduced to the festival. Again, I say, Woot!!! What great, great news!

UPDATE: Rumor has it that Tori will perform the entirety of her new album at SXSW but, honestly, I think she’ll only play a few tracks off the new disc. In any event, I’ll be there in person to bear witness to her SXSW performance — I made all the reservations yesterday and am going to Austin, TX next month!!! I am so excited … and you can be sure I’ll bring the deets and as much info about the performance as possible.

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