Article Contributed by L. Paul Mann
Published on 2026-09-08
Tori Amos | Vina Robles Amphitheatre | photos by L. Paul Mann
As summer dusk settled over the Paso Robles hills, the warm Central Coast air provided a picturesque setting for Tori Amos’ In Times of Dragons Tour. Nestled among oak-lined vineyards, the outdoor amphitheatre felt less like a standard stop on a venue circuit and more like a hillside sanctuary primed for ritual.
Opening the evening was indie-rock innovator Bartees Strange, whose genre-defying set proved to be a brilliant, if striking, foil to the headliner. Blending blistering guitar riffs with hip-hop cadence and emotive indie-rock hooks, Strange brought an electric urgency to the stage.
Tracks including “Boomer” and “Mulholland Dr.” had the early crowd on its feet, showcasing his impressive vocal range and effortless ability to bridge abrasive post-punk crunch with soaring melody. His charming, grateful banter between songs warmly grounded the audience before the evening moved deeper into Amos’ atmospheric, mythic realm.
When Amos emerged and took her iconic perch between a Bösendorfer grand piano and a bank of keyboards, the air immediately shifted. Opening with the hypnotic, low-slung drive of “Fire to Your Plain” and the haunting, minimalist pulse of “Shush,” Amos established a tone that felt at once ancient and immediate. Her voice remains a marvel of agility, soaring from a breathy whisper to a throat-shredding, percussive growl within a single bar.
Crucial to the thunderous depth of this tour is Amos’ powerhouse backing band. Longtime rhythm engine Earl Harvin, behind the drum kit, offered a masterclass in tension and release, providing complex, off-kilter grooves that anchored the expansive arrangements.
Alongside him, veteran bassist Jon Evans delivered a muscular, bone-rattling foundation. His tone on “Don’t Make Me Come to Vegas” cut through the night air like a heavy knife. Adding a lush, ethereal layer were backing vocalists Deni Hlavinka, Hadley Kennary, and Liv Gibson, whose tight, siren-like harmonies gave songs including “Addition of Light Divided” an intricate, haunting resonance.
The Paso Robles setlist offered a rich and surprising journey through Amos’ catalog. Mid-set highlights included a devastatingly intimate rendition of “Bells for Her,” with Amos coaxing eerie, bell-like tones from her keyboards, followed by a sun-baked, swaggering performance of the Scarlet’s Walk standout “A Sorta Fairytale.”
The chemistry between Amos and her rhythm section reached its peak during “Code Red,” with Harvin and Evans driving the song into a swirling, dramatic crescendo to close the main set.
Returning for an explosive two-song encore of “Body and Soul” and “Bouncing Off Clouds,” Amos left no doubt about her enduring theatrical authority. Decades into an iconic career, she continues to re-architect her music onstage through fiercely kinetic band arrangements, proving that her legendary stage presence remains as untamed and vital as ever.
