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Tori Amos Brings In Times of Dragons to the Louisville Palace

By Larry Philpot on August 12, 2026

Tori Amos has long stood out for her piano-centered songs that blend personal stories with larger ideas about power, identity, and resilience. In a music scene often dominated by quick trends, her work remains rooted in careful songcraft and live performances that feel intimate even in larger rooms. On August 10, 2026, she brought that approach to the Louisville Palace as part of her In Times of Dragons Tour, supporting her eighteenth studio album of the same name, released on May 1, 2026.

Tori Amos performs at the Louisville Palace on August 10, 2026. (Photo Credit and copyright: Larry Philpot/SoundstagePhotography.com)

Amos began her career in the early 1990s with the album Little Earthquakes, which introduced songs such as “Silent All These Years,” “Crucify,” and “Winter.” Follow-up records including Under the Pink (with “Cornflake Girl” and “Precious Things”) and later works like Boys for Pele, From the Choirgirl Hotel, and Scarlet’s Walk expanded her catalog of piano-driven material that mixes classical influences, rock energy, and confessional writing. She has received eight Grammy nominations and sold more than twelve million albums worldwide. The new album In Times of Dragons continues her habit of weaving myth and current events, framing a story of resistance and transformation. The tour features longtime collaborators alongside newer additions that help shape the current sound.

Bartees Strange Opens the Evening

Bartees Strange opened the show at the Louisville Palace. Born Bartees Leon Cox Jr. in Ipswich, England, and raised partly in Mustang, Oklahoma, Strange is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for blending indie rock, folk, and other styles. His releases include the 2020 album Live Forever, Farm to Table in 2022, and later projects such as Horror. He has built a reputation for thoughtful songwriting and energetic live sets that draw from a wide range of influences.

Bartees Strange, opener for Tori Amos,performs at the Louisville Palace on August 10, 2026. (Photo Credit and copyright: Larry Philpot/SoundstagePhotography.com)

After some technical difficulties, Strange performed a concise set that included:

Mustang
Ain’t Nobody Making Me High
Sober
Doomsday Buttercup
17
Running Back

His delivery focused on strong melodies and guitar work, giving the audience a clear introduction to his material before the main set.

Tori Amos and Her Band

Amos took the stage with her current touring ensemble. The group for the In Times of Dragons Tour includes:

Tori Amos – piano, keyboards, vocals
Jon Evans – bass, musical director
Earl Harvin – drums
Liv Gibson – backing vocals
Deni Hlavinka – backing vocals
Hadley Kennary – backing vocals

Evans has worked with Amos for many years as bassist and musical director. Harvin provides the drum foundation on this tour. The three backing vocalists, sometimes referred to as the Angel Witches, represent a recent addition that supports the expanded vocal arrangements needed for both new material and selections from earlier albums.

The setlist for the evening, drawn from verified reports, mixed tracks from In Times of Dragons with established songs:

Fire to Your Plain
Shush
Stronger Together
Don’t Make Me Come to Vegas
Virginia
Horses
Winter
Fast Horse
In Times of Dragons
Silent All These Years
Witness
The Waitress
Precious Things
Cornflake Girl
Happy Birthday to You (to Jon Evans)
The Lion Sleeps Tonight (first time live since 2014)
Pretty Good Year

The performance moved between the new album’s themes and familiar pieces that have defined Amos’s catalog for more than three decades. “Winter” and “Silent All These Years” received particular attention from the room, while the inclusion of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” marked a rare return of the cover. The birthday song for Evans added a personal moment near the close of the show.

The Venue

The Louisville Palace provided a fitting setting. Opened in 1928 as Loew’s Theatre and designed by architect John Eberson in the Spanish Baroque style, the building is known for its atmospheric interior that includes a ceiling resembling a night sky with stars. After periods of change and restoration, it has served as a primary downtown venue for concerts and other events. Its capacity of roughly 2,700 seats and detailed architecture create an environment that suits both larger productions and more focused performances such as this one.

The evening at the Louisville Palace highlighted Amos’s ongoing ability to connect new material with the songs that first brought her to wider attention. Fans who have followed her through multiple albums and tours will find the current lineup and set choices consistent with her established approach. Those considering a future date on the remaining In Times of Dragons Tour can expect a focused presentation of piano, voice, and the supporting players who help shape each night’s selection of songs.