Dec 14th, 2002

Singer Alanis Morissette feasts on scraps at Toronto concert
ANGELA PACIENZA
Canadian Press

TORONTO (CP) - Seven years ago Alanis Morissette wrote a song about breaking up with a manipulative lover that quickly became an anthem for throngs of women who had experienced the pangs of being dumped (and quickly replaced by another).

You Oughta Know re-launched the Ottawa-native's singing career (the early 90s saw her as a dance-pop star) but cast her as an angry, angst-driven woman.

Three albums later and most people still think of Morissette as a weighty singer and confessional songwriter.

And it was that same persona on display Thursday night when 28-year-old Morissette, clad in black leather pants and a red billowy tanktop, played the Air Canada Centre Theatre, just two days after the release of her new DVD, Feast On Scraps.

The DVD and CD package features a concert taped earlier this year in Rotterdam, the Netherlands as well as live footage and home videos from the road that shows a silly and playful Morissette.

While Morissette gave an outstanding performance, few were on hand to witness it as nearly as many empty chairs as fans could be seen in the 5,000-seat theatre.

It was a sad reception for the seven-time Grammy Award winner who's sold over 40 million albums worldwide thanks to her emotionally-charged lyrics.

The audience, made up mainly of clusters of women and couples, sang along and cheered politely but hardly got up off their feet.

As a result there was little energy in the room despite a hit-heavy set of songs from her three rock albums including All I Really Want, Baba, Precious Illusions, Hand in My Pocket and You Oughta Know.

Supported by a five piece band that included former Jane's Addiction bassist Eric Avery, Morissette also dipped into her new catalogue, eight previously unreleased songs now found on Feast of Scraps (the songs are castoffs from sessions for Under Rug Swept), and performed her new radio single Simple Together, Unprodigal Daughter and the stirring Purgatorying (cut into three parts).

Despite the sparce and lethargic crowd, Morissette prowled the stage in her usual neurotic fashion, stomping, swaying and sashaying across the stage trying to bring the audience into the show.

"You're so beautiful," she told the crowd. "Thank you so much."

Her waist-length black hair was repeatedly flung into the air as she performed some yoga-like dance moves during her heavier numbers like Sympathetic Character from 1998's Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie.

At other times Morissette, considered one of the more potent young voices in rock today, strung a glittery guitar over her shoulder or blew into her trademark harmonica.

The show was the songstress's first and only Canadian concert date since releasing Under Rug Swept in February. She toured the U.S. and Europe all summer.

Thursday night's performance will be broadcast online through sympatico.ca on Dec. 15.

Morissette will play in Milwaukee on Friday and Chicago on Saturday. After that, she's expected to take some time off touring to work on new material (and likely spend time with her new beau, Vancouver actor Ryan Reynolds).