Touring with AFP

The Dresden Dolls had a whole slate of shows scheduled for 2025, but they were all canceled due to ... let's just call it Amanda's divorce situation.

The one show left on the docket was headlining a music festival in Austria on September 13th. Since they hadn't played together since the Roadrunner shows in early November '24 they decided to do an invitation-only warmup show in Brian's hometown of LA.

I have seen them do warmup / rehearsal shows in the past that were a bit of a hot mess. Lots of fun, no doubt, but messy nonetheless.

This was not that. At the Patreon meetup the night before Amanda had said that she and Brian had been rehearsing all day for two days, and it showed. The set was tight, the band was tight, and the show was nearly flawless.

They did a couple fun new covers, had a very surprise special guest, and - since they were prepping for a show in Austria - sang a couple songs in German!

All in all they headed off across the pond well prepared.

Annotated Set List:

Good Day (Brian on guitar to start)

Brian came to the front of the stage to address the crowd. "Ladies and gents, thank you so much for joining us tonight. Are you happy to be here?" <crowd roars> "It's been one year since we have played a show together, so we assumed that we ... must off the dust off."

Sex Changes

Gravity

My Alcoholic Friends

Brian: "Everyone got their singing voices ready? Even if you don't know the words they're pretty easy."

Amanda: "This is a break-up song!! I have a few."

Backstabber

Never Gonna Give You Up (Rick Astley cover) Brief excerpt, slow and in a minor key. <heavy foreshadowing> Missed Me

"So if you did not get the memo (and if you're at this show it's probably kind of hard that you didn't get the memo) but this is a warmup show because we have a show in a couple of days in Europe, so we wanted to do a warmup show and Brian lives here in beautiful Los Angeles." <cheers> "And a lot of our crew is here and a lot beautiful things came together to create this night of random awesomeness. Thank you so much for coming! And now - und jetzt - we are going to something that we have never done in America ever before: which is play you - because we have to fucking practice them - a couple of songs in German."

Eisbär (Polar Bear) (Grauzone cover)

Seeräuberjenny (Pirate Jenny) (from ‘The Threepenny Opera,’ music by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Bertolt Brecht, in the original German)

Bad Habit

The Doll People (Sophia Isella cover)

"That song was sent to me by like a hundred and sixty-eight people when it came out cuz we didn't actually write it. That song was written by Sofia Isella, who is an incredible young artist from, actually, your part of the world. FUCK that's a great song! And really fun and creepy to play!"

Amanda then announced that they would play one new song and turned to Brian and asked, "Whattaya wanna do?" Before he could answer multiple shouts of "The Runner" rang out from the crowd. The Runner

Science Fiction/Double Feature (from 'The Rocky Horror (Picture) Show' by Richard O'Brien, featuring his son, Linus O'Brien.)

Coin-Operated Boy 'Never Gonna Give You Up' wormed its way into the middle there somehow, so Amanda basically rickrolled us.

"We didn't make any merch for this show, but we did have our awesome painter friend Nikki McQueen make this beautiful poster just for tonight. And since we know none of you fucking paid to get in here ... buy this poster!"

War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover in honor of Ozzy Osbourne)

Half Jack Usually during the prolonged intro Amanda basically just keeps time on the piano while Brian improvises a lengthy drum solo. But tonight they actually had a bit of a musical conversation with Amanda playing a brief piano riff and then Brian responding on drums.

Girl Anachronism

(no encore)

Photo Gallery:

Pre-show shot of the venue reflected in my glasses. (by Betsy Cacchione)

The lighting was a bit dicey and since it was their first show in almost a year I wanted to stay in the moment, so I didn't take a lot of pix. And more of Brian than Amanda cuz he was in rare form.

When Amanda Palmer talks people listen.

This fuckin' guy.

The Dresden Dolls, ladies and gentlemen!

The Queen is crowned!

OMG her face!

Since November ‘22 the Dresden Dolls have been playing intimate shows in small, quirky venues, all the while assiduously avoiding their hometown of Boston. The time has come to make a triumphant return and they decided to do so in grand fashion. First, they picked a shiny new venue that just opened in 2022 and is the largest general admission music venue in New England with a capacity of 3500. Then they decided to invite not one, but two opening acts. Back in the day the Dolls were known for their stellar eclectic opening acts, but it’s been a minute since I saw them with an opener.

First up was Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards, all the way from OK City. The Poor Bastards are sort of a musical collective with a rotating cast of characters, centered around frontman piano player and songwriter Johnny Manchild. Known to perform with up to 6 members, tonight they presented a pared-down 3-piece lineup consisting of piano (and occasional guitar), bass, and drums. Upbeat, poppy rock driven by Johnny who plays piano in a style very reminiscent of our own Amanda Palmer. Overall a very enjoyable set and an excellent warm-up.

<We take you now to an alternate reality just a few timelines northwhen of here>

“Welcome back to Jeopardy! Franklin, you have control.”

“I’ll take ‘What’s That Sound’ for $500, Alex.”

“The answer is: The sound of pure, unmitigated joy.”

“What is Gogol Bordello?”

What, indeed, is Gogol Bordello? Take 3 parts Ukrainian folk music, add two parts Latin salsa, mix thoroughly, then press through a seasoned punk rock filter. Present with the energy of a squirrel on crack.

Like the Dresden Dolls, Gogol Bordello are a band that must be experienced live to fully understand. At any given time there is a rotating cast of from 6 to 9 people on stage, always in constant motion. Their music is raucous and bombastic and relentlessly uptempo. Frontman Eugene Hütz is a whirling dervish who basically dares the crowd to keep up with him. They played with the Dolls WAY back in the day, so this was a reunion of sorts. They definitely got the crowd pumped!

Due to the need to sound check three separate bands and the fact that Gogol (reportedly) slept in late the start of the show was delayed. Between the late start and the strict curfew the Dolls were a little more “by the book” than normal tonight. Still awesome, but more focused and less rambling. If there were any concerns about the Dolls’ ability to control a room this size they were quickly dispelled. The crowd bopped along frantically to the bangers and stood in rapt attention during the quiet songs. With the Dresden Dolls the whole is obviously greater than the sum of the parts, and they are clearly at the top of their game.

This was a hardcore romp through the old catalog with some hand-picked Boston-themed songs. Amanda’s intra-song banter was open and heartfelt, as usual, with just a bit of election angst thrown in for good measure. (#vote) Overall a triumphant homecoming indeed!

Annotated Set List:

Good Day (Brian on guitar to start)

Sex Changes

Backstabber

Gravity

Missed Me

Modern Moonlight

<brief excerpt of the theme from Cheers>

Pirate Jenny (from ‘The Threepenny Opera’ music by Kurt Weill, German lyrics by Bertolt Brecht, English translation by Amanda Palmer)

“It was our birthday yesterday! This band was born in Boston, not very far from here. This band was born 24 years and 18 hours ago on Northampton St. in the South End, technically actually Roxbury, but we would sort of lie. <gestures to Brian> This incredible human being! I had just moved basically into my first real apartment in Boston and wanted to start a band, because I figured I had to have a band. And I assumed that a band had to be comprised of four people. And I assumed that they would be men, because that’s pretty much all I saw around me. I mean, I would have done with anything, but I was like, Boston was teeming with musician dudes. And then this fucker walked into my Halloween party! … For the last couple of years we’ve just been playing little shows here and there and we’ve avoided our home town until tonight. It’s time!”

Whakanewha (pronounced Fuckin-A Fa) One of only two new songs tonight, this song was written during her exile in New Zealand during COVID and documents the end of Amanda’s marriage with just enough poetic license to avoid litigation. Hopefully.

Another Christmas (Brian on guitar; Amanda on jingle bells) The other new song, this was written after her return to the States and was inspired by a sign on a bridge intended to dissuade suicide jumpers. You know, Christmas!

Mein Herr (from ‘Cabaret’ by John Kander and Fred Ebb) (Brian on guitar)

“Oh! You. Should. Vote!

<in a sing-song voice> I’m not going to tell you who to vote for! There are FINE people on BOTH sides!

No actually you should vote for Kamala Harris.

I have all the respect in the world for all of the third parties right now, but fucking please. Please. Please. Please don’t make a single woman in America have to wake up on November 6th to the idea of Donald Trump having anything to do with her life.

On that note: This is the jazziest musical theater song ever written about abortion ever!”

Mandy Goes to Med School (Brian on guitar and drums to start) The prolonged improvisational jazz interludes injected into this song have become a highlight of the set for me. There was also a soupçon of ‘Careless Whisper’ by George Michael, which happens frequently, but not always.

Coin-Operated Boy Amanda teased Chappell Roan’s ‘Pink Pony Club’ before breaking into this one. (I hope they play ‘Hot to Go!’)

“I just moved home in August. I’M SO HAPPY. I fucking ran screaming from this town. It’s a long story. I never imagined in a gazillion years that I would run screaming back to Boston. But there you go; life is strange. … We’ve come up with what we’ve been referring to as the Boston Trilogy. And in order to do these songs justice we are going to bring some special guests onto the stage. So please welcome back to the stage all of the members of Johnny Manchild, and to help us out on the vocals of this song the beautiful, the beautiful, the beautiful Veronica Swift, ladies and gentlemen. … It’s about a haunted car.”

The Jeep Song Veronica brought an energy to the stage that was less singer and more aerobics instructor.

Massachusetts Avenue (Grand Theft Orchestra cover)

Boston

Half Jack I have said that they could play a set that was an hour-long version of Mandy Goes to Med School followed by an hour-long version of Half Jack and I’d be fine with it. I’m only half joking.

Girl Anachronism

— —

Truce

“So many people I know are so scared about what’s gonna happen next week. And, all I have to say is I don’t fucking know what to say any more but, we will be okay. I keep telling my son no matter what happens — no matter what happens — we definitely have a fight on our hands!”

Sing The members of Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards returned to the stage to help on this one from the start, but by the end the stage was full as Veronica Swift led a motley assemblage out for a full-throated rendition of the Greek chorus part at the end.

Photo Gallery:

Pre-show selfie with Nikki!

Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards

Eugene Hütz of Gogol Bordello

Mystery guests join Gogol for an encore. Who could they be?

Amanda, fully clothed, for Good Day

Well that didn’t last long

Whoa!

Brian Viglione!

Another Christmas

Mein Herr

Time to push some merch!

The Dresden Dolls!

Johnny Manchild and Veronica Swift join the fray for The Jeep Song

Half red, half blue, Half Jack

This meeting of the Dresden Dolls Mutual Appreciation Society will now come to order

The Queen is crowned

Sing!

If the prevailing emotion underpinning last night’s show was sad, tonight’s was definitely mad. That turned out to be a good thing for all concerned. Amanda released a good deal of anger in a productive fashion, and the crowd was treated to a high-octane performance for the ages.

There were shenanigans — particularly during Missed Me — the set list was shredded (always the hallmark of a great Dresden Dolls performance), and the songs were not so much performed as exorcised with face-melting intensity. If these shows were meant as a warm-up for their triumphant return to Boston next weekend I would say they are ready!

After the show Amanda somewhat sheepishly admitted that they had simply forgotten to do Coin-Operated Boy. It was on the set list; they just forgot to do it. She marveled that they could do a show that awesome without even playing their most popular song. “We’re not a one-hit wonder,” she concluded. I gave her a big hug and commiserated about her ongoing … family crisis, is how I believe she put it to Rey. “I wish there were something I could do to help,” I told her. “You’re doing it,” she replied. A number of us retired to a cabin in the woods for a bonfire to reflect on what we’d just witnessed. I went around the fire and asked each person what their favorite song had been and why. I was expecting some consensus, but everyone selected a different song - no two were the same! And the reasons given were all valid and strong; there was no “Aw c’mon you must be joking!” That’s how good a show it was.

Annotated Set List:

Good Day

Backstabber

Sex Changes

Gravity

My Alcoholic Friends

Missed Me Whenever Brian leaves his drum set during Missed Me you know shenanigans are afoot. He started out on all fours fetching a drumstick, and things just got weirder from there “Brian Viglione,” Amanda proclaimed afterwards, “as the dog, the magician with a rabbit in a hat, and the rabbit itself!” As you do.

The Kill

Mrs. O Lyrics modified slightly to There is no Hitler and no Donald Trump #vote

Pirate Jenny (Kurt Weill, music; Bertolt Brecht, lyrics - but lyrics translated from the original German by Amanda Fucking Palmer herself)

Whakanewha

“We have begun (sorry Crew!) to completely depart from the set list. We were so good last night! Dave has crumpled up his set list!” At this Brian led the crowd in a chant of “DAVE! DAVE! DAVE! DAVE!” in honor of their long-suffering sound guy. Another Christmas (Brian on guitar, Amanda on jingle bells)

Mein Herr (from ‘Cabaret’ by John Kander and Fred Ebb) (Brian on guitar)

Mandy Goes to Med School The prolonged jazzy interlude that they often do during this song was particularly prolonged, particularly jazzy, and heavy on the drums, almost approaching solo status.

<crew intros and thanks>

“There is one more person I would really like to thank. My favorite ever fucking in the world of eight billion years of doing shows I think my favorite security person ever: REY!” The band improvised some uptempo circus music while the crowd chanted “REY! REY! REY! REY!”

“Rey made me cry at the first show yesterday and I told the story last night, but you had to be here, which is why you should come to both.”

“We are now going to play you what we’ve been calling the Boston Trifecta. … We haven’t played shows in our hometown of Boston in like seven years, I think? It’s a little scary! And we thought that we would drag out like the most Bostony songs that we could possibly Bostony play. This is a song from the Dresden Dolls very very first album.”

The Jeep Song

“We were thinking of Boston songs and I was like oh FUUUUUUUCK! This is like the Bostonest Boston song and it is also basically the sequel to The Jeep Song. The Jeep Song is the song about the haunted ex car, and this is the ENTIRE STREET.”

Massachusetts Avenue (Grand Theft Orchestra cover)

Boston

Half Jack Typically the prolonged instrumental intro to Half Jack serves to build tension and anticipation. It’s improvisational, sure, but it’s more designed to set a tone than highlight the band’s musical chops. But tonight? Tonight Brian went OFF. It was essentially a prolonged drum solo during which Brian made his case for Best Drummer in the World. He generally shies away from this sort of naked display of massive talent, but tonight he was apparently all out of fucks and dared the crowd to keep up. It was breathtaking. Girl Anachronism They segued directly from Half Jack into Girl A without so much as a pause for breath. The result was chaotic frenzy. HERE was the manic energy that had been absent last night. This was a sonic firehose aimed directly at your ear holes. The crowd was left gasping for air, begging for mercy, and cheering for more all at the same time.

— —

Truce

Photo Gallery:

I attended my first Dresden Dolls show in August of 2004, so this year marks my 20th anniversary following Amanda. I got her a present to celebrate and gave it to her before the show.

Soundcheck! Those lights are really going to make it difficult to get good shots.

Shenanigans!

Due to a poor choice of location tonight most of my pix of Brian looked like this:

Still not quite clear on the concept of hats.

This is what happens when Brian sees me taking a picture of him.

Those fucking lights, man.

Up close and personal with Amanda Palmer

Shenanigans!

That’s a wrap!

Post show hug (photo by Michael McComiskey (probably))

Happy Birthday to MEEEEEeeeeeee!

Things got off to a festive birthday start as we were lined up before the show and the greatest venue security guy ever - Reynaldo Gayle, aka Rey - was going over the rules and warming up the crowd when someone told him it was my birthday, so he led the entire line in a rendition of “Happy Birthday to You!” Heavy foreshadowing.

Before we went in for soundcheck Michael McComiskey (Amanda’s man Friday and all-around stellar human being) handed me a copy of “All the Light We Cannot See” signed by Amanda for my birthday. We watched the mini series based on the book and it was awesome, so I’m really looking forward to reading it. Since the Dresden Dolls began performing together again in November of 2022 there has been a heavy emphasis on new material that they were workshopping and preparing for the new album. That album has been put on hold and so tonight the focus shifted not just to old material, but to some truly deep cuts from the vault. But this was more therapy session than nostalgia tour, as it was clear that Amanda was working through some things. Overall the performance was crisp and tight and thoroughly enjoyable, but lacked the manic energy that characterizes the Dolls at their best.

But then again … birthday shot! So …

Annotated Set List:

Science Fiction Double Feature (Richard O’Brien and Richard Hartley cover) The opening theme to The Rocky Horror Picture Show served as notice (warning?) that this would not be a normal night.

Sex Changes

Gravity

Coin-Operated Boy(!?) VERY early in the set for this one!

Backstabber

My Alcoholic Friends Midway through this song it is traditional for (Tour Manager) Jaron to bring two shots onstage for he and Amanda to do together. I have fantasized about being Amanda’s shot-delivery boy; that didn’t happen, but the next-best thing did! Jaron brought out two shots for him and Amanda, as usual, but Michael brought out two for him and … ME! Amanda said, “Happy Birthday, Tom!” and we all did our shots together. Happy Birthday indeed!

The Kill This is a deep cut that I haven’t heard them play in an age.

Missed Me

“It’s about to be time to vote. And it has come to our attention that there are a lot of people out there in the world with a lot of money who are going to very possibly influence this vote in one way or another and the most important thing as all of these things are happening around us and all of these wealthy people who own all of these newspapers and all of the space and the sky because any day now we are going to look up; we’re going to look up and we’re going to see the moon. And it’s either going to say ‘Google,’ or ‘Amazon.’ We wrote a song about this a long, long time ago so we’re going to play it for you!”

Modern Moonlight

Thirty Whacks

“Sometimes it takes going all the way to New Zealand and living there for a couple years to realize that Lizzie Borden really did have an effect on your childhood.”

Pierre (Carol King and Maurice Sendak cover)

Welcome to the Internet (Bo Burnham cover)

There were two children front and center and someone pointed them out to Amanda saying that they were 9 and 11. “Oh my god! My 9yo wanted to watch a movie tonight instead … and I don’t blame him. He did do an incredible interpretive dance to ‘Pierre’ during soundcheck. Full seven-minute interpretive kind of tacky, stretchy goth dance.”

Mein Herr (from ‘Cabaret’ by John Kander and Fred Ebb) (Brian on guitar)

“I wrote a lot of songs especially towards the very end of the time that I was living right here in this neighborhood in a house that at this point feels completely fucking haunted. And they’re ALL incredibly fucking sad songs. I wonder why? But this one’s actually like the least sad, I think. And it’s really sad. … I wanna say one last thing about Rey, our amazing security guard tonight. I’ve been crying a lot lately because of all sorts of things … I’ve cried a couple times today, but Rey made me cry. … He asked me, you know in that like casual way, ‘How are you doing?’ and I was like, ‘I don’t know. I’m not great. I’m pretty fucked up; I’m dealing with a whole family crisis.’ And he said, ‘Oh but that’s out there. Now you’re with your family.’”

Another Christmas (Brian on guitar; Amanda on jingle bells) This one hit with a little more emotional impact than usual tonight.

“This is a song, also from our second record, back before I learned how to write a powerful song about abortion in a non-sarcastic way. This was like 2.0, before we got to 4.0. You should VOTE.”

Mandy Goes to Med School This one included both a bit of Cab Calloway’s ‘Minnie the Moocher,’ and a brief excerpt from ‘Careless Whisper’ by George Michael tonight.

-crew thanks and merch commercial-

Amanda gave a big shout-out to Nikki McQueen, who has been designing amazing posters for the Dolls’ tours for the past couple years and was brought to the show from South Africa by a successful crowd-funding campaign.

The Jeep Song

Massachusetts Avenue (Grand Theft Orchestra cover)

“This is a break-up song, but it’s a really weird one because it’s about that time when you know the break-up’s gonna happen, but it hasn’t quite happened yet. And you’re still like luxuriating in the agony of ‘We’re still fucking’ but it’s over.”

Boston

Half Jack The extended instrumental intro to this one started with Brian solo on the drums for quite a while before Amanda joined in on piano. It was effective at building tension and anticipation. — — Girl Anachronism

Sing (Brian on guitar to start)

Photo Gallery:

Before the show Michael delivered a birthday present from Amanda!

Soundcheck!

Just point a camera at Brian Viglione and you will get something good.

BIRTHDAY SHOT! (photos by Melissa Smith)

Amanda doesn’t have a thousand-yard stare. Not at all.

Blue period.

The Dresden Dolls!

Mein Herr (upper right photo by Deanna Aliano)

Another Christmas (photo by Deanna Aliano)

Good night, Bearsville!

In a final act of birthday kindness Michael hand-delivered the set list to me after the show. They followed it closely for the most part, but veered off toward the end, as is tradition.

At the pre-show Patreon meet-up I told Amanda about Melissa’s theory that if the crowd sings along to Weezer before the show it will be a good crowd. Amanda said they should do that on purpose and put good sing-along songs on the pre-show playlist. She crowd-sourced suggestions, and one of the first was ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen.

“Would people really sing along to that?” She asked. “YES!!!” was the incredulous response (I actually almost thought she was joking at first).

At the show the playlist proceeded as normal. Weezer came and went with nary a peep from the crowd. We were worried. And then it happened. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ came on and the entire place erupted in song. It was so enthusiastic that the crowd actually applauded themselves at the end. This segued directly into The Doors’ cover of ‘Alabama Song’ — originally by the Dolls’ patron saints: Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill — which is the song they take the stage to. Needless to say, the crowd was pumped. This show was being livestreamed by a professional company, and the presence of multiple cameras added to the theatricality of both the band and the crowd. It was high energy, with plenty of extra flourishes, but with a few minor hiccups that allowed the band to showcase their adaptability. In my humble opinion this is the recipe for a perfect Dresden Dolls show!

Annotated Set List:

Good Day

Sex Changes

Gravity

My Alcoholic Friends

Amanda paused to explain the livestream, say hello to the folks watching online, and give a shoutout to Headcount, who were on site registering people to vote. “We’re really thinking about singing our lungs out this evening, whattaya say?” was Brian’s response. <cheers>

“This is a song about my ex-boyfriend!” Amanda exclaimed, by way of introduction. Backstabber Missed Me

Mrs. O

Astronaut (A Brief History of Nearly Nothing) (Amanda Palmer cover)

Brian: <texting … on a banana> Amanda: Brian are you texting? Don’t text at the show. Put that banana away. Brian: <turns back, continues texting … on a banana> Amanda: There’s no texting in Punk Cabaret. Brian: <skewers banana on the high hat, then spins it so it travels all the way down to the cymbal, leaving a trail of banana slime> Amanda: Ooooh! It’s a symbol! Crowd: <laughs> Brian: <ba-dum CHING!> Amanda: I’m serious. Put the banana away. Brian: <throws banana over shoulder> Amanda: Um … welcome to our show! So here’s the weird thing about the Dresden Dolls: We’re a very … silly band. Brian: Yeah we’re just getting to the weird part.

“We booked these shows for a purpose,” Amanda explained, “and then we decided to stream because this is the last show we’re playing this spring. We don’t have another show until late October, so we are going to completely fuck you up tonight.”

<cheers>

Welcome to the Internet (Bo Burnham cover)

Mister God

Houdini

“I wrote some really sad songs in New Zealand and I didn’t think that any of them would be Dresden Dolls songs cuz they were like … they were just fucking long, piano-y, cathartic ‘fuck my life’ songs. But this one made the cut.”

Whakenewha (pronounced Fuckin-A Fa)

Amsterdam (Jacques Brel cover) (Brian on guitar, Amanda in the balcony, with a fan)

“Is it possible that anyone was at our very first gig at IOTA in Washington, DC in like 2002, I think?”

It was, in fact, possible.

Pirate Jenny (Bertolt Brecht, lyrics; Kurt Weill music)

- Housekeeping -

They tried to start the next song, but the keyboard had lost power. While Jaron was fixing it Amanda told a story.

“I’ve had two or three people come up to me in the last few months at shows and tell me something with tears in their eyes that has brought tears to my eyes for real, which is like, someone would clasp my hands in their hands and say, ‘I just have to tell you I was raised in a punishing born-again Christian family and the Dresden Dolls were my first secular band.’ And I’m like, ‘EXCELLENT!’ What a good first secular band to have! And anyway, if you believe in Jesus kind of so do I; he was just like, ‘Be nice.’”

Mandy Goes to Med School (Brian on guitar and drums to start) There are three embellishments that occasionally get added to this song: a jazzy piano interlude, Brian leading the crowd in the ‘hi de ho’ chant from Cab Calloway’s ‘Minnie the Moocher,’ and an excerpt from ‘Careless Whisper’ by Wham! Often they just play it straight with none of these, but they occasionally add one or the other for a little spice. Tonight, after the abortive start, they did all three and it was sumptuous. Coin-Operated Boy Amanda riffed on the Jaws theme, then teased Girl A, before breaking into the song.

War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)

Girl Anachronism As she had the first night in Philly, Amanda started with a little ‘Call to the Post’ before hitting the afterburners.

— —

As the band returned to the stage I said, “They’d better do ‘Sing’ because I’m not sure I can survive anything else.”

Sing (Brian on guitar to start) Thank god!

After the show Amanda came out for the traditional Patreon group photo. I was just coming up from the basement bar with a drink and didn’t really know what was going on. I was trying to make my way through the crowd when I looked up to see Amanda towering over me. And then she just start falling forward. I put one hand in the middle of her stomach, but I had a drink in my other hand. She did a sort of flip and landed with her head on my left shoulder, spilling my drink all over me in the process. “You’re an asshole,” I said.

“So are you,” she replied. “That’s why we get along so well!” I said.

Photo Gallery:

In My Mind at the Patreon meetup.

Pre-show front row selfie (by Scott Hanes)

The most expressive drummer in the world!

Brian lends a helping hand.

Just … don’t ask.

A silly band indeed.

Amsterdam

Amanda comes to the front of the stage to talk to a fan who was present at the first Dolls show in DC in 2002.

Brian channels his inner Vanna White.

That’s some serious side-eye!

Amanda has serious hattitude

The Dresden Dolls introduce their new drummer: Cousin It!

War Pigs!

That’s a wrap!

Betsy gives Amanda a shoulder massage after the show.

Post-show selfie with Amanda and Michael (by Scott Hanes)

After party! (by Betsy Cacchione)

My friend Melissa, who has actually been to more shows this year than I have, had developed a theory. They have been playing the same playlist before all of the recent shows, and if the crowd sings along to ‘Say It Ain’t So’ by Weezer then it will be a good crowd. Tonight they not only sang along to Weezer, but just kept going and sang along to ‘I Wanna Be Sedated,’ by The Ramones and ‘The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1’ by Neutral Milk Hotel. We all looked at each other and were like Holy shit this is gonna be a good crowd! We were right. The band … went through some things this night, but the crowd caught them and supported them and prevented the wheels from coming off completely.

Since the Dolls reunited in November ‘22 a familiar pattern has emerged: torch through 6 or 8 old favorites without pausing for breath, a lengthy pause to check in with the audience, talk about the new album, and mentally brace for the new songs, play a string of new songs, then close with a few familiar bangers. That pattern, for reasons both technical and thermal, went out the window tonight. At the Patreon meetup in Philly I said that Amanda had “powerful songs rampaging through her soul and if she doesn’t release them they will destroy her.” This show was sort of the embodiment of that. It felt like she wasn't so much performing songs as exorcising demons. She was definitely going through … something.

According to tour manager Jaron (and later confirmed by Amanda) this was due, at least in part, to it being cold on stage. So maybe don't perform in just a bra? As Anthony used to say: There is no bad weather, just poor clothing choices.

When I made this comment to Amanda at the Patreon meetup on the 15th she said it’s not so much about her body temperature, but more about the effect of cold air on her throat, which seems fair.

Anyway, the set list was ignored, the energy was manic, the crowd was wild, and the overall experience was sublime.

Annotated Set List:

Good Day (Brian on guitar to start)

Sex Changes

There was a pause in the set uncharacteristically early due to Brian having an unspecified technical issue. Brian made a sort of Hamburglar noise and Amanda asked, “Fucking are you okay? What? What? What? What? WHAT?” and then said “Hold on!” in a sing-song voice and went over to the drums. Brian inaudibly explained the situation, causing her to exclaim, “Weird!” I yelled out, “It happens!” And Amanda replied, “It happens … to other bands too!” Soon enough Brian yelled, “Sorry!” and we were back at it. Gravity

Amanda started with a tinkly intro reminiscent of Trout Heart Replica, then teased Girl A before finally breaking into …

My Alcoholic Friends

Backstabber

Missed Me Amanda: How is everybody feeling? Crowd: <roars> Amanda: This is good. How’s everybody up in the balcony? Balcony: <roars> Amanda: How’s everybody down on the floor? Floor: <roars> Amanda: Balcony. Balcony: <roars> Brian: FLOOR! Floor: <roars> Brian <points stage left>: How are the two people in the VIP balcony? VIP balcony: yay? Crowd: <laughs> Brian: Floor! Floor: <roars> Amanda <in a high-pitched voice>: The balcony in the back! The little balcony! Hi guys! Little balcony: <tiny roar> Amanda: What the fuck? Brian: Isn’t this FUN? Crowd: <roars> Brian: Chaos on stage here. Cats and dogs, living together. Amanda: Cats and dogs, living together, mass hysteria. Fucking what even is … the Earth? What even is this city? What is time? I don’t know; we’ve stopped trying to figure out; the solution is just … music. The end! End of story! We literally are embodying the deck chairs on the Titanic here, it’s us. And we look FABULOUS!

While scanning the crowd for young people Amanda found 6yo Eliot in the balcony. “Eliot, we’re gonna be swearing a lot tonight. … My son is 8; his name is Ash. And I’ll tell you what I tell my son Ash about swearing … (because Mommy swears a lot): The rule in our house about swearing is that swearing is like a tool. It’s like a knife or anything else that you can use for good things or bad things. … And joyful swearing, or swearing for emphasis is totally allowed and even encouraged. But we are not allowed to swear if it is mean or hurtful to someone else.”

Welcome to the Internet (Bo Burnham cover)

Amanda <looks at Brian> What do you wanna do? Brian: Pirate Jenny. Amanda: Alright!

Pirate Jenny (Lyrics by Bertolt Brecht, music by Kurt Weill) While introducing the song Brian reiterated that they are planning to put it on the record, so that seems to be happening.

Amanda went over to the drums and said something to Brian, whose response was a genuinely shocked, “NOW!?!??!?” Yes, now.

War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)

Modern Moonlight Girl Anachronism Mister God

Houdini

Boyfriend in a Coma

Whakanewha

The Runner Before the song Amanda remembered to exhort the crowd not to record the new songs, or at least to listen to them in private and not post them to the internet. A woman in the crowd yelled out, “I promise I won’t touch myself!” “You can touch yourself,” Amanda replied. “Why would I want you to not touch yourself? If anyone records these songs and goes home and masterbates to them (sorry Eliot!) I will give you extra points.”

The Nail (Amanda on synth) The normally reverberating bass was toned down a bit tonight.

Bad Habit

Half Jack

Photo Gallery:

I am very mature. (by Scott Hanes)

Good Day

The Dresden Dolls are a very expressive band!

Uh … you okay over there?

Brian is having a moment. With his hat.

Shenanigins!

The best drummer. IN HELL!!!!!!!

Half Jack

Before the show there was a Patreon meet-up at RUBA, an eclectic event venue that was an easy walk from Union Transfer. Amanda played In My Mind, and Gaga, Palmer, Madonna on the ukulele, explaining that she had recently relearned the latter for a fundraising party for MIT Press, with whom she is contemplating collaborating on a new book. She talked about how she was absolutely furious when she went on stage last night, without specifying why. But she said she had wanted to play Truce because playing it while angry is “pure catharsis.” In the event they did not play Truce at either show, and speculation on how Truce was or was not related to the source of her fury is left as an exercise for the reader. She then settled in to answer questions from the crowd, and I raised my hand to utter perhaps the most cringe-inducing sentence in the English language: “I don’t have a question, but I have something to share.”

Since the bulk of our relationship consists of trading snarky barbs, you could almost see Amanda mentally bracing for what was to come.

I said, “Last night on stage you talked about how songs could be a kind of curse, and it reminded me of the first thing I ever wrote about you. This would have been in 2004 before I had ever met or talked to you, so it’s basically my first impression based solely on your performance.”

Amanda: <significantly more mental bracing>

Me: Here’s what I said: Amanda Palmer does not sing for money, and she does not sing for your entertainment. Amanda Palmer sings in self defense because there are powerful songs rampaging through her soul and if she doesn’t release them they will destroy her. Amanda: …

Me: And so … I see you.

Amanda: …

Me: …

Amanda: …

Me: …

Amanda: …

Me: OH MY GOD I SHUT YOU UP!

Amanda: <very softly> It was the ‘self defense’ part that got me.

——

We actually beat Amanda to the venue and were already lined up when she arrived for sound check. She came over to me and said, “The guy who shut me up!” and gave me a fist-bump.

I said, “I was hoping for a ‘Fuck you, Tom.’” (The coveted ‘Fuck you, Tom’ is the highest achievement award in my interactions with Amanda.)

“No!” she replied. “I was too sad.”

The show on Friday was definitely a good, solid show. While discussing the difficulty of comparing the quality of different shows my friend Cam, another frequent attendee of multiple shows, put it very succinctly: “Did I ever tell you about the worst Dresden Dolls show I ever saw? It was pretty good!” So really, nothing bad to say about the Friday show. But the Saturday show was simply on another level.

The band was tighter - think Friday: dress rehearsal, Saturday: opening night.

The crowd was more animated and responsive. Everything just clicked. It was an absolute thing of beauty to behold. After the show we were at the end of the signing line and so got to spend a bit more time with Amanda than we normally would have. The main topics of conversation were the incredible energy from both the band and the crowd, and the immeasurable fuckability of Andy Pettitte twenty years ago, which was the source of major bonding between Amanda and my friend Nikki.

I told Amanda it was an amazing show and that during the gobsmacking intro to Half Jack I literally started laughing out loud. Not because anything was funny, but because I was just So. Fucking. Happy.

She said, “Awww! I fucking love you!” And melted into my arms for a big hug. It was no ‘Fuck you, Tom,’ but it will do in a pinch.

Annotated Set List:

Good Day (Brian on guitar to start)

Gravity

Sex Changes

Backstabber

My Alcoholic Friends

Missed Me

Ultima Esperanza

Welcome to the Internet (Bo Burnham cover) “This song is by a fellow Masshole, and I take a lot of pride in that.”

Pirate Jenny This song from The Threepenny Opera (lyrics by Bertolt Brecht, music by Kurt Weill) has been sort of a deep-cut favorite of both fans and the band forever (take a look at Amanda’s keyboard). Though they play it infrequently, it was actually in Amanda’s solo set before the Dresden Dolls were even formed. The bombshell revelation this night was that they are actually considering putting it on the record! After playing it Amanda said, “That song was written over a hundred years ago. Can you imagine a band in 1960 being like ‘We got one from 1860!!’? But actually, yes, olde timey songs, freaky songs: this is like our folk lineage. The weird, dark theater weirdos of the 20s.”

Delilah (featuring Veronica Swift)

This was the demarcation line between the old, familiar songs, and the new songs.

Brian said, “Amanda always gets very nervous at this portion of the show, and I always get very excited.”

“I get excited!” Amanda exclaimed, in a squeaky Mickey Mouse voice. “However,” Brian continued, “this is the exciting moment, which we have not gotten to experience in a very long time, which is the crucial fundamental building block of what the Dresden Dolls are about, which is diving into the unknown. … No more important thing or person or friend have I found in my life that so matched the dreams and hopes and desires and fire and piss and vinegar inside me that wanted to get out in one fucking place.”

I honestly didn’t know Brian could talk that much.

Houdini

Mister God I love this song, but picking up the rapid-fire lyrics, even after hearing it many times, has proven difficult. But, obviously, it’s only real if Mister God says. Boyfriend in a Coma

Whakenewha

“What songs are worth writing? And what songs are worth throwing away? Songs are weird. And I kinda don’t want to be the person writing these songs. I wanna be like, a mature person. But then I think, like, ‘Wait a second … you ARE a mature person. Because, these are the songs that are coming and you’re writing them even though they are scary.’ And here this one’s my favorite.”

The Runner

The Nail (Amanda on synth) They had barely started when there was some sort of medical emergency in the crowd. The band stopped, the lights came up, and Jaron and the venue staff dealt with it quickly and efficiently. Amanda said, “It can be super awkward at a rock show when nothing is happening, but when that happens just like nothing should happen. So just like … wait.”

Bad Habit Amanda said this was going out by request to someone she met this afternoon, making it the most requested DD song in Philly!

- Housekeeping -

Including dad hats (which turned out to be a big seller), and an exhortation to register and vote, and a request to join the mailing list. Amanda finished by saying, “You should also floss and hydrate.”)

Coin-Operated Boy

Half Jack The prolonged intro was one of the best I’ve heard them do. They were both just exploring, quasi-independently, but never losing track of what the other was doing. It is frequently said that Brian is the best drummer in the world (and not just by me!) and it is instances like this where that is proven. It was compelling and engrossing and could have gone on for another 15 minutes as far as I’m concerned.

Girl Anachronism If this show were a sentence then Girl A would be the exclamation point at the end. Holy crap.

— —

“Okay we’re gonna play one last song that we didn’t play last night. This is another old favorite of ours. … Thank you for being an incredible fucking audience tonight. No shade if you were here last night, but fucking thank you for bringing it so hard tonight.”

Sing (featuring Veronica Swift) Veronica led the crowd in the Greek chorus part at the end, not that they needed much prompting; everyone was in full voice (except that kid in the back with the phone). At the very end of the night Amanda invited Veronica to join them in their final bows, a gesture that seemed to genuinely surprise and humble her. A beautiful end to a fantastic show!

Photo Gallery:

I didn’t take as many pictures tonight as usual because, frankly, I was too absorbed in the performance.

Amanda playing In My Mind at the pre-show Patreon meet-up.

Amanda Palmer …

… and Brian Viglione …

… The Dresden Dolls!

Veronica Swift joins on Delilah

Amanda models their new merch … a dad hat! I guess it worked because they sold out of them.

Amanda entreated everyone to join the mailing list by texting “dolls” to 55444. As an enticement for people to take out their phones the Dolls came to the front of the stage and … well … see for yourself. (video by Deanna Aliano)

At the top of the show Amanda announced that she was having a very bad day and then proceeded to take out her frustrations during the performance, which was tinged throughout with angry undertones. The result was a show that was very high energy, but with some imperfections and tattered edges. As you’ll recall from my deriding the Portland show last December as “too perfect,” this is my preferred type of Dresden Dolls show. Like a high-wire artist who seems about to plummet to their death at any moment, but never does. Chef’s kiss!

Annotated Set List:

Good Day (Brian on guitar to start)

Gravity

Missed Me

Sex Changes

Backstabber

My Alcoholic Friends

During the lull between songs a woman in the audience yelled out “Hi!”

Amanda replied, “I’m too sad to talk … Let’s play the most ridiculous song we’ve ever learned, shall we?”

At this point an entire sketch ensued with Brian pretending to type on a laptop, then text on a phone, all the while being chastised by Amanda (been there, buddy!). “No texting. No typing. No communicating with anyone but MEee!”

Welcome to the Internet (Bo Burnham cover)

Ultima Esperanza

Amanda: “You know, the longer I do this fucking job the more I wonder if I need this more than you do. I’m just lucky cuz I get paid.”

Brian: “You would do this if you DIDN’T get paid.”

Amanda: “I would still do this if I didn’t get paid.

Delilah (featuring Veronica Swift)

Amanda: “We’re working on a new record. We might only ever play it tonight. And start working on it again next month with a new batch of songs. Cuz we’ve now done that twice.”

Brian: “YEP!”

Amanda: “I’m not joking.”

Mister God

Veronica Swift appeared next to me and said, “I never get to see the show from here.” She hung out and danced with us for a bit.

Houdini

While talking about getting stuck in New Zealand during COVID Amanda mentioned Philadelphia-based photographer Kyle Cassidy, who was the principal photographer for the Who Killed Amanda Palmer book, and was in attendance. She said that Kyle had created a book of photos of front-line nurses during COVID. “It’s like one of the most stunning and heartbreaking things I’ve ever seen, and no one wants to publish it. Because no one wants to see pictures of COVID right now; everyone’s still fucked as far as I’m concerned.”

Whakenewha

Another Christmas

Amsterdam (Jacques Brel cover) Amanda headed up to the balcony and Brian came out front with his guitar, as is tradition.

Mandy Goes to Med School (Brian on guitar to star) They were very playful with this one tonight, which was fun. “Sometimes I feel like songs can be kind of curse. Sometimes art can be kind of a curse. Like having a gift - like being a really gifted musician - you kinda can’t not do it, or you feel like you’re wasting your time. … This is the song that I’m proudest of. I think this is the song that scares the shit out of me the most. Which probably means it’s good.”

The Runner In the final verse she replaced “a lover,” with “the lover,” indicating that it was the same person from the first verse (which is true). This subtle change made the song even more powerful.

The Nail (Amanda on synth)

Mrs. O - ABORT! They had not made it through the intro when Amanda stopped and said the tempo was too fast. Brian asked if she wanted to start over from the beginning, but Amanda said they should take a request. It had recently been announced that The University of the Arts, a Philadelphia institution, was closing down. There were several people in the audience who were enrolled and were basically left holding the bag. So Amanda asked for a request from Ginger, one of the students impacted, and the result was …

Bad Habit The band hadn’t played this one in months, but Amanda adopted a “Fuck it” attitude and powered through with no regard to flubs and forgotten lyrics. This is my favorite Dresden Dolls mode!

Coin-Operated Boy After the line “I can even fuck him in the ass” Amanda yelled out, “Happy Pride!”

War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)

——

Girl Anachronism Things started innocently enough with a tinkling piano version of ‘Call to the Post,’ the traditional bugle call used before a horse race, but soon enough the traditional count of “One! Two! ONE TWO FUCK YOU!!” was bellowed and we were truly off to the races.

Afterwards someone in the crowd asked if Amanda’s night was going better now and the answer was a resounding YES!

Photo Gallery:

Amanda Palmer

Brian Viglione. I like how the lower right image captures Brian’s power and kinetic energy.

Veronica Swift on Delilah.

Another Christmas

Amsterdam

Best drummer in the world!

As I was about to board my flight from Portland down to Oakland who should run up - after boarding was well in progress - but Amanda Fucking Palmer herself, with a large bag from Powell’s Books over her shoulder, which is so on-brand it’s not even funny. The whole crew was on the same flight with me. Cosmic coincidences.

The inimitable Kat Robichaud dominated as Mistress of Ceremonies, and she brought along some friends from the Misfit Cabaret, so this promised to be a great night from the start.

Kat kicked things off with her original song Charade, then The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence provided a series of short, pithy blessings for the new year that managed to be funny, touching, and queer in equal measure.

Snatch Adams did an amazing burlesque routine involving a leaf blower and a giant balloon that she somehow got completely inside … and then removed her clothes.

Another original from Kat, and an extremely sexy dance from Aurora Rose, and it was time for the Dresden Dolls.

In 2017 Amanda did an NYE show a week after having a miscarriage and barely made it through the show. This show was similarly performed amidst some personal tragedy. Amanda had just learned that a good friend from New Zealand - whom she was actually en route to go visit - had died suddenly and tragically. And the longtime landlord / den mother of the artist collective Cloud Club, where Amanda “grew up” as an artist, was in hospice on his death bed (he passed early on the 2nd). While she did talk about this a little on stage for the most part she just powered through and delivered a killer show.

My favorite way to ring in the new year is with Amanda and/or the Dolls, and this show went a long way towards explaining why. Flamboyantly talented people providing astounding spectacle; who could ask for anything more? Halfway through the show my friend Nikki turned to me and said, “I can’t imagine being happier than I am right now!” I couldn’t agree more.

Annotated Set List:

Good Day (Brian on guitar to start)

Sex Changes

Gravity

Modern Moonlight

My Alcoholic Friends

Shores of California

Welcome to the Internet (Bo Burnham cover) - Before this song Amanda often asks, “Are there any young people in the audience?” and she typically chooses one to serenade during the ‘Waiting for YOOOOOU!’ bridge. Tonight this turned into a bit of a bidding war in which we started at 18 and worked our way down to 5. At one point Brian became an auctioneer, “I’ve got 16 here do I hear 15? 14! 14 going once, can I get … 13 over here!”

Mandy Goes to Med School

Amanda said she wanted to repeat the collective primal scream they had done last NYE, and while that’s true the tradition actually started at the very first solo show Amanda did in the States post COVID in August of ‘22.

“Close your eyes, and on the count of three I would like you to scream as loudly as possible to release the good, the bad, the ugly, the better, the unfulfilled, the loneliness, the whatever you fucking went through last year it’s now gone and you’ve got about an hour to sit with it if you wanna be sad or happy and then it’s all gonna go away and we’re gonna go into 2024 into a bucket of unicorn dreams!”

PRIMAL SCREAM!!

Mister God

Amanda said that she and Whitney had come up with a working title for the new Dresden Dolls album: Downer Bangers (“That was my nickname in high school!” quipped Nikki.)

“I found out this morning that a really good friend of mine from New Zealand just died really suddenly and tragically, and I’m in the middle of losing someone else in my life, and it’s just one of those days where you’re like, ‘This is happening, and I still have to play a show.’ This has happened to me enough that I know how to do it, but I’ve gotta tell you that it’s still really weird to get up in front of everybody while I’m going through what I’m going through. And here’s the great thing about being in the Dresden Dolls: I have a song for that! So I’m gonna play it.”

Houdini

Another Christmas (Brian on guitar, Amanda on jingle bells)

Amsterdam (Jacques Brel cover) (Brian on guitar, Amanda on beer) - At the beginning of the second stanza Amanda lost track of the lyrics. “In the port of Amsterdam, there’s a sailor who … ”

“Dies!” I helpfully yelled

“Dies … sorry, Tom.”

Hey don’t apologize to me; I live for this shit!

Missed Me - Brian has taken to really going all out on this one, often performing entire melodramatic vignettes. Tonight he just … left. Got up, left the stage, disappeared. He has played with briefly “leaving” during this song, but this time he was just gone. And Amanda had no idea what was going on. She was talking to the crowd - he’s really gone, I’m all alone, what do I do? sort of thing - when a large, potted plant crept up behind her. As Brian was creeping about the stage hiding behind the plant like a cartoon villain Amanda said, “This is the same guy who during soundcheck was like, ‘Let’s keep the intro really short.’” The antics went on so long that Amanda got flustered and got confused about where they were in the song. She looked at me and asked, “Is this right?” I gave her a big thumbs up.

Backstabber

Astronaut (A Brief History of Nearly Nothing) (Amanda Palmer cover)

Mrs. O - Quick restart after Amanda thought she detected a medical issue in the crowd, something that happened at both the LA and SD shows earlier in the month. It was a false alarm, and the band played on.

Delilah (featuring Kat Robichaud AND Whitney Moses (the OG!)) - Double Delilahs for double the pathos. Before starting Amanda entreated the crowd to sing along. “I want you to sing this song tonight for someone who needs it. And that someone might be you.”

Sing - Amanda was keeping one eye on the clock and the tempo on this one was a bit faster than normal so they could get it in before …

MIDNIGHT! Balloon drop! General pandemonium!

(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) (Beastie Boys cover) - Everyone on stage!

Coin-Operated Boy

War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)

——

Girl Anachronism

Photo Gallery: Preshow family portrait.

Destiney performed as a living statue before the show.

Snatch Adams, ladies and gentlemen.

The Dresden Dolls!

Welcome to the Internet

Another Christmas

Amsterdam!

Sometimes you just can’t see the drummer through the trees.

Dual Delilahs!

MIDNIGHT!!!

Submitted without comment.

Good night!

Traditional selfie with Whitney Moses and post-show family selfie featuring Michael!

Before the show there was a Patreon meetup at Mary’s Club, a progressive, feminist strip club. I walked in - wearing my traditional tails, bow tie, and bowler hat - to an enthusiastic young lady stripping to Coin-Operated Boy.

We were then regaled with strip routines to Map of Tasmania, Runs in the Family, and Girl Anachronism. At one point a stripper borrowed my bowler and did some very … interesting things with it. If that hat could talk, let me tell you.

Amanda arrived and performed an In My Mind singalong while the wonderful Cooper Lynn Hays performed a striptease on stage next to her, which was every bit as surreal and amazing as it sounds. One highlight was Amanda fucking up the lyrics ‘Never fucking up anything,’ which was deliciously meta. Another highlight was the tits.

Cooper told the story of how she was a country singer living in Nashville who was trying to start a burlesque outfit but found the men of Nashville to be horrible and misogynistic. She accompanied a friend to Amanda’s There Will Be No Intermission show on a whim, balled her eyes out, and met Amanda after the show and asked her how she could succeed in her burlesque ambitions amongst all the horrible men. Amanda told her, “This story isn’t about them. You don’t need them. This is your story.” And so, in a move that she described as “life changing,” she picked up and moved to Portland and is now living her best life.

She didn’t know Amanda was coming today and wasn’t even supposed to be working. Amanda had no idea about the story or the impact she had on Cooper. But, in the sort of cosmic coincidence that the universe tends to manifest around Amanda, they ended up performing on stage together.

So THAT happened.

As amazing as last night was, this show was even more fun. They were still polished and professional, but added a lot more experimental and/or improvisational flourishes. They also mixed up the set list quite a bit, which is always fun and interesting.

Annotated Set List:

Backstabber

Good Day (Brian on guitar to start)

Gravity

My Alcoholic Friends - Amanda did a short, playful piano intro that briefly teased Girl Anachronism. Bait and switch!

Ultima Esperanza - an old fave of mine that they don’t play very often these days

Welcome to the Internet (Bo Burnham cover)

Mandy Goes to Med School (Brian on guitar and drum foot pedals to start, before shifting to drums) - Amanda added a nice “soft jazz” improvisational piano interlude in the middle.

Mrs. O - Another nice tinkling improvised intro

Amanda: “I have a question.”

Random girl in the crowd: “VAGINA!”

Amanda: “Who was … did you just say vagina? Just because? Sometimes … you should do that. Tonight’s the right time and place to do that. There’s other shows you go to where don’t … don’t do that.” Solid advice.

She then took a poll of who was at the show last night and who had never seen the Dresden Dolls before.

“Oh wow! That’s why it feels different. There’s a lot of Dresden Dolls virgins in the audience tonight. It feels different from last night. It feels like, um - it’s not BAD! - it’s not bad, but I can tell some of you are like ‘Oh this is … different.’ Different from most rock shows. We’re a weird fucking band!” #truth

Mister God

Houdini

Whakenewha

Boyfriend in a Coma - By way of introduction Amanda started with the bridge to “Live to Tell” by Madonna before segueing into the song. It worked.

Amsterdam (Jacques Brel cover) (Brian on guitar)

Another Christmas (Brian on guitar, Amanda on jingle bells … eventually) - Amanda said that this was only the second original Dresden Dolls song ever written for guitar, the first being “A Night at the Roses.” When Amanda failed to pick up the jingle bells at the usual point Brian tried to hand them to her. She stopped and said she was going to wait for the bridge. Brian said ya gotta do the bells and then led the crowd in a chant of “BELLS! BELLS! BELLS! BELLS!” Until she relented. But she hung her head and said, “Well now it feels silly.” And there it was, ladies and gentlemen, the soupçon of chaos that was missing last night. The minor flaw that makes the diamond unique and more valuable.

The Runner - This one is really growing on me.

The Nail

Sex Changes

Coin-Operated Boy

Merch commercial

(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) (Beastie Boys cover featuring Tilley Komorny on bass, Brian on guitar, and Amanda on drums) - I just realized that I always carefully point out what instruments everyone is playing but never mention BRIAN ON VOCALS!

Half Jack - Wonderful, long, tension-building intro.

——

Sing (Brian on guitar to start, Tilley on bass)

Girl Anachronism

Photo Gallery:

The scene of the crime.

Ready to rock!

Amanda Palmer …

… and Brian Viglione …

… the Dresden Dolls!

Amsterdam!

Another sad, depressing, goth Christmas

I’ve got drumsticks and I’m not afraid to use them!

Best drummer in the world?

Submitted without comment.

Fight for your right!

Just sing.

That’s a wrap!

Brian came out for a little crowd work after.

A flawless show. Or should I say aNOTHER flawless show because, as you’ll recall, I declared the previous show in San Diego to be perfect. If I had one note it would be “Too perfect.”

Let me explain.

A little over a year ago we entered the venue to find Amanda’s young son Ash on stage in a cardboard box that had been transformed into a television by the magic of childhood. It was goofy and adorable and delightful.

Right now Ash is a bundle of manic unpredictable chaos. But over the next decade or so he will slowly mature, figure out who he is, find his way in the world, and become an amazing man. Amanda will love and cherish every step along the way and when he is finally released into the wild she will be filled with admiration for who he has become and giddy anticipation for what he will achieve.

And that will be beautiful, but in the back of her mind she will think, ‘I kind of miss the kid in the cardboard box.’ A parent’s pride and joy over the development and accomplishments of their grown children is always tinged with a wistful nostalgia for the little kid that they will never be again. It is the inevitable gift / curse of parenthood.

At those first Colony shows in November ‘22 the Dresden Dolls were a kid in a cardboard box. Over the ensuing 13 months they have played an almost continual string of shows, often in three-night stands. Over that run of shows they have developed new material, yes, (the new songs become crisper and cleaner by the show) but their connection has also become stronger and their musicianship is approaching virtuoso levels.

It has been my pleasure and privilege to witness this transformation firsthand. I have been following this band since 2004 and I can honestly say that the band is better right now than it has ever been. We are living through peak Dresden Dolls, and I am totally here for it. The tour for the new record is going to unmissable and amazing.

And yet.

I still sort of miss the kid in the cardboard box.

Those early shows were more intimate not just in the sense of smaller venues. They felt like the band was rehearsing in their living room and had invited a few friends over to hang out while they did. The flubs and gaffes were all okay because it was just us friends.

These new shows are “better” by almost any objective metric, but they feel different; more polished, more professional. That is by no means a complaint; at the end of this show I needed help lifting my jaw off the floor. It was a thing of beauty and absolutely wonderful to behold.

But we’re still here and we’re still friends(ish), and any flubs or gaffes will still be not just excused but embraced and enjoyed. There will soon come a day when it will become unthinkable to imagine Ash in a cardboard box, pretending it’s a television. I am truly in awe of what the Dresden Dolls are accomplishing right now, but I hope that they never lose their penchant for crawling into cardboard boxes, at least occasionally.

Annotated Set List:

Sex Changes - There is a superstition amongst avid fans that any show that doesn’t begin with Good Day is going to be a little off. Tonight that was fairly well put to rest.

Good Day - And so the Music Gods are appeased!

Gravity

Modern Moonlight

My Alcoholic Friends

Welcome to the Internet (Bo Burnham cover)

Astronaut (A Brief History of Nearly Nothing) (Amanda Palmer cover)

Mrs. O

At this, the first break in the set, Amanda proclaimed that this was the best audience they had had all year. “And I’m not just saying that … Just come with us everywhere. We’ll take you to New Zealand!” And then went on to explain that they are fundamentally a live band who tours and workshops material before recording an album. “We just played all of those songs to convince you that we’re good. And now we’re going to do what you’re not supposed to do when you’re a band, which is we’re just gonna play you a fuckton of new songs.” And the crowd went wild.

Mister God - Still my favorite of the new songs, I think, but there are others making ground on the outside.

Houdini - As a for instance.

Whakenewha - “This one I brought to Brian when we started playing together again a year ago or whatever and I was like, ‘I don’t think this is a Dresden Dolls song, it’s like a boring Amanda Palmer solo piano song.’ And then Brian did The Thing.” It’s quite a thing.

Boyfriend in a Coma

Amsterdam (Jacques Brel cover) - Though the venue did have a balcony Amanda stayed on stage with Brian for this one tonight, probably for a smoother transition to the next song that also featured the two of them out front.

Another Christmas - “I feel like it’s time that the goths had a Christmas song.”

The Runner - Amanda declared this to be her current favorite of the new songs (subject to change without notice). It’s hard to argue; it’s very good.

The Nail

Backstabber

War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)

——

Merch commercial

(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) (Beastie Boys cover featuring Tilley Komorny on bass, Brian on guitar, and Amanda on drums) - We last saw Tilley in Orlando, but in the intervening months she moved to Portland!

Girl Anachronism

Sing (featuring Tilley on bass and Brian on guitar to start) - A perfect end to a perfect evening.

Photo Gallery:

(All photos by me, but edited by Melissa Smith)

Amanda came out fully dressed … but not for long!

Best goddamned drummer in the motherfucking world. Fight me.

Amsterdam!

Another Christmas

Fight for your right!

The gods must be appeased … WITH BLOOD SACRIFICE!

Good night Portland!

But wait! The show might have been over but the magic was not. Amanda came out for the (now traditional) Patreon photo and afterwards she got down on her hands and knees and appeared to be talking to one of the patrons. The remaining crowd was coming down off a show high and there was general hubbub. Then a beautiful voice could be barely heard through the commotion. Quickly a hush fell over the crowd and we were treated to a beautiful song from Colette the Bard. She had seen Amanda in 2018 after surgery that called into question her ability to ever sing again, and she asked Amanda if she could sing for her the next time she saw her. Tonight was the night, and she crushed it! A truly beautiful and inspiring moment.

Though we were in a different city the setup for this show was very similar to last night in LA: large, ornate theater with a barricade keeping people back from the stage. But this was no impediment to the band torching through a stellar set.

Amanda calls me Tom the Critic because after shows I have a tendency to skip over the OMYGOD THAT WAS AWESOME part and pick nits over minor issues. It’s a character flaw; I’m working on it.

After this show I took Amanda’s face in my hand, looked her in the eye, and said, “Amanda, you know I love you, but I am about to tell you something that you probably thought you’d never hear me say.”

“Oh god,” she replied, bracing for the worst. “What is it?”

I leaned in close and whispered, “Perfect show. No notes.”

“AWWWW!” she said as she melted into my arms for a big hug.

And it really was a truly stupendous show, but even so it came close to being overshadowed by the after party.

Amanda’s sister Alyson (of forced wedding / gross cake fame) was in town for a hematology conference, and her “book doula” Jamy Ian Swiss lives in San Diego, so they were both there.

I convinced them - and Amanda’s brilliant long-time sound guy Dave - to join us for drinks at Part Time Lover, a nearby combination bar and vinyl record store. As we headed out I snuck up behind Amanda and said, “I think I just convinced your sister to come out drinking.” She said, “Yeah, that tracks.”

The place was jammed with a boisterous young crowd when we arrived, but we closed the place down and there hardly was anyone left by 2am.

I got to learn about Alyson’s efforts to cure cancer with targeted drugs and Dave’s work training the next generation of sound engineers. That was lovely, but Jamy stole the show. Or rather, put one on.

Knowing him primarily from his work with Amanda on her book, I thought the magic was a bit of a side hustle. When I asked, “Are you any good?” his look said, ‘I will tolerate that because you are buying me drinks,’ but his mouth said, “I am much better than good.” And then he pulled out a deck of cards and proved it.

I had never actually seen close magic up close, like literally standing next to the magician. Let me tell you, it is quite an experience. You know it’s a trick, you know he’s doing something, but you cannot see anything, which makes you start questioning your sanity. He really is much better than good.

After we closed the bar Dave and Alyson bailed but Jamy soldiered on and we went to an all-night diner where the spirited (pardon the pun) conversation continued until we finally parted ways around 4am. This was one for the annals.

Annotated Set List:

Good Day

Sex Changes

Gravity

Backstabber

My Alcoholic Friends

Shores of California

Delilah (featuring Veronica Swift) Welcome to the Internet (Bo Burnham cover)

Another lengthy intro before launching into a set of new songs, although this didn’t feel like the angsty delay tactic of the previous night but just bringing the audience up to speed on what was about to happen. Mister God

By way of introduction to the next song Amanda said that the friend who was the first person she sent it to when it was finished was in the audience.

“A really dear friend of mine is in the audience tonight … his name is Jamy Ian Swiss and he’s a man of many talents, among them: he’s an incredible professional magician. But he also helped me write a book called “The Art of Asking,” which was kind of a magic trick itself. Over the course of working on this book together he got to know me very very very well.”

And I thought, ‘Oh yeah I need to party with this guy.’

Houdini

Believe it or not, as Amanda was telling the background story of the next song, there was another medical emergency that necessitated bringing up the house lights, same as the previous night in LA. Once again the staff was on it and the band and the crowd were very respectful.

Afterwards Brian said, “It is actually really amazingly rad to have venue after venue’s staff come up to us after shows and go, ‘Your crowd is really awesome; they’re really good people!’”

Whakenewha Amsterdam (Jacques Brel cover)

Another Christmas

Boyfriend in a Coma

The Runner

The Nail (Amanda on synthesizer)

Coin-Operated Boy

“We don’t take for granted that we’ve been a band for 23 years now and without a record out since fucking 2008 and like a thousand people still came to see us play. That does not necessarily have to happen when you’re a band. And so we want to thank every single one of you for just like loving us and believing in us.”

Merch commercial

Astronaut (A Brief History of Nearly Nothing) (Amanda Palmer cover)

War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)

—

Girl Anachronism

Photo Gallery:

The scene of the crime.

Ready to Rock! (photo by Deanna Aliano)

The Dresden Dolls!

Delilah

Amanda is WAY up on the balcony for Amsterdam

The many faces of Brian Viglione

Merry Christmas motherfuckers

Technicolor Dolls

Beautiful shot of Brian by Deanna Aliano

Big finish!

I’m often asked why I go to so many Dolls shows. It’s a big question with a complicated answer, but a major factor is the crowds. Most of my closest friends and almost every cool person I know I met at a Dresden Dolls show, and this one continued the trend.

I met Dolly, who had actually responded to a general call on the Facebook group and sent me a birthday card in October. She regaled us with tales of the decade she spent traveling around the country by hopping trains.

We also met Natalie and Julia, a dynamic sister duo. Natalie is a Dolls fan but Julia was tagging along out of solidarity - sisterhood is strong. They were delightful, but Natalie has been saddled with club thumbs, a genetic defect that was common amongst European royalty due to inbreeding. Drawing conclusions from that is left as an exercise to the reader. The venue was larger (~1500) and less intimate (a barrier kept the crowd back from the stage) than the recent run of shows, but the band was better rehearsed and well rested and provided the extra energy needed to overcome these issues. I generally prefer my Dresden Dolls shows with a soupçon of chaos, but watching the band flex their performance chops with virtuosity was inspiring. Annotated Set List:

Good Day

Sex Changes

Gravity

Backstabber

My Alcoholic Friends

Shores of California - Brian said this was the first show they had played within the city limits of LA since 2008, so of course they had to roll this one out.

Mrs. O

Delilah (featuring Veronica Swift)

Welcome to the Internet (Bo Burnham cover)

There was a break in the set as Amanda warned that they were about to launch into a bunch of new songs and gave a lengthy explanation of how the Dresden Dolls are fundamentally a live band and need to work things out on stage. “The thing about playing these new songs is like they’re not quite ready, so if they suck a little bit know that we are going to continue to rehearse them and make them suck less.”

Then Brian explained that Amanda was nervous about playing the new songs and was delaying the inevitable by talking, which shamed her into proceeding into the new material, which has, in fact, gotten tighter and better over the past year. The new album is going to be fire.

Mister God - Despite Boyfriend in a Coma being officially dubbed Tom’s New Favorite Song in Orlando, I think this one is actually my new favorite.

Houdini - This is a close second in the New Favorite Song sweepstakes, which is a bit surprising since I typically prefer the bangers to the slower songs, but this one has power.

Whakenewha

Amsterdam (Jacques Brel cover) - Amanda headed up to the balcony for this one, as is tradition.

Another Christmas (Brian on guitar, Amanda on jingle bells) - An original Christmas song that is exactly as sad and depressing as you would expect. At this point there was a medical emergency in the crowd and the house lights came up as they took someone out in a wheelchair. The response from the security team, the band, and the crowd was stellar all around.

Boyfriend in a Coma - This is a “new” song that was actually written 20 years ago and recently resurrected for the new album. It was written about an old boyfriend who almost died, and, coincidentally, Amanda reconnected with him and is dating him again. But she dusted the song off BEFORE reconnecting, in a cosmic coincidence.

The Runner - This is essentially a run-down of Amanda’s dating history in song form.

The Nail featuring the new third member of the Dresden Dolls: Amanda’s new Moog synthesizer.

Coin-Operated Boy - Amanda paused after the first few bars to comment on the harsh transition from The Nail, which is slow and contemplative, and Coin-Op, which is … not.

War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)

—

Half Jack - It’s traditional to do a long intro that starts minimalist and slowly builds to launch the song, but tonight Brian took it to the next level. After the show I told Amanda if they did a show that was just Half Jack with a 2hr intro I would be here for it. She said that they actually did that at one of the shows they opened for Panic at the Disco! because they were so fed up on that tour.

Girl Anachronism - The original set list had Sing as the closer but Amanda called an audible, which was a solid choice after the medical emergency had drained the energy from the room.

Photo Gallery:

Natalie is a goddamned delight. Despite her … nonstandard thumbs.

Delilah!

The creepy ghost of John Lennon welcomes you to the Internet.

Amsterdam

Dresden Dolls Gothic

What’s a Christmas song without jingle bells?

That’s a wrap!

This was the last of a three-night stand at Colony in Woodstock. I missed the first show, but you can find my write-up of the second one here.

The previous show got off to a bit of a slow start (I’m not saying it’s because they didn’t open with Good Day, but I’m not NOT saying that either) but tonight they lit the afterburners from the first beat and never looked back. High energy, excellent execution, with just the right amount of antics and hijinx. Overall a stellar performance.

It was also a landmark event in Dresden Dolls history. The running joke is that when they hand out the set list to the crew before a show a common response is to just crumple it up with a ‘yeah, whatever’ because the Dolls are notorious for not following the set list. Tonight, however, for reportedly the first time in Dresden Dolls history, they executed the published set list to the letter. In response the crew “graded” the list like homework and gave it back to the band marked up as though by a third-grade teacher. After the show Amanda gifted me this remarkable document, suitable for framing.

As she had last November, Amanda hosted a Patreon brunch at the venue on the Sunday following the shows. At the November shows Brian had taken to drumming on the string of lightbulbs running across the stage, breaking several of them. It had been noted that the lights in question had been removed, and the thought was that this was a permanent modification. But no! At brunch on Sunday the lights were back! So this was definitely a Brian-specific alteration.

The highlight of the brunch - by far - was the presentation of a very special gift to Amanda. Melissa, an avid fan and Campersander, hand-crafted a beautiful ukulele and laser-engraved it with the names of everyone who attended the most recent Campersand. It was stunning and Amanda was deeply touched. Since she had never made a ukulele before Melissa was a little nervous about how it would sound, but Amanda played In My Mind on it and it sounded great!

Annotated Set List:

Good Day - The opener that god intended.

Sex Changes

Gravity

Night Reconnaissance

Bad Habit

Mrs. O

My Alcoholic Friends

After torching through the first seven songs without stopping for breath, Amanda paused to take the temperature of the crowd. I was exhausted from the previous night and told her I didn’t know whether I would make it through the set. Amanda responded, “Oh I am going to fuck you,” and then yelled “Everyone tonight gets fucked!” The crowd erupted into cheers at this, causing Amanda to muse about the nature of Dresden Dolls fandom. “It’s a little bit of a cult in some ways.”

Welcome to the Internet (Bo Burnham cover)

Amanda said they were about to play some brand new songs and asked that they not be recorded, but then said, “Before we play you that newnewnewnew stuff we’re gonna play an old old old old old one. … I am going to play you the very first Dresden Dolls song I ever wrote. I was 15 when I wrote this song.”

Slide

She then told the story of the Director of her high-school musical stopping a rehearsal to yell, “Amanda! You can’t sing!”, which is the source of the line Sing for the teachers who told you that you couldn’t sing in the song Sing. 

Whakanewha (pronounced fuckin-A fa)

Boyfriend in a Coma

Before heading into the brand new material Amanda placed an order with the bar. Manhattan, up, in a small glass, in case you’re wondering.

Mister God - This is Amanda’s new favorite song; she thought it was good … and then Brian ran it through his rigorous criteria in the Test Kitchen and turned it into fire!

Houdini

The band came to the front of the stage for the next song and Amanda used Betsy (stilt-walker extraordinaire) as a footrest.

Mein Herr

Merch Commercial

Ultima Esperanza

Coin-Operated Boy - During this song Brian had some sort of mechanical issue with his kit and eventually gave up, left the stage, and came and stood with us in the crowd. I handed him my phone and he proceeded to stare at it like the kid in the back with the phone who refuses to sing, which is actually a bit of a sore point. Eventually everything was sorted and the band played on.

Half Jack

— —

Girl Anachronism

Sing

Photo Gallery:

Amanda came out over-dressed.

Whole lotta drummin’ goin’ on!

Brian is having a moment.

Welcome to the Internet.

The Dresden Dolls are essentially a hair band.

Mein Herr! (Betsy is the best footrest.)

Brian is a vampire.

The first ever perfectly-executed set list!

Left: Lights removed from Brian’s reach during the show. Right: Lights replaced for Sunday brunch.

Amanda playing a beautiful ukulele hand-crafted by Campersander Melissa. It sounded great!

In a virtual repeat of last November, the Dolls did a three-night stand at Colony in Woodstock, followed by a Patreon brunch on Sunday. Unfortunately I was only able to make two of the shows this time around, so this was the first show for me, but the second for the band. The band actually came out a little uncharacteristically stiff, like they were playing from rote memorization rather than actually feeling the songs. But that didn’t last long (2 or 3 songs, tops) and they torched through the rest of the set with verve and glee. Annotated Set List:

Sex Changes

Modern Moonlight

Gravity — During the lyrics Down at work, I'm getting too familiar with the floor Trading in my talents by the mouthful I mimed fellatio by moving my fist next to my mouth and poking my tongue into my cheek. Afterwards Amanda said, “I saw you putting that cock in your mouth, Tom; it was great. IT’S GONNA BE A GOOD NIGHT!”

Bad Habit

At this point the Addams Family theme suddenly appeared, but I honestly don’t remember why.

My Alcoholic Friends

Welcome to the Internet (Bo Burnham cover) — Before the song Brian start tapping on the rim of his drum in an irregular pattern and tapping a cymbal occasionally. Amanda expressed befuddlement but someone in the audience figured out that he was simulating typing. Like you do. On the Internet. (Except computer keyboards don’t ‘ding,’ but whatever.)

Night Reconnaissance

At this point Amanda recounted the story of the first time she was ‘canceled’ in Boston. Apparently she had randomly seen Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte on TV and thought he was hot, so at a show in Boston she proclaimed from stage that she wanted to fuck Andy Pettitte, to which the general response from the crowd was, “That’s not funny.”

Astronaut: A Short History of Nearly Nothing

Mrs. O — Before the song Brian held up his hands to make a circle.

Amanda, confused: “What are you doing?” Brian: “…” Amanda: “O?” Brian: “…” Amanda: “Oh!” The crowd, catching on: “OH!”

Slide — After the song Amanda said that she wrote it when she was 15 and it was the first song she ever wrote that she thought was Good. She nervously and reluctantly played it for one of her teachers and his response was, “You know what’s gonna be amazing, Amanda? When the music of your songs achieves the maturity of your lyrics.” I yelled out “FUCK that guy!” To which Amanda replied, “I know; fuck that guy. It’s a really good song.”

Only 3 Chords — An impromptu composition in response to her high school teacher the entire lyrics of which were:

Music does not have to be complicated to be good You know it’s true Listen to The Ramones: Every song is good and it’s only three chords

Whakanewha (pronounced Fuckin-A Fa)

Boyfriend in a Coma — New(ish) song previously known as Tom’s New Favorite Song. It’s actually a very old song that has been recently resurrected and finished.

Mister God — Brand New Song! This is a great banger of a song that definitely fits in Dresden Dolls canon, but there’s a section that really reminds me of Olly Olly Oxen Free.

Houdini — Another Brand New Song!! This is a slower contemplation of death. Mostly.

Mein Herr (cover from Cabaret; music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb)

Coin-Operated Boy — as has become tradition lately, a little of Metallica’s Enter Sandman snuck in there at some point.

Happy Birthday to Leah someone in the crowd yelled out, “Can we sing Happy Birthday to Leah?” Amanda said, yes, but in a minor key, and then added the lyric “We hope it’s not long before you DIE!” to the end. Then she said, “That’s what you get when you ask the Dresden Dolls to sing you Happy Birthday!”

Good Day — Traditionally the opener, this song was pushed to the end of the set tonight.

War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)

— —

Girl Anachronism

Sing

Photo Gallery:

There were reports that the venue had aggressively enforced a ‘no photo’ policy at the Thursday show (which seemed odd) so I didn’t take many pictures and they were all from a low angle so as to be inconspicuous.

The official set list. It was not followed to the letter.

The Dresden Dolls!

Mein Herr

After the show many in the crowd headed across the street to Amanda’s pop up venue Graveside Variety to see John Coons’ BLEAK!, featuring catchy, upbeat show tunes about how the world is ending and we’re all doomed.

Before the show I ran into Brian on the street and asked him what the new song (which had been dubbed Tom’s New Favorite Song at last night’s show) was actually called. He said it’s called ‘Boyfriend in a Coma’ and was actually written about 19 years ago but had only recently been arranged as a Dresden Dolls song. It’s based on her then-boyfriend Brendon suddenly collapsing during a load-out after a show, developing Guillain–Barré syndrome, and going into a coma for like 6 months, during which time Amanda hardly left his bedside. You can hear a demo of it here. It will always be Tom’s New Favorite Song to me.

When my nephew was 12 or 13 years old he googled Amanda Palmer to find out why his uncle kept jetting around all over the place to see her. Afterwards, due to the number of pictures that came up of Amanda in various stages of undress, he asked, “Is she a porn star?”

When I told Amanda this story she inscribed a copy of ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’ for him: “To Dylan - I am not a porn star. No really. Love, -Amanda.” I gave him the book for his 18th birthday.

He’s now 26, and he lives in Orlando, so I brought him to the show. When I planted him in the front row against the stage I said, “Just so you understand: there are thousands of people all over the world who would kill to be standing where you are right now.” At the time I’m sure there was some eye rolling, but by the end of the evening I think he understood.

Unfortunately, guest bassist Tilley Komorny had come down with COVID in the past 24 hours, so we were not able to fight for our right (to party!). Despite this the band torched through another stellar set, with only minimal property damage.

Annotated Set List:

Good Day (featuring Brian on guitar to start)

Sex Changes

Gravity

Backstabber - Due to a “band miscommunication” they actually started playing different songs. I kinda think they shoulda just gone with it, but they restarted and both played Backstabber.

Modern Moonlight - Once again Brian led the crowd in the backing-vocal part before diving into the song.

My Alcoholic Friends

There was a pause in the set to introduce the band, tape down the piano pedal, and, of course, say GAY!

Rock and Roll Part 2 (aka The Hey Song - Gary Glitter cover) - Brief excerpt with the shout of “Hey!” replaced with “GAY!”

“If you’re looking for a gay band, look no further!”

Boyfriend in a Coma - By way of introduction Amanda said, “I’ve been sitting here for the last few nights thinking ‘I wouldn’t want to break up with me.’ Just warning you: I’m like the goth Taylor Swift. If you go out with me, and we break up in a bad way, you’re fucked. You’re SO fucked! This song is not quite really like that, but it lives in that dimension.”

Merch commercial

Welcome to the Internet (Bo Burnham cover)

Bad Habit

Missed Me

Amsterdam (Jacques Brel cover) - During her rampage up and down the bar tonight Amanda actually broke one of the lighting fixtures. “We broke that light, which means we’re gonna have to pay for that light. Buy more merch!”

Delilah (featuring Veronica Swift)

After taking a huge swig of wine straight from the bottle, Amanda said, “The truth is I stopped being as much of a lush when I had a child cause it just didn’t work. I don’t know if anybody has ever tried to have a small child and be hungover, but it’s fucking impossible.”

Whakanewha (pronounced Fuckin-A-Fa)

Mrs. O

Twenty Years Ago, Part 2 - Another impromptu composition about a song about climate denialism being more true now than when it was written 20 years ago. Conclusion: That’s fucked up.

They then welcomed to the stage Father Nathan Monk, who told the story of why he left the priesthood. Bottom line: The conservative (read: ignorant, bigoted, and, frankly, unchristian) dictates of his church were incompatible with his progressive world view.

Mandy Goes to Med School

Coin-Operated Boy - At the start of the song instead of singing the lyrics Amanda just sang, “Gay, gaygaygaygaygay” to the tune. Then at the end she changed the line to “Gay and to the point.”

Half Jack

——

War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)

Girl Anachronism - At this point, at the end of the third night in a row, I was exhausted and could barely stand. In a fit of wishful thinking, I actually thought they were going to close with “Sing,” and I would have a nice, calm denouement - I even took out my earplugs. Instead, I got a face full of Girl A. I managed to power through … and then collapsed on the stage.

Photo Gallery:

Dylan’s final few moments of pre-Dresden Dolls innocence (photo by Laurie Steiger)

Merch commercial; I was too enthralled through the first part of the set to take pix

Welcome to the Internet!

Grrrrrr!

Amsterdam

One of those light fixtures will not survive

Delilah

Let’s see how fast this thing can go!

Brian: You know what you did. Amanda: I know tee-hee!

Father Nathan Monk

The many faces of Brian Viglione

Really dude?

I remain convinced that Amanda’s stare can shatter glass

The end!

I’m not the only one who collapsed on the stage afterwards

Before the show I bumped into Veronica Swift and her lovely mother, Stephanie. I asked whether she was going to come and dance with me in the front row, as she had in Woodstock, but she said she was going to sit with her mom. “I guess Mom trumps Tom,” I replied.

I have never been to a Dresden Dolls show that I would consider “bad.” I’ve never even been to one that I would consider “mediocre.” The band has a long track record of delivering consistent excellence. But let’s face it: they’re not all the same and some are better than others. Tonight was one of those nights when the stars aligned, the crowd was amazing, everything clicked, and the band blew through excellence to arrive in mind-blowing territory.

Not only were the performances incredible, but it was painfully obvious that they were both just having a blast. Nights like this are why music exists.

Annotated Set List:

Good Day (featuring Brian on Guitar to start) Sex Changes

Gravity

Bad Habit

More Vocals in the Wedge (to the tune of Coin-Operated Boy) - an impromptu composition to convey a request to the sound engineer, Dave Hughes, whom, Brian announced, has been working with the band for nearly 20 years.

Backstabber

Modern Moonlight - Before the song Brian trained the crowd to sing backup

Tom’s New Favorite Song - There is a long-standing tradition that whenever the Dresden Dolls play a brand-new song I ask for the title (in order to properly document it) and Amanda gives me some bullshit answer (who can forget the “Snakes on a Plane 3” incident of ‘17?). Tonight’s answer was Tom’s New Favorite Song. From the lyrics I would guess that it’s actually called something like (Love Comes in) Moments Like These, but if they actually call it Tom’s New Favorite Song I’m fine with that. Whatever it’s called it is a total banger and puts to rest any concerns that the new Dresden Dolls album will be nothing but weird, slow, 10-minute-long sad songs, as Amanda has jokingly suggested in the past.

Welcome to the Internet (Bo Burnham cover) - Amanda claimed a kinship with Bo Burnham, declaring him to be “another theater dork from Massachusetts. There’s something in the water in that state,” she opined, “that breeds musical theater sarcasm.”

Mrs. O

Twenty Years Ago - another brief, impromptu composition, the entire lyrics of which were: “It’s sad that a song written about 20 years ago, about climate-change deniers, and Holocaust deniers is still true!” She then claimed that the new record would be nothing but 15 to 20 second TikTok-able commentary segments on their old music.

Missed Me - Brian broke a drumstick early in this one and then proceeded to prance around the stage with his face covered like a cartoon villain holding a pair of drumsticks like a marionette’s control bar. As you do.

My Alcoholic Friends - Apparently this had been removed from the set list but then re-inserted spontaneously because it’s groovy.

Eye of the Tiger (Survivor cover) - brief excerpt for no discernible reason.

(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) (Beastie Boys cover featuring Tilley Komorny on bass, Brian on guitar, and Amanda on drums) - During the song I jumped around so much that my reading glasses flew out of my shirt pocket (tell me you’re getting too old for this shit without telling me you’re getting too old for this shit). After the song they gave Tilley the stage to make an impassioned plea for trans rights. When she stepped to the mic and announced, “I am a trans woman” the crowd erupted in cheers, which visibly moved her. “If you’re here and you’re trans every day that you’re alive is a gift. If you’re an ally please remember that silence is violence.”

Amsterdam (Jacques Brel cover featuring Brian on guitar) - Before the song started Amanda warned that any drinks on the bar would go flying, and then proceeded to run around like a maniac.

Delilah (featuring Veronica Swift) - Upon returning to her keyboard Amanda complained, “The piano is all wet!” Causing Veronica to quip, “That’s not the only thing!” IN FRONT OF HER MOTHER!

Amanda decried the general decline of sarcasm and irony since, oh I don’t know, about 2015 or so, and said, “If anybody ever finds out that you like the Dresden Dolls and they say, ‘I don’t get it, like, are they trying to be funny or are they trying to be serious?’ just say … yes!”

Whakanewha (pronounced Fuckin-A-Fa) Amanda recounted the story of meeting Brian when she was 24 and he was 21 and said that he was the first person in the world who totally believed in her songwriting.

Brief pause to campaign for abortion rights, which served as a nice segue into …

Mandy Goes to Med School

In honor of Ron DeSantis Amanda said, “I just want to say ‘gay’ over and over again,” and then proceeded to yell “GAY!GAY!GAY!GAY!GAY!” in rapid succession, eventually leading the crowd to chant “Gay! Gay! Gay! Gay!” They then played what was proclaimed to be the gayest Dresden Dolls song …

Coin-Operated Boy - The intro to Enter Sandman by Metallica snuck in there somehow. Determining the relevance of introducing Sandman into a song about favoring mechanical lovers over human ones is left as an exercise to the reader.

War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)

— —

To encourage the band to return to the stage the crowd began chanting, “Gay! Gay!! GAY! GAY!! GAY!! GAY!!! GAY!!!” It worked.

Girl Anachronism

Sing

Photo Gallery:

Brian Viglione: Best drummer in the world!

Welcome to the Internet!

The Dresden Dolls!

Tilley prepares to join the fight

Amanda appears confused by the whole thing

Fight for your right!

Amsterdam

Chaos

Delilah

Sing cuz it’s obvious