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After a lengthy hiatus, as it turns out, Amanda Palmer announced on Instagram that The Dresden Dolls would be back, after a bit more time to get things together. That time is now as the band is concluding a 6-stop U.S. run to entertain and to test out material for a new album to be released next year.
How did it go? She foretold us on that same announcement: “Rather than reaching a middle age crisis and buying a sports car or getting hair transplants, we are simply going to rock your faces off.”
For those here by accident, The Dresden Dolls are a combo of Amanda Palmer, who writes the songs, sings them and plays piano, along with Brian Viglione who plays drums. To say Palmer just “sings” or Brian plays “drums” is a vast disservice. Music has labels, and in this case it’s helpful, whether you opt for “dark cabaret” or “punk cabaret,” it’s “a musical genre that draws the aesthetics of burlesque, vaudeville and Weimar-era cabaret.” Thanks Wiki.
That’s important for context because the range of emotional demands within a song might fluctuate from tender to raging affronts. Both Amanda and Brian have to accompany that as well, and that’s where Brian shines, a deft touch for recalling soft caresses with cymbals to thundering aggression, ranging in styles from jazz to metal. And both do this in painted faces and by gestures and facial expressions adding the vaudeville elements to the performance. And Brian excels at this whether for emphasis or humor.
That’s a blast for songs like the wildly humorous and sexually charged “Coin Operated Boy,” but much more demanding with frequent themes of broken relationships, sexual misconduct, conformity, and intimacy among others. Through the course of a setlist, it’s emotionally chaotic, in a good way. In other words, it’s quite a show.
Amanda’s funniest moment of the night preceded a balcony performance of a torching version of Jaques Brel’s “Amsterdam” – helpfully translated to English – and a visual cue that cabarets and beer belong together. “I’ve wondered about you people on the balcony.” Pause. “You can’t clap if you’re looking at your fucking phone!”
The midsection of the concert included her new songs, each introduced for context, “Whakenewa” being both confessional and teasing for a song “that wrote itself.” Kudos to The Eastern, whose sound was sterling and allowed the audience to absorb every word. The songs leaned to the poignant, in Amanda’s way, rather than extravagant and were very well received.
Without question a great performance, their first in Atlanta since 2010, and Amanda made it clear that they love Atlanta and will be back in the next tour cycle after the album is complete.
More photos follow.
Setlist:
Into music: Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar) – Doors cover.
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Encore:
