the gardener's coming to collect.
Yes, I am using the same icon two days in a row -- which is something I never do, but I'm still riding high from the excitement of the Dresden Dolls show, so I thought I'd use this one again. :)
Anyway, I said I'd elaborate more on the show and meeting the Dolls. Erika and I drove to Durham a couple of hours before the show started, and we went to this amazing sushi place a few blocks away from the Carolina Theatre called Cafe Zen. Feeling extremely full, we walked to the theatre, where we immediately felt a little out of place among the huge crowds of punk and goth kids. But when we went to our seats I saw an old neighbor/acquaintance of mine, Curtis, sitting a few rows above us, and we talked for awhile and he said he didn't really fit in either despite being a huge fan of the Dolls, so that made me feel a little better. XD The warm-up act was a band called Two Ton Boa, and I thought they were just all right. The lead (female) singer had a really deep, throaty voice, which worked to their advantage when they covered Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit," and there were a couple of songs they played that I enjoyed, but aside from their crazy-moving bass player they seemed stiff and they didn't do much for me. (We later found out that their stiffness might have had something to do with the fact that their tour bus broke down a few hours away from Durham, and that they'd gone onstage just twenty minutes after arriving -- meaning that they had no time to rehearse or warm up before performing for us.)
The Dresden Dolls didn't come onstage until almost 11 pm, but I think it was totally worth it. At first Amanda came out on her own to announce that before they began playing, they were going to have one more opening act -- a couple university students were going to do some fencing onstage. The fencing was interesting enough, but even more amusing was the fact that both Amanda and Brian walked across the stage a few times wearing nothing but black lacy lingerie and holding up ratings cards with numbers on them. XD I wish I could have gotten video of that, but unfortunately they walked across the stage so fast that by the time I got my camera out, they were already backstage again. Oh well.
When Brian and Amanda finally came out to perform, they were both wearing these WWII soldier-type outfits complete with long coats and military hats, but they shed them after about the first song. You can see what they were wearing underneath here (not a photo from the show we went to, but they wore the exact same outfits). They were absolutely awesome, guys. Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione just have this chemistry onstage, even when they're ten feet away from each other. I was especially impressed by Brian's drumming -- I don't know how to describe what he does, but he is utterly fascinating to watch. One of the highlights of the evening was when Amanda sang a really emotional song called "Glass Slipper," and when Brian was drumming to the song it wasn't at all like he was just keeping the beat of the song; every time he moved, it was like he was in sympathy with what Amanda was singing about, and playing off of her emotions. That is why I think that even though Amanda sings the songs and writes the lyrics, Brian is so essential to the band. They were also really cute with each other, embracing and kissing each other constantly. (Apparently they used to be lovers and are still really, really close/affectionate.)
I wasn't familiar with every single song they played, since there were some covers and non-album tracks in the mix, but I found the full list of songs online.
In the Flesh (Pink Floyd cover)
Girl Anachronism
Missed Me
Sex Changes (I was so happy to hear this one. It's one of my top-favorite songs of theirs.)
Mrs. O
Ultima Esperanza
Glass Slipper
The Gardener
You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party (Beastie Boys cover -- with the bassist from Two Ton Boa on bass guitar, Brian on electric guitar, and Amanda on drums. They asked us to stand up in our seats and dance along to this song, and it rocked so hard!)
A Night At the Roses
Coin-Operated Boy
The Astronaut (a song from Amanda's solo album, which is coming out later this year)
Half Jack
Encore 1:
Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin cover, with Brian on electric guitar, Amanda on drums, and members of Two Ton Boa; Amanda also pulled some "volunteers" from the audience to perform a kooky performance piece as rowing vikings, complete with props...and the end of the song she also belted out the last line to "Stairway To Heaven," which I found hilarious.)
Encore 2:
Mein Herr (from the movie version of Cabaret -- during this song, Brian played acoustic guitar while Amanda sang. They performed the song as if it were an argument/confrontation between the two, with Amanda chasing Brian all over the stage and vice versa.)
The absolute highlight of the set for me was when they played a song called "The Gardener," which must be a new song because it's not on any of their albums. While singing, Amanda walked around onstage clutching some flowers in her hands, and would sometimes toss the flowers to the ground in a very Ophelia-esque way. She then went up on one of the balconies to sing the middle of the song (which actually reminded me of Romeo & Juliet) and then went down to the crowd and then back onstage to sing the end. It as a very, very cool and intense performance. I thought it was awesome that they used the classic design of the theatre to their advantage.
When the show ended, Erika and I went back downstage to the merch table, where I bought a cute tee-shirt. (The only one they had in girl's sizes was one that said "The Princess of Denial" in pink lettering on the front. I would never normally wear a shirt that said anything like "Princess" on it, especially in pink, but since it's a band t-shirt, I'll make an exception.) Then we found out that they were going to form a line of fans in front of a table, where Brian and Amanda would be meeting with people and signing autographs!! Of course, we had to get in line. I had brought my copy of Yes, Virginia... (their second CD) with me in my purse, on the off change that I might be able to get it signed, so I was very, very happy when I found out that that was about to become a reality.
Brian and Amanda were so, so sweet despite being obviously tired. Amanda looked especially worn out (Brian was pretty animated, joking around with the fans), but they still were still totally gracious. I was glad that I wasn't such a huge fan that meeting them made me nervous -- I actually felt really relaxed when it was finally my turn to talk to them and get my CD signed. When I went up to the table, Brian greeted me with this huge friendly smile, and I asked him if he would sign the part of my CD that had his picture on it, and if Amanda would sign the part of the CD with her picture on it. I said something like, "I've bet you've done that tons of times before," and Brian said, "Yeah, we have, but good thinking!" in this really friendly voice. And then I jokingly said that it would be funny if they each signed the other's picture, which they proceeded to do as soon as I said it, haha. And then I just said to Brian, "Thanks for putting on such a great show," and went in for a hug, and he said something like, "You're welcome!" and hugged me back. Amanda hugged me too, although I honestly don't remember exchanging actual words with her. I did tell her and Brian that I had gotten Erika into their music, and that the concert was her Christmas present for me, and they smiled at that.
And that was that. I didn't talk to them very much, but it was still incredibly cool. I'm still giddy about the fact that not only did I see an awesome concert, but I also met the artists afterwards and they were just the nicest people. Definitely one of the best live shows I've ever been to, and one of the best overall concert experiences I've ever had. (Although meeting Rufus Wainwright and a bunch of other bands at a music festival in 1998 ranks pretty far up there, too. Oh my God, I just realized that that was TEN FUCKING YEARS AGO! Holy crap.)
Like I said in my last entry, my camera unfortunately has no sound on it -- but I still think the videos are worth watching because they show how awesome the Dolls look when they're performing.
The Dolls rocking out, with Amanda at her keyboard and Brian on his drums.
This video really highlights even more of Brian's awesome drumming. <3
Amanda singing "The Gardner" on the balcony really close to where Erika and I were sitting.
Amanda standing to sing, with Brian on guitar.
Amanda and Brian running around onstage while performing "Mein Herr." This video is really shaky because they were running so fast that I had to move the camera really quickly to keep up with them. XD You can see Amanda running her hands all over Brian's bare chest, and at one point he practically straddles her while she lays on the ground -- it was hot!
I accidentally smudged the end of Brian's signature here. Woops. :( Amanda's signature is the squiggle and star.
Can't you tell how excited we were? ;)
A picture of myself that I took shortly before we left the house to go to the show. Although you can't see the excitement on my face like you can in the previous picture, I was definitely pumped. :D
I'm an even bigger fan of the Dolls now than I was before I saw them live. It's an experience I'll definitely have to repeat again if they ever come back to my neck of the woods.
Anyway, I said I'd elaborate more on the show and meeting the Dolls. Erika and I drove to Durham a couple of hours before the show started, and we went to this amazing sushi place a few blocks away from the Carolina Theatre called Cafe Zen. Feeling extremely full, we walked to the theatre, where we immediately felt a little out of place among the huge crowds of punk and goth kids. But when we went to our seats I saw an old neighbor/acquaintance of mine, Curtis, sitting a few rows above us, and we talked for awhile and he said he didn't really fit in either despite being a huge fan of the Dolls, so that made me feel a little better. XD The warm-up act was a band called Two Ton Boa, and I thought they were just all right. The lead (female) singer had a really deep, throaty voice, which worked to their advantage when they covered Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit," and there were a couple of songs they played that I enjoyed, but aside from their crazy-moving bass player they seemed stiff and they didn't do much for me. (We later found out that their stiffness might have had something to do with the fact that their tour bus broke down a few hours away from Durham, and that they'd gone onstage just twenty minutes after arriving -- meaning that they had no time to rehearse or warm up before performing for us.)
The Dresden Dolls didn't come onstage until almost 11 pm, but I think it was totally worth it. At first Amanda came out on her own to announce that before they began playing, they were going to have one more opening act -- a couple university students were going to do some fencing onstage. The fencing was interesting enough, but even more amusing was the fact that both Amanda and Brian walked across the stage a few times wearing nothing but black lacy lingerie and holding up ratings cards with numbers on them. XD I wish I could have gotten video of that, but unfortunately they walked across the stage so fast that by the time I got my camera out, they were already backstage again. Oh well.
When Brian and Amanda finally came out to perform, they were both wearing these WWII soldier-type outfits complete with long coats and military hats, but they shed them after about the first song. You can see what they were wearing underneath here (not a photo from the show we went to, but they wore the exact same outfits). They were absolutely awesome, guys. Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione just have this chemistry onstage, even when they're ten feet away from each other. I was especially impressed by Brian's drumming -- I don't know how to describe what he does, but he is utterly fascinating to watch. One of the highlights of the evening was when Amanda sang a really emotional song called "Glass Slipper," and when Brian was drumming to the song it wasn't at all like he was just keeping the beat of the song; every time he moved, it was like he was in sympathy with what Amanda was singing about, and playing off of her emotions. That is why I think that even though Amanda sings the songs and writes the lyrics, Brian is so essential to the band. They were also really cute with each other, embracing and kissing each other constantly. (Apparently they used to be lovers and are still really, really close/affectionate.)
I wasn't familiar with every single song they played, since there were some covers and non-album tracks in the mix, but I found the full list of songs online.
In the Flesh (Pink Floyd cover)
Girl Anachronism
Missed Me
Sex Changes (I was so happy to hear this one. It's one of my top-favorite songs of theirs.)
Mrs. O
Ultima Esperanza
Glass Slipper
The Gardener
You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party (Beastie Boys cover -- with the bassist from Two Ton Boa on bass guitar, Brian on electric guitar, and Amanda on drums. They asked us to stand up in our seats and dance along to this song, and it rocked so hard!)
A Night At the Roses
Coin-Operated Boy
The Astronaut (a song from Amanda's solo album, which is coming out later this year)
Half Jack
Encore 1:
Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin cover, with Brian on electric guitar, Amanda on drums, and members of Two Ton Boa; Amanda also pulled some "volunteers" from the audience to perform a kooky performance piece as rowing vikings, complete with props...and the end of the song she also belted out the last line to "Stairway To Heaven," which I found hilarious.)
Encore 2:
Mein Herr (from the movie version of Cabaret -- during this song, Brian played acoustic guitar while Amanda sang. They performed the song as if it were an argument/confrontation between the two, with Amanda chasing Brian all over the stage and vice versa.)
The absolute highlight of the set for me was when they played a song called "The Gardener," which must be a new song because it's not on any of their albums. While singing, Amanda walked around onstage clutching some flowers in her hands, and would sometimes toss the flowers to the ground in a very Ophelia-esque way. She then went up on one of the balconies to sing the middle of the song (which actually reminded me of Romeo & Juliet) and then went down to the crowd and then back onstage to sing the end. It as a very, very cool and intense performance. I thought it was awesome that they used the classic design of the theatre to their advantage.
When the show ended, Erika and I went back downstage to the merch table, where I bought a cute tee-shirt. (The only one they had in girl's sizes was one that said "The Princess of Denial" in pink lettering on the front. I would never normally wear a shirt that said anything like "Princess" on it, especially in pink, but since it's a band t-shirt, I'll make an exception.) Then we found out that they were going to form a line of fans in front of a table, where Brian and Amanda would be meeting with people and signing autographs!! Of course, we had to get in line. I had brought my copy of Yes, Virginia... (their second CD) with me in my purse, on the off change that I might be able to get it signed, so I was very, very happy when I found out that that was about to become a reality.
Brian and Amanda were so, so sweet despite being obviously tired. Amanda looked especially worn out (Brian was pretty animated, joking around with the fans), but they still were still totally gracious. I was glad that I wasn't such a huge fan that meeting them made me nervous -- I actually felt really relaxed when it was finally my turn to talk to them and get my CD signed. When I went up to the table, Brian greeted me with this huge friendly smile, and I asked him if he would sign the part of my CD that had his picture on it, and if Amanda would sign the part of the CD with her picture on it. I said something like, "I've bet you've done that tons of times before," and Brian said, "Yeah, we have, but good thinking!" in this really friendly voice. And then I jokingly said that it would be funny if they each signed the other's picture, which they proceeded to do as soon as I said it, haha. And then I just said to Brian, "Thanks for putting on such a great show," and went in for a hug, and he said something like, "You're welcome!" and hugged me back. Amanda hugged me too, although I honestly don't remember exchanging actual words with her. I did tell her and Brian that I had gotten Erika into their music, and that the concert was her Christmas present for me, and they smiled at that.
And that was that. I didn't talk to them very much, but it was still incredibly cool. I'm still giddy about the fact that not only did I see an awesome concert, but I also met the artists afterwards and they were just the nicest people. Definitely one of the best live shows I've ever been to, and one of the best overall concert experiences I've ever had. (Although meeting Rufus Wainwright and a bunch of other bands at a music festival in 1998 ranks pretty far up there, too. Oh my God, I just realized that that was TEN FUCKING YEARS AGO! Holy crap.)
Like I said in my last entry, my camera unfortunately has no sound on it -- but I still think the videos are worth watching because they show how awesome the Dolls look when they're performing.
The Dolls rocking out, with Amanda at her keyboard and Brian on his drums.
This video really highlights even more of Brian's awesome drumming. <3
Amanda singing "The Gardner" on the balcony really close to where Erika and I were sitting.
Amanda standing to sing, with Brian on guitar.
Amanda and Brian running around onstage while performing "Mein Herr." This video is really shaky because they were running so fast that I had to move the camera really quickly to keep up with them. XD You can see Amanda running her hands all over Brian's bare chest, and at one point he practically straddles her while she lays on the ground -- it was hot!
I accidentally smudged the end of Brian's signature here. Woops. :( Amanda's signature is the squiggle and star.
Can't you tell how excited we were? ;)
A picture of myself that I took shortly before we left the house to go to the show. Although you can't see the excitement on my face like you can in the previous picture, I was definitely pumped. :D
I'm an even bigger fan of the Dolls now than I was before I saw them live. It's an experience I'll definitely have to repeat again if they ever come back to my neck of the woods.