Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione reactivated their punk cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls last year, and they’ve begun to play shows again as they work on new music. NYC got a taste of their new material at the first night of their four show run at Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday (10/24), where they inserted a block of new songs amidst old favorites, covers, and one of Amanda’s solo songs. They seemed excited and nervous to be playing the new songs, which they warned the crowd are on the sad side, and Amanda asked people not to film them, explaining that they’re “sloppy as fuck” and still being workshopped. They sounded great, especially a melancholy Christmas song and another that Amanda said was her favorite at the moment, and were warmly received by the enthusiastic crowd.
The new songs were also the only ones that a sizable potion of the house wasn’t singing along to. Beloved tracks like “Good Day,” “Girl Anachronism,” “Sing,” “Coin Operated Boy,” “Mrs. O,” “Missed Me,” “Backstabber,” “Gravity,” and “Sex Changes” got rapturous receptions, as did their intense cover of Black Sabbath‘s “War Pigs,” and their rendition of Bo Burnham‘s “Welcome to the Internet.” They also brought out The Bobby Lees bassist Kendall Wind to join them on a cover of Beastie Boys‘ “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party),” with Amanda playing drums and Brian taking over lead vocals and guitar.
Amanda and Brian still perform in mime-style face paint (which some people in the crowd wore, too) and their chemistry is still undeniable. Both are charismatic performers and together they seem to egg each other on to new heights. It’s fantastic to have them back as a duo, and catching them in a room like Bowery is a treat. They’ll be back there tonight (10/25), Friday (10/27), and Saturday (10/28) to finish out the run. See pictures from Tuesday night below, along with attendee-taken video.
Amanda is also curating a series of conversations at NYC’s Rubin Museum in November. She’ll speak with artist Gonkar Gyatso, eco-writer Sophie Strand, and journalist and activist Noor Tagouri on November 3, 10, and 17, respectively. Tickets for nights one, two, and three are on sale now.
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