Feature Length Photoblog: Dreams come true when you never expect them to - Photographing the Dresden Dolls in Philadelphia @ Union Transfer. Night 1.
Navigating the photo pass, present, and future / Photo gallery from June 7th, 2024
Navigating the photo pass, present, and future.
Allow me to set the scene for you: it’s September 2003, I’m nearly 16 years old and I’ve been invited to help my Super Cool(TM) cousin and his Super Cool(TM) friends create costumes for their 10th grade drama club performance of King Lear. As I walk into their high school band room, I can hear music eschewing from a small, portable boom box up on a shelf.
“Coin operated boy, sitting on a shelf, he is just a toy, but I turn him on, and he comes to life…”
I think to myself, “its as if the boom box knows where it has been placed.” chuckling as I move on toward my appointed task for the morning. At some point, I ask around and discover the name of the artist whose music has been entertaining us from the entryway, and my friend Stacey pipes up from the other side of the room: “Oh yeah, they’re a band called The Dresden Dolls, you should check them out.”
I trusted my cousin and his friends to guide me in the right direction when it came to musical tastes. Truth was, I was an undiagnosed autistic/neurodivergent teenager and I thought if I could hyper-focus on learning everything about the music and artists they listened to, I would be Super Cool(TM), too.
Thus started my love affair with Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione, the mime-makeup clad duo known as The Dresden Dolls. Looking back, 15 year old me had it right, in a way. I would eventually become what I considered SuperCool(TM). I just had to embrace my weirdness.
Night 1 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
I had the ultimate pleasure of getting in just after sound-check, thanks to my friendship with photographer Kyle Cassidy. We were given backstage access pre-show, where I was delighted to find the legendary “Is it hot? Does it look good? Are you proud to serve it?” sign from when it used to be a restaurant called Spaghetti Warehouse. If you didn’t know, the backstage of Union Transfer used to be a kitchen. I knew I had to try to get them in front of the sign.
It will be a while before I am able to share most of what I took backstage (both nights) but I am enamored with every. single. photo. It was a defining moment in my career and confidence levels.
Soon after, we were ushered out so that the Dresden Dolls could take the stage. Having never done this before, but desperately wanting to appear as though I had, I acted like I knew what I was doing, went along with everyone else, and got in between the barrier and the stage for the first three songs.
Showtime.
Song 1: Good Day
Taking the stage at just slightly after 8pm, the duo opened up with Good Day, an all-time favorite of yours truly. Honestly at this point I was floating on pure adrenaline, hoping to avoid getting in the way of what I felt were much more seasoned concert photographers. I was nervous to get in the way of of the crowd behind me, lest I feel the ire of those who had been standing at the barrier for the past couple of hours. Basically, I was internally focusing on all the ways I could potentially fuck this up instead of focusing externally on the fact that I was doing the damn thing.
…it's been a lovely day! Every thing's been going my way. Ever since you went away, hey, I'm on fire.
Those lyrics hit me with a wave of pure joy when I realized I was doing something my abusive (physically, mentally, and emotionally) ex-fiancé swore to me I’d never accomplish. From the ages of 17 through 22 I was with a narcissist that told me routinely that I would never go to college, never be employable, never keep a job, and certainly never amount to anything.
“Fuck you, Larry.” I thought. “I made it.”
Song 2: Gravity
You think I can't fly, well, you just watch me.
After my personal revelation, and through my panic of whether or not I was passing for someone who knew what the fuck to do, I continued to try to get as many intentional photographs as possible.
Song 3: Missed Me
The fun continued straight into the third song of the evening, where I was starting to gain more confidence, but still really wanted to make sure I wasn’t stepping on any toes, somewhat literally. I spent the entirety of Missed Me still unsure of whether they’d be telling us to get out of the front, or if I was somehow lucky enough to be allowed to stay. I hadn’t gotten the lowdown from anyone, I had overheard security earlier discussing the plan, but I figure I should’ve asked someone in hindsight.
I absolutely love every time I’ve seen this song performed live. It opens up the floor for playful banter between Amanda’s flirtatious piano calls and Brian’s well-drummed responses.
Thus, my time in the front-est of front rows was over, and I was being ushered through to the other side.
Songs 3-6: Sex Changes, Backstabber, My Alcoholic Friends
Realizing I wouldn’t be able to get any photos of Brian if I stayed where I was, I exited stage left and wound my way back around to the back of the crowd.
It was a great angle of Amanda, though.
Song 7: Welcome to the Internet (Bo Burnham cover)
I’ve seen Amanda do this cover twice, at her solo shows in Poughkeepsie, NY and Boston, MA last year, but never with Brian in accompaniment. I must admit, I did not take very many photographs at this point in the show, because to an extent the angles were a bit redundant. I thoroughly enjoyed the reactions from those around me who were absolutely delighted by the rendition.
Song 8: Ultima Esperanza
I spent a majority of this song admiring the work of the technical staff in the sound booth. I was a bit toasty from the gummies I had taken earlier in the evening and watching the pretty lights go about on the soundboard and program board of the lighting designer.
Speaking of which, I’d like to throw a shout-out to amazing lighting designer Jeff Maker, who has been creating the lighting aesthetics for The Dresden Dolls for almost 20 years. The experience shows itself in the expertly executed timing, his choice of color theory behind each song, and the blending of colors and tempo that help tell each song’s story. Watching him perform his art is as beautiful as watching the creatures on stage.
Song 9: Delilah, featuring special guest Veronica Swift
Jeff’s designs for this beautiful rendition of Delilah, featuring vocalist Veronica Swift as the song’s namesake, made me smile. The storytellers (Brian and Amanda) remain washed out in a sea of blue, whilst the heroine belts her ‘red letter’ style dialogue out to the crowd.
Veronica had this to say on her Instagram:
In my mind, this version of Delilah was a working woman in a 1910’s French brothel during the Great War. Occasionally she’d get up and sing a number for the troops with the house pianist… however she falls in love with a German soldier (from Dresden) in the drum corps. They plan to run away together, but he is caught in the midst of their plans, is reprimanded and sent to the front lines, not there to meet her at the station… What is to be her fate?
Share your thoughts on her thread about it here.
Songs 10-12: Mr. God, Houdini, Whakanewha
In with the old, in with the new. These three songs are in development as the duo prepares to record their first album since their release of Yes, Virginia in 2008. I love everything new I have heard at the shows that I have been to since seeing them at Colony in Woodstock, NY in November 2022 for my birthday. Especially Whakanewha, which I love the story of. I won’t spoil the plot, but, I’d say author and ex-husband Neil Gaiman done fucked up, y’all. Also, the way that Whakanewha is pronounced is hilarious.
Song 13: Another Christmas
It’s June, yes, but Another Christmas won’t hurt. Released as a Thing on Amanda’s Patreon, and performed at her solo shows, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing this one again. I believe it to also be the only song that includes jingle bells.
Song 14: Amsterdam (Jaques Brel cover)
Feeling fortunate that I had found myself on the 2nd floor of Union Transfer for this one.
I’ve been fortunate enough to hold Amanda’s hand before, being guided to the shore on a silent walk through the grounds of Omega in Rhinebeck, NY for Camersand last year by her… and it is one of the most safe feelings in the world. I feel you, random stranger.
Song 15: Mandy Goes to Med School
Possibly the peppiest song about abortion, Mandy Goes to Med School brings us back around to the earliest era of Dolls songs before we get launched into some more of the new stuff.
Songs 16 & 17: The Runner & The Nail
I heard Amanda perform The Runner at a private practice at her now closed venue, Graveside Variety, in Woodstock, NY last November for my birthday. It has taken me a couple of listens to grasp it, and come to love it. It was one that had to grow on me, and hit me with the lyrics at just the right time. Turns out tonight was that night. It feels very much like the story-telling of an OG Dolls tune.
The Nail, however, is a face melter, and one I feel is best presented live, or through high quality circumaural headphones. This song is where the music becomes becomes intertwined with the very fabric of my soul and leaves me absolutely begging for more. As the song builds, I find myself glued to the floor, having an out-of-body experience as the ground shakes from the deep bass and lowest end of Kurt Weill’s keys. If you’re a member of Amanda’s patreon, you can listen to a demo of it from her post from November 19, 2023.
I may have cried.
Songs 18 & 19: Bad Habit & Coin Operated Boy
After that gentle round, the audience collectively needed a post-music-coital (musicoital? I may have to coin that one) cigarette. Perfect timing for Bad Habit.
Then, it happened. The flirtatious keystrokes brought back around from the start. Coin Operated Boy. The crowd beamed with enthusiasm as the two bandied back and forth once again.
Housekeeping Break
As the end of our epic show began to near, the duo took a moment to pause and thank the audience, and show us some of the just as epic merch to be found in the lobby.
Brian paraded the tour poster on stage as Amanda joked about his Vanna White impersonation skills.
Side note: The tour art for this, and most/all of the shows since 2022 have been designed by South African artist Niki McQueen. Currently we are raising funds to bring Niki to Americaland to see her FIRST EVER live-in-person Dresden Dolls shows. You can find the fundraiser here at GoFundMe.
Also, if you’re itching for a rad ball cap to wear with the heartplane embroidered upon it, look no further!
I absolutely love it.
Some discussions were had about the state of things to come and how best to stay connected with the band given the horrible algorithms of social media these days. If you want to stay up-to-date about all tour date announcements, important information, etc, make sure you sign up for their mailing list!
The crowd was instructed to take out their phones and text a shortcode to receive the link to sign up. But, first, they were granted an epic photo-op.
Song 20: War Pigs
Without further adieu, the conclusion of the show. A long-time favorite cover that the band has been performing for 20 years now: War Pigs. Brian joked that he knew Amanda was the right bandmate for him thanks to the wide breadth of music she could rock out to.
The duo had performed 20 songs. Time to go shake it off, get some water, and come back on for the encore.
Encore
Song 21: Girl Anachronism
And with that, the show was truly over.
Patron Photo
If you’re on Amanda’s patreon, one thing she does after every show is comes back out and lays amongst the love we have to give her while her manager Michael takes our photo. Of course, my go-to when this happens is to hold my camera up, and take a picture back.
Post(partum)script
It was now time to go home to my babies. Did I mention that I am 4 months postpartum and that I’m still exclusively breastfeeding my baby girl Amelia? By the end of the show I needed to get back to her, thanks to her protest of the pumped bottles I had left for her daddy & brother to give her at home. Off into the night I went, shedding my Nat-the-photographer cape & mask, and returning to mom life for the night. Rest was much needed, as Saturday June 8th was to be even more epic, thanks to the patron gathering at Ruba Club. Stay tuned for day 2!