For one night, The Vic Theater was transformed into a slightly more burlesque, slightly more cabaret version of the Renaissance Fair. Kind of like the steampunk show (at the Renaissance fair) but naughtier and without all the misunderstanding. Highlights from the generationally diverse crowd included a girl sporting a shirt with CUNT emblazoned across across the back, a dude in a wedding dress and a pink haired gentleman breezily maneuvering in an authentic Scottish kilt. These are the types of people you can expect to see at a Dresden Dolls show. If you happen to be one of those people who still pretends they’re normal (spoiler: it doesn’t exist), you have no idea what you missed.

When Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione emerged (she in an almost Nazi burlesque meets geisha robe; he in a vest (no shirt, obviously) plus bowler hat), they took a pre-show Shakespearean bow. As we would later discover, what seemed like a presumptuous – almost arrogant – gesture was really anything but. Maybe they’re omnicient, but Amanda and Brian were already aware that this was going to be one of the best shows they put on in their decade long career.

She sidles up to the microphone and he pulls on an acoustic guitar. As they croon and strum their way through T Rex’s “Cosmic Dancer,” he gradually starts moving closer to the drum kit stage left. The cover concludes with Viglione playing from atop his perch in the drum kit and Palmer settling down in front of the keyboard and a toy piano. As they move gracefully through their catalog, the blue and red mood lights washing over them intimated an almost aquarium setting. It was as if the audience was observing them in their natural habit and there was nothing they could do but what comes naturally – sing, dance and gyrate. And get naked. Palmer disrobes (to a rolling drum beat and raucous applause) and Viglione is magically shirtless around the start of the third song.

If, by some crazy stretch of the imagination, this doesn’t seem like enough of a production, Palmer and Viglione switch instruments half way through “Missed Me.” It’s hard to forget a woman wearing only a bra and pants playing drums (much easier to forget a shirtless keyboard player), but they were both purposely playing in a rigid, marionette fashion. There was no man behind the curtain pulling the strings (that we could see), but their penchant for the over the top adds an emotional and artistic aspect to their performance that really adds to the music.

After saying goodbye to the photographers (literally), Palmer decides to share a short story. The toy piano they’re using (the one they will eventually play “Perfect Fit” for the first time since 2003 on) actually belongs to an audience member. Palmer got a message on Twitter to visit a fan that lived near the venue and pet her cat. She did. She was also so moved by this girl’s cello serenade that she asked her to play at The Vic before the show. We don’t need to explain why this makes the Dresden Dolls even more impressive.

The show drew to an unfortunate close around two hours in with a familiar cover of “War Pigs.” Leaving The Vic that night was difficult for the throngs of rabid fans, but they definitely left happy. Even if it was for only one night, the Dresden Dolls satiated their desires for “Brechtian punk cabaret” with extreme awesomeness.

DATE: Wednesday, November 17, 2010
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Tracy Graham ( @tracygrahamcrkr )
WORDS BY: Ben Dahl ( @CobaltInfinity )

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