Music, Style & Culture

Dresden Dolls, Tipitinas, New Orleans

When the Dresden Dolls come to town it’s much like a carnival.

When the Dresden Dolls come to town it’s much like a carnival. From the people who come to see the show, dressed up in animal ears, face paint, corsets, tutus and fairy wings, to the local musicians lined up outside the venue before the show starts. It gives the experience a feeling of boisterousness, which leads to an ambience of community. It certainly helps that the performers give off that feeling as well: it's a family affair.

Jason Webley, a friend of the Dresden Dolls, plays to a sold out venue. People swing and sing along to the songs, much like they're in a public house during the pirate ages. Webley carouses with his voice, growly and excited. His instruments are the guitar, an accordion, his feet and the crowd. During his set he splits the audience in half, anointing one the violin section, and the other the trombone section. With some good-natured ribbing, he turns them into his very own orchestra. The familial feeling inhabits the venue when Amanda Palmer comes on stage to help him; the affection between them is palpable. Webley is an excellent performer who creates a ruckus among the crowd. At the very end of his set he asks the audience to turn around twelve times with their fingers in the air because they aren’t drunk enough. He then plays his 'Drinking Song'. It seems to be the perfect ending; rowdy and unfettered, the crowd is completely worked up for The Dresden Dolls.

Before The Dresden Dolls start their set Amanda Palmer comes out to talk to the audience a little. Prior to coming down they scoured the Internet to find a local charity they wanted to support. They decided on BTNEP; the Barataria and Terrebonne National Estuary Program, a program designed to help save the wetlands, estuaries, and the ecosystems found there. They are also directly involved in attempting to do something about the oil spill in the gulf. It's a truly kind and loving gesture made to an incredibly receptive audience. They even collect money for them right on the spot. Every time an act comes to New Orleans, an intense love is professed for this area. It seems as though these artists are tapping into what makes this city special and are kind of overwhelmed by it. It is magical though, and outsiders love for it is part of what makes it so.

Then the duo start to perform. This is an intense experience for anyone who hasn’t seen them play; Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione are a powerful pair. For two people, they make a lot of noise and create a seriously potent experience. They describe themselves as Brechtian punk cabaret and truly that is what they are. They break down the boundaries between the stage and the audience, constantly reminding us that we are watching two people perform, there is interplay between each other, between them and the audience, and they even attempt to get the audience to interact with each other. It is fun; it reminds us what pure performance is and what it can be. They obviously love playing their music and love playing with each other, the result is an ecstatic fulfilment rarely seen onstage.