LIVE REVIEW: Dresden Dolls, Gogol Bordello in Boston, MA (11.02.24)
The dramatic, intense, artistic Goth cabaret performance duo of Palmer on piano and Brian Viglione on drums did not disappoint the sold-out crowd at Roadrunner in Boston. The Dresden Dolls have a huge, loud sound, and the music easily fills the venue. The audience remained enthralled and quiet for most of the performance, with very few phones up and recording or taking pictures.
Palmer and Viglione were set up on high risers, enabling the audience to see them and feel connected easily. They’re both talented musicians and possess an intense, palpable chemistry that fuels the live shows. The show proved to be a safe space to commune and relieve stress with the election looming. Palmer reminded the audience many times to vote. “It’s election time. That just puts everyone in a gleeful mood,” Palmer said. “Other than vote, you can come to a Dresden Dolls show and rage against the machine.”
Formed in 2000, The Dresden Dolls released three studio albums– The Dresden Dolls (2003), Yes, Virginia… (2006) and No, Virginia…(2008). Although I’ve seen Amanda Palmer a bunch of times, I’ve never seen The Dresden Dolls. Palmer has a unique connection with her fans. She’s fascinating—an ardent feminist, talented musician, and innate artist and storyteller. She posts soul-baring messages on social media. Her solo shows often go on for three or four hours with intense monologues. She loves the spotlight, she loves to share and create art and perform. She supports her musical endeavors through Patreon–a subscription-based platform that allows content creators to be paid directly for their work. Earlier in the day, she had a special Q&A with patrons. A decade ago, she wrote a memoir called The Art of Asking, which chronicles her crowd-sourcing, bartering, and borrowing and illustrates the importance of making lasting connections through art, love, and creativity. Palmer has had an impressive career as an independent alternative musician. That career started with The Dresden Dolls, which created a cult following among the outcast and arty/ creative types. When they started out, Palmer said that the “Boston music scene was a sea of post-grunge plaid,” and there weren’t a lot of art bands like Dresden Dolls. It was “lots of white guys playing guitar.”
The Dresden Dolls opened their two-hour show with a cathartic “Good Day” and closed with the punchy “Girl Anachronism.” On “Missed Me,” they started slow and teasing, with the two playing off each other in a challenging manner, like a duel with instruments. It then increased in speed and intensity. Fitting for the song told from the point-of-view by a young girl groomed by a pedophile. “Welcome to the Internet,” a song by “fellow Masshole” Bo Burnham, started slow and sped up. It’s appropriate for the subject matter– all things, all the time. Many options are available to us at any time of the day. “Coin-Operated Boy” is the epitome of their vibe —a cheeky song about a vibrator—at the end, Viglione threw his arms around Palmer in an intense embrace. Palmer sang two new songs she wrote while living in New Zealand during the pandemic. (Palmer recently moved back to her hometown of Lexington.) She told the audience that her marriage had ended, that she was a solo mom in a foreign country, and that she hadn’t written that many songs. One “Whakanewha” is a melancholy and thoughtful song with moving lines– “You made your choice, and you chose the dark” and “It feels so good to love again.” The other is a Christmas song called “Another Christmas.”
“As you leave this club tonight, I hope you leave with a little hope in your heart,” Palmer said. “Go support the arts and go out to see live music.” During the encore, Gogol Bordello and Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band came onstage for a wonderful, moving rendition of “Sing,” a song about expressing yourself through song, as vital today as when it first came out—”There is this thing keeping everyone’s lungs and lips locked/ It is called fear and it’s seeing a great renaissance/ After the show you can not sing wherever you want/ But for now let’s just pretend we’re all gonna get bombed/ So sing”
Punk band Gogol Bordello opened the show with high energy and organized chaos. A young woman body-surfed in the mosh pit. Several times, lead singer Eugene Hutz said he felt a connection with the audience. Highlights included their song, “Start Wearing Purple,” inspired by Melanie, who sang French and English songs. The Ukrainian-American singer said he found it relatable as he often sings in four languages in one song. He closed the set saying, “We’re your f-ing friends, Gogol Bordello; good night.” They brought up The Dresden Dolls for their encore, dubbed “The Masked Avengers.” Hutz amusingly told the audience they may recognize them and to “play it cool.” They performed a hypnotic version of the dark and dramatic Nick Cave song “Red Right Hand.”
