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Long live Amanda Palmer

By Laura Witkowski

Amanda Palmer is a theatrical master of dark and salacious subject matter, a daring original – punk in the truest sense of the word. On stage, Palmer typically sports the perfect mix of punk and gothic flare: dramatic make-up, corsets and combat boots are staples of her wardrobe. She can also bang the hell out of a piano and belt out impeccably written cabaret/punk-tinged anthems like the physical manifestation of your teenage diary.
One half of the critically acclaimed Boston-based Dresden Dolls, this year, Palmer stepped out on her own for the first time with solo album "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?" Fanboy-turned-friend Ben Folds helped her transform what was originally planned as a stripped down lo-fi experiment into a tour-de-force, hauntingly beautiful gem of a record.
Palmer is the ring leader of one of the most eccentric and devoted fan bases of any artist playing today. Since the beginning, her work has attracted a diverse and welcoming fan base, and her level of accessibility allows fans a rewarding and close connection other artists wouldn't dream of extending. Palmer blogs, posts videos of her touring and studio adventures and has a signing table at virtually all of her events; it's easy to feel like you're part of something bigger than just being a fan of her music.
"I guess it's a function of my personality," Palmer says. "I've never really separated fans from friends. Our band started out playing to our friends for a long time, so I continue to treat the fan base like an extended family. I like it that way – it makes it way more like a lifestyle than a job."
Palmer doesn't shy away from delicate subject matter, and the bluntness of her lyrics combined with the intensity of her delivery allow for a cathartic entry into emotional states many people have a hard time accessing or discussing. One prime example is the sharply satirical, evangelical-Christian-skewering "Oasis" – the video for which was released around the time of Sarah Palin's VP nomination and was dedicated to the former Alaskan beauty queen. "With the video coming out right as (Palin) was nominated, it just seemed like a very fitting tribute, considering the timing," Palmer says.
When asked about the frequent theme of mental illness in her music, Palmer, who identifies as bisexual, said that was definitely something that resonated with LGBT fans, many of whom have had to combat the notion that their sexuality is an illness. However, she said, it goes further than that.
"It's absolutely not just for people who are queer, but anybody who is not considered 'normal.' Personally, what's considered 'normal' these days seems insane to me. I spent a lot of time as a teenager and young adult wondering how much of what was going on was my own craziness or my own sane reaction to crazy situations," Palmer says. "I have the ability to talk about dark issues and don't mind laying it all out there. I don't expect that everybody can or should do that; I really appreciate how incredibly different we all are. Some of my fans are shy and not forthcoming – those polar personalities compliment each other, and I appreciate that copasetic relationship."
Palmer seemed animated about returning to Detroit for the first time since 2006. "I'm really looking forward to it," she says. "I'm excited to be coming back to Detroit. It's been a long time since the Dolls came through there – we've had some good experiences there."
When asked to share one of those experiences, she offered, "The last time we played Detroit at the Magic Stick, I stumbled upon a used record store where I bought a record that still hangs in the middle of my kitchen wall today! It's some crazy religious record from the '50s called 'I Fell in Love with a Prostitute.' It was really scratched, but I managed to listen to some if it and it was awesome.
"So there – I found my coolest record album in Detroit!"

Amanda Palmer
8 p.m. Dec. 2
Magic Bag, Ferndale
http://www.whokilledamandapalmer.com

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