I am probably the worst person to write a show review as I get too lost in the music and the experience to bother writing down set lists or remembering specifics. But if any show doesn’t warrant a typical show review, this would be it.

Amanda Palmer commanded the tiny venue’s packed attention from the second she stepped onstage and kept it for the entirety of her show. She immediately connected with each audience member and made it feel as if she was playing for only their enjoyment. I think this is why she has such a rabid following. She started out the evening by pointing out the difference between the insanity of the huge crowds and detachment of ComicCon where she and Neil Gaiman had been signing their new book “Who Killed Amanda Palmer” and the small intimacy and connection of the Women’s Club. While she was in no way disparaging the con, she was obviously enjoying the change of pace of the intimate venue.

I can’t tell you what song she opened with, but I can tell you that the entire room swayed towards the stage and was riveted. The slow, melancholy song was poignant not only because of her incredible lyrics and deep voiced delivery, but because of the almost perfect silence of the mesmerized crowd hanging on her every note.

I was drawn in just like everyone else, but was a bit worried about my boisterous date. I needn’t have worried, because the next song was rhythmic and banging and almost like it was planned, the crowd started clapping along and dancing wildly. It was like she was conducting the crowd. As she moved from one song to another she pulled us in, made us sad, made us truly feel her pain and then she laughed and pulled the strings to make us jump and smile and dance along to her intense beat.

At one point in the evening she played a brand new song that she hadn’t played for anyone before and kindly asked that no one film it because she ‘hates to find herself on YouTube messing up one of her own songs”. Amazingly the crowd respectfully obliged and there wasn’t a sign of a camera in the entire place. There isn’t much I can say about the song except that I want to hear it again and again and again. It was so heartbreakingly beautiful that my only true memory of it was my agony when it ended. That may sound incredibly dramatic, but I am by far not the only one there who is going to be holding their breath until she releases that incredibly moving song, be it on YouTube or otherwise.

During ‘Runs in the Family" she brought out Meredith, an extremely talented violinist. She commanded the attention of the crowd almost as well as Amanda to the point of upstaging her with her incredible strings, but they played so well off of each other and danced and moved together so beautifully that I couldn’t decide who captivated me more at the moment. I was disappointed that she only played one song with the violin, but my disappointment didn’t last long because for the next song she played the Theremin and it was eerily beautiful. I didn’t write down the song and I’m sorry I can’t remember it. Don’t be mad though, we already talked about this.

Not only did Amanda entertain us with gorgeous songs from her new album ‘Who Killed Amanda Palmer” and Dresden Dolls classics like “Coin Operated Boy”, but she also played a couple of amazing covers. I’m not usually a fan of cover songs but you have not heard “My Favorite Things” from the Sound of Music until you’ve heard Amanda’s dreamy, dark version. As a tribute to Michael Jackson she played a gorgeous rendition of “Billy Jean”, a song I’ve never been particularly fond of. But again, I am in love with her version and hope that she records it so I can enjoy it again.
Amanda really surrounds herself with talented people and her opening band was no exception. Vermillion Lies played a well-received set of quirky cabaret songs with hilarious lyrics and an accordion. How could you go wrong?

She brought one of the Vermillion Lies gals out about halfway through her show for her ‘Ask Amanda’ segment where she pulled questions from the crowd out of a chest and answered them. Most of the questions were lame inquiries like how it feels to be “a goddess musician” (gag). She is way too real for that. Which was demonstrated shortly with a fantastic question: “If you could be any other celebrity right now, who would you be and why?” She had a moment of self-love where she pointed at herself with a huge grin on her face obviously truly happy to be no one but Amanda Palmer. But then she answered the question: “Lady Gaga, so I could go out and fuck shit up and then run away and laugh”. And the crowd went wild. Ha! I would love to see her done up in a cheesy wig and tacky leather causing mischief and mayhem!  My other favorite question was “Do you mind when people do their eyebrows in your style?” My inner geek giggled when first she cracked a joke about the awkward wording and then she said she didn’t mind as long “as your eyebrows aren’t hurting anyone!” For those of you not in the know, here are a few shots of her amazing eyebrows that yes, she always wears.

  
This is where I geek out on costuming, so be warned. (I am a costumer you know) Amanda’s eyebrows were perfect and her short haircut was a cute, curly topper to her cinched, greenish corset and bustle over a black bra and booty shorts. She looked amazing, but not too done up; almost like she doesn’t have to try at all. By the end of the show her hair was a bedhead-esque mess, her eyebrows were smeared and she whipped off her corset after her last song, spent with the intensity of her show.

Along with the Vermillion Lies in their cute, flippy dresses & corsets, she had another well-dressed gal join her onstage at one point. A beautiful woman in a flowery gown came onstage with a trophy she had won at ComicCon for being an amazing artist. Again, I’m terrible and don’t remember her name (Jill?). She sat on stage and sketched Amanda as she played. The sketches are going to be auctioned off to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

Her recorded music is incredible, but nothing compares to seeing her live. She could have played for another 3 hours and the entire crowd would have been right there with her. For the small crowd and venue I was amazed and delighted at the raucous encore. The floor was shaking! “More, more more!” was briefly chanted. She re-emerged to ecstatic cries and crazy clapping. Armed with only her ukulele while wandering back and forth across the front of the stage she started a sing-along to one of my favorite Cure songs, “Creep”. Vermillion lies joined her as background singers singing “shebop, shebop” and adorably dancing on either side of her. It was an incredible way to end an intimate show. She blurred the line between performer and audience. We were all one: swaying, singing, smiling and connecting.