Tag: amanda palmer

Eight in Eight

Eight in Eight is a project where Amanda Palmer, Neil Gaiman, Ben Folds, and Damian of Ok Go pulled together for what was supposed to be 8 songs in 8 hours (but ended up taking slightly longer).  While the group may have underestimated how long the project would take to finish, it still is amazing to me that they did have the finished project within the same day (if you define “day” as “24 hours,” since they ended after midnight).  Not only is the amount of time spent on the project impressive, it is also amazing that the work actually sounds good.  The songs are definitely not mainstream, but when you look at the contributors this detail shouldn’t surprise you.  The album includes a song about Nikola Tesla, and another about Joan of Arc.  That last one, called “The Problem With Saints” is performed by Neil Gaiman, who is much better known for his writing than his musical abilities.  Neil carries the song fine though, and the subject is so interesting you’re inclined not to judge too harshly.

The whole project is surrounded by a ton of mad, wonderful, creative energy.  It was essentially a brainstorming session made public for the world to see (and even contribute).  This was made possible by video feeds and Twitter.  I have spoken before about the power of the social media tool that Twitter has become, but for all it’s uses this is definitely the most creative I have seen yet.  This is the kind of experiment I could only imagine AFP and the rest of the people involved would be able to make work as effectively as they did.  The finished product is definitely worth the $1 minimum donation they are asking for (if not more).  Plus the money goes to charity, which is also nice.  It’s great to see something really big and beautiful come from such a short amount of time.  I’m sure the actual process must have been really intense (I know the collective Twitter feeds gave a picture of an intense music-writing workshop).  If anyone actually watched the webcast, I would love to hear your comments.  (And if any of the artists involved want to comment, I am completely OK with that as well).  I will close with a thank you to those involved for being creative and trying something different.  I think that is what art is all about, and when the internet and technology get involved it makes it all the better.

*The album can be downloaded on Bandcamp, and more information on the project can be found here.

 

Rick Berry Art Gallery Reception

This weekend I took a trip to Boston for a gallery reception which included art by Rick Berry, a local artist. Even if that name does not sound familiar (which it didn’t to me at first) you may be familiar with some of his work already and just not realize it. That was the case for one person I talked to at the event. Select works include the digital cover for the cyber novel “Necromancer,” paintings and book design for limited edition Stephen King novels, and most recently a collaboration with Amanda Palmer and A.R.T. for their production of the musical “Cabaret,” which included a portrait of Amanda Palmer as the emcee. He also has art books that you can find on Amazon.com. All of the art I saw at this gallery was really quite good. I especially liked the pieces involved with the Cabaret project, but that might have been partially because I was very interested in following that project online and wished I could have seen it for myself. There were a lot of people at the event who all seemed to like the art as well.

This is the part where I would have added some photos, but there were too many to add using Blogger. Total side note, but this blog might be moving to WordPress soon.

A complete set of photos will be available on flickr soon, so pay attention to Twitter for more updates on that. Also, you can find a complete resume of Rick Berry’s work at his website.

And for more information about purchasing paintings, you can contact Sheila@RickBerryStudio.com. She’s very nice and would be more than happy to help with further enquiries.

Edit: I should also point out that the gallery is still open and will be up till March 1st, so if you’re in the area there is still time to check it out and experience it for yourself.

Free At Last

Free at last! Free at last!

So says Amanda Palmer, just before announcing she has finally been dropped from her label. Palmer, known to her fans as AFP, has been fighting with the label for a few years now. She started with them back when she was lead singer for The Dresden Dolls. The relationship was good at first but slowly deteriorated until she was left with very little freedom over her music and what she could do with it. Now she has the ability to make these choices on her own. Her first act of celebratory free-ness: sharing a free download with her fans. Even though she is glad to be able to shed the label’s skin, Palmer still wishes it to be known that there is no hostility held towards Roadrunner Records. She writes a letter to them in her blog which remembers the good times before things went south. Just another example of our little AFP taking the high road and showing some class.

Kudos.

Evelyn Evelyn pre-order

You’ve heard of Evelyn Evelyn. They got all that buzz when people complained to Amanda Palmer about them. Well how bout some good news surrounding the conjoined twins?

Hear ye, hear ye. Amanda Palmer & Jason Webley are proud to present to the debut album of none other than Evelyn Evelyn. This is exciting stuff you will not want to be left out of. So go follow the title link down the rabbit hole and reserve your copy today.

EvelynEvelyn Controversy

There has been a lot of backlash in regards to Amanda Palmer’s new project: Evelyn Evelyn. Personally I think people take offense by her way too easily, but Amanda seems to like the discussion that has spawned from it (which is something I have always really respected her for). She has written a response to all the commentary on the whole “Evelyn” thing, but I especially like this part here:

as far as people hurling the criticism that i am “hiding behind my art”….(this one has come up several times)

here’s what i consider hiding: producing inoffensive, corporate-penned, vanilla-bean love-story family-friendly made-for-mainstream-radio music that won’t offend a single person. and won’t make anybody laugh, won’t make anybody think, won’t make anybody wonder, won’t make anybody talk, and won’t change anybody’s life.

THAT, my friends, is hiding behind art.


My response, “Right on, girl!” People nowadays seem afraid to take chances. Some of that is a survival thing, which is fine. I get it, everyone’s gotta eat, right? Some of it is being afraid to offend anyone or be controversial though, and that, in my opinion, is a shame. I’m not saying you should be controversial for the sake of it, but for the love of God (or whatever deity you believe in) please please please get involved in the conversation. I don’t care what it is, just get passionate about something. Create some art, not because it will please everyone, but because it pleases you. And if it offends some people that’s ok. Maybe that means it was worth it. Because it got people thinking. And thinking is good. We should do it more often. Who knows, the world might be a better place for it.

This is getting way off course so I’m just gonna end it by saying that whether you love her or hate her, Amanda got you thinking. More than that, she got you talking. That makes her a good thing, in my book. Keep doing what you do, and love the haters. (It’s what Amanda would want).

Amanda Palmer Slays Music Hall of Williamsburg

Last night Amanda Palmer played to a sold out (and energized) Music Hall of Williamsburg. The crowd loved her from the moment she marched on stage. Nervous Cabaret (the opening act) played the beginning and end of the set with her, including marching with her from the back of the venue to the stage. Other guests for the evening included Sxip Shirey and Franz Nicolay, both of whom joined Amanda during the encore. The set consisted of the usual combination of Dresden Dolls songs, selections from the solo album, and a few covers. There was also the Ask Amanda segment, which is usually both amusing and informative. Something that was added for this tour, however, was an artist is selected for each show to complete a drawing which will be auctioned at the end of the night. This show there were actually two artists, so two pieces were auctioned towards the end of the set. The entire night played out almost like a theater production (solidified by the addition of Franz to the final songs). Amanda has always been a pleasure for me to see live, and this time was no exception. Words can’t fully describe the experience, so pictures will be added to this post by the end of the day.