A Vermont Woman Web Exclusive–

An Interview with The Dresden Dolls

Punk Bach Band

By Alyssa Todd

You may not have heard of the Dresden Dolls, a Boston-based band comprised of vocalist/pianist Amanda Palmer and drummer Brian Viglione. But this duo, described by Palmer as a blend of “musical theatre and Eighties hits spiced with cabaret, punk, and Bach,” is quickly taking the world by storm. The pair recently completed a national tour with the perhaps all too well-known Nine-Inch Nails, an experience Amanda describes as “educational” -- “The whole band and crew were incredibly right and professional,” she told Vermont Woman. “Trent [Reznor, founder of Nine Inch Nails] was a solitary figure but treated us very kindly.”

Concert-goers can expect a much different experience from a live Dresden Dolls performance than a traditional show. Audience participation is encouraged, and many fans usually come to shows adorned in make-up and costumes, some even creating and performing improvisational art of their own. Both Palmer and Viglione partake in this as well, also wearing make-up and costumes, though not to an extent they risk distracting from their passion for the music. “We bleed and cry and sweat. That's the show. Who wouldn't want to see that?” says Amanda.

In the band’s first single, a passionate and sharp song titled “Girl Anachronism,” Palmer addresses the topic of an entire generation feeling displaced [“I might join your century/but only on a rare occasion/I was taken out/before the labor pains set in and now/behold the world's worst accident/I am the girl anachronism”]. “It can get very confusing and disorienting for an individual's sense of reality and self,” Palmer explains. “History can be toyed with and played with and excavated but it can also trap you.” What are her goals, then, as she explores this feeling of displacement? “My hope for myself is that I can steal what I want from all eras and put it together in one beautiful package that best represents me and my conception of beauty.”

(l to r) Rasputina?s Jonathon TeBeest, Melora Creager, and Zo? Keating. The ?alt-cello? trio?s unusual costumes are both a bonding ritual and weapon against shyness.

Of course, there are always things in the contemporary world to contend with. Palmer recalls that during the tour with Nine Inch Nails, remarks were made regarding, as she describes it, her “abundant armpit hair.” Palmer divulges that she “…usually invited the offending gentleman to please come up on stage and shave me. That shuts them the f--k up.” But despite these kinds of comments with the potential to dishearten, Palmer is not deterred. Her advice to aspiring women musicians: “Don't be afraid to be sexy, don't be afraid to get dirty, always work your ass off, and follow up on every email. Bathe only when critical. Always brush teeth. Take frequent walks. Don't forget that people are more important than art.”

The Dresden Dolls’ self-titled CD is available in music stores everywhere – buy local! The band will be performing an all-ages show at Higher Ground in South Burlington on Thursday, October 27th. Tickets are $15 in advance and at the door, and are available at all Higher Ground ticket locations. Doors open at 8pm, the show begins at 9pm.

Amalgamating Eras: An Interview

with Melora Creager of Rasputina

The definition of “alternative rock” has always been broad, but the band Rasputina is one of its most unique variants. Founded in 1992 by Melora Creager, the self-described “alt-cello” trio has released five full-length albums to date. The band’s current line-up includes Creager, who plays cello, performs vocals, writes all the lyrics and designs all of Rasputina’s CD artwork. Zoë Keating also plays cello, and Jonathon TeBeest rounds off the trio on drums and percussion.

But it’s not just their chosen instruments that separate the trio from numerous other bands popular today. Many of the band’s songs are about historical events, and they play every show dressed in Victorian-inspired attire. The band draws its inspiration from “music, art, architecture, movies and styles from all different eras,” Creager reports in an interview with Vermont Woman. Creager draws a lot of her inspiration from women in history, a fascination she dates back to her childhood. “I found an old composition book, full of writings about the depression, Lizzie Borden — I’ve always had a fascination with history.”

In contrast, Creager’s decision to pick up the cello was not grounded in her love of history, as one might think. Creager, who began playing cello at age 9, “liked it because it was so big,” and like many nine year olds, “I wanted to make my dad happy. He played in college and wanted one of his children to play it as well.”

The listener can expect a unique concert experience from the band. Creager is notorious for her sharply humorous and thoughtful commentary between songs on everything from Hollywood celebrities to the state of world affairs. “We are just three domestics earning extra pocket money for liposuction,” reads a sample on the band’s website. Creager hopes that audiences find Rasputina’s sets exciting and surprising. She considers a positive audience response to be: “I can’t believe all that sound is coming from two cellos and a drum set!”

The band’s stage attire is as much for the band members as for the audience. Throughout several line-up changes, the band has always had at least two female members, and according to Creager, pre-show preparations “have always been a sisterly thing — it’s a unique time for us to get into a concentrated frame of mind. It’s also a way for us to bond; we’re not terribly social before a show.” For Creager, the clothing has the added benefit of helping her battle shyness. “I feel less exposed,” she says.

“I think I got a lot of lucky breaks because I was female and doing something different,” Creager comments about the music industry. “I don’t think I’ve ever been told ‘no’ just because I am a female.” In fact, she says, “I don’t think anyone [trying to break into the record industry] will be stopped, slowed or insulted because of their gender, and [as a female] you sound better — which is an automatic plus!”

Rasputina has played shows with some well-known, male-fronted bands, including Nirvana and Marilyn Manson. Creager recalls that while on tour with Marilyn Manson, the band members were occasionally attacked for their gender by groups of audience members. “There was a lot of ‘show us your t#*s’ and that kind of thing, but thankfully we didn’t hear it from the stage. We were told afterwards,” Creager recalls.

Creager’s newest venture with Rasputina has been their own record label, aptly dubbed Filthy Bonnet Records. Currently, the label is strictly an outlet for Rasputina, but if a group comes along that piques the band’s interest, they might consider signing them. Rasputina’s newest record, A Radical Recital , a 19-track live album, is the band’s first release on Filthy Bonnet and currently available online and at their shows.

Rasputina is performing at Higher Ground on Friday, October 28th. Doors open at 8pm. Tickets are $12 in advance and available at all Higher Ground ticket locations.

Alyssa Todd is a recent graduate from UVM’s social work program. She is also heavily involved in Vermont’s music scene.