Girl at the Rock Shows

I don’t even know how to start this blog post. Should I start with how I saw one of the few bands left on my bucket list on Tuesday night at The Palace Theatre? Or do I talk about how I was so excited for this show but instantly lost steam when a friend told me about the controversy surrounding the band? Maybe I usher you into this post by talking about the dinner I had beforehand, or maybe I talk about how Tuesday was just another day, but a day with a spectacular end, and go on about the power of music. I don’t know what angle I want to work this review from, but I know that a wise woman once told me that the very beginning is a very good place to start.

Twin Cities-based draglesque artist Alegria D’Cirque quickly warmed up the crowd, kicking off the night with a variety-style set that ranged from epic violin playing to a stunning, beautiful burlesque performance. It was lovely to see such a beautiful human and spirit on stage, but I’ll be honest: the opening set felt a bit hastily thrown together. Maybe it was that, or maybe it was nerves, but something about Alegria’s performance felt a bit off-kilter. Her violin playing, as mentioned, was epic. The talent behind this performer was not lost on me, and I loved how the burlesque portion of Alegria’s set was as sexy as it was charming and light-hearted. Really, the performance the audience got from Alegria was amazing, but it just felt a bit disjointed and choppy, from the way that Alegria spoke to the audience to the way the transition from violinist to drag performer left the stage empty and the house speakers silent; there was something almost awkward about the quick opening set that left a weird taste in my mouth, but, at the same time, it was impossible not to look past it all and fall head over heels in love for this local performer.

I could tell Alegria was wrapping up, so I took the chance to hit the bathroom and bar before the inevitable rush of people getting ready for the headliner during the shift change. It was a perfect plan in theory, but as I headed downstairs to the bathroom, there was only a slight pause after the final note of Alegria’s set before I heard the distinct piano notes that kick off The Dresden Doll’s 2006 album, ‘Yes, Virginia…’. I spun around on a dime and rushed back up because I wasn’t going to miss a single second of this magical, long-awaited show.

First – a small background on this duo. The Dresden Dolls are Amanda Palmer (lead vocals and piano) and Brian Viglione (drums and vocals). They are a self-described “Brechtian punk cabaret,” but I’ll be honest: I had no clue what “Brechtian” meant until I looked it up, and I don’t expect you to either. So, in plain English, this band is a punk cabaret act that blends everything from metal to jazz and draws on influences ranging from pirate shanties to The Muppets, all with a dramatic flair that reminds you a bit of Sweeney Todd. You have a clear picture and sound in your head after that description, right? Totally kidding. The fact is, I really don’t know how to describe this band. Their sound is as unique as it is creative, and that is one of the first things that had me sold on them. I’ll never forget hearing their self-titled album for the first time in 2003. It was unlike anything I had ever heard. At first, I was drawn to the album by the strong piano that ran through every track. It was the kind of piano playing that I envied. It wasn’t the classical stuff I played day after day, but it had that vibe, with a little more pomp and circumstance. I remember listening to the album on repeat for a solid week, then sitting down at my piano, determined to learn every song by ear. After I conquered the piano portion of the album, I spent more time with the lyrics, and as I aged, they became words to live by. The Dresden Dolls’ songs range from brash to tender. Some feel like an obscene raucousness, while others break your heart in two and then stomp on the pieces as you are forced to watch it all happen. Like life, The Dresden Dolls are all over the place when it comes to their music, and that is one of the many reasons that they have been a constant in my life even though they only have two albums and haven’t put out an album since 2006.

Although they’ve been a constant in my life, I haven’t followed this band closely. I don’t know if it’s because their music felt almost otherworldly and so unique to me that it was hard to see the people behind the act or what it was, and I really didn’t follow the trials and tribulations of Amanda or Brian’s personal lives. That is why I was so shocked when my friend said she was surprised I was going to cover this show, given Amanda Palmer’s history. Look, I’m not going to take you down the deep dive I did because, honestly, I don’t know what I think of it all, but long story short, Amanda’s former husband (who, as she put it during the show, shall not be named) dragged her name through the mud with some truly terrible allegations. As I said, I don’t know what I think about it all. I don’t know what I think of it all, but I appreciated how Amanda addressed it during the show. It was heartbreaking when Amanda talked about being canceled and how she felt like her musical career was over. That moment coincided with seeing a friend perform at Carnegie Hall. Amanda had been invited because her friend was going to perform a Dresden Dolls song on that famed stage. The way Amanda told the story was truly beautiful, and you could hear the emotion that it brought up in her loud and clear, but, long story short, it was in that moment that Amanda came to terms with the fact that she may never perform again because, clearly, the music was outliving the fame. Thankfully, Amanda and Brian found the strength to say fuck the haters and take the act back on the road, but I think hearing about this ultra-vulnerable moment not only put things in perspective and gave me a sense of peace in covering this show, but it also showed us that Amanda is just human and, like the rest of us, just found herself in a crappy situation and was just trying to crawl her way out with the least amount of damage as possible.

The Dresden Dolls’ set wasn’t all doom and gloom and serious moments. There were plenty of times when this duo had me laughing harder than most acts. One moment in particular was when Amanda called out to the audience, asking for a hoodie or sweater because Brian was cold behind the drum set. Almost instantly, someone threw a black hoodie onto the stage, and Brian quickly grabbed it and put it on. That’s when Amanda said what we were all thinking: “The hoodie looks a little weird and funny with the tie.” She chuckled, then added that the look was a bit of a mix between The Crow and The Cat in the Hat. Okay, now that I write it out, I realize that this statement isn’t funny unless you were there, but it was just so nice to have the comic relief of that moment and many other moments scattered throughout Tuesday night’s set to break up the emotion and heartbreak that this band brings so much of to the spotlight.

Tuesday night’s show was part of the twenty-year celebration of their sophomore record, ‘Yes, Virginia…’. The packed audience got to hear almost every song on the album, from the explosive opening of “Sex Changes” to the more reserved and sad song “Me & the Minibar,” which was performed solely by Amanda on vocals and keys and left Brian sitting behind a candle, just adding to the drama of the sound. Truthfully, they could have just played this album and called it good. It was more than enough for me and the rest of the audience, but the band took it further, throwing in a few songs from the debut album, two new songs they’d been working on, and a couple of covers. Truthfully, The Dresden Dolls are one of those bands that could have played anything they wanted, and it would have been both not enough and perfect at the same time. That being said, there was a sense of power that came with them playing through ‘Yes, Virginia…’. Towards the middle of the set, Amanda explained that they had checked their contract and, since the album came out twenty years ago, they finally owned the rights to all of the music on it after being under contract with a record label for twenty years. That’s the reason they did this tour and even re-recorded the album. I feel like you could feel this duo take back the power during this performance in a way, and between that and the performance of two new songs, I am super optimistic that this means we may be seeing more of The Dresden Dolls in the near future.

Wow. I feel like I’ve talked your ears off (or read your eyes out? Not sure what phrase to use for a written blog), and I haven’t even scratched the surface regarding Tuesday night’s show. I haven’t mentioned that this was a completely seated show, which added to the cabaret vibe but also felt pretty weird in a venue that typically has a sea of people pushing and shoving their way through shows in the general admission pit. I haven’t even mentioned how Amanda was clearly getting sick and getting sicker with every passing song, and how, at times, you felt bad for her because her voice was so dang strained, but at the same time it added grit to the performance that really brought their sound to life. Did I mention that, due to the illness, they didn’t even play “Girl Anachronism” which is, arguably, one of their biggest hits and happens to be a personal favorite. I feel like I haven’t really told you my biggest takeaway from this show, but I also don’t know what that takeaway was. What I do know is that Tuesday night at The Palace Theatre with The Dresden Dolls was stunning. It was one of those shows that, deep down, I knew was going to be good but didn’t realize just how good it was going to be.

At one point, Amanda joked that she wished we could all hop on buses and travel with the band to their next stop in Chicago. Truthfully, I wish that hadn’t been a joke. I would have loved to live this concert all over again and hope it happens sometime again soon. In the meantime, I guess I’ll just have the memories made on Tuesday night to remind me of one of the best shows I saw in 2026.

Line Up:

Alegria D’Cirque

The Dresden Dolls

Venue: Palace Theatre

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 38

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 0 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None

Pukers- None

Passed Out People- None

Celebrity Sightings – Members of The Cows

Overall Score – 10 out of 10

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Alegria D’Cirque – 0

The Dresden Dolls – 0

Show on Deck – Redder Moon / Die So Fluid / Stranger Gallery / Count Spookula

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