A bellyful of laughs

Pounding her piano keys like an uncontainable receptacle of quirky punk cabaret, Amanda Palmer, the creative voice behind Boston-based duo The Dresden Dolls, appears to have been given a new license to thrill by taking a temporary solo excursion.

Emerging in 2002 as an alternative Goth punk cabaret band with a Weimar twist, the Dolls stumbled upon a niche no one else could touch. But the overly ambitious Palmer always had an itch for further creative outlets.

The title of her debut solo album, Who Killed Amanda Palmer?, was a take on the spooky American television series "Twin Peaks" and its central character, Laura Palmer, who showed up in the first episode dead. That, however, is the only link.

In a clean break with everything she had done previously with The Dresden Dolls, Palmer  teamed up with pop pianist Ben Folds, who was a closet fan of Palmer's music for a long time, and finally started corresponding with her by e-mail. At first, Palmer was unsure if it was the real Ben Folds at the other end of the computer line. Not only was it the real item, he was interested in producing her album.

"You don't say no to Ben Folds unless you're crazy," says Palmer, who as it turns out, was a mutual fan of Folds' music.

He helped Palmer put together a diverse solo debut, replete with pain, humor and irony underpinned by some very expressive use of piano. Palmer's voice, it has to be said, can be subtle and composed, as on the track "Ampersound," or it can suddenly take on the force of an oncoming express train, as on "Leeds United," a song about a soccer jersey given to her by ex-boyfriend Ricky Wilson of The Kaiser Chiefs and "a combination of other things, like losing all of my belongings on tour and feeling like I was going crazy."

Little did Palmer know at the time that the song would also spark something of a "rebellyon." Bosses at her record company, Roadrunner, asked if she could remove or digitally alter shots of her bare stomach on the video, which left the singer fuming on her blog, "I thought they were on crack. ? I know when I look fat, but this is just nonsense. I thought I looked really hot." Suddenly, hundreds of fans started posting pics of their own bellies, with defiant messages of support written on them.  

Some might say Palmer is a magnet for controversy. Another song, "Oasis," about date rape, abortion and getting Oasis' autographs, also proved problematic, with an immediate airplay ban in Britain. And her most recent project, "Evelyn Evelyn," which she conspired with new partner-in-crime Jason Webley (who opens for her at Akropolis next week), centers around a concept album and tour by conjoined sisters Evelyn and Evelyn Neville. who, according to the bio on their Web site, are "parapagus tripus dibrachius twins, sharing three legs, two arms, three lungs, two hearts and a single liver."

It was a hoax, and a lot of people fell for it. But the disc was real enough, and impressive, with standout tracks like "Have You Seen My Sister Evelyn?" and a ukulele rendition of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart."

Still, the whole business was seen by many as a sick joke and an exploitation of disabled people, forcing Palmer to go on the defensive. "We made this project in a very light-hearted spirit, and it was upsetting to see people take it the wrong way," she says. "We thought it was a pretty obvious joke, given that Jason's a boy and I'm a girl. But you never know with people. It's been an interesting journey and lesson, for sure."

Palmer admits she is not looking forward to her latest tour, though she's come to terms with it because, "I love people, so I do it again and again and again. What is wrong with me?" One exception to the rule is Prague.

"I've been to Prague many times," she says enthusiastically. "The Dolls have played in Prague twice, and I went there once when I was 17, when I first visited with my German boyfriend. It will be crazy. It's the only show Jason and I are doing ourselves after a two-month "Evelyn Evelyn" tour. It'll be completely wild, and I'm very excited to get back to Prague."

Offending belly and all.

James Scanlon can be reached at
features@praguepost.com