LIVE: AMANDA PALMER – March 21, 2019

Venue: The Cathedral @ Masonic Temple

City: Detroit, MI

Date: March 21, 2019

Review and Photographs by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur (www.toddstarphotography.com)

Every photographer has a few unicorns that sit on their bucket list forever.  For me, Amanda Palmer is one of those artists that I have wanted to cover since I was first made aware of her music and all that goes with it.  When she released the dates for her current There Will Be No Intermission tour – supporting the new release of the same name – it was incredible that she chose Detroit as the opening city to present not only this new material but the raw stories that provide the backdrop for them.  This tour is Storytellers on steroids, as Amanda doesn’t hold anything back.  Kicking off the opening night of the tour with “Judy Blume” from the new disc, she captivated the audience from first note to last.  After that song, we were in for a long ride, so to speak, as she took time to explain the twists and turns of her life that brought us to this point… to this place… to this moment in time we would all share for the next 3+ hours.  Next on the setlist was “Runs In The Family” from her debut solo disc Who Killed Amanda Palmer and this song was more powerful live tonight as it ever was spinning the track at home on the CD.  The setlist ebbed and flowed through the evening with nine songs from the new release getting aired out in front of a packed and supportive crowd.  We were invited to join Amanda to sing, laugh, cry, swear, and raise our hands if we were sad – at which point she would break into the intro for “Coin-Operated Boy.”  There were other high points during the evening and a few covers that made their way into the set, including “Part Of Your World” and “Let It Go.”  The other lone hold out from her debut solo release kicked in after the detailed personal saga she endured that culminated in the track “Oasis.”  There were visual additions to the show – shh… I won’t tell, as Amanda vows there should be a few surprises along the way.  A couple personal favorites from the new disc dotted the evenings musical landscape with “The Thing About Things,” “Machete.” and “The Ride” all making an appearance.  I have seen shows where artists strip the songs down and give you some insights.  I have seen shows where artists shed their band or bravado and take the stage solo.  I can say I have now seen a show where the artist bared themselves completely and welcomed you into their chaos, their triumphs, their failures, and their heart.  Thank you Amanda Palmer – you gave a packed Cathedral exactly what we needed and wanted tonight… here’s hoping you remember us as fondly moving forward as we will remember you and this night.

Setlist: Judy Blume – Runs in the Family – The Thing About Things – Bigger on the Inside – Coin-Operated Boy (Intro) – Oasis – Part Of Your World – Machete – Coin-Operated Boy (Intro) – A Mother’s Confession – Intermission – Map of Tasmania – The Ride – Coin-Operated Boy (Intro) – The Killing Type – Drowning in the Sound – Voicemail for Jill – Let It Go – Death Thing

Complete set of AMANDA PALMER show photos HERE

AMANDA PALMER LINKS:

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Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries