O+ FUNDRAISER with so many friends @ THE OLD DUTCH CHURCH - the FULL STREAM & the full story (Patreon)

(header image by neil segal)

HELLO LOVES.

Short story, the WHOLE WEBCAST from the epic show the other night is now ready for watching and loving. It's an unbelievale thing. Please watch it. Share it. It's public. https://www.crowdcast.io/e/anotherworld081322

Here's a shot from the final number, a cover of Anohni's "Another World", in which Chris wrapped the globe in a baby blanket and cried while Sophie and Father Nathan rang the bells.

IT WAS THAT KIND OF NIGHT. 

(photo by Neil Segal) 

.....

Greetings from Woodstock, NY, where I am having the weirdest summer ever.

I'll write more in the Althing, but hot damn, that whole "make plans" thing...god just keeps busting a goddamn GUT.

IN AMAZING NEWS, The Dresden Dolls shows sold out in THREE HOURS. The team stumbled a bit, especially with me offline and dealing with Ash and Dad-in-hospital, but I give us solid marks for getting this shit done. We are currently working on finding a ticket trade/swap system because scalping is already rampant. What a joyful problem to have.

BUT.....FOR NOW......

THIS IS THE BIG OL' POST about the life-changing show that happened the day before I got Covid. I don't think I've ever been more grateful that a show, a moment in time, got captured. 

This show, this art, this moment, this collection of people...it'll never happen again. Not like this. The feeling in the air in that church was so thick you could eat it with a spoon.

And than ks to the patreon and your funds, we could afford to hire a camera and sound crew to livecast it FREE to the whole world. I FUCKING LOVE PATRONAGE AND THANK YOU AND good lord it just keeps making me cry. All of it.

HERE IS THE SHOW POSTER...AND THE FINAL LINE-UP.

...poor Holly Miranda had to drop off the bill because she....got Covid. 

Again, you can find the ENTIRE SHOW available to re-watch HERE:

https://www.crowdcast.io/e/anotherworld081322

......

If you want to read an entire beautiful review and reflection of the show by our own Aimsel Ponti, a patron & journalist who came all the way from Maine to cover and photograph the show, here you go: 

https://aimselontherecord.com/2022/08/19/in-her-first-u-s-show-in-three-years-amanda-palmer-took-us-to-church-in-an-actual-church/

......

AHEM. Okay.

The show was a benefit for O+, so just in case you missed it, a little about them...

Here's WHAT THEY DO:

O+ (pronounced O Positive) supports the health of underinsured artists and musicians through festivals at which they exchange art-making and performances for wellness services: the art of medicine for the medicine of art.

O+ helps strengthen community wellbeing with Narcan and CPR trainings, expos of local health-and wellness-related nonprofits, cycling events, classes in the healing arts, mural tours and healthcare forums.

We build long-term relationships between creatives and health & wellness providers to help strengthen local communities. Our year-round efforts culminate in one-day and weekend-long celebrations, during which underinsured artists and musicians create and perform in exchange for a variety of services donated by doctors, dentists and complementary care providers.

Through the ticket sales, merch, donations, and other fundraising efforts, we managed to raise $25,000 for them, which is just incredible.

If you want to get involved, they have a SHOP on their site, which has a range of items (including a KAZOO), and all profits will go towards the fundraising:

https://opositivefestival.org/shop/

Or if you just want to give some cold, hard cash, you can just straight up donate at https://opositivefestival.org/support/

And if you're local to Kingston, you can go VOLUNTEER WITH THEM, all details for that are at https://opositivefestival.org/volunteer/

Tell them I sent you. They are SUCH GOOD FOLKS.

......

And the church itself is GORGEOUS.... here a few shots from the recon i did a few days before:

(photo by joe concra)

.....me with the webcast and O+ crew!!

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And so.... the show....

(photo by Aimsel Ponti)

Here is THE SETLIST, with timestamps:

Pre-show:

Chris Wells MC intro (00:04:00)

Wu Woman (00:06:30)

Chris Wells MC (00:10:20)

Joe Concra and Lara Hope from O+ (00:20:35)

Chris Wells MC (00:24:50)

Gracie and Rachel:

Stranger (00:26:05)

Sidelines (00:30:55)

Ideas (00:34:45)

Go (00:39:20)

Pencil (00:43:55)

4 Hands (00:47:50)

Gucci Gucci (00:51:00)

Middle Ground (00:53:50)

Mid-show:

Chris Wells MC (00:56:15)

Palak Patel (01:00:20)

Nathan Monk reading (01:02:20)

Chris Wells MC (01:17:45)

Amanda Palmer:

Behind The Wall (Tracy Chapman cover) (01:20:10)

In My Mind (01:23:35)

The Thing About Things (01:31:00)

Jump (01:40:00)

Ampersand (01:41:55)

Runs In The Family (01:52:45)

Voicemail For Jill (02:00:30)

Coin-Operated Boy (02:07:40)

Ode To Divorce (Regina Spektor cover) (02:14:45)

Drowning In The Sound (02:23:25)

AUCTIONING OFF SVITLANA'S PAINTING (02:30:30)

Little Island (02:38:40)

Sophie Strand reading (02:46:40)

Death Thing (02:55:00)

I Love You So Much (03:09:20)

Another World (Antony and the Johnsons cover) (03:15:30)

(photo by Neil Segal)

Singing "Behind The Wall", with no instruments, by Tracy Chapman.

I felt things. We all did.

Last night I heard the screaming
Loud voices behind the wall
Another sleepless night for me
It won't do no good to call
The police always come late
If they come at all

And when they arrive
They say they can't interfere
With domestic affairs
Between a man and his wife
And as they walk out the door
The tears well up in her eyes

Last night I heard the screaming
Then a silence that chilled my soul
I prayed that I was dreaming
When I saw the ambulance in the road
And the policeman said
"I'm here to keep the peace
Will the crowd disperse
I think we all could use some sleep"

(photo by Neil Segal)

(photo by neil segal)

(photo by ambah_invasion on instagram)

(photo by neil segal)

(photo by Aimsel Ponti, in rehearsal)

......

You'll see there are a few covers in there, in case you don't know them, consider this a vital musical education:

Behind The Wall by Tracy Chapman 

Ode To Divorce by Regina Spektor 

Another World by Antony and the Johnsons 

......

And.... ALL THE PERFORMERS THAT JOINED US...

Chris Wells, MC for the night

Chris is one of my upstate besties. He's an actor, MC, and creator of The Secret City, a non-profit arts organization dedicated to fostering community through the arts and celebrating the work of individual artists. 

Wu Woman, aka Svitlana Zavialova

Svitlana Zavialova, aka Wu Woman, is a performance artist, actress, martial artist, a World Champion in traditional Wushu experienced in a wide array of traditional kung fu styles and weapons, and the founder of The Shen-fa Method: The Art of Cognitive Transmission of Martial Movement and Emotion.

You can find out more about her at https://www.wuwoman.com/

Gracie and Rachel

Gracie and Rachel are also upstate pals, and they're fresh off a tour opening for Ani DiFranco. They're an incredible chamber pop piano-violin duo who recently released their sophomore album Hello Weakness, You Make Me Strong on Ani's label, Righteous Babe Records, Ani's label.

Father Nathan Monk

My new fave internet writer, and I'm halfway through his memoir about homelessness..it's so so so good. Instant ally.

His official bio is that he is a social justice advocate, author, and former Orthodox priest. He lives in Pensacola, FL with his wife and three children. He works with nonprofits and local governments to address issues associated with homelessness, poverty, and social justice.

He read from his new book All Saints Hotel & Cocktail Lounge 

Sophie Strand

Sophie Strand is a new and now close friend of mine here in Woodstock....she's a poet, historical-fiction writer, and essayist based in the Hudson Valley with a focus on the intersection of spirituality and ecology. She has three chapbooks: Love Song to a Blue God, Those Other Flowers to Come, and The Approach.

She read a piece titled "I Will Not Be Purified', which you can find here 

......

and..... the reviews are in!!!

well, one review, from long-time patron and dear friend aimsel ponti

This part, talking about the song "Death Thing".... gah, let me hug you Aimsel. I love you. 

I let myself feel the pain in measured doses. Although I’m starting to believe and trust in the fact that my grief will not swallow me whole, even as tears stream down my face as I write this and I think about how much I miss my mother.

[...]

Three notes in I knew what song it was. I was seated in the balcony of that church snapping photos. I put my camera down and held onto the Celtic cross that belonged to my mother that I now wear every day.

I told myself to just be present. To go full on Beatles and just let it goddamn be for once.

My shoulders shook as I quietly sobbed. But a few minutes later, as the song ended with Amanda singing the Sanskrit mantra “Jai guru deva, om” (which most of us know from The Beatles’ “Across the Universe.”) it occurred to me what I was still there, grief and all.

"Still there, grief and all."

AMEN.

......

and a couple of backstage peeks for you...

Dear, dear friend and long-time Team-AFP-comrade Hayley Rosenblum came down to help us with the stream - here's us with Michael working at my kitchen table, JUST LIKE OLD TIMES

(photo by hayley rosenblum)

rehearsing with gracie and rachel...

(photo by hayley rosenblum)

(photo by hayley rosenblum)

and from soundcheck.... note: all of these backstage photos are by our beloved hayley rosenblum, who is a badass camera-wielder as well as being an enabler of all the things. you can see more of her photography (especially gorgeous concert photography) on her instagram page @HayleyFiasco

AMANDA-STREAM-CEPTION

NEKKID. IT WAS HOT.

Hayhay from her backstage position monitoring the stream (photo by hayley rosenblum)

streaming amanda and real life amanda! (photo by hayley rosenblum)

......

And then..... we all got covid!!!!! Well, some of us.

I'm doing okay.

It's a lot right now.

......

DON'T FORGET.... if you'd like to donate to the cause, you can find everything you need to https://opositivefestival.org/support/

......

Here's to Another World, my loves.

Huge thanks to Alex for working on this post with me.

More soon, and an Althing.

Send me love.

I need it.

XXX

AFP

------THE NEVER-ENDING AS ALWAYS---------

1. if you are a patron and new to my work, don’t forget your patronage allows you access to ALL of my patreon releases to date. HERE is the link to download my latest big solo record, “There Will Be No Intermission”, and HERE is a link to download the PDF of the art/essay book that goes with it.

2. if you’re a patron reading this post via an email notification, please click through to comment on this post. at the very least, if you’ve read it, indicate that by using the heart symbol. that's always nice for me to see, so i know who's reading.

3. see All the Things (over 150 of them) i've made so far on patreon:

http://amandapalmer.net/things

4. JOIN THE SHADOWBOX COMMUNITY FORUM, find your people, and discuss everything: https://forum.theshadowbox.net/

5. new to my music and TOTALLY OVERWHELMED? TAKE A WALK THROUGH AMANDALANDA….we made a basic list of my greatest hits n stuff (at least up until a few years ago, this desperately needs updating) on this lovely page: http://amandalanda.amandapalmer.net/

6. general AFP/patreon-related questions? ask away, someone will answer: patronhelp@amandapalmer.net