The State of All Things: JUNE 2019 {official thing} (Patreon)

(patron-only post)

hello my dears.

another month, another State of all Things.

for those of you who are new (and if you are, WELCOME!!!!!)...this is my monthly Everything Blog. hayley rosenblum, my right-hand gal in the new york office (and often on the road) helps me put this together and it’s like our own little weirdo newsletter of All Things AFP, especially for those who don’t have time to read EVERY. SINGLE. POST. because who does, really.

and now....may i begin this Althing with a very deep exhale. it's that time.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

it's summer, at least over here in americaland. 

the birds are chirping, the sun it mostly out, with scattered storms, and i am proud to announce that while this althing is a few days late (have you noticed it's july 9th?)....i am glad it is so.

the 2020 presidential race is beginning to simmer, hope and fear are in the air, and 

i came off tour and took a few days of complete friend-and-family-soaked chaos at our house in woodstock, and then went straight into an experience at the omega institute for my first week-long workshop on compassion, during which i barely worked an iota, and now i'm finally sitting down to face Email Mountain and the other piled tasks that constitute the world of admin. 

a blog about the retreat, complete with stories and pictures, is in the offing, as is a shit-ton of other work-work-work...but for the moment, may i just say:

 AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

this has been a really goddamn busy spring. i toured this continent, i did a fuck tonne (british!) and i'm trying for at least a moment to bask in a job well done.

that's hard for me to do. i wrote a little blog about that a few days ago here.

i work myself very hard.

and as i've learned, and my staff has learned, there's always more shit to do. taking time for self-care, taking time to exhale, taking time to breathe in the roses and the moments of life that don't call out for attention from a computer screen....it's hard. 

it needs to be a conscious decision. we're all trying to get better at this. neil and i have been puzzle-piecing together our schedule for spring of 2020 and my approach has changed: i want more days oof, more days to recover from travel, more days to linger and improvise. is it because i'm wiser? older? tireder? a mom? probably a combination of all of it. it can be so tempting to pack it all in. i'm starting to see the long-term body-and-mental health effects of the endless-go-go. i'm finally taking my hand off the wheel a little more. it feels good.

various members of team AFP are taking moments of exhale and being with family and such... each in our turn, we gotta find time to unplug and relax. if you're also trying at the moment: i salute you.

..............

IN EXCITING NEWS:

IT HAS HAPPENED.

WE HAVE HIT 15,000 PATRONS!!!!!!!!!! and not only HIT, but MAINTAINED over 15k from one month to another for the first time.

you know what this means? i do!!!!!!!!

I NOW MUST DO THIS THING!!!!!

so....wait for a post about this.

and if anybody has any suggestions of how to decide on the song, hit me IN THIS POST in the comments. i have some ideas, but many of you are smarter than me.

how do you get 15,000 to spitball ideas and arrive at an agreement?

i mean, i dunno.

BUT THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN.

because i promised.

...............

before i get into anything more, i want to tell you what i'm going RIGHT RIGHT NOW. while ash is in day camp, catching frogs and stuff, i am holed up in a little studio in woodstock working on a LITTLE SOUNDTRACK....

it's a super-simple project - less than 10 minutes of music - to accompany a short film called "QUEEN", written & directed by and starring evan rachel wood. 

i've known evan for a few years and i was so excited that the patreon gave me the jstification to take a few days in the studio to do this one.

i posted about doing this to instagram - thanking my patrons - and someone asked: "why isn't evan rachel wood PAYING YOU??"

here's my answer:

she is {paying me!}! but i want to own it outright and give it to my patrons. so i am. this is the beauty of not being on a label, who do not let you do shit like this...or when they do, you do not own or have control over the distribution and use of your work. thank you for asking, it was nice to explain that.

this is a good moment to remind everybody in patreon-land (yes, that's you, my 15,000 patrons)

i posted this from the studio this morning:

“why. why are you afraid.” i’m in the studio composing and piecing music together for @evanrachelwood’s short film “queen”, and i’ve never felt so invited into someone’s intimate story through the medium of making music. it’s like a support group through images and sounds and across space and time. my notes are dancing with her past, her hurt, her story. it’s such an honor to be a composer sometimes, talking without words, dancing with my hands, into microphones. i can’t wait for everyone to see this little gem. @jherekbischoffis gonna add his own magic to the score.

....................

sometimes i don't even feel like a musician anymore.

i am spending so much time on podcasting, thinking, writing, mothering, getting ready for tour, arranging THINGS....my songwriting brain has really been in hibernation.

i think it's easier not to write than it used to be, though.

i have opened lots of doors of transmission and nothing feels bottled up like it used to.

i also write best when i'm angry. 

i'm not angry at the moment.

so maybe:

HOORAY?

.....................

before i forget, from the newsdesk....

DID YOU SEE THIS NEWS FROM NORTHERN IRELAND??

this isn't in the bag, but it's a huge move towards progress.

MAYBE BY THE TIME I GET TO NORTHERN IRELAND, ABORTION WILL BE LEGAL.

then i won't even need to do my show in belfast. 

we can all just drink wine and run around. what do you say?

if you missed it, read the whole story:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jul/09/mps-vote-to-extend-same-sex-marriage-to-northern-ireland

...........

okay. some nitty gritty.

WHAT HAPPENED THIS PAST MONTH...

it was june. 

i released an emergency-podcast!!!!

"NOTORIOUS ABORTIONIST: a conversation with Dr. Leah Torres":

https://www.patreon.com/posts/notorious-with-27774881

hopefully you got a chance to listen to this conversation, but if you missed it, it's there.

....

ALSO....

after a year in the workshop, i released a WHOLE LIVE ALBUM with lots of my friends on it!!!

"Ninja TED: A benefit for the Vancouver Food Bank"

the post is here:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/at-last-ninjated-27896771

.....plus a special video clip of joseph gordon-levitt and neil gaimain reading sandman for the $5+ random surprises tier:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/surprise-video-5-27971636

the original live concert raised nearly $20,000 for the food bank. all proceeds from the bandcamp download and purchase of the show poster will also be donated to them.

i haven't said much about this one online because i've been so backed up.

please go out and share the bandcamp link!!!!

.....

THE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR WRAPPED.

it was exhausting, wonderful, frightening, amazing. 

hundreds of new patrons signed up.

oooh, before i forget....

the patron-only pin that were available at the PATRONATOR table is now available online.

the password, for both stores is: PATRONATOR

USA/WORLDWIDE WEBSTORE:
https://shop.amandapalmer.net/products/afp-tour-merch-patron-enamel-pins   

UK/EUROPE WEBSTORE:
https://ukshop.amandapalmer.net/products/queen-of-hearts-enamel-pin-patron-only 

--

the tour did GOOD THINGZ....for ABORTION CARE NETWORK and MORE:

we sold copies of ani difranco's new memoir at the patronator table, signed and dated by me to raise money for the abortion care network. we sold several dozen books and raised almost $9,000 for the ACN, and then i sold another $2k worth of copies at a planned parenthood benefit. that's $11k towards a pretty amazing cause. if you bought one, thank you. 

fuck yeah.

speaking of which.....

PLANNED PARENTHOOD TABLING

if you've been following along you know that i've had planned parenthood tabling at every show of the tour, and in canada we had a table for Action Canada for Sexual Health....some local affiliates fundraised, some collected petition signatures for local issues, and others collected volunteer sign ups.

from the groups that fundraised, they reported raising at LEAST a few hundred dollars each night. once more, hell yeah.

and HEADCOUNT registered tons of people to VOTE.

we gotta vote.

---

the MERCH FROM TOUR IS UP!!!!!!!

if you were at shows and wanted anything and didn't have cash, or whatever....

IT'S UP!!!!!

it's all here:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/27970045

and we have a fancy fancy beautiful new shirt, too......

here i am, two minutes ago, wearing it.

it's nice and SOFT.

go get it..

..............

okay.

just for your pleasure...

i went to a pink bathroom in portland oregon and took a picture of myself in my favorite underwear. 

if i ever did a brand sponsorship, i'd do it with these fuckers (hag club, from tasmania), because they make the most empowering underwear EVER.

.........

i did a SPECIAL GUEST THING for regina spektor's show on boradway!!!!

here's me and lance horne rehearsing for it....

and here were are, ON BROOOOADWAY!!!!! illicit photo!!!!

we sang "my favorite things" from "the sound of music" and it was as hilarious as it looks....

the gang's all here.

i have been friends with regina for a long, long time.

i was so so proud of her.

if you don't know her music, may i recommend starting out with "soviet kitsch" and moving onward from there. when i heard those songs, given to me on a burned CD from fellow patreon-artist anna vogelzang, i thought: 

PERSON FROM MY PLANET. LOVE PERSON. ART PERSOM. MUST HEAR. MUST LOVE.

regina opened up for the dolls on a tour way back then...was that 2004? 2005? i don't remember. i remember feeling like she was going to blow past us. and she did.

i still love her with all my heart. her new songs are just as amazing as the old ones...she's getting better at songs the way i think i am. she knows more, she has more, she feels into things better. 

i cried a lot of times during the show.

.......

um.

here's a thing....i hit 100k followers on instrgram, and i wrote a thing by hand, because.

https://www.instagram.com/p/By74BqWlxw2/

i find myself really wondering how many of you follow me on various social media. i'll post a poll sometime. it'll help me.

...................

neil and i went on a date.

WHOA.

...and good omens, neil's TV show, is getting incredible reviews.

.................

maria from brainpickings wrote a BEAUTIFUL thing about theTHERE WILL BE NO INTERMISSION artbook:

https://www.brainpickings.org/2019/06/25/amanda-palmer-there-will-be-no-intermission-artbook/

...and this is a reminder that art books probably won’t be reprinted after tour closes. 

so GET ONE.

....

i did a photoshoot and interview for phoenix magazine UK and it's REALLY BEAUTIFUL.

here are some of the shots:

speaking of honey and lesbians (sorry vegans).

out and proud bisexual here, or as my friend Storm Large would say, not so much bisexual as “opportunistically omnivorous”.

all genders, colors, sizes, all makes and models, i am open for business, people. just come and cuddle the shit out of me.

i came out to my parents at age 15 to rolled eyes, and was told i was “going through a phase”. guess what, ma. i’m 43. phase hasn’t ended yet. did that happen to anyone else? probs.

all the mag photos are by si melber.

......................

um.

WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIKE...

DROWNING IN THE SOUND - THE MASSIVELY BEAUTIFUL MUSIC VIDEO....that is taking forever.

directed by michael pope, choreographed by coco karol.....this one is epic and in production. we filmed in april just got the first cut. this one was supposed to be out this past month but SURPRISE SURPRISE it's taking forever and going thousands and thousands of dollars over budget.

oh well.

it's gotta be the best.

here's a few stills from krys fox i havent shared yet:

SOON! SOON!

..........................

the "ART OF ASKING EVERYTHING" podcast update!

the team is continuing along at getting this up and ready by the end of the summer...we're aiming for an official release in september!!!! meanwhile, i've recorded some more interviews (about 12? 13?)...and it's GOING TO BE SO GODDAMN GOOD.

that's all i can say at the moment.

be ready for awesome.
......

HOW THE PATREON HAS GROWN....

this is the second Althings posted after the 1st of the month, when patreon bills credit cards. we usually see a couple hundred people drop off in the beginning of the month due to payment errors and credit card issues, it takes a few days for this to adjust once people fix their accounts. it's life.

as of this writing there are about 15,100 patrons pledging about  $56,300 for the first THING of the month. 

...............

the office talk.

patreon charges you "monthly"/"retroactively".....meaning that you get billed on the 1st of the month for all the Things released the month prior (for example, you were just charged for the Things released in april on may 1st). 

so i don't have the final figures for this month, as they're still being processed, but here's may:

(i say this every month, but if you're new....)

because people have their pledges capped (HAVE YOU NOT CAPPED YOUR PLEDGE? if you are on a budget, you should. here's the tutorial again), the first Thing raises the most money, and anything released thereafter raises less and less. (I LIKE THIS. it means i never feel too guilty!!!!!).

the numbers below are gross. not net. basic math. meaning: it's the money raised before fees were deducted by patreon and is not the total deposited to me. patreon takes a 5% fee (which they use to build and sustain the platform, which is GOOD) and then there's a payment processing fee, which varies on a ton of factors and is usually between 5-9% of the total collected. 

also, none of this reflects the money i SPENT MAKING THE ART, running my business, etc etc. 

i don't share that level of nitty-detail-stuff with you because i assume it would bore you to fucking tears. but you can trust me: paying for a full-time staff, office, manager, accountant, and massive team of art-collaborators ain't cheap. sometimes we barely break even. so be it. this is awesome.

......

just a reminder, i posted this previously but it's worth repeating:  patreon just introduced a new pricing and fee plan that took effect on may 7th, however all creators who've had accounts up until then are grandfathered into the old, original fee structure with the 5% patreon fee and the 5-9% credit card payment processing fee.

.....

in may, i Thanged three Thing-thangs:

The State of All Things: APRIL 2019 was the first Thing and it earned about $63,124 from 14,780 patrons.

The Abortion Shower I Never Got: the "Voicemail for Jill" documentary was the second Thing of the month and it earned about $30,998 from 9,399 patrons.

A LEGITIMATE ADVENTURE IN D.C.! a podcast/audio-diary....with laurie penny! was the third and final Thing of the month and it earned about $21,376 from 6,635 patrons.

(we say "about" because patreon may be still trying to process some pledges that have yet to go through...we never know, you know.)

them's the numbers.

.....................

DISPATCHES FROM TEAM AFP!

FROM ALEX:

hey team!!

UK merchland has some pretty exciting admin news this month (that may sound like an oxymoron to you, but THIS IS MY LIFE NOW)  i am very very very pleased and excited to announce that the UK store has just taken a huuuuge step forward in eco-friendliness, as i have managed to find a supplier of biodegradable mailer bags!!! 

it's really been playing on my mind, especially after the album release, seeing how many plastic bags were being sent out to the world. and there are many that boast about being recyclable, but these tend to require specialist recycling centres, and can't be recycled with sticky labels on them, and many other things that really make them, in reality, not so great.  but CHECK THESE BABIES OUT:

in case you can't read it, basically the plastic contains an additive which is activated by natural sunlight, which then breaks down bonds and does some CHEMISTRY MAGIC, and suddenly your bag is biodegrading!!   so between these, and fully recyclable and recycled card mailers used for vinyl and CD packages, this means that the UK store is leaving minimal waste on the planet, so maybe the earth will last us more than another 20 years!!   there's also a couple new items up on the UK store now, fresh from the US tour...   AFP monogrammed hankies to mop up your tears of sadness :

AND, the new patron-only enamel pin badge is here and looking SWEEEET, being rocked here on my very own jacket:

so on that pleasant note, I bid you adieu and look forward to seeing you in your mailboxes <3   -alex xoxo

{from AFP: god bless queen alex. ALSO, london people!!! no promises....but we THINK we may be able to throw a little yard-sale hang merch-a-thon PARTY in london for patrons at the end of august! stay tuned).

............

FROM MICHAEL:

Hello Patrons!

For the first time in as long as I can remember I’m writing to you from my home and it’s wonderful to be back and settled in Brooklyn for a bit. June started off on the road in Denver as we were closing out the tour. I have to say, having never been to Denver before, y’all KILLED it!

The Patreon Presence was particularly pronounced and that show set the record for most sign-ups in a single night! Plus, I was shown the incredible hospitality of Elizabeth, Eric,& Finn (thank you again) before flying off to the PNW for the final four shows.

I have to admit I have a special place in my heart for the PNW and I had been looking forward to the end of the North American Tour because I knew it meant another trip out there. If ever I were to leave New York City, it would probably be to move somewhere up there.

The last 4 shows were a whirlwind of action, but just a few highlights were snuggling an adorable kitten named Millie (with special thanks to Shay for letting me crash at her gorgeous art space in Vancouver):

Spending time with friends and loved ones in Seattle including meeting the adorable Lulu at KEXP (who Amanda had to snuggle): 

Helping to raising funds for Planned Parenthood with a flash “Plant Parenthood” tattoo in Portland:

And, of course being back at the ever amazing Crystal Ballroom in Portland.  There’s just something so special about that venue and I really want to go back to see a show that I’m not working on!

After all that craziness, I relied on the support of our amazing team and took an entire week OFF!  Self-Care!  Work Life Balance!  Mental Health!  These things are so important and I’m so grateful to Hayley, Jordan, Alex, & Amanda as well as all the wonderful people at Fame House who helped keep things on schedule and organized in my absence.

I could spend my entire update just on the vacation itself, but I will just share three of my favorite pictures from my time in and around San Francisco.  This one is when my girlfriend and I drove up to Humboldt Forest so I could see the Redwoods for the first time (I’m forever changed):

And here is a picture I took of a sunset over the Pacific Ocean (the first one I’ve ever seen) from Black Sands Beach:

Lastly for Father’s Day I got the best surprise ever and my son Liam was flown in secret out to meet us in San Francisco.  My heart was incredibly full:

Then it was back to NYC and right back to work with an amazing trip to see Regina Spektor with some VERY special Guests on Broadway (there may or may not be a super sneaky video of said guests to be seen at some point in the future. . . ) and back into the office to start doing some cleaning and organizing of old merch and special tidbits for a very exciting event to come later in the summer (keep checking back for updates, it’s gonna be FUN!).  

Lastly Pride Weekend in NYC finished out the month of June and although I had mixed feelings about whether to go to the Parade or the Protest, I chose to celebrate this year because while we all need to keep fighting the fight, we sometimes also have to appreciate how far we’ve come without losing sight of how far we still need to go.  Balance. 

Hugs, Rainbows, and Love to you all.  Thank you as always for all your support.  

-Michael

{from AFP: i am so grateful, as always, that i have people who are so open-fucking-hearted on my team...people who are so willing to share their lives with y'all. michael has been bopping with the ups and downs of this team, this life, my weirdnesses for over two years. it isn't always easy, especially when things back up and the collision of work, family, and tour all collide. he's been a shining example of how to do it, and i give thanks to him and hayley being my ground control every goddamn day...thanks michael. xx.

...........

from hayley....a short one, because she's OFFLINE!!!!!!!

hi everyone,

working on the althing while at Omega:

(photo by julie samms)

love,
a very tired hayley

{from AFP: she works hard, people. hayley BROUGHT SO MUCH GOOD STUFF TO THE OMEGA RETREAT AND DESERVES A WEEK OFF AND SO HER POST IS AS SHORT AND SWEET AS IT GETS AND I LIKE IT THIS WAY. it was a hard week and i was so so glad she was there. we are all still exhausted from it. i'll blog more. hayley, i'm proud of you}

......

PHEW.

....

THE "THERE WILL BE NO INTERMISSION" TOUR.....

here are all my 2019 tour dates for now...it's coming sooner than you think.

as always, all info and tickets can be found on my tour page:
http://amandapalmer.net/shows

UK/EUROPE:

Wed Sep 4 – Netherlands – Amsterdam – Meervaart

Fri Sep 6 – Germany – Berlin – Admiralspalast

Wed Sep 11 – Germany – Munich – Kongressaal

Fri Sep 13 – Germany – Offenbach – Capitol

Sat Sep 14 – Austria – Vienna – Konzerthaus

Sun Sep 15 – Austria – Graz – Stefaniensaal

Wed Sep 18 – Germany – Stuttgart – Theaterhaus

Thu Sep 19 – Germany – Essen – Colosseum

Fri Sep 20 – Belgium – Antwerp – De Roma

Tue Sep 24 – Germany – Hamburg – Laeiszhalle

We Sep 25 – Germany – Leipzig – Haus Auensee

Thu Sep 26 – Czech Republic – Prague – Hybernia

Fri Sep 27 – Luxembourg  – Luxembourg – Conservatoire

Sat Sep 28 – France – Paris – Bataclan

Fri Oct 11 – Denmark – Copenhagen – Bremen Teater

Sat Oct 12 – Sweden – Stockholm – Södra Teatern (SOLD OUT)

Wed Oct 16 – UK – Bexhill – De La Warr Pavilion

Sat Oct 19 – UK – Cardiff – St David's Hall

Sun Oct 20 – UK – Cambridge – Corn Exchange

Wed Oct 23 – Ireland – Cork – Opera House

Thu Oct 24 – Ireland – Dublin – National Concert Hall

Sat Oct 26 – Ireland – Belfast – Ulster Hall

Sun Oct 27 – Ireland – Limerick – University Hall

Frin Nov 1 – UK – Dunfermline – Carnegie Hall

Sat Nov 2 – UK – Glasgow – City Halls

Sun Nov 3 – UK – Manchester – Albert Hall

Mon Nov 4 – UK – York – Opera House

Thu Nov 7 – UK – Newcastle – Tyne Theatre

Sun Nov 24 – Portugal – Braga – Theatro Circo

Thu Dec 5 – UK – London – Union Chapel (SOLD OUT)

Fri Dec 6 – UK – London – Union Chapel  (SOLD OUT)

Fri Dec 13 – UK – London – Union Chapel (NEARLY SOLD OUT)

if you're on facebook, you can RSVP to the official event pages, invite your friends and more: http://facebook.com/amandapalmer/events

and SPREAD THE WORD, always.

.......

OTHER ARTISTS /THINGS TO SUPPORT:

i just found this sweet folky artist, rebecca loebe, who's also on patreon...

https://www.patreon.com/rebeccaloebe

her community seems wonderful, she seems wonderful. check her out.

and if youre' in LONDON....go see our old friend MAX MELTON (as MAXIM, with MERCURY)!!!

you saw him open up for me if you were at the london dresden dolls warm-up show!

https://dice.fm/event/2redp-queerstory-22nd-jul-mirth-marvel-and-maud-london-tickets?_branch_match_id=659352121901365701

GO GO GO GO .

..................

a book i am currently enjoying:

yes...it's taken me this long, but i am finally reading it.

on, i haven't seen the TV show DO I LOOK LIKE I HAVE TIME TO WATCH TV?????

holy fuck, it's perfect and amazing. harrowing. needed. weird. breath-taking. 10000% recommended.

and with that,

i am off to collapse into dinner-making and exhaustion. maybe i'll get to read some of my book tonight.

i love you all so much.

thank you for being my patrons and for supporting me so unconditionally in this wild ride, through all seasons, through all kinds of emotional and art weather.

i would say more.

but i won't.

x

x

a

p.s. the althing image comes care of maria marta (@maria_marta on instagram), who drew this and tagged me. i've taken a lot of pleasure in the art that's been coming through the instagram feed based on the album cover, but haven't had the time and energy to gather it together into a post yet.

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

1. if you’re a patron, please click through to comment on this post. at the very least, if you’ve read it, indicate that by using the heart symbol.

2. see All the Things i've made so far on patreon: http://amandapalmer.net/patreon-things

3. join the official AFP-patron facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/afpland

4. new to my music and TOTALLY OVERWHELMED? TAKE A WALK THROUGH AMANDALANDA….we made a basic list of my greatest hits n stuff on this lovely page: http://amandalanda.amandapalmer.net/

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