The State of All Things: June 2023 {official Thing} (Patreon)

• BASIC LIFE UPDATE
• WHAT ELSE HAPPENED THIS MONTH
• WHAT'S COMIN' DOWN THE PIKE/UPCOMING EVENTS
• DISPATCHES FROM TEAM AFP
• HOW THE PATREON ITSELF IS DOING
• ARTISTS TO SUPPORT & OTHER ART/EVENTS TO CHECK OUT
• ART BEGETTING ART
• THE PATRON COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

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Hello My Loves.

Instead of a personal video, I'm gonna upload a little video that'll make sense when you read this.

We made it to the lighthouse.

I love you and I'm exhausted and so full of love.

I’m coming at you this month with a crazyful schedule, a wild-eyed new sense of hope, and a lot of news to share.

It's been a non-stop, jam-packed, make make go go schedule this month.....I’ve toured heavily with The Dresden Dolls, I’ve opened a pop-up piano lounge muffin glitter venue, I’ve deepened my local roots and my roots within myself, and I’m feeling really relieved about everything. And…you know me. It’s summer. I’m a hot-weather lizard. Maybe not a lizard. I like it humid. I’m a Puma, or a Amazonian sloth, or a river otter or something. But the summer looks good on me and I roll around in it like a kitten on a pile o’ fresh socks.

I feel more like my fucking self again.

I do. I do.

Playing in the Dolls is part of it (those old songs bring me back to my main power source, and the new ones are giving me wings out of the pain of the past), being on the road is another part of it (I’ve missed being in the world and connecting with the community all over the place), and starting Graveside - with all of your encouragement and support - has been another huge part of it. I feel like a superhero who’s finally been taken out of the jar and given back her cape. I felt so powerless and cape-less and naked for so long. I did what I had to do to triage, to survive. But I can feel the life slowly draining back into me.

The stories that people bring me on the road give me a special kind of life. This is what I’ve missed about tour. Knowing where the music and the songs - and the book, and the TED talk, and my general all-round art-=making - has landed in the world and taken people. What it’s meant. What it’s done. What it’s turned into. The things that grew where seeds were planted.

Something really beautiful - and phenomenal, in the literal sense - happened yesterday during the webcast-tier patron-only webcast. For some reason that I couldn’t figure out, my computer camera just wouldn’t work. The cast had already started and the link had gone out - and the audience was already assembled - so we collectively decided to just continue on with an audio-only voice-cast. It was MAGIC. Instead of trying to simultaneously look into a camera (and worry if I should twiddle my hair) and try to read the comments, I got to just focus on the comments and chat and WHAT I WAS SAYING. And one of the best questions was this: “Amanda: How are your joys? How are your sorrows?”

I answered - and the answer went on a long time - that I feel, lately, what I’ve been referring to as the “pins and needles” phase of getting out of very dark and painful era of my life.

When you sit so long that the limb falls asleep, and you get up and feel that aching tingle, you know that you’re not coming to harm, your’e just uncomfortable. You gotta wait it out. You know that blood is flowing back to where it needs to be. Your body is doing its THING. You can shake, you can cringe, but it’s going to take a second. This is me; now. I am shaking; I am cringing and….it’s gonna take a second. I went further to say that going through a divorce is a few steps beyond just pins and needles, it’s a little like amputating a part of your body and changing the entire shape of things. The phantom limb. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_limb. Your brain has gotten so used to having an arm, a finger, a toe, and the ghost-feeling of the limb remains, even as you navigate walking around in a different manner. Patience. Love. And time.

Ash is absolutely thriving. My community is healing up from the rifts of distance and covid, circling around him (and me) and better able to support him - including on the road - and that, to this mother, is everything.

I took him to the Saugerties lighthouse (on the Hudson river) a couple days ago, and he told me it was the closest thing he’d seen to the sea for a long time, and he just stripped off and went in, about 200 yards off the path near the lighthouse. He left the path. He waded in.

You know how much the lighthouse means to me, because of....well, everything.

It's the lighthouse.

And as my heart shattered into a billion beautiful pieces, I stripped down to my summer bra and undies and went in after him.

I tried to get him back on the walking path.

But he decided to go by sea.

To walk to the lighthouse.

When we got there, we were pulled up from the river and onto the land.

And this, this is what I live for.

The metaphor always comes around, no matter how dark the day, how dark the material.

The poem always completes itself…and you’re always here to hold me. The river holds us. The lighthouse holds us. The poem holds us.

I love you all so much; my patrons. My ten thousand lighthouses. Thank you for pulling me up, for letting me go, for hauling me back to life from bottom of the wreckage, from out of the scuttled ship.

It’s taken forever.

Music and laughter and joy is coming out of the Graveside.

My child is running around the musicians’ cases with a set of crayons.

We are building something beautiful together.

I haven’t been this deeply happy in a long time. Years and years.

The proof is in the new song currently pouring out of my heart.

I need to catch it, it's like a fish wriggling away.

Hello, lighthouse.

Hello

Hello

Hello.

We made it.

We're on dry land.

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And more? Well.....

Graveside Variety is IN FULL FUCKING SWING.

You can see a full list of all upcoming events - including music nights, storytelling, drag queen story hour - and SIGN THE MAILING LIST at the website:

https://www.gravesidevariety.com/

We held a glorious opening weekend with a bunch of local patrons, here a couple of photos...

EVERYONE ONLY.

THE PATRON ART-WALL. Don't forget if you're visiting, bring a SMALL piece of art (there are 10,000 of you!!), we're hoping to turn this wall into a beautiful collage from all of y'all.

Performing with Luke Gajdus

Gracie Coates

Holly Miranda

John Coons and Matt Aument

Lance Horne

If you want to see the FULL SET OF PHOTOS, and a video from the night, and a ton more writing and behind-the-scenes info, check out the Patreon post here:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/graveside-report-84767103

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I also hosted a webcast from Graveside Variety a couple days later, where I gave a little tour and talked about the glorious opening weekend. If you wanna see part of where your patron dollars are going, you can watch the replay of the webcast here:

https://www.crowdcast.io/c/aamandapalmernet

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And the Dresden Dolls weird-small-city tour is COMPLETE.

Four cities SLEIGHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Orlando and New Orleans were absolutely incredible.

Here are some shots from Orlando...

(photo by Jenn Ross)

(photo by Daniella Koontz)

(photo by Vergentino Robles)

(photo by Vergentino Robles)

(photo by Jenn Ross)

(photo by Daniella Koontz)

(photo by Jenn Ross)

(photo by Vergentino Robles)

(photo by Jenn Ross)

(photo by Jenn Ross)

(photo by Jenn Ross)

(photo by Daniella Koontz)

(photo by Jenn Ross)

(photo by Vergentino Robles)

(photo by Vergentino Robles)

(photo by Daniella Koontz)

And New Orleans...

(photo by Whitney Tucker)

(photo by Whitney Tucker)

(photo by Whitney Tucker)

(photo by Whitney Tucker)

(photo by Whitney Tucker)

In case you missed it - we LIVESTREAMED the second night in New Orleans, more on that below but the link to rewatch is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pwDQeq3-W8

It's SO SO GOOD.

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WHAT ELSE HAPPENED & WENT OUT THIS MONTH......

The Dresden Dolls webcast from New Orleans happened just a few days ago, and it was INCREDIBLE.

Even though we were playing in a teeny tiny venue in a smaller city down in the south, we still managed to broadcast to THE ENTIRE WORLD. And it was all down to your patron dollars.

Here are a couple of screenshots from the show to whet your appetites:

And here's the setlist of what we played:

((NEW ORLEANS SETLIST))

GOOD DAY (The Dresden Dolls) 21:22

SEX CHANGES (Yes, Virginia) 27:02

MISSED ME (The Dresden Dolls) 37:56

BACKSTABBER (Yes, Virginia) 46:59

ULTIMA ESPERENZA (No, Virginia) 53:26

MODERN MOONLIGHT (Yes, Virginia) 58:51

MRS. O (Yes, Virginia) 1:04:32

MY ALCOHOLIC FRIENDS (Yes, Virginia) 1:10:36

NECESSARY EVIL (Yes, Virginia) 1:13:33

ASTRONAUT (Who Killed Amanda Palmer) 1:19:18

WELCOME TO THE INTERNET (Bo Durham cover) 1:26:17

BAD HABIT (The Dresden Dolls) 1:34:15

GLASS SLIPPER (A is for Accident)  1:42:43

AMSTERDAM (Jaques Brel cover) 1:51:06

FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO PARTY (Beastie Boys cover) 2:01:18

THE PERFECT FIT (The Dresden Dolls) 2:09:42

BOYFRIEND IN A COMA (new) 2:17:30

MANDY GOES TO MED SCHOOL (Yes, Virginia) 2:25:38

COIN-OPERATED BOY (The Dresden Dolls) 2:33:20

WAR PIGS (Black Sabbath cover) 2:37:53

-ENCORE-

HALF JACK (The Dresden Dolls) 2:51:15

GIRL ANACHRONISM (The Dresden Dolls) 3:02:03

You can check out the full webcast on replay here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pwDQeq3-W8

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A few days ago, for the $10+ patrons, we did a webcast that due to a technical issue became an audiocast, which turned out to be a lovely & intimate thing that we coined as "visual vanity free patron only AMA audio webcast".

Here's the link if you missed it......

https://www.crowdcast.io/c/june292023patrons

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......and at Graveside, we had our first fully public event,  live music with Amadou Diallo and M'Bollo!!

.....supporting child entrepreneurs, who were selling backrubs for $1.....

...twice....

Ash sold "mediations" for tips....

and then they all donated their proceeds to Graveside.

I MEAN CMON. It's so good.

Check out the calendar:

www.gravesidevariety.com

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WHAT'S COMIN' DOWN THE PIKE/UPCOMING EVENTS

CAMPERSAND IS APPROACHING!

In just a couple days, about a hundred of you beautiful people will be descending onto THE WOODS.

I'll probably be very quiet/non-existent on here and the general internet while Campersand is ongoing, but I will be back afterwards to update you all on what  beauty we got up to.

I mean, look where we will be...

If any attendees want to FIND FELLOW CAMPERSANDERS for pre-greeting, ride-share, local info, and more (it’ll also be great for posting/sharing photos later) there’s a CAMPERSAND 2023 DISCUSSION THREAD on theshadowbox.com, or you can hit up the comments below.

If any of you HAVEN'T got a space, and are now incredibly jealous that you are not attending this amazing weekend.... there are a handful of spots STILL AVAILABLE!  Link to register is HERE!!!

GET ON IT QUICK.

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AND.... THE DRESDEN DOLLS ARE RETURNING TO NEW YORK!!!

Back to the Colony in Woodstock, NY (where we had our first 3-night residency last November), the general tickets are sold out, but there are a small handful of VIP tickets left for each night:

Thursday Aug 31

Friday Sep 1

Saturday Sep 2

And then a few weeks later....

We're hitting up NYC! These are our first shows in New York since the Coney Island show in 2016 (holy shit)

We're playing the Bowery Ballroom - which is TEENY TINY compared to that last show.

Tuesday Oct 24

Wednesday Oct 25

Friday Oct 27 - SOLD OUT

Saturday Oct 28 - SOLD OUT

The Friday and Saturday shows are TOTALLY SOLD OUT, and there just a few tickets left for the Tuesday and Wednesday shows - get em now before they're sold out too.

This shit's gonna be WILD.

And don't forget - if you missed out on tickets, or have tickets and can't go, we've partnered with Lyte to try and combat scalpers for the Woodstock show ONLY. Head to https://dresdendolls.lyte.com/ for all the details there.

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DISPATCHES FROM TEAM AFP

From Michael:

Hello Patrons,

This very tired assistant is writing to you at the very last minute (4:45pm on Friday, June 30th) from Amanda’s Dining Room table.  I’ll be heading to Campersand and I will see a whole bunch of you there.

I am tired and sore from being on the road and getting stuck in New Orleans for two extra days due to multiple canceled flights, but my heart is full and seeing 12 Dresden Dolls shows and so many of your amazing faces over the past month has been soul healing. You are making this all possible and I know I say it often, but from the bottom of my full to bursting heart: Thank you.

I could write more, but I’m out of time as Amanda just walked upstairs to work on and Post the Althing.  So since a picture is worth a thousand words. . . here’s one of my favorites from the Patron Gathering in New Orleans.

Many hugs all around,

Michael

{I FUCKING LOVE YOU MICHAEL. - AFP}

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From Liz:

Hello wonderful humans,

Right now I am SO excited about Amanda’s pop-up Graveside Variety. I honestly get more excited by the day about it. The energy and the upcoming bookings are incredible. As if that’s not enough, I will be renting the art studio above it!!! It’s been several years since I’ve actually had a proper studio. I’ve been trying to make a tiny at home studio work, but between cats and space issues, I have only really been doing small projects. I am excited to feel the freedom again to PAINT and MAKE.

Home studio problem:

New studio glory:

I’m also starting research for GRAVEYARD TOURS of Graveside’s adjacent graveyards. Historical places and graveyards and digging into weird histories is a passion of mine, so this is a dream. Nothing on the schedule yet, I’m doing my homework first.

And on the topic of books, I just finished a great read on the cultural history of lady ghosts in America. I was afraid it would be more schlocky, but it’s well researched and thoughtful. It’s in the vein of some other great books on the cultural history of ghosts, such as Colin Dickey’s “Ghostland" and Susan Owen’s “The Ghost, A Cultural History”

A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America’s Ghosts” by Leanna Renee Hieber and Andrea Janes. 

Anyway, can’t wait to see many of you at Omega next month!!

<3

Liz

{LIZ, I still can't believe the world smashed us together at this point in time. Let's get ready to meet the dead!!!! - AFP}

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HOW THE PATREON ITSELF IS DOING

As of this writing there are about 10,000 patrons pledging about $33,000 for the first Thing each month.

A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE FOR NEWCOMERS: you are welcome to (and encouraged to) CAP YOUR PLEDGE.

CAP CAP CAP CAP!!!!!

I sometime release one thing a month; sometimes three. We know this can create financial insecurity and uncertainty - so Patreon allows you to cap your pledge. This is, essentially, setting a MAXIMUM amount that you want to pay per month.

YOU CAN BUDGET. Say for example, you're happy to pay $3 per Thing, but you don't want to pay more than $10 a month. In that's the case, you can "cap" your pledge at $10, and whether I release 4 Things or 4,400 Things, you won't be charged more than $10. But MOST IMPORTANTLY, you will still have access to ALL the things/posts/links, even if you cap your pledge!!! It doesn't effect your access.

You can read all about capping your pledge here.

I go over this stuff in every Althing, but if you're new to all this: Patreon charges you monthly & retroactively, meaning that you get billed on the 1st of the month for all the Things released the month prior.

Because people have their pledges capped (SEE ABOVE), the first "Thing" raises the most money by far, and anything released thereafter raises less and less. I LIKE THIS! THIS IS GOOD! It means I never feel guilty about releasing TOO MUCH!!

So really. Please, cap your pledge.

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In May, I Thanged THREE Things:

"You Never Screamed?", which earned about $36,627 from 9,986 patrons

GRAVESIDE VARIETY which earned about $16,088 from 5,579 patrons.

The State of All Things: May 2023, which earned about $9,437 from 3,409 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.

And remember: these numbers are gross. Not net. 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.

These numbers also do not reflect the money I SPENT MAKING THE ART, paying my staff, paying the office rent, paying for crowdcast, getting myself around, getting the team around and fed and slept, all the collaborators, and my actual staff payroll, 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.

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ARTISTS TO SUPPORT & OTHER ART/EVENTS TO CHECK OUT

Tilley Komorny, the incredible bassist who seem of you will have seen joining us last week in Orlando for Fight For Your Right, has just released a new album with her band Home Is Where:

Home Is Where make anxiety-riddled but cathartic rock songs about the apocalypse. the whaler—the Palm Coast, Florida quartet’s ambitious and exhilarating sophomore full-length—is a concept record about getting used to things getting worse. Across 10 interconnected but self-contained songs, the album captures the desensitization and disorientation of tragedy becoming mundane.

RELATABLE.

You can find the album here!

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My dear friend Susi Newborn has also launched a 'Get A House' crowdfund. I may write a longer piece about this; I posted about it across social media:

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My awesome upstate pal - known to many of you locals - Chris Wells is running a crowdfund for the latest round of THE SECRET CITY, a series of beautiful gatherings of art and community. You can check it out and contribute here:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-secret-city-lives

Here's a little bit info about The Secret City, if you're unfamiliar:

The Secret City presents ecstatic community art celebrations featuring storytelling, visual art, guest performers, a live band, a community choir, and playful interaction.

Our work is inclusive, celebratory, joyful and profound. The events have a veneer of silliness with great depth of meaning. We connect and reconnect: human to human, artist to creative purpose, individual to community, and everyone to the principles of art making: attention, curiosity, collaboration, tenacity, craft, rigor and generosity. Our work is founded in the practice of Creative Mindfulness.

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ART BEGETTING ART

Holy shit - someone's already got the new Dresden Dolls artwork tattooed. LOVE. The tatoo is on @dollyolioli and tattoo work done by @eeriepeachtattoos

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And speaking of tattoos.... here's another one, artwork by @hannibaltttoosuk and tattooed on @markycrashh

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And finally for this month - laser-cut Dresden Dolls EARRINGS, made by @metal.glow 

(And a note from Alex with his Merch Queen hat on...... would there be an appetite for laser-cut Dolls earring merch? We could totally reach out and see if this person wants to collab - let us know!)

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THE PATRON COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

This is incredible - since Campersand is happening in-person, one patron (Joanna Lindblad) has begun an organizing a virtual retreat for those of you who can't make it in person. AMAZING......

Here's all the info from Joanna:

(Logo by Chrissy Carlson)

Anyone overwhelmed, lonely, in need of a break from life? The patrons in Shadowbox (“SB”) are hosting a FREE online virtual retreat as an alternative to the in person Campersand for all AFP/DD fans around the world! This will be offered as a 48-hour nonstop retreat July 15-16, 2023, in the SB forum: One event or activity per hour to accommodate all time zones, with a suggested time per event for all to participate in real time. It will also be open to participate at your convenience once all events have been posted.

• Workshops/activities will focus on meditation, yoga, music, art, writing, mindfulness, and much more! Collaborative art and poetry projects will be available, along with Zoom workshops and Zoom Gatherings for us to get together to chat, share creations, and play games.
• By July 8, 2023, the “Unofficial Campersand Online: A Virtual Retreat” thread in SB (located in the General Chat category) will be available for those who would like to peruse the events, times, and supplies needed. You can register for an account in the SB forum here: http://forum.theshadowbox.net
• For LIVE Zoom Workshops & Gatherings: Please see the itinerary and
• corresponding event post if you are interested in participating. Each Zoom event can only accommodate up to 100 people at a time, so it will be on a first come, first serve basis. Click the “heart” (bottom left-hand corner) of the event you are interested in to RSVP. Zoom call details will be added to that post prior to the event for entrance.

More information and the live Zoom itinerary will be provided in the title post to the retreat so make sure you take a moment to read all that is offered.

Let us commune together as one community! <3

*Disclaimer: AFP and her team are not organizing this retreat, nor will be attending. It is provided by patrons for patrons.

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Don't forget - if you have something you'd like to share with the community, whether it is a crowdfund or an event, something new you've put into the world, email patronhelp@amandapalmer.net.

I LOVE YOU AND THAT'S IT FOR THIS MONTH!!!!!!

xxx

Msss Amanda

P.S. thanks to BOTh Liz and Alex for helping out with the content and links for the Althing this month!!!!!!

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------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