The Dresden Dolls

BIOGRAPHY

Formed in Boston in 2000 after a chance meeting at a Halloween party, Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione established The Dresden Dolls as a singular force in the underground music and art scene. Their fusion of theatricality, punk energy, and cabaret sensibility helped define the “Punk Cabaret” genre.

In 2003, The Dresden Dolls won their hometown’s prestigious WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble and released their self-titled debut album, featuring enduring songs such as “Coin-Operated Boy” and “Girl Anachronism,” the latter of which was later featured on the hit Showtime series Weeds. Two years later, a support slot with Nine Inch Nails helped propel their international profile. The years that followed saw the band touring extensively around the world, with sold-out headline shows, shared stages with such artists as Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Harry, Patti Smith, The Cure, and Panic! at the Disco, a memorable New Year’s Eve collaboration with the Boston Pops Orchestra at Boston’s Symphony Hall, and festival appearances at Lollapalooza, Coachella, Bonnaroo, Fuji Rock, and Glastonbury. Among their many accolades, The Dresden Dolls have received multiple Boston Music Awards, while artists like Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Lady Gaga, and Jinkx Monsoon have all publicly celebrated the band and Palmer’s songwriting as influences on their own work.

The Dresden Dolls began an unofficial hiatus in 2008, pursuing wide-ranging creative paths. Viglione has performed with acts including Nine Inch Nails and Violent Femmes, while Palmer has built a multi-faceted solo career spanning theater, crowdfunding, and public speaking. Her 2014 memoir, The Art of Asking, became a New York Times bestseller while her celebrated TED Talk is currently poised to achieve a milestone 20 million views.

Now, after years of individual evolution and intermittent reunions, The Dresden Dolls’ influence continues to resonate with new audiences, as streaming platforms and social media introduce their work to a new generation drawn to dramatic, emotionally bracing songwriting.

It’s time, once again, for the Punk Cabaret.