Amanda Palmer performing in the Soundcheck studio.

Amanda Palmer And The Grand Theft Orchestra, In The Studio

Soundcheck | Sep 21, 2012

Singer and pianist Amanda Palmer gained notoriety and a cult following first with the punk-cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls and later with her 2008 solo record Who Killed Amanda Palmer. Since that time, Palmer has released an album of Radiohead songs played on her "magic ukulele," performed wearing just balloons, and put out a Twitter message announcing she might've agreed to marry author Neil Gaiman, but also "might have been drunk." And she had a record-setting fan-funding campaign for her latest album Theatre Is Evil.

When she joined us at Soundcheck, Palmer was touring with her Grand Theft Orchestra and recruiting musician volunteers to fill out her band, a project that soon created something of an Internet-stir. (Palmer announced this week she will pay all the musicians who take part in her shows.)

Regardless, Palmer's captivating, energetic pop songs reflect the fun and intensity of a performer with a keen sense for the theatrical. Watch Palmer's inspired performances from the Soundcheck studio.

Set List:

  • "The Killing Type"
  • "The Bed Song"
  • "Want It Back"

 

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

Top Stories

Malcolm Gladwell on “The American Way of Killing.” Plus, Grandmaster Flash on “Birth of a Culture”

The New Yorker staff writer believes that under-policing is at the root of our problem. Plus, the groundbreaking d.j. on the turntable innovations that led to hip-hop.
The New Yorker Radio Hour |

NYC's top watchdog launches probe into what mayors knew about post-9/11 air

The news comes just over a week after Mayor Zohran Mamdani released some 170,000 documents related to the air quality around Ground Zero following the attacks.
Gothamist |

Advice for Personal Money Management

Personal finance expert Amanda Holden, author of the book How To Be A Rich Old Lady
Please Advise: A Pop Up Show from WNYC |

Neil Patrick Harris Plays a Camp Director for Kids with Cancer

All Of It with Alison Stewart |
YOU ARE ONLINE