THE PATREON HAS HELPED BIRTH A NEW ARTST, and it’s a beautiful day.

This is Mira, or newly, the artist Mimi Bloo.

And it’s HER BIRTHDAY TODAY!!!

She’s sixteen.

She’s in Belgium.

TL;DR: The patreon is finding something extraordinary today.

Lance and I discovered Mira at Graveside Variety when she came in spontaneously with her mom….Lance and I helped her finish (or start finishing?) a song, and today she’s putting out her OWN first whole collection, with help from my team, my friends, and….all of you. Her artist name is Mimi Bloo, and you can listen her song “The Beat” HERE.

……

The longer story….

Good morning loves.

First of all I love this sweater more than life itself.

Greetings from a dishevled me, freshly landed from train that carried me from NYC to Boston. The concert/conversation with Ilana Gilovich at Life in Trust last night in NYC was just incredible, just a beautiful crowd and deep dive into the important topics…much more on that coming soon. (There was a very mentally unwell heckler, which was a Thing). For those of you who were worried about her (or me), we took care of the situation (thanks, Hampton). Thank you to ALL of you who helped me pack the place to the gills. The film and the transcript and more coming soon, plus photos care of Hayley Rosenblum and Krys Fox.

…….

And now the main event of the day.

This post has been coming together for (literally) months, and it’s a joy to put in some final thoughts and release this one today, on Mira’s BIRTHDAY, no less.

Who is Mira? You may remember.

If you were following the posts about a year ago, when we were in the heyday of Graveside Variety, the little pop-up venue I started in Upstate New York (which was partly funded using patron dollars), you may remember this story.

……………….

Here’s the full story as I wrote it in a post from Graveside Variety in August 2023….

I was sitting at a chair in the foyer, sewing (more on that later), when a mom came up to me.

Okay, I didn’t know she was a mom yet. But she told me that her fourteen-year-old daughter was in the crowd and was too nervous to ask to sing a song.

The woman had an accent, and I leaned in to chat with her, and learned that she was from Belgium, was in NYC for vacation, and had only found out about Graveside Variety from a facebook post I’d put up the day before, promoting the show. She’d decided to throw caution to the wind, gather up her fourteen-year old, Mira, and get on the bus to Woodstock for the show, where I has said “there would be singing”.

“Mira loves to sing”, she said, in her very lovely Belgian accent.

I asked her to go get Mira from the crowd, and bring her to the foyer.

A minute later Mira was next to me, in a blue dress, looking mostly at the floor, asking if she could please sing “Into the Unknown” from Frozen II. I won’t get into how much I love that song here, but I love it deeply. It got me through some rough spots and long drives with Ash during Pandemic New Zealand.

OF COURSE YOU CAN SING INTO THE UNKNOWN I told her, and I texted Lance on stage to put her in the line-up. Fourteen-year-old Mira seemed happy…but then she paused and asked if she could ask me a another question. Sure.

“How do you write a song?” She said.

“It’s complicated.” I said. “What exactly do you mean?”

“I mean I have words and a melody but I don’t really know how to do chords.” She said.

I looked at her. I wish I had had balls like that at fourteen. Maybe I did? But not in the songwriting department. I was so scared all the time. I was already so proud of her for even asking me the question.

I said “I think I can explain that to you after you sing the Frozen Song. On stage. Is that okay?”

She nodded.

Lance took a song break, and someone else took stage, and I pulled him into the dressing room.

“We have a job.” I told him.

“Okay, what’s the job?” I love Lance Horne more than almost anybody. He’s just always game and always on.

“There’s a fourteen year old girl from Belgium totally out of her element who wants to sing Into the Unknown from Frozen II but she’s also a songwriter and she wants to put her songs to chords and we should just do it on stage in front of everybody and Show Her The Ways.”

“Got it” said Lance.

We brought Mira on stage, and she sang the frozen song…and KILLED IT….and got a standing ovation. We were all just blown away by her fearless voice and her stage presence. The shy little girl just exploded into a full diva before our very eyes.

And then I came to the stage, and Lance and I sat at the piano, and we asked Mira if she wanted to work on her song….

And she said yes, and took a deep breath, and sang these words, clear as a bell, into the microphone:

Keep walking on a road
I don’t know, is this the way
no one can know.

I don’t feel good….don’t feel like me
But that’s okay

I’m getting bored,
where is the fun

follow the group,
you’ll like it hun

I don’t feel good
don’t feel like me

But that’s okay

One day I’ll find my place
Someday I’ll be okay

Maybe I should just obey
to do what they want me to…….

…..And we listened to her sing.

And I looked at Lance, and Lance looked at me,

and as she kept singing, I looked across the room at John Coons,

and I couldn’t see through the tears in my eyes.

John was crying, too.

Just…y’know….weeping.

Because she was so, so good.

And because she trusted us all.

Lance and I asked her to sing it again, and everybody cheered for her, and we put chords under the song, and she kept singing, and the song literally took flight as we all sat there, watching the magic fabric of music and community lift us all into some other realm. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, watching a whole room magic carpet a song, and a fourteen-year-old songwriter, into a whole new place.

We all agreed, there on the spot, that the song was amazing, and that she should record it with Lance.  Before she flew back to Belgium, she and Lance got together in NYC and rumor has it…they made the recording and it turned out beautifully.

I got this in an email from Mira:

It went better than I could have ever expected and that was probably the best day of my life!

…and this in an email from Mira’s mom:

….In a world of uncertainty and unimaginable possibilities, it’s like you gave me a glimpse of a future where Mira might sparkle and shine. I don’t know how much of that future I’ll get to be a part of, so that really meant the world to me.

You also showed her how amazing life can be, if you’re brave enough to jump (she’s at an age where she needs to hear it from someone who’s not her mother, so thanks for backing me up there

So, thank you, and Lance, for your generosity and kindness…

…..

This is why I started a venue.

This is literally why.

So that things like this could happen.

And with your blessing, and Mira’s blessing, we are sharing the recording with you….

Her face.

My heart.

Right?

So if you’re wondering why you’re on the other side of the world, funding a venue run by a weird rock-star-in-hiding….this is why.

This is why.

……

And here’s Mira’s mom in HER WORDS telling the story of how it came together…

In August 2023, we spent two weeks in Manhattan cat-sitting for my cousin. Mira had asked if she could sing karaoke in a bar in NYC while we were there. But you have to be 21 to get into these bars, so I didn’t know how to make that work. Mira was just 14.

One morning, I was scrolling through Facebook and came across one of Amanda’s posts about a “Party around the piano with Lance Horne at Graveside Variety: our dorky musical theater piano singalong/karaoke night and it always fills up, so get a ticket now if you’re coming.”

I’d introduced Mira to the music of Amanda Palmer and the Dresden Dolls a few months before and she loved the idea of going to this “party around a piano”. So, we decided to have a girls’ night out, in Woodstock. It wasn’t too far from NYC with the subway and a bus. Stefaan and Hugo, my husband and son, would walk all over NYC until we returned.

We arrived in Woodstock, checked into our B&B and walked over to the cemetery, where a deer was strolling between the graves. We listened to the band playing at Colony, and at 6.30pm we went over to Graveside Variety and picked a chair on the second row in the room with the piano. Mira wanted to make sure we were on time.

At 7pm Lance Horne started playing the piano, and then one after the other artist got up from the audience to sing songs from musicals, covers, originals … we loved it. Mira is a huge musical fan. She was so happy!

At one point they said, “if you want to sing a song just let us know – we’re here to have fun!” and the piano party continued…

I don’t like stages. I get uncomfortable asking a question at a conference. But Mira is different, she loves a stage… so, after a couple more songs pass, she’s tugging my sleeve telling me she wants to sing a song. But she’s too shy to ask, so she wants me to ask for her. I whisper, “ok Mira, hang on – let’s see if there’s someone outside we can ask” So, we get up and go into the room next door, and Amanda is sitting there in an armchair mending her shirt.

So I say, “Amanda, hi. This is my fourteen year old daughter, Mira … she’d like to ask you if she can sing a song”. Amanda says, “sure!”, and they have a short conversation while I take some photos and then we go back to our seats. I don’t know what they talked about, but Mira seems happy.

So, Mira is allowed to sing a song (Into the unknown, from Frozen 2) and the audience loves it. Then Amanda says, “Mira asked me just before, if I could give her some tips on songwriting – so if you want Mira, we can give you a songwriting lesson … if you want to sing your song? You’re among friends now”

(I had no idea what song Mira had in mind)

Accompanied by an impromptu piano arrangement by Lance and Amanda, Mira starts singing her unfinished song to a room of professional singers and songwriters…

By the looks of her, she was incredibly nervous. But she sang and… they love it and offer to record it in a studio before we leave New York.

I still can’t believe that happened.

And so Mira spent some time during the second week in NYC finishing the lyrics for her song. She sent them to Amanda. Amanda said, “your words are powerful”. Lance asked her to sing a voice memo into garage band so he can compose a piano arrangement. And on the Friday before we flew back to Belgium, Mira recorded her song in Jacob’s apartment studio, around the corner from Chelsea Hotel.

It was her first song.

When we returned to Belgium, she enrolled in after-school musical classes. We gave her a small studio set-up, with a second-hand laptop, a keyboard and a microphone. She was familiar with Garage Band, which she now started exploring to see how it could help her make music. We didn’t hear a single song for a year – although we could hear her singing from her bedroom. And at the start of summer she said, “I’m ready”.

Since July 2024 she has uploaded 32 songs, most of them originals.

It’s like the Woodstock adventure gave her permission to write songs. She decides when they’re ready. And when she feels comfortable, she uploads them to Soundcloud.

In August 2024, the NYC song was sent back to us, now fully arranged with the piano, a cellist, a double bass, and a mellotron. It’s beautiful, like the soundtrack to a fairy tale.

……

Here’s a little interview Mira’s mom did with her about the song and the Woodstock experience…

How much of the song did you have in your head, before you sang it on stage at Graveside Variety?

I had two sentences that had been on my mind for a while “Keep walking on, a road I don’t know. Is this the way? No one will know” and the start of a melody.

But what you sang on stage was longer than that? How did that happen?

Well, I had to improvise the rest of the song on stage.

I’d asked Amanda about songwriting because I love her music, and I was curious to hear how you can become a songwriter. I told her I had a song I was working on, but really it was just two sentences.

After I sang the Frozen song, Amanda asked if I wanted to sing the song I had talked to her about – on stage in front of everybody! To be honest, at that point I just wanted to get off stage really badly. I felt like I was going to throw up because I was so nervous!

I regretted asking Amanda for help with songwriting. But I also felt like I had gotten myself into this situation, so now I had to go through with it. Luckily the audience and the artists in the room were very kind and supportive. So, I jumped!

It was amazing, because when Lance started playing the piano, it was like we’d practiced the song a million times, even though it was the first time, and I didn’t even know all of the lyrics when I started to sing.

When Amanda said I could record the song in a studio in New York, I thought it was just something she was saying to the crowd as part of the show. It didn’t feel real. I kept thinking, if this is real than maybe I’m Santa Claus. But there was also a crazy little voice in my head saying “Yes! I finally convinced somebody! Stay humble!”

After the show ended, people came up to me and gave me a hug. I felt like I belonged.

Finishing the rest of the lyrics, when we returned to NYC, wasn’t too difficult. I had a lot of thoughts in my head. I was thinking about school and how I never felt like I really belonged, but I was also thinking about everything that happened in Woodstock and where this road might take me if I kept walking along it. So, the words for the rest of the song came easily.

How was the past year, writing your songs from home?

At first my confidence was very low. I had to figure out how to use the equipment and then the sound wasn’t how I thought it would be. I thought the songs should be polished like a pop song. But slowly, I started appreciating how the songs sounded homemade.

I write a lot of my songs on a notebook that I take to school with me. When I get home, I try to find samples that resemble the tune I have in my head, samples to fit my lyrics. I write most of my songs at school or during the weekend.

How do you see the future?

I would love to perform my music on stage. I would love the audience to connect with my songs and for my songs to mean something to them.

What do you think of “The Beat”, the song you made in NYC?

It reminds me a lot of growing up and coming of age stories. I think it’s really beautiful. It’s like the introduction to my own story, but it can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. And that’s what I want my music to do.

….

I keep thinking about that moment that Mira took stage.

I don’t know if you’re ever tried to do that: but it takes an incredible degree of stage-bravery. I was just stunned at this 14-year-old’s boldness. I loved her. And the song was not just good, it was great.

I would love all of you to celebrate this new artist, Mira, this moment, and the fact that without the patreon, none of this would have happened. The patreon gave birth to the venue, and the venue gave birth to Lance and Party Around a Piano Woodstock Edition, and that night gave birth to Mira meeting Lance, and now….she’s off and running.

This is what it’s all about. I love the patreon for the way it funds my work, but I also love it for how it strengthens the entire community. This is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this, and I don’t expect to do it often. This patreon isn’t a record label.

But sometimes….you gotta break with convention, and I didn’t think any of you would mind. We got to make something really, really special here, and give work to a whole handful of artists. I don’t have ANY ownership over Mira’s work or this song: we gave it to her. If it blows up on Spotify, we just applaud. She’s off to be her own boss, have her own destiny.

So many hands needed to bring this project – this MOMENT – to life. Mira, her mom, that facebook post, Lance, the people working at the venue that night, me, the engineers….and ALL OF YOU.

It’s also – TA DA – Mira’s BIRTHDAY TODAY!!! The song has been done for a few months.

Some of the money from this post will also go straight into Mira’s pocket, to give her a little fund age to promote her record, or buy a new instrument, or do whatever she’s like.

To all of you: thank you for your patronage. Look what we did.

……………

The song – featuring Lance Horne, and mixed by Jherek Bischoff – is out TODAY DECEMBER 4TH, which is Mira’s 16th birthday.

So what I’m asking you to do is FOLLOW MIRA/MIMI BLOO to build up some support, and LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE!

Her Bandcamp is here!

Her Soundcloud is here!

Her Instagram is here!

……

Here are the credits for the song:

Mira – Vocals

Lance Horne – Pianist, Arranger, Producer

Jacob Tourjeman – Engineer

Jherek Bischoff – Mixing Engineer, Mastering Engineer

Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf – Cellist

……

A special thanks, my friends, to LANCE. Can we get a hand for this man?

Lance said yes.

Lance is game.

Lance is a musical genius, but he’s also a great friend, and a great connector of the universe.

I just love him so much.

(He’s also DEEP in candle season at his side-hustle candle company, WELIGHT in NYC if you wanna order some holiday candle presents and support him! I just ordered 7.)

Here’s Lance with his Husband Kurt, in candle-land.

GO BUY SOME CANDLES.

XXX

That’s it.

WE DID IT.

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIRA!!!!

YOU’RE A STAR.

xxx

AFP

The post Presenting: 16-year-old Mira/Mimi Bloo’s song “The Beat”. (You All Helped Make It Happen). first appeared on Amanda Palmer.

The post Presenting: 16-year-old Mira/Mimi Bloo’s song “The Beat”. (You All Helped Make It Happen). appeared first on Amanda Palmer.

Well, that project title is a mouthful, ain’t it. It’s been a hell of a week….drag queens and patreon, take me away!!!!

Quick housekeeping:

-For now, this is a PATRON-ONLY post, I’ll post to socials and open this project and the merch sale to the public on Monday.

-NEW YORK CITY: SURPRISE!!! I’ve just added a TINY gig on DECEMBER 3rd at Life & Trust as part of their “Unlocked” series! I’ll be in conversation with Ilana Gilovich. TICKETS ARE FREE and the space is tiny. GRAB NOW: https://lifeandtrustnyc.com/events/

-BOSTON: Save Dec 9th evening. I’m gonna do a patron-only live-stream event. Location and guests TBD!

………..

OK…..and now.

I hope you all love this project as much as I do, WE ALL NEED SOME HOPE. It’s QUITE A STORY, so buckle up. There’s Jesus, there’s AI, drag queens, there’s misunderstandings, there’s paintings, there’s MERCH!, and there’s…a lot. It’s a AMANDA PALMER HOLIDAY SPECIAL.

In Summary: I used patron funds to commission Belfast-based trans painter (and long-time collaborator) Joni Augustine to make a painting – with the permission of the 13 drag artists depicted – called “The Drag Supper”: a riff on The Last Supper, and a fun internet-lemonade-pivot after being called out on social media for posting a meme image generated by AI. Sound confusing? Nah.

And we are gonna raise money for some important charities:

13 charities picked by 13 drag queens, all of whom are depicted in the painting.

LET’S FUCKING GO.

IF YOU ORDER NOW YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THESE IN THE MAIL BY DECEMBER 15TH, WHICH MEANS YOU CAN MAIL YOUR OWN DRAG SUPPER CARDS TO FRIEND BY XMAS! DELIVER DETAILS ARE ON THE SITE.

MERCH LINKS:

U.S.A./INTERNATIONAL STORE LNK FOR DRAG SUPPER POSTERS & GREETING CARDS!

U.K. ONLY STORE LINK FOR DRAG SUPPER POSTERS & GREETING CARDS!

……………..

THE FULL STORY:

Maybe you remember this happening a few months back, on the last day of March, 2024, which was Easter, and ALSO happened to be Transgender Day of Visibility, which always falls on March 31st. I saw this random meme-y looking image of Jesus With Queens at a Last Supper in a What’s app chat….

…..and I posted it to IG and Facebook. I then got tutted by some folks in the comments. NOT BY THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT, because JESUS, but by the left, because it was an AI-generated image. You can tell from….the many fingers on the queens. I admitted: I had not noticed it was AI.

Well, my dears, just like with the patron-funded AI art-lemonade-commision I posted a couple of weeks ago, I decided – that very day – to make lemoade and give some work to a REAL LIFE ARTIST andcomssion a REAL PAINTING OF A DRAG SUPPER starring – TA DAAAAA – REAL LIFE DRAG QUEENS.

I texted Joni Augustine, my painter friend in Belfast, to see if she’d be up for the job. She was thriled. I said: hold the phone, we can’t just use random drag queens. Let’s get real ones.

I texted Jinkx Monsoon first, to ask if she’d be into allowing her likeness to be used. I texted Peaches Christ. I texted John Cameron Mitchell. I DM’d other queens. Thirteen said yes. It took MONTHS….but we did it.

We asked the thiurteen queens to pick 13 charities. They did. My new management team (Liz and Hampton) took this on as one of their first big projects with me. Bless them.

The queens are from around the world, and have chosen charities from their various corners of the world (US, Canada, UK, Australia)

……………..

HERE IS THE FINISHED PAINTING.

Isn’t it beauitiful?

The painting itself is HUGE…..

Here it is for scale, and with differernt lighting…..

And here’s a beautiful portrait that Joni took of herself, working on it in her studio in Ireland. I don’t know what’s more beautiful, honestly. This photo, or the painting itself.

A little word about Joni, and me.

Joni is trans. We met over the internet when she tagged me in a portrait painting she’d done of me just for kicks. I loved it so much I’d used it as a profile avatar for a while. Soon after that, I was touring in Ireland and Joni came to a show me the painting in person. She also honored me with a task: to be the legal witness to her official name-change papers for the government.

It was an emotional moment for both of us.

Since that day, Joni has become a huge fixture in this community, and I’ve commission at least a half dozen paintings and portraits from her: album covers, itnernet projects, but also, personal projects. One of my step-daughters recently got married and I hired Joni to paint a (gorgeous) painting for her wedding gift. I commissioned her to do a painting of my Scottish ancestors for my mom’s 80th birthday. It’s just the best, having a go-to painter. Joni has been a constant inspiration and bright light in my life for the last few years. I love that the patreon has helped us both, and also brought a lot of joy to other people.

(If you want to commission a painting from Joni (or from ANY painter), you know you can DO THAT, right? It’s an amazing way to keep your painter friends alive. Niki McQueen is also out there and taking commissions, and selling prints. This community supporting them is huge. Do it.)

Joni also made a litte voice memo for the patrons…I’ll send it over the weekend.

………………….

Here are some progress shots and details of the painting….

There’s tons of fun little easter eggs on the table….including a nod to me.

(Get it? Easter eggs?? Never mind.)

……….

AND NOW…..

THE 13 QUEENS and THEIR 13 CHARITIES:

Again: ALL the profits from the sales of the posters and greeting cards are going to be split between these 13 charities.

PEACHES CHRIST, as Jesus, of course.

Peaches’ charity is the LGBT ASYLUM PROJECT – “The only San Francisco nonprofit organization exclusively dedicated to providing accessible legal representation for LGBT asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution due to their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or HIV status.”

…………………..

JINKX MONSOON

Jink’s chosen charity is BLACK VISIONS – “We believe in a future where all Black people have autonomy, safety is community-led, and we are in the right relationship within our ecosystems.”

…………………..

TRIXXIE CARR

Trixie’s chosen charity is SFSPCA – “transforming how pet guardians and their furry friends access lifesaving care through our world-class veterinary hospital, adoption center, and community medicine programs.”

…………………..

IRMA GERD

Irma’s chosen charity is QUADRANGLE NL – “Creating a physical space welcoming to all members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Newfoundland and Labrador, which will house and offer services and programs designed to create social connections, provide resources, and advance all aspects of health and the quality of life for our community through inclusion and diversity, community development, collaboration, and recognition.”

…………………..

BRIGITTE BANDIT

Brigitte’s chosen charity is TENT (Transgender Education Network of Texas) – “an organization dedicated to furthering gender-diverse equality in Texas. We work to accomplish this through education and networking in both public and private forums. Through our efforts, we strive to halt discrimination through social, legislative, and corporate education.”

…………………..

JOHN CAMERON MITCHELL

John’s chosen charity is Manos Amigues Queer Soup Kitchen – “the first LGBT+ Community Center in Mexico City which combines food assistance with cultural programming. Our programming is run by LGBT+ people in order to provide a safe space for our community, however our doors are open to everyone regardless of their identity.”

…………………..

LE GATEAU CHOCOLAT

Gateau’s chosen charity is Mermaids UK – “one of the UK’s leading trans-focused charities. We provide services directly to trans children and young people, to families, and work to educate and inform professionals and organisations who want to be part of a society where trans children and young people are safe, included and empowered to be their best selves.”

…………………..

CRÉATINE PRICE

Créatine’s chosen charity is Music and Mentoring House – “a New York State non-profit organization that will cultivate a positive appreciation for the arts and culture, by enhancing the educational experience of artists in a safe, affordable and mentored environment. The corporation will also provide a place where the public can come together and experience the development of young artists and the importance the arts play in society.”

…………………..

CONSTANCE MARAJ

Constance’s chosen charity is Rainbow Youth NZ – “working with young people, their whānau and their wider communities to provide safe and respectful support. We provide strengths-based peer support that considers hauora, resilience, cultural identities, and individual journeys.”

…………………..

BENDELACREME

DeLa’s chosen charity is Trans Lifeline – “connecting trans people to the community support and resources we need to survive and thrive. We envision a world where trans people have the connection, economic security, and care everyone needs and deserves—free of prisons and police.”

…………………..

SCARLET ENVY

Scarlet has not decided on a charity yet, but we will update with the info, when they have!

…………………..

COCO PERU

Coco’s chosen charity is Los Angeles LGBT Center – “caring for, championing, and celebrating LGBTQ individuals and families in Los Angeles and beyond. Today, the Center’s nearly 800 employees provide services for more queer and trans people than any other organization in the world—offering programs, services, and global advocacy that span four broad categories: Health, Social Services and Housing, Culture and Education, and Leadership and Advocacy.”

…………………..

LATRICE ROYALE

Latrice’s chosen charity is SAVE LGBT – “Florida’s longest-serving LGBTQ civil righs organization since 1993, restoring the ordinance that had been torn down years before. In the years since, from the hard-fought restoration of the nondiscrimination ordinance to the fight for marriage equality to the addition of our transgender peers to existing protections and beyond, SAVE has stood at the forefront of our struggles.”

……

MORE ABOUT THE PRINTS THEMSELVES….

THE GIFT CARDS – Price is $20(USD) and comes with six 5″ x 7″ gift cards and envelopes printed with The Drag Supper artwork and a matte finish.

THE POSTER – Price is $25(USD) and comes with one 18″ x 24″ matte finished and digitally printed poster with The Drag Supper artwork.

AGAIN, the store links:

U.S.A./INTERNATIONAL STORE LNK FOR DRAG SUPPER POSTERS & GREETING CARDS!

U.K. ONLY STORE LINK FOR DRAG SUPPER POSTERS & GREETING CARDS!

The prints are currently on PRE-ORDER, order by around December 9th to arrive by Christmas…but your order form will help you out with deadlines.

I LOVE YOU.

Get ordering.

If you have questions, hit us in comments or email management@amandapalmer.net

LOVE, RAINBOWS, ART, AND DRAN QUEENS…..

xxxx

Amanda and everyone here at Team AFP.

P.S.

Things are ripping along on the PATREON CHATS, so if you’re just getting thris email in realtime and wanna chat with friends, head over to the app and chat. I also want to remind you all to follow me on BLUESKY, I’m there now, and pretty much leaving twitter. May not be on Facebook and IG much longer if the world continues (yay) to migrate over to Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/amandapalmer.bsky.social

The post 13 Drag Queens, 13 Charities. Presenting “THE DRAG SUPPER”: a patron-funded painting by trans artist Joni Augustine, inspired by an accidental AI post. Charity cards & prints now on sale! first appeared on Amanda Palmer.

The post 13 Drag Queens, 13 Charities. Presenting “THE DRAG SUPPER”: a patron-funded painting by trans artist Joni Augustine, inspired by an accidental AI post. Charity cards & prints now on sale! appeared first on Amanda Palmer.

I know I keep announcing a project, but…merch and link delays. It’s coming. It’s kind of nice. I’ll just keep writing about fun things and things I love in the meantime

Yesterday was book birthday, today is boyfriend birthday.

I try not to go on and on about my current relationship, because, well, you know….but it’s his birthday today, and I want to sing his praises for a second.

I’ve been with fella this for a year and a half now, and every day of this relationship has been little miracle of re-understanding love.

I used to think relationships were just for me and the other person. What can you do for me? What can I do for you? What are we getting from each other? Like some kind of tallying video game.

This is different. Some of you know the history of our relationship (it’s wild, and beautiful, and in some versions of the story we get to say we have actually been together for 22 years, with a break in there somewhere).

This relationship has been less about what we can get from one another and more about how we revel in what we do for the ones we love. The friends, the community, our families, the biological and logical kids.

Our love takes flight in a kind of mutual passion for making a haven for whoever is around, and then falling into bed at the end of the night, exhausted and happy, entangled in a job well done. It’s a feeling I’ve always craved. It’s the feeling of deep care, of chosen family and hearth above work-work. We are happiest when we are cooking and kids are laughing in the kitchen, when we get to make out for a second in the dressing room when everyone has gotten what they need.

A lot of you patrons have met Brendon…at events, at patron gatherings, at your houses.

He loves and gets this community and he loves helping, and honestly, if he didn’t, it would be a dealbreaker. I am in a lifelong relationship with this community and my friends, family, and partner need to understand. At worst: they tolerate it. At best: they revel in it.

Brendon and I revel in what we can do to build magical moments and safe harbors for other people. It’s our life’s work, both of us. It’s what we do. I may be the front person, and he’s mostly a backline guy, but we believe deeply in the power of The Show as Church.

But also? We love just being basic bitches together.

We cannot stop being thrilled by the fact that we deeply, deeply enjoy going to Home Depot together. Or to the grocery store. Or the post office. Or anywhere, really. We bask in one another’s basic company, and I have learned that that is not something you can take for granted. We never stop cracking each other up. The puns are endless.

We were at a party the other night and Brendon was introduced as “my boyfriend” to a rich powerful tech guy, and the guy greeted him with “Congratulations”. Here is the irony: I am the luckier one. I FUCKING SCORED with this guy.

He’s also…a truly incredible poet. My love language is words, and this guy knows how to romantically string them together like no other.

Happy birthday, the lover.

You’re the bestest.

Xa

Header photo: Darling Harbour in Sydney, Australia, Jan 2024

Here’s another sweet one of us in Australia with my Oz song and book writer friend Clare Bowditch, eating Ice Cream in Collingwood super late one night (photo by Clare).

The post One more Birthday :) first appeared on Amanda Palmer.

The post One more Birthday :) appeared first on Amanda Palmer.

I’m reading comments here all day. Talk to me and to each other please. Comment on others posts.

Also: head to the forever chatlandia chat, I’ll be there all day, posting photos of laundry and other calming images. I’m not kidding. That’s the vibe today.

Cross-posting this to socials. I wanted to let you all know that I’ve joined Bluesky and have started my (sad, but necessary) migration off Twitter. I just cannot with Elon Musk. It’s like a death for me, given the amount of community I’ve built there over the last 15+ years. But now the community is….here.or hopefully migrating here slowly. I’ll write more about it, but if you’re over there or want to join, it seems the time is now. I’m amandapalmer.bsky.social. I am not advertising it on other social media at the moment. I’m too tired.

Anyway.

Happy Saturday everybody, especially my Americans. I thought you might all like a post to set the day off right.

It’s Nov 16th, 2024, 8:19 am here in Boston. It’s cold but not too cold, the leaves are orange rainbow blazing, the coffee is percolating, and I’m about to spend the entire day doing laundry, cleaning the house and unpacking from my recent hell-move.

I’m going to work on some writing about an art project I’m releasing to the patrons on Monday. I’m going to cook dinner with my partner. I’m going to try to get to go on a walk to visit some of my neighbors. I’m going to get to bed early.

I was at a dinner party last night and there was a long discussion about the exhaustion – especially the exhaustion felt by women – that is permeating the zeitgeist and leading to the fact that the women’s march expects 50,000 people instead of 500,000.

I am one of those exhausted. Since 2016, I’ve had the life energy sucked out of me. My mama bear instincts have shifted from pointing the finger at the administration to wrapping my arms around my son, my mouth spent ever fewer moments shouting at the White House and more and more moments kissing boo boos.

Many of my friends have felt this as well. My life may have had some extra-extraordinary twists (divorce, New Zealand, a handful of deaths in the chosen family) but even without that…surviving four years of the last Trump term plus covid was probably enough to empty anybody’s tank, not to mention all the other devolving and despairing factors. Everyone I know is turning towards community. I’m turning towards my Patreon, towards my Boston community, towards the idea of running local events and robust spaces for art and discussion. Everyone seems to be down with the idea of not just “preaching to the choir”, but SAVING the choir, because it appears that people are listing and drowning in the pews.

Or to switch metaphors: it’s Go Time on the home front behind the trenches. It’s retreat and not attack, it’s tend to the wounded in the converted churches, it’s bring bandages to the bloody tent, it’s prayer.

And: If you’re feeling this way, you’re not alone.

Art: Favianna Rodriguez, sent to me by a friend in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Tend to the immediate.

Be. In. Community.

Do what you can do. It’s enough. Do not try to change the world today. Take care of what’s in front of you. Clean the kitchen. Call the cancer friend. Empty the trash. Read to the child. Pick up the Lego. Breathe in. Bring the cans to the food pantry. Breathe out. Check on the old neighbor. Wave to the lonely. Think about who might be the most afraid and send them a text.

I love you all. Hang in there. I’ll be on the general (free) patreon chat throughout the day, checking in.

A

Upcoming/remindet: I will be at Harvard Book Store in Boston Monday (Nov 18) at 7pm in conversion with AI-warrior Dr. Joy Buolamwini and trans musician and activist Evan Greer, discussing community, art, AI, what next. Free and all ages.

The post Happy Saturday morning. Bluesky and blue skies. And some words to kick this day off. first appeared on Amanda Palmer.

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Happy Friday night. What a shit week! I am so sad! I am so happy!

GO TO THE CHAT or feel free to CHAT HERE IN THE COMMENTS! Make a friend! Answer and hug a stranger! BE. IN. COMMUNITY.

I did some polls on the socials about who in America is thinking about leaving the country. It’s a wild world right now. If you missed this incredible VIDEO of the breakdown in New Zealand parliament, GO WATCH IT: https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/15/world/video/new-zealand-parliament-haka-ldn-digvid

If you needed another reason to love New Zealand….here. This is on the south island. I’m homesick.

I’ve spent the day on the phone and cleaning my goddamn house and I’m about to head over to a dinner at Harvard with some weirdo academics from MIT. I have really, really missed living here in Boston in the world of the queers and cold fusion researchers.

AND I AM GOING TO CELEBRATE BECAUSE…..jesus mary and yaysef!: ALMOST 1,000 NEW PATRONS HAVE JOINED UP in the last week or so.

SO! WELCOME!!! WELCOME!! TO YOU, NEW PATRONS!!!!: It goes fast here, and I don’t edit carefully. Lifelong art-habit.

Sorry if this is a little bit of a nerdy for the newbs….but just try to follow along.

A few housekeeping notes:

There was already a lot happening, and the election has thrown eveyrhting into a fucking blender.

I’m coming at you with a lot of posts, I know…but you can always ignore the firehose of content.

This isn’t social media. Ok? It works differently.

Patreon is a SMALL (and growing) company I have known personally and been working with since 2014.

I chose to bring my community here to hang, discuss, exchange information, art, money, ideas and what have you FOR A REASON.

I did not want to do my work in the corporate world of social media and Meta-google-youtube-etc-etc. I knew and liked and trusted the CEO, Jack Conte. I still talk with him on the phone to figure out how to run this ship with integrity.,

THE WAY THE INTERNET WORKS IS NOT FUCKING RANDOM. WE HAVE CHOICES ABOUT HOW AND WHERE WE PUT OUR WORDS, OUR THOUGHTS, OUR IDEAS, OUR ART.

This isn’t AI, FYI. This is, errrr, me, writing my own posts.

I have been blogging since fucking 2000. I’ve been writing my heart into the internet for 24 years. Suck it, AI. I have a lot of thoughts about you.

Quick for the newbs: Once a month, usually right at the end, we have the monthly “Althing” which is sort of our community newsletter and my monthly summary/report on all things work, life, AFP, Dresden Dolls and so forth.

We are always making this up as we go along!

THE CHAT IS CURRENTLY STARTING TO GET GOOD!!!!

ALL PATRONS: WE have started a check-in for all patrons at around 8am and 8pm EST in the FOREVER CHATLANDIA chat.

THE CHATS ARE OPEN 24/7/365, OBVIOUSLY, BUT

Anytime I make a post here is a good time to head over to the chat. Just take my posts and a little signal to head overt to the chats and find one another and say hi. You can ALWAYS head over to the chat. We are currently trying to figure out whether starting a discord at this point also makes sense. I am vey, very, keen to get you all off facebook. I don’t think it’s a safe a sturdy place to keep the community. I won’t stop you from using it, it’s a great tool for the moment. But please….also get ready to swim to new discussions shores as the internet continues to collapse, ok?

$10+ PATRONS: We had a poetic romp on the web chat yesterday (which is archived HERE, go listen/watch if you wanna) I renamed the $10 chat yesterday. It’s now nicknamed The Fresnel (pronounced….well, you gotta go look it up).

The chat looks like THIS on your desktop….go to the little “community” tab and VOILA:

The chat looks like THIS on your mobile app:

GO! GO! CHAT CHAT CHAT!!!!

And remember: we can use any tools we want.

If we decide that Discord is a better way to chat, or we decide to all port back over to the shadowbox forum, which is the forum the dolls (and I) have been using since, my god, 2003?…WE CAN DO WHAT WE WANT. WE ARE in “FIGURING OUT” era….espeically as facebook slides into the ocean.

………….

A NOTE ABOUT HOW I CHARGE FOR THINGS AND HOW THAT IS GOING TO MORPH AND CHANGE….

I have been talking about this for EONS, it seems, but the way I am going to “charge” you is heading – inevitably – to a monthly subscription. Tech reason, mostly, but also, I think there’s a singularity hitting: the old-timey patrons here realize that I have been running myself unnecessarily crazy trying to perform time-constrained productivity. I don’t work well “producing content” on a TIDY SCHEDULE that means that I can release 3-4 pieces of “content” a month.

I like to think that, at this point, I’ve earned your nebulous trust, and that you can trust that

1) you’re gonna give me some amount of money per month and

2) I’m going to use it to live, eat, pay rent, make work, and pay the staff.

This has sort of been happening ANYWAY with the intrduction of the monthly Althing/newsletter (which isn’t a pice of “content”) and my occasional “I just need to pay the bills so fuck it”-charging of certain pieces of content or writing for which I wouldn’t have usually, in the old days, pressed the button.

If your eyes are blurring and this is sounding confusing, I’ll summarize:

Instead of charging you per piece of content, I’ll be porting over to a monthly system. This won’t happen without PLENTY of warning and posts, and in the weeks/months to come, I’ll be asking YOU, my patrons, for A LOT OF INPUT AND FEEDBACK! I have one of the biggest music patrons in existence. YOU ARE WHY. I want you all to be a part of this.

………….

Think with me, okay?

You’re all smart.

……

MEANWHILE:

As we grapple with this insanity, I am doing a talk with national bestseller Dr. Joy Buolamwini AND my friend Evan Greer, trans activist and musician and fighter from Fight For The Future.

THE EVENT IS FREE AND ALL AGES! COME! And spread the word.

THIS MONDAY, Nov 18th @ 7pm
HARVARD BOOKSTORE
1256 Mass Ave, Cambridge

This is Joy’s book, “UNMASKING AI: MY MISSION TO PROTECT WHAT IS HUMAN IN A WORLD OF MACHINES” which we we’ll be discussing IN DEPTH:

You can read more and order it HERE:

https://www.unmasking.ai/

I’ll be digging into it deeper over the weekend, and believe me, I HAVE TONS OF FUCKING THOUGHTS.

I’ll write a wrap-up here for the patrons, and I’ll post a film anad trasncript, AND it’ll also be STREAMING ON NPR: I’ll get you all the links on Monday when they come in.

……….

PROJECTS COMING OUT ASAP:

My talk with bestselling author Leslie Jamison is FINALLY going to be relased. We had to clean it up a little bit. Expect that over the weekend! YAY.

The Drag Queen Jesus art-card project should be ready EARLY NEXT WEEK!

THE “DEATH THING” VIDEO IS COMING….

BOSTON: I am hoping to do a livecast (with audience) on December 9th!! Also save December 13th: I’ll be doing a talk at the MIT MUSEUM with a very very exciting guest!!!

Phew.

Have a good weekend all…I’ll be back tomorrow.

I LOVE THE SHIT OUT OF ALL OF YOU!!!!

Thank you for being my patrons.

HANG IN THERE.

xxx

AFP

The post HAPPY FRIDAY NIGHT…WELCOME NEW PATRONS, + BOSTON/HARVARD: a (free! all ages!) talk about A.I. THIS MONDAY first appeared on Amanda Palmer.

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It’s Webchat day.

Here we go:

https://www.crowdcast.io/c/79knfebl25za

Don’t forget to try a different browser if you can’t log in.

Coffee time.

So much to talk about. Cold fusion, the melting internet, the election, hope, hopelessness, community, the music documentary last night, the feeeeeelings!!!! And the pinging pangs of the connections of the universe. It’s many.

Reminder that this $10+ webchat/Ask me Anything today is only ONE HOUR so let’s make it count. We can go a little late but not much past 12:45pm.

Head over now and start chatting and leaving / upvoting questions for me.

Link again https://www.crowdcast.io/c/79knfebl25za

If you want to upgrade your patronage just to check it out and then downgrade, I never judge. Go for it. Hacky hacky.

Don’t forget to use $10+ app chat for photos and side-bar chatting. It’s easy to find and if you can’t find it, I’ll help you on the chat.

See yall in 15 minutes.

X

A

The post PATRONS! I am caffeinated and ready for the 11:30am (EST)webchat/ask me anything. Come on over. first appeared on Amanda Palmer.

The post PATRONS! I am caffeinated and ready for the 11:30am (EST)webchat/ask me anything. Come on over. appeared first on Amanda Palmer.

I’m here, live, online in the chat and on this post, for the next HOUR (It’s 2:50pm EST on WEd, Nov 13th). I’m watching the poll, reading all comments, responding where I need/can, and also encouraging you to GO TO THE CHAT when you finish reading this to be in community. BE. IN. COMMUNITY.

QUICK HOUSEKEEPING:

#1 – I just made the link for tomorrow’s $10+/Ask me Anything Webchat. If you want to join, we’ll be on at 11:30am-12:30pm EST. RSVP and start chatting here: https://www.crowdcast.io/c/79knfebl25za

#2 – 8am AND 8pm seems to be working for us to have daily check-ins ON THE APP CHAT, which everybody seems to be appreciating the fuck out of because everybody’s nerves are fucking FRIED and we need our little moments of hug n’ rage. USE THE CHAT. Be. In. Community.

#3 – thank you all for your comments and fiery encouragement on my post-thing last night. I AM BACK ON FIRE AND IT TOOK THIS FUCKING ELECTION TO DO IT, and I don’t know where we go from here but ON. ON WE GO. ON ON ON.

…………………

NOW!!!

BOSTON PEOPLE, REPRESENT IN THE POLL PLEASE!!!!

I NEED A HEADCOUNT! How many of you are there???? PLEASE COMMENT, too, and tell me where you’re from? Salem? Somerville? Allston? JP? LEXINGTON? MEDFORD? TALK TO ME!!!!! Tell me a little about you, your family, where you are, what you do. HARVARD? MIT? TUFTS? MUSEUM SCHOOL PEOPLE? BERKLEE PEOPLE? TRANS PEOPLE QUEER PEOPLE MUSICIAN PEOPLE NERD PEOPLE THEATER PEOPLE YOUNG PEOPLE OLD PEOPLE ALL PEOPLE!!!!!

ARE YOU READY TO COMMUNITY THE FUCK OUT OF THIS POOR CITY WITH ME?

I AM READY. I AM READY.

HAND ME MY MACHETE.

WHAT COUNTS AS “CLOSE ENOUGH” TO BOSTON? ANYTHING CLOSE ENOUGH THAT YOU’RE WILLING TO GET HERE FOR THINGS. SO, I DON’T CARE IF YOU’RE IN MAINE, RHODE ISLAND, CONNECTICUT, NEW YORK, CANADA, OR MEXCIO….IF YOU’RE WILLING TO COME TO BOSTON EVENTS, YOU’RE PART OF THE BOSTON POSSE.

I ran screaming from this cold-hearted metropolis. I am back to DO MY BEST.

So. Okay, here we go. It’s getting Boston-y. I got questions. Locals, listen up, talk to me. Global weirdos….feel free to follow along or ignore this post.

FIRST UP: I hope to see MANY of you tonight (WED, NOV 13th) in Arlington at the “Beautiful Was The Fight” screening at the Regent Theatre with me and the filmmaker/direcvotr, David Habeeb….7:30, $15, the cinema holds about 400 and is about half sold out so there will certainly be sits if you just walk up! I am attaching, below, some beautiful words from the David. Here’s more about the event: https://regenttheatre.com/events/beautiful-was-the-fight/

*THE AFTERPARTY – which is public – WILL BE AT DONUT VILLA DINER at 10pm-MIDNIGHT* Even if you can’t come to the screening, if you’re in the hood and want to drop by the party, come! Identify yourself as a patron if you can by wearing/showing some king of playing card. I may not make it to midnight…but who knows.

IF YOU ARE COMING, THERE IS A THREAD ON THE SHADOWBOX HERE TO FIND RIDES/TICKETS/OTHER PATRONS!!

https://forum.theshadowbox.net/t/nov-13th-patron-field-trip-to-regent-cinema-for-beautiful-was-the-fight/15744/2

…………………….

AND NOW….

I have a quick question for the Boston folks, and I’m going to be reading ALL COMMENTS

DOES ANYONE IN BOSTON HAVE ANY LEADS ON FAVORITE VENUES/SPACES WHERE WE COULD GATHER?

I am hoping to do a gathering/livesteam as early as the eve of Decmeber 9th. I have a few special guests ready, but we NEED A SPOT!!!!

I rented the Paradise Rock Club for us all the other day during the dolls shows.

(I just went rummaging for the photo that Natalie took, but I can’t find it, grumble. Il’l send it, and the two aftershow patron-shots, in a separate post. I’m still reeling from the shows. Sorry bout that. Natalie, if you’re reading this, can you email it over to Michael@amandapalmer.net)

Anyway: they paradise charged me $500 for the two-hour hang. It was well worth it.

There’s a budget! The patreon money is FOR THIS KINDA STUFF.

But there’s gotta be a better way, a better place for us to hang, gather and COMMUNE. A stage is nice, a piano is nice, chairs are nice, a PA is nice, food is nice, a bar is nice, but we can technically do without most of htese htings in a pinch. I’d like to find us a home that isn’t a night club. It was dark, and sad, and everybody had to stand. Upside: there was a PA and everybody could find it easily. WHERE SHALL WE GO????

I am specifically looking for a place that:

-fits 200+ people. all weather (not outdoors).

-feels like we can make it home. warm, inviting, places to sit and hang out and talk, not sterile, living-room-y, welcoming.

-run by allies or, even better, run by a patron?

-accessible to the T or public transport, and/or easily driveable (in town) with parking

-accessible to people in wheelchairs, can’t be up 5 flights of stairs, etc

-kiddo-friendly, and if possible, dog-friendly

I fantasize about places that look like THIS:

DON’T MAKE ME START A VENUE IN BOSTON

It is fucking tempting but I’m too tired, and I need all my spare time (what sparte time) for this old house I just moved into, and unpacking my life and trauma and boxes, and the Cloud Club, my old arts collective, which is its own story. WE may be able to gather there, but it’ll take a long hot second before we really get it back up and running.

………..SO……………..ALSO……………

If you have a space that’s FAR from Boston but you think it might be a wonderful place for the community to gather for a filed trip (I mean: I will not say no to making a filed tripto your 200 capacioty mansion ballroom in Western Mass or Vermont or whatever….just gimme a second), feel free to share. But I need a place we can GO, work, GATHER, OVER AND OVER, somewhere that is less than a 30 minute commute for me (I’m in Lexington).

HIT ME, HOMETOWN, HIT ME!!!!

………………..

And now….over to David, who wrote this just for you.

WORDS FROM DAVID HABEEB ABOUT THE FILM SCREENING TONIGHT:

Dear Amanda & her patrons,

With the film screening only moments away, it’s midnight and I’m sitting here reflecting on the past seven years it took to make the film; how I felt then in November 2016, and how I’m feeling right now in November 2024.

When I started the film back in November 2016, I was a mix of emotions given so many things going on in our country at that time, especially with respect to politics, the election, how people, mainly marginalized people, were treated, seen or, worse, not seen. The divisiveness, the hate, the fear, the intolerance. The lack of compassion. I was dumbfounded, worried, and angry. I’m not sure I had ever seen or experienced these things at the level they seemed to be at back in 2016, and they were intensifying. The film is not about politics, I never wanted it to be, but related themes linger in the background. I wanted it to focus specifically on women in the Boston music scene – and be mainly about music, art, and the importance of live performances, community, gender equality, empowerment, and compassion. This was deliberate.

Flash forward seven years later. The film has been made. I’m very proud of it and it’s been well-received by many audiences. I was fortunate to have so many people, collaborators, family, friends, colleagues, in my corner who helped and supported me throughout. I met so many wonderful (marginalized) people along the way, opened my heart and mind to them, participated in the Women’s March in Washington D.C., tried to be an ally, tried to learn as much as I could, and tried to listen and reflect on what I heard to be able to tell other people’s stories through this documentary.

I was confident, and thought I saw evidence, that we (many, many people in this country) collectively made progress to fight back against some of the ugliness, injustice, and lack of compassion and understanding on display back in 2016 and maybe change minds and hearts. I thought we did. Maybe? I guess we didn’t. It’s November 2024. I never would have imagined that I, and I know so, so many other people, would be feeling the same.

There are so many poignant, intelligent, and heartfelt comments shared by many of the artists in the film. Hearing them for the first time, during my interviews with each, proved to be a very emotional experience for me and I’ve seen, watching audience screenings from the back of the theater, the same to be true for some people who have seen the film. I think now, more than ever, their words carry extra weight and meaning. Some are deeply sad to hear, and others are powerful and uplifting. Powerful and uplifting – that’s something I hope our film is to people when they see it.

 “It’s not something society has ever wanted anyone to be.” – Jac Mestel referring to being transgender.

“I just wasn’t sure if anyone was going to accept me at all.” – Jillian Gilpatric on being transgender.

“I think it’s super important for marginalized people to have a voice, for anybody to have a voice. I think that’s the most beautiful thing in life.” – Carissa Johnson

“She wanted us to not be pitted against one another, to see each other, and celebrate one another.” – Chelsea Berry on Ruby Rose Fox’s goals when creating the Queen Treatment Only concert back in 2016 that featured female-fronted bands from the Boston scene. When filming this show, and seeing these empowered, talented artists coming together to support and celebrate one another, it was then I realized there was something bigger going on. I talked with Ruby the next morning to let her know I wanted to expand the project from being a short film about her to several women in the Boston music scene. She fully supported the idea and the project was born.

 Naming the film Beautiful Was the Fight, which came from a Ruby Rose Fox lyric for her song called, “Oh, Roy,” was inspired and intentional. I thought it perfectly captured the spirit of the film and several themes I kept hearing after doing interview after interview – 41 in total. I never answer the question I get often which is, “What does the title mean?” I know what it means to me, but it’s important to me to let people figure out their own meaning in it.

So, in summary, I am, again, a mix of emotions only a day away from the screening.

On the one hand, I am eternally grateful to the universe that I have been able to become a filmmaker, something I wanted to be since age 12, and have been blessed with so many amazing experiences having had made this film. I’ve met so many people and have made truly special connections with more than I could have ever imagined. I’ve become immersed in their music and live shows. This music community has welcomed me in, I feel a very small part of it, but I know I’m better for it. Making this film, because of the people involved, has given me some of the happiest moments of my career, my life. Still, sadly, I see that the fight goes on and we are still looking for that beautiful something, that beautiful something in one another. The fight still needs to go on. Really?  I guess it must. It absolutely must.

On a lighter note, I’ve included a fun fact sheet about the film. Please see attached. Also, here are many behind-the-scenes images in case you want to peruse and/or use any.

The photos will give you an idea, visually anyway, of the past seven years I’ve spent interviewing these artists, spending time with them rehearsing, performing, learning as much as I could about each person, and simply making special connections that I know will last a lifetime.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/155693489@N02/

With gratitude,

Dave

If you’re out of town, you can see the trailer for the film HERE:

See you in the comments, in the cinema, in the sky, wherever.

I love you all.

xxx

A

The post I’m online: BOSTON ROLL CALL! Who’s here? IDEAS FOR A COMMUNAL SPOT! And words of HOPE for patrons from “Beautiful was the Fight” director. SCREENING TONIGHT! first appeared on Amanda Palmer.

The post I’m online: BOSTON ROLL CALL! Who’s here? IDEAS FOR A COMMUNAL SPOT! And words of HOPE for patrons from “Beautiful was the Fight” director. SCREENING TONIGHT! appeared first on Amanda Palmer.

Quick cross-social post before I begin a long and important days work.

HEAD TO THE CHAT PLEASE. I AM THERE, NOW. BE IN COMMUNITY. POST A PHOTO. CHECK IN. Tell us where you are and how you are.

I just posted this – below- to socials but you can guess what’s coming today. Huge changes to the Patreon and my approach to social media in the light of the administration handover and the internet deregulations coming. Larger post coming a little later today about … everything.

Stay tuned. Stay in community. We got this. We got this. I got you. You got me.

Let’s go. Let’s show them how it’s done when we gather forces and take fucking care of each other.

……

Nov 12th, 2024. FUCK THIS SHIT. LET’S FUCKING GO.

This is the fucking mood today. I don’t care if you don’t like me getting sweary and the algorithm punishes me. Fuck you, algorithm.

The election galvanizes. It is time. The internet will not hold in its current form with the deregulations coming. Look at twitter. Instagram and FB are next. Let’s mobilize, please. To the patreon. That chat there is where we go. Join. It’s free. We meet there.

I had the weekend to rest. I talked with dozens of power people in my queer / art / music / tech communities. It’s bad. We are pissed.

It’s time for massive changes, macro and micro. I am tired of feeling powerless. Tired of feeling overwhelmed by the mistakes of men. Tired, and angry AND galvanized. Tired of seeing the shock and fear on the face of my friends. Tired of apologizing for shit that is not mine. Tired of feeling like the wheels are falling off the bus and no fucking adult in the room is sounding the alarm or stopping the trip to take care of the wounded.

I will do it. I will sound the alarm. I will take care of my community. I will pull this fucking bus over.

DON’T MAKE ME PULL THIS BUS OVER, KIDS. Ha.

Tired of being patted on the head and told not to worry. Tired of being told to shush for the sake of the children. No.

Tired of women and children being put last.

Scared for my community of minorities and queers. Scared for my trans friends and friends with trans kids.

Wondering if and when they’ll come for the women and artists who speak out. Wondering when my account will be shut because of the stance I take on (fill in the blank.)

I am about to reach out to the entire patron community later today with a massive change in plans / platform approach for the coming year.

If you want to follow along and support the work and community, please do not wait. Please sign up for my patreon today. It is FREE to follow the Patreon at the entry level. Just do it. It’s easy to google, or follow link in stories, or patreon.com/amandapalmer.

It’s time.

Let it begin here.

I am ready for the fight.

A

Photo taken last weekend during a @dresdendolls show in Boston, by Lisa Dragani / @poochagram.

…..

PATRONS:

Please go to IG and Facebook and share this post if you don’t fear punishment the sweary.

I will post again – to patreon – later today.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/p/DCRqkEnRqs0/?igsh=ZmJrdjBzOTJnMTN1

FB: https://www.facebook.com/share/14hxuoFv5hQ/?mibextid=WC7FNe

X

A

The post Nov 12th, 2024 – let’s fucking go. first appeared on Amanda Palmer.

The post Nov 12th, 2024 – let’s fucking go. appeared first on Amanda Palmer.

I’m backed up on work as usual, but taking a ton of time to take care of myself in this moment. I hope you are too.

Tell me how you’re doing, please. I want to know how everyone is before I spend tomorrow prepping the week’s work and posts. It feels pointless to do a lot of what I’m doing without focusing on holding the conversation and space for the community. It’s everything right now. I don’t want anyone to feel alone.

Check in.

How are you.

xx A

P.S. if you are feeling like hanging, head to the chat.

The post A poll. Be honest. Are you ok? first appeared on Amanda Palmer.

The post A poll. Be honest. Are you ok? appeared first on Amanda Palmer.

With the kid but just sneaking off for a quick post. I’ve been home with extended family and Ash full time for about five days. Lots of cooking, lots of healing, lots of disbelief and tears.

I needed this badly. It’s been very necessary and nurturing up the wazoo in this crazy. I just played some Chappell Roan for my niece. There may have been a flashlight involved.

So. This is just a little Saturday night reminder.

Breathe. Smile.

I love you all.

Hang in there.

It’s fucking overwhelming right now.

Xxxx

A

Ps the patron chat has been robust. If you’re lonely when you open this post, head over there. Stay in community. Stay in community. I’ll be online a lot this week catching up.

The post Breathe. It’s Saturday Night first appeared on Amanda Palmer.

The post Breathe. It’s Saturday Night appeared first on Amanda Palmer.