Dakota

Much love and respect to the Dresden Dolls tonight. If ever I thought the Panic! At the Disco tour was a shifty idea, it's been very much confirmed. First off, let me say: I don't like people in general. I really wish that I could simply limit it to people at concerts, or people at the movies, or people who do certain things... It's just easier to just say people.

The fact that you are unable to pry yourself from a band that you do not like and get on with your next 45 minutes speaks volumes about a person. The Dresden Dolls gave their all tonight, which amazed and inspired me--something I told both Amanda and Brian after their set, which they seemed genuinely touched by. They could have gone out there, rocked the fuck out of "Modern Moonlight," smashed through "Backstabber," and then realized the audience just wasn't feeling it for "Missed Me," and then phoned in the rest of the performance, and left mopes.

But they didn't! They are clearly in this for their music and their fans (and they're willing to suffer through the boo's, or catcalls from the 14 year old girls with "Fancy" or "2Cute" written in pink letters on their mini sweatshorts), and bringing out powerhouse performances.

It's also unfortunately seeming to have an unhealthy response for Panic! At the Disco because there's no respect at all between the two fans at that show, and probably many of the others; the Dolls fans just aren't having much to do with them. It's just not a cross-section of fans.

I love the Dresden Dolls, and downloaded the mp3's and listen casual to Panic!, but I just was so turned off by the attitude that I just didn't want to see Panic! anymore. I don't expect Panic! to say something like "Dudes, audience dudes... that's fucked up--stop that," both because I just don't think it occurs to them, and also just because I just don't have that kind of faith in most bands.

The fact that the Dolls pulled out "War Pigs" mid-set showed they were going head-first and giving their all; having Meredith Yayanos come out for "Missed Me"-- c'mon, it's almost wasted. During "Coin-Operated Boy," Brian stopped after one of the "I want a..." and said something like "Ok, get it out of your systems; 'you suck,' 'fuck you,'" and let the audience that clearly wasn't having it shout a-frenzied. And then they went back and killed again with "Half Jack" and "Girl Anachronism." It was disheartening to see people just so fucking rude for the sake of being rude.

I ended up meeting another street teamer named Seri, and just ended up waiting to be told where to go (the Nokia Theatre did not allow posters to be hung inside or swag to be handed out in or right outside the venue). Amazingly, I was let in with my bag. The other two street-teamers weren't so lucky; when the security saw they had promo stuff confiscated it til after the show... And I don't understand why, considering, well, it's licensed and you'd think the label would plan for something like that. That's ok; it was a nice theatre and not in the same way Webster Hall is, where hanging posters with duct-tape looks ultra-underground and snazzy. After the show, we did hand out lots of stuff, and much of that went over well (and the posters went like hot cakes, all things considered... guess we got the people who just wanted free shit, or the 3rd of the crowd that weren't assholes).

I didn't see much of Panic! at all; I mostly just wasn't in the mood, and I wanted to be accessible for the street team in case someone appeared and offered some word of what to do. I saw "I Write Sins, Not Tragedies" and their cover of Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight, Tonight." I wasn't particularly taken, but the audience was ecstatic. I heard almost all of it though, from outside the theatre room (guests could roam pretty freely during the show). I'm not sure if I was underwhelmed because the reception the Dresden Dolls got, or just because the music wasn't particularly inspired onstage... that it really did seem kinda phoned-in.

Dolls still get high kudos... and I can't believe how many more dates they have to struggle through.