it’s TOUR TIME! so it’s asking time! meet the crew, and help us tour!
(public post)
hallo loves!
greetings from SouthBySouthWest in austin, TX, aka SXSW, aka industry maw shitshow of doom!!!! (i’m about to send you a separate post of my ENTIRE SXSW schedule – look out for it, many events require a SXSW badge…..but some are open to he public/have spaces for patrons…and there are a few public ninja surprises in store. WATCH OUT!
meanwhile, i’ve been working on this post for ages and it’s TIME!!!!
i want you to
MEET THE
THERE WILL BE NO INTERMISSION
TOURING CREW!!!!!!!!
NOTE we are going to ask for a bunch of stuff for the NORTH AMERICAN LEG OF TOUR. we aren’t asking for the UK/european dates just quite yet. HANG TIGHT.
this whole tour is going to last well over a YEAR, travel around the globe.
i had some time to think and plan this all, and i didn’t want to bring just any crew for an undertaking like this. if you haven’t gotten the drift yet, the show is super-emotional, and i wanted to hire a crew that could work hard with me, joke with me, deal with travel with me…and also, hold the space for me to tell the kinds of stories that i’m going to be telling on stage.
so: i am proud to announce that my official touring crew – for the first time in my entire career – is ENTIRELY FEMALE. this was a deliberate decision. i wanted to feel safe and sound with an emotionally equipped crew, and i also give work to my fellow ladies in the music industry. i’m really, really, really proud of the team we’ve put together.
my tour manager & front-of-house sound engineer chez stock, and she’s from ALASKA. YES. alaska. you can read an article about her & her work here: https://www.prosoundweb.com/channels/live-sound/chez-stock-the-girl-with-the-audio-tattoos/
chez is going to be traveling with me to EVERY show on this upcoming tour, making sure the sound is impeccable, and dealing with all the usual thankless tasks of tour management: the venue, the cars, the delayed planes, the food, the settlement, the merch getting to where its gotta get, the guest list, the endlesssssssssss list of tasks that i can’t do because I have to actually be on stage, or be doing interviews, or be getting ready to play a three-hour show and, y’know, be getting ready to cry.
having just done the first round of warm-up shows with chez, i can tell you, she is totally overqualified for this weird damn job and i am so excited to spend this year with you.
this is chez, displaying a broken string i broke at joe’s pub 🙂
photo by hayley rosenblum
she’s @chezcherrie on instagram…………
my lighting & stage designer is laura sego, and you can read about her here… https://littlelightningstrikes.com/about/
lauren created the stage and light design for the show (WAIT TIL YOU SEE IT, IT IS GORGEOUS) and is going to be operating the lights at all the shows and helping me locally crowdsource (YES YOU HEARD ME, WAIT FOR IT) a few items for stage every night.
we are only a few days in, and i’m in love.
she’s also overqualified. here’s lauren doing lights for janelle monae’s “dirty computer” tour:
here are some of her sketches that came in a few months ago, as we worked to finalize the stage design…..
lauren is @gooddadjokes on instagram.
(YAS).
……….
andrea lauer desiged my tour costume and wardrobe….here she is.
her instagram handle is @unicorngenius. need i say more.
….and it was an incredible (and who knew? emotional) experience to figure out what kinda clothes go with a stage tour like this…i met andrea through a bunch of mutual friends (maria popova, meow meow, jherek bischoff) and she created my costume for the last round of dresden dolls shows in london…
(photo by gabriella motola)
…and she also created me & neil’s costumes for the coney island mermaid parade, where we were crowned king and queen:
(photo by david williams)
more on andrea…..from her official bio…..
ANDREA LAUER (Artist, Designer, Inventor) resides in New York City and works Internationally.
Andreas’s credits include: Rolling Stone, American Vogue, Interview, Nylon, Paper and OUT magazine. Her work has also appeared at the Grammy Awards and on Broadway in productions including “American Idiot” and “Bring It On.”
She is the co-director of a female art collective called Brick X Brick, a public art performance against misogyny that has been included in the New York Historical Archives.
(the wall is covered in trump-insults aimed at women….)
here’s the brick x brick team in front of trump tower:
She is the Founder of Risen from the Thread, a design thinking and innovation agency focused on the human body and its relationship with technology and also a jumpsuit designer at her company RISEN DIVISION.
She is Brooklyn Fashion Accelerator Venture Fellow and an MIT Directors Fellow.
YES.
here are some initial sketches she made for my tour wardrobe:
and here’s the final product. it is STUNNING….
love.
(the three photos above are by hayley rosenblum)
………..
and here,
on hair and make-up, is
REGINA HARRIS…..
she came to me though kahn & selesnick, who hired her to do hair & make-up for the album and artbook shoots….here’s us on cape cod getting ready….
and here’s regina’s bio….
Regina Harris was born in New York City and studied art, photography and dance. Her makeup artistry is sought after by the fashion and art world. Regina spent her formative years in London working with Nick Knight, Perry Ogden, Michael Roberts, Ellen Von Unwerth, Mario Testino for magazines British Vogue, The Face, ID and Tattler . Regina has worked with artists Matthew Barney,Marilyn Minter and Will Cotton . Her make up has been seen in publications including Vogue, Vogue Italia, Allure and W and V Magazine as well as the ICP,Guggenheim , MOMA and Whitney.
here’s us getting ready for the first warm up show
(photo by hayley rosenblum)
Her beauty philosophy is that:
“Women are perfect as they are and makeup is a paint palette for creative self expression.”
RIGHT????
right.
…………………………
here are regina (left) and andrea, work work working on tour costume things at my house in woodstock before the warm-up show at helsinki:
…
here’s chez, lauren & michael at my house, getting shit ready!!!!
when you see us ON THE ROAD, andrea and regina won’t be with us, the core touring crew is me, lauren and chez.
BUT….
we are going to have extra help at all the shows, and we’ve actually developed a NEW TOURING ROLE, called “THE PATRONATOR”:
…..this is someone who’s gonna hang in the lobby at EVERY show and explain/help people to join the patreon, literally there on the spot with signs ad qr codes. as patrons, you have permission to hug the patronator, or to ask the patronator IF THEY NEED A WINE FROM THE BAR. the patronator will be very happy if you are nice to them. the patronator will be tired.
the patronator will be different in every city, it’ll rotate between my old friend whitney moses …
and hayley and michael.
nd…..on that note, if you see people in line querying about patreon and looking excited but confused, GO TALK TO THEM. EXPLAIN HOW AWESOME IT IS. EXPLAIN HOW IT WORKS.
EVERYBODY IS THE PATRONATOR.
………………
ON TO
TOUR ASKING…..
we need…..
1. CRASH SPACE/housing!!
WE ARE A LARGE TOURING PARTY (as you can see: about 4-5 people per city) and as usual, WE ARE IN NEED OF ALARGE CRASH SPACE IF YOU HAVE ONE!
check out the tour dates, ANY CITY WE ARE IN, WE NEED OVERNIGHT DIGS AFTER THE SHOW!
we about to start booking tour accomodation, and you know the drill, i’ll do anything to avoid a hotel and stay in a place with a bed and a cat and books….i’ve been doing this for years. we aren’t touring by bus on this tour, we’re flying or driving to most shows. that means we are IN and OUT of most cities with very very little free time, which means we may send someone to scope out the sleeping space and get a key, then we will arrive at midnight, collapse, and sometimes get up at 6 am to head to the next city…there isn’t a ton of time for dinner parties or even breakfast parties….but we will heap gratitude on you, get you into the show, give you all the merch you want, all the usual.
let us know if you have a large space (that has 3-4 free bedrooms/beds) that can fit everybody….nowadays, if you have an air bnb or rental you wanna donate, GREAT. the days are over where we will all sleep on one pile on the floor. been there, done that, and i/we need more sleep than that to be able to pull this show and schedule off.)
a few more guidelines to make this easier:
we need to be relatively close to the venue (or airport) – within a 15 min drive if possible – nothing far out of town, as nice as the place may be, we are so short on time most days.
we need wifi!
and if there are millions of stairs, it’s rough, because we have lots of gear and cases. one flight we can deal with.
pets ok!
i will almost NEVER have ash with me (except in SF!) so toddler needs child needs are N/A.
send an email to: ThereWillBeTourHousing@gmail.com
PLEASE include the concert date AND the city, state in the SUBJECT. —
WHEEEEEEE
2. we are filming in toronto!!!! AND WE NEED YOUR HELP.
TORONTO, I’m doing an experiment in filmmaking in your city in collaboration with an old filmmaker friend of mine, Jenessa Joffe. We are going to make a documentary of sorts WITH THE CROWD at the show….a kind of moving exploration of the themes of There Will Be No Intermission: grief, abortion, birth, life, death, you know, the fun stuff. the documentary will be shared with the patrons, online, and beyond.
IF YOU ARE COMING TO TORONTO:
i want to hear and share stories that are not mine, but yours… and i want to talk to you (actual you, the people coming to the show). on film.
SO: are you willing to share a short story about something that’s happened (something real, something hard) on camera, in a private interview with me (probably backstage or in another private part of the venue)? if you’re game, click on the link below and fill out the form so our video producer can consider you for participation as an interview subject in this documentary project.
https://goo.gl/forms/OLY0kjpJCNKVhau13
3. WE NEED *SET PIECES* FOR THE STAGES!!!!
we can trade you tickets in exchange for the loan of these set pieces, we’ll work it out. happy to load you up with some merch too, and gratitude, and photos….just be prepared on the day of show to DELIVER and LEAVE with the loaners. if you have just one of these, no problem, but if you have ALL THREE, you are our hero: one trip, one contact, one love, our lives made easy. if we don’t get these items crowdsourced w’ell rent them, or we’ll do without.
here’s more info from lauren, the lighting and stage designer:
Hey you! We are looking to crowd-source three set pieces for each of the shows. Items and descriptions are below.
Thanks for wanting to help out! note: By submitting this form, you are allowing Lauren from the crew to receive your contact information and contact you in the weeks leading up to the show and on show day!
Show day requirements: You gotta show up with these items in the early afternoon at the venue (time TBD, but you MUST show up on time). We will have hands to be able to carry them in. After the show, all we ask is that you hang around for a little bit until we can clear the stage and give you your items back (and give you lots of thank you hugs!)–
the three set pieces we need:
1. we need an area rug to go UNDER the concert grand PIANO…..
must be NO SMALLER than 7’x9′ — something around 11’x14′ preferred: A large Persian rug, Oriental rug or something of very similar style will do (so no neon or weird shapes). like so:
Must be in good shape (please no pet hair or stains). We will be setting a grand piano on it.
2. A Sexy Floor lamp!
something vintage/antique store/has lots of stories to tell. Please, nothing modern. Massive style points to whoever can bring one with a red lamp shade with fringe on it.
If you have the leg lamp from A Christmas Story…no questions asked, it’s coming onstage.
(amanda says: we will have to think of a special prize for anyone who can loan that fucker. a box of marmite)
3. Side table, for next to the piano…
must be dark wood, sturdy, not too large. Cabinets are not necessary. This is only to set a couple things on next to the piano.
4. Disco BALL!!!!!!
must be in shiny, good condition. Must be motorized (HAS to spin). We would like for it to be able to hang off of a pipe, but we will also consider table top ones as a backup. Around 12″ or a bit bigger preferred.–THANK YOU!
We really appreciate your interest in helping Amanda and the team out. xo Lauren
SO……if you can help out with anything needed above at any of the shows in the north american run of the tour (all tour dates below if you need them), please fill out this form lauren set up and include pictures!!!! we’ll get back to you if it what’s we’re looking for. due to the number of replies we get, we may not be able to reply to everyone. please be forgiving:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRa9xMwhXLOQitqcSVcykloGNrVKuRJhV2jBzqPB6cWqKpxQ/viewform
HERE ARE ALL THE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES!!!!!!
again, we aren’t asking for the european/UK tour just yet.
KEEP IT ALL IN MIND, we will see how this round goes, and we will come a-askin’ once again when we start booking accomodation and stage stuff for the next leg of tour.
all tickets and more info is here:
Thu Mar 21 – Detroit – Masonic Temple Theatre
Fri Mar 22 – Toronto – Queen Elizabeth Theater
Sat Mar 23 – Montreal – Monument National Theatre
Fri Apr 05 – Washington – National Theatre
Sat Apr 06 – Philadelphia – Temple Performing Arts Center – Lew Klein Hall
Fri Apr 12 – Chicago – The Chicago Theater
Sat Apr 13 – St. Paul – O’Shaughnessy Auditorium
Fri Apr 19 – Boston – The Orpheum
Sat Apr 20 – New York – Beacon Theater
Fri May 10 – San Francisco – The Warfield
Sat May 11 – Los Angeles – The Theatre at Ace Hotel
Fri May 17 – Atlanta – Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
Sat May 18 – Nashville – Ryman Auditorium
Thu May 30 – St. Louis – The Pageant
Fri May 31 – Kansas City – Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland
Sat Jun 01 – Denver – Paramount Theatre
Thu Jun 06 – Vancouver – Chan Centre
Fri Jun 07 – Seattle – Paramount Theater
Sat Jun 08 – Portland – Crystal Ballroom (SOLD OUT)
Sun Jun 09 – Portland – Crystal Ballroom (SECOND SHOW ADDED)
I LOVE YOU
THANK YOU FOR BEING ASKED
xxx
a
——THE NEVER-ENDING AS ALWAYS———
1. if you’re a patron, please click through to comment on this post. at the very least, if you’ve read it, indicate that by using the heart symbol.
2. see All the Things i’ve made so far on patreon: http://amandapalmer.net/patreon-things
3. join the official AFP-patron facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/afpland
4. new to my music and TOTALLY OVERWHELMED? TAKE A WALK THROUGH AMANDALANDA….we made a basic list of my greatest hits n stuff on this lovely page: http://amandalanda.amandapalmer.net/
5. general AFP/patreon-related questions? ask away, someone will answer: patronhelp@amandapalmer.net