The Dresden Dolls are a two-piece band from Boston that formed mid- 2000, made up of singer/ pianist Amanda Palmer and drummer/occasional guitarist and vocalist Brian Viglione. They describe their style as " Brechtian punk cabaret", and have exposed an underground Dark Cabaret movement that gained momentum in 2005.
The band formed shortly after Brian Viglione witnessed Amanda Palmer performing a solo set at a Halloween party. They found a loyal cult following through the efforts of their dramatic live performances. During these performances the two band members wear make-up and clothing that combines a cabaret, goth, mime look. They encourage fans to become involved at their shows through The Brigade, which is a loose group of performers, networked through the Internet, that range from performance artist to theatrical performers that participate at Dresden Dolls shows, encouraged by the band members themselves.
The name, according to Palmer, was "inspired by a combination of things", including the firebombing of Dresden, Germany; the porcelain dolls which were a hallmark of prewar Dresden industry; an early song of the same name by The Fall; and a reference to a V.C. Andrews novel, while evoking Weimar Germany and its cabaret culture. Additionally, she "liked the parallel between Dresden (destruction) and Dolls (innocence, delicacy), because it is very much in keeping with the dynamics of the music, which sometimes goes from a childlike whisper to a banshee scream within a few seconds."
They gained wider attention after a webcast performance at the 2002 Ig Nobel Prize ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
