Amanda Palmer is on my mind because of her great performance last Tuesday at Webster Hall, and because she is in the middle of a relentlessly stupid controversy about payment for musicians she pays in beer who help with the brass sections
Business as usual of course, we call this free publicity from a major act… apparently some musicians are shocked. Perhaps Steve Albini will offer another dumb opinion.
Anyway, Mary Magpie told me to listen to Amanda's ukeleled version of Conor Oberst's "Lua" -one of his greatest songs, and I did. And I think Amanda has so little to add to it except an instrument, it is pointless. Except it is such a great song and she sings it so straight and so in her underwear, it is its own reward.
The black and white video doesn't kick in till 3:15 by the way.
Grade: B+