Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer did a thing a while back. A joint kickstarter to do an album of mini-tour they did together. There was music, stories, questions & answers, and amazingness. How do I know about the amazingness? Was I there? No, I didn’t get to go to any of the shows on their mini-tour. However, I did pre-order the album…and a t-shirt…and a…there were packages, and they are awesome! I can’t wait to get the physical package in the mail.
I received my download of the album a while ago, and I love it! I am not surprised. I plugged in this album as often as possible on my last two business trips. I may have even danced around a hotel room…or two. I just couldn’t help it. Let me tell you, on a plane, listening to Neil Gaiman read a story is pretty freaking awesome. Actually, listening to him read a story in person, at my desk while working, on my couch…it doesn’t matter where, the awesomeness never decreases. There were some odd looks on the plane, as I couldn’t help but giggle during parts of the story. Shoggoth’s Old Peculiar is just fantastic.
There are so many songs that I just adore. The Ukulele Anthem has been stuck in my head for days. The Ukulele Anthem is a big step up from the last song(s) I couldn’t keep from playing on repeat in my mind! (“Who lives in a pineapple under the sea”….and “I’m a lumberjack, and I’m okay” are a couple that persisted for far too long!) This song is all about being yourself, being creative, and the overall joy of music…especially when played on a ukulele.
I got inspired. I bought a ukulele…no, I haven’t had time to learn to play it yet, but give me a minute. Actually, in The Ukulele Anthem, Amanda sings that it only takes about an hour to teach someone how to play the ukulele. So give me about an hour with the thing, and hopefully, I will stun (in a good way!) my family with a Christmas carol at our family celebration. Friends have already requested a video of me playing the instrument…video, really? Who wants to watch a video of me playing a ukulele? I did discover that my Grandma Joye used to play the ukulele. I guess it runs in the family. Seriously, this video thing keeps coming up in conversation. What do you think?
Now, I’m not going to try to list my favorite stuff off these albums, because we’d be here all week. The list would include the entire discography. Just in case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m not the type to have one favorite…no, that’s too easy! I have favorites for dancing, for signing, for laughing, for crying, for thinking….see how it goes? Never ask me to pick a favorite, because I choose them all! An Evening with Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer packs so many of the things I love into one set. Music, not just music, but piano music that I can sing to containing lyrics that speak to me and sung by an artist I admire. On top of that, the music is paired with stories by an author that I can’t seem to stop reading. (Not that I’ve actually tried!) The only thing better would be if I’d actually been able to be in the audience during one of these shows!
You can actually buy An Evening with Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer too. Her website has it in a couple of different formats, and there may be others as well.
They did a series of mini-documentaries about this mini-tour. This is one of them.
‘Til next time,
Jessica
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- Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer: an audience with geek royalty (theguardian.com)
- Peculiar Relationships: Neil Gaiman’s Favourite Albums (thequietus.com)
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I Love Geekology 101 
AHHH!!! I saw Neil Gaiman at an event here in Phoenix, AZ. I even got to give him a hug. (I think he thought I might explode from excitement, so he used his arms to hold my body together.) What a cool, cool dude, as is his super hot, super talented, freakin’ awesome wife! Great post!
That is so awesome! When I met him in Dallas, TX, I was too nervous to ask for a hug…although it could have been because it was almost 2am, and my brain was fried. I was just hoping for not looking like an idiot. They are both pretty amazing. If I ever get a chance, I’m definitely requesting hugs from both of them!