Walter Sickert & THe ARmy of BRoken TOys (3/10) What the f. They sound like they're capitalized. The tiny accordion was cute, I guess?
Vermillion Lies (7/10) This was the band I was told to see, and I liked 'em. Decent schtick, funny and well-executed music. Like if the Ditty Bops were sisters instead of lovers. No points to the loud-ass audience dude being really loud for all the audience participation bits.
The Builders and the Butchers (6/10) A bunch of decent musicians. I enjoyed the instrumental stretches, especially the double-percussionist action, but the vocalist sounded like Colin Melloy's annoying younger brother.
Amanda Palmer (5/10) Meh. A couple of catchy songs in the, ferchrissakes, two-hour after two-and-a-half-hours-of-opening-acts set, but there were just too many epic six-minute three-chorders with an unrelenting but not-really-credible I AM SRS ARTIST U GUYS demeanor for me to look the other way. Come on, people, if you are a female vocalist playing the piano occasionally giving a nod to the slightly androgynous thing and I find myself wanting to just go home already, you are doing something terribly wrong.