Life Is A Cabaret For Dresden Dolls

Drumming is practically in Dresden Doll Brian Viglione's DNA. His father was a drummer and encouraged his son on that pounding pathway.

"Drumming is what I do on this planet," Viglione says by telephone from his home in Boston. "Drums always were my dad's main passion. He passed that on in a loving, fatherly way to me. He was thrilled when I took to it on my own."

As for whether his father pictured young Brian behind the kit dressed as a malevolent and sexually ambiguous mime playing a mix of alternative rock and Berlin cabaret tunes, well, you'll just have to ask Dad.

Musically, though, it's a dream gig for a drummer who prefers stylistic adventures to routine time-keeping.

Viglione describes meeting Dolls singer-keyboardist Amanda Palmer in the most rapturous terms.

Viglione, then 21, was invited to a Halloween party at Palmer's apartment. He heard her play a half-dozen of her songs on piano and knew he'd met a musical soul mate.

"I was transfixed," Viglione says. "I had a life-altering epiphany: 'I'm 21 and I see what I've been looking for all along.'"

The feeling apparently was mutual.

"When we first jammed together, we left the rehearsal space jumping up and down," Viglione remembers. "We both thought, 'This is exactly what I've been waiting for.'"

The duo quickly became a sensation in the Boston area, attracting reams of press, both good and bad - their Web site has links for both.

The Dolls' eponymous debut was released in 2004, and its follow-up, "Yes, Virginia ...," came out in 2006.

Recordings, however, can only tell part of the Dolls' story.

"Performance is what we live for," Viglione says. "Getting dressed up on stage is a fun way to get yourself into the head space of being a performer. It allows you to have another vehicle to draw on during the performance.

"We both actually line up on the theatrical side of things," Viglione says. "I was definitely drawn to performance-oriented music when I was younger. We both were in drama in high school and were attracted to that exhibitionistic style. 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' was a big influence - be who you are no matter how freaky. Embrace all elements of you personality and express them in the art, no matter how seemingly contradictory."

It may all sound gloriously excessive, but the pair embraces minimalism on a musical performance level.

"We've never used any backing tracks," Viglione says. "In 2003 we played with a bassist and guitarist but realized the essential element that made the band unique was the interplay between us as a duo.

"The less you have to work with, the more you can stretch yourself and be inventive in the moment," Viglione says. "So much is based on our body language and our timing and spontaneity. We thrive off the minimalist approach."

ON TOUR

The Dresden Dolls

WITH: Two Ton Boa and Win Win Winter

WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday

WHERE: Tampa Theatre, 711 Franklin St., Tampa; (813) 274-8981

COST: $20