In history, great artists have divided people. Think about how many people hated Elvis for his pelvic thrusting. How many of those people were convinced he’d be the end all be all polite modesty? The same is true of Madonna. She wasn’t always the mother of pop. There were times where her music videos (burning crosses, we’re looking at you) were banned from certain tv stations. But in the end, we appreciate the above artists for their contributions to music and the risks they took to get there.

While it’s too early in her career to compare her to Elvis or Madonna, Amanda Palmer divides people the same way. She has fans and…what we can only call anti-fans. You either love her, hate or, or have never heard of her. There is no in-between. But how did she get to be so controversial in such a short period of time? Read on to find out.

A Life of Theater

We all have our own opinions of “theater kids,” based on if we were one or not. Amanda has always been one, which may explain her high-concept creative style. That theater experience has backed all her projects, from the Dresden Dolls to her saucy duo, Evelyn Evelyn. If you weren’t a theater kid and you don’t know what we mean, just understand that there’s a certain flair for the dramatic. Her first solo album, for example, was called Who Killed Amanda Palmer.

Musicals to Musical Accolades

Amanda has her toe in about every performative genre. For example, in 2006, she both wrote and performed in a musical she wrote, called The Onion Cellar. Granted you’ve gotten to this point in the article, we’re going to guess that you’re one of those that love Amanda Palmer – and would do anything (dramatic, we know) to see her live.