Nine Inch Nails has engaged the Dresden Dolls, a noted punk-rock cabaret duo, as their sole opening act for an upcoming North American tour.

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Each performance of the tour, which begins April 27 in San Francisco and runs through May, will open with the pair's theatrical stage show, Billboard reported Friday.

"The first inkling we got that something might happen was when Trent called to get on the guest list for our last show in Los Angeles," said Amanda Palmer, the piano-playing half of the Boston-bred Dresden Dolls.

"Unfortunately, he was ill and couldn't make it. It's a little petrifying that he picked us for the tour without ever having seen us live, but I guess what he heard about our band second-hand was good enough."