Copyright 2000 The Washington Post
The Washington Post
February 9, 2000, Wednesday, Final Edition
SECTION: STYLE; Pg. C02
LENGTH: 251 words
HEADLINE: A. Mann & Her Husband
BYLINE: Mike Joyce
BODY:
Singer-songwriters Aimee Mann and Michael Penn confessed
at the outset of their performance at the Ram's Head Tavern in Annapolis
Sunday night that they always feel tongue-tied onstage. So to remedy the
situation, the married couple decided to tour with a stand-up comic who
could improvise between-songs patter for them. Now instead of awkward silences
punctuating their sets, there's a blizzard of hit-and-miss jokes.
Not that a little levity wasn't welcome. Both Mann and Penn tend to write
about relationships in trouble, so the comic relief helped keep the band
and the audience laughing in spite of several tormented or caustic ballads.
Mann was in particularly fine form, delivering selections from her new solo
album (and the "Magnolia" soundtrack) in a cool yet passionate
voice. She's still performing several songs from her 1995 release, "I'm
With Stupid," including emotionally taut versions of "Choice in
the Matter," "You Could Make a Killing" and "Amateur"
that easily ranked among the evening's highlights.
As always, Penn's contributions revealed a big debt to Lennon and McCartney.
With a warm and tuneful tenor, he juxtaposed the new songs "Perfect
Candidate" and "Whole Truth" with older hits and album tracks
that still hold up surprisingly well. With the help of his wife and three
band mates, he even managed to break free of the subdued folk-rock and faux
string arrangements now and then, especially when he uncorked the Dylanesque
romp "Brave New World."
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