Aimee Mann at Neighborhood Theatre

We just got back from an amazing weekend in Baltimore at the first U.S. Virgin Music festival. But  before we left on Friday, we were able to catch Aimee Mann Thursday night at the Neighborhood Theatre. Somehow this show snuck up on me; I didn't hear about it until Wednesday morning. We've wanted to see Aimee Mann for years, tried to catch her while we were in L.A. and considered driving to Asheville last time she played at The Orange Peel.  This was her first appearance in Charlotte, and she put on an intimate show.

I was pleasantly surprised by her stage presence. Perhaps unfairly, I expected her to be somber, but she was lighthearted and humorous. The acoustic performance included backing by two musicians who alternated between guitar, bass, a Korg Triton Studio, and what I think was a Mellotron (how else to reproduce the signature Jon Brion sound? That is a Mellotron doing the string flourishes in the chorus of "Save Me," right?)

She asked for audience requests to be delivered via paper airplane, and gamely tried to accommodate. She struggled to recall the words to "The Moth," which was one of my favorites from Lost in Space and her DVD Live at Saint Ann's Warehouse, but confessed she hadn't played it in a year.

I often have trouble remembering the titles of her songs, but they almost all have memorable melodies. She never bores me the way Sarah McLachlan does (for example).

The opener was the talented David Ford. He did the thing where he plays a line on the keyboard or sings a vocal part, then loops that part and stacks it with additional harmony loops. It's quite impressive to watch live. Ford has a strong voice that reminded me of David Gray, but I didn't find the songwriting as compelling.

I'm glad I finally got a chance to catch Aimee Mann. The crowd was warm and receptive, and I hope she makes a return trip to Charlotte. I'm also looking forward to her upcoming Christmas album, One More Drifter in the Snow.