Music from Magnolia and Smilers
While she stuck mostly to the new material for much of the set—highlights included "Phoenix" (purchase/download) and "Freeway" (purchase/download)—she also performed a handful of selections from the soundtrack to the 1999 film Magnolia, for which she received an Oscar nomination. "I had the pleasure of losing an Oscar for this song to Phil Collins," Mann wryly told the crowd, before breaking into "Save Me" (purchase/download). "But I hear he's retiring now." Another excellent performance came with "Deathly" (purchase/download), from Bachelor No. 2.In addition to the brief interlude of tunes from Magnolia, Mann shared a cover of Elton John's "My Father's Gun" (purchase/download), from Tumbleweed Connection, which pleased several members of the otherwise not-so-lively crowd.
Aimee Mann's Sleepy Crowd
Perhaps inspired by the heat, or maybe just Mann's laidback personality and understated live energy, the audience for this performance were content to just sit back and listen. Even after the artist offered up a well-performed lengthy set, there wasn't enough crowd enthusiasm to warrant an encore. It was a surprising response, given the synergistic calmness exchanged between crowd and audience for the duration of the set.Nonetheless, Mann showed herself to be a strong live performer who responds easily to the calls of her crowd, and gives back to them with earnest, heartfelt renditions of her exquisite folk-rock material.
