Aimee Mann Plays Town Hall; Other NYC Shows Up in the Air [UPDATED]

At the first of her planned three-night run of shows in New York, Aimee Mann displayed the catchy tunes and clever, intelligent lyrics that have made her a favorite among fans and fellow musicians alike. As expected, she played much of her new album, "Charmer,"while also including songs from her previous discs, including "4th of July," "Goodbye Caroline," and her cover of the Three Dog Night single, "One" (from the "Magnolia" soundtrack).

Aimee Mann at Town Hall Saturday.

Mann's wry sense of humor is also evident in some of her videos, most recently the one for the title track from "Charmer," in which Mann seeks to sidestep the grind of touring by buying a look-alike robot (played by Laura Linney) to go out on the road for her. (See video below.)

No doubt much of the credit goes to the video's director, Tom Scharpling (the legendary host of WFMU's "The Best Show"), but kudos to Mann for, at the very least, agreeing to go along with the wacky idea.

Opening act Ted Leo performed a set of songs solo on electric guitar. Also he did a fine job on his own, try to catch Leo playing with his band The Pharmacists, who provide a rocking background to Leo's literate lyrics.  

NOTE: Mann and Leo are scheduled to perform Monday at Bowery Ballroom (sold out) and Tuesday at Music Hall of Williamsburg (tickets still available), but this is subject to change due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Sandy in the New York area Monday. [UPDATE: Monday's show at Bowery Ballroom has been postponed; it will now be held Wed., Oct. 31st.]

(Apologies for the short post, but we're preoccupied with hurricane preparations here on the East Coast, and the few photos taken at the show didn't come out well.)

Aimee Mann and band at Town Hall.