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Aimee Mann Setlist
Jonathan Coulton Setlist
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Singer, songwriter, and sometime comedian, Aimee Mann stopped by the Fitzgerald Theater in St Paul on Wednesday, May 3rd, to promote her latest record Mental Illness (SuperEgo Records).
Special guest Jonathan Coulton opened up the show, playing tracks from his new album Solid State (also on Aimee Mann’s label SuperEgo). The album is Coulton’s most ambitious record to date, which included new double vinyl release and a huge graphic novel by Matt Fraction and drawn by Albert Monteys.
Just to give you a little backstory on Coulton, we first became fans with his “Thing-A-Week” in 2005, and wrote about how great his songs were . Coulton’s cover of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s ‘Baby Got Back’ and original song ‘Code Monkey’ were already a big hits with tech fans.
In 2007, Coulton had another hit on his hands, this time with ‘Still Alive’, featuring Ellen McLain on vocals, as the ending song to Valve’s Portal game.
His first “professional studio recording” album Artificial Heart came out in 2010, produced by They Might Be Giants’ John Flansburgh. Although he went on tour with TMBG, we actually didn’t catch him until two years later at Gutherie Theater.
Of course, Johnny C couldn’t stay out of trouble when television show Glee stole his cover version of ‘Baby Got Back’ (which blatantly stole his arrangement, down to his line Johnny C’s in trouble again). Despite not acknowledged or credited, JoCo took it in good fun by re-releasing his song, “in the style of Glee” (which is, to say, exactly his version) and donating the proceeding to charity.
With 17 new songs, a limited set time, and playing to Aimee Mann’s audience, we can understand why Coulton decided to concentrate mostly on newer songs from Solid State... but it would have been nice to hear his signature ‘Code Monkey’ song.
Coulton broke a guitar string while playing ‘Brave’, but kept playing, ignoring the fact that he was missing some notes. He improvised, which actually got a huge clapping from the audience. Shortly after the song was done, Aimee Man and guitar tech Brett rushed to the stage to replace Coulton’s acoustic guitar.
“It’s nice to have an assistant,” Coulton joked.
It wasn’t long before Coulton got back his old guitar and Mann joined Coulton on stage to sing to ‘All This Time’ and ‘Pictures of Cats’. He would later return the favor by showing up on Aimee Mann’s set.
Aimee Mann, after admitting that her new album is possibly the saddest and slowest album to date, did start off her set to a “happier” older song, ‘4th of July’, with just Mann and guitarist Paul Bryan.
Soon drummer Jay Bellerose and pianist Jamie Edwards joined Mann & Bryan on stage for ‘Little Bombs’. The players came and went as needed.
In the middle of their set, Mann re-introduced Jonathan Coulton back on stage to play a few of the songs that he co-wrote with Mann on Mental Illness. Their banter was, of course, improvised, but there were some things worth noting in-between their jokes.
For example, Coulton tried to write an Aimee Mann song on ‘Good For Me’, which critics said was “the quintessential Aimee Mann” song (which she resent as she didn’t write the first few lines). Or how Mann always meant to change ‘Goose Snow Cone’ as it’s a personal reference to her friend’s cat... as it would save her so much trouble to not have to explain what a ‘Goose Snow Cone’ was.
Like her other project, The Both (with Ted Leo), Mann’s show is part music and part stand-up, and it’s actually pretty fun to listen to her talk about her songs and her explanations. Throw in “John Coulton” into the mix, and it’s just very entertaining.
Aimee Mann’s Mental Illness album is out now. Mann and Coulton are currently on tour.
Special guest Jonathan Coulton opened up the show, playing tracks from his new album Solid State (also on Aimee Mann’s label SuperEgo). The album is Coulton’s most ambitious record to date, which included new double vinyl release and a huge graphic novel by Matt Fraction and drawn by Albert Monteys.
Just to give you a little backstory on Coulton, we first became fans with his “Thing-A-Week” in 2005, and wrote about how great his songs were . Coulton’s cover of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s ‘Baby Got Back’ and original song ‘Code Monkey’ were already a big hits with tech fans.
In 2007, Coulton had another hit on his hands, this time with ‘Still Alive’, featuring Ellen McLain on vocals, as the ending song to Valve’s Portal game.
His first “professional studio recording” album Artificial Heart came out in 2010, produced by They Might Be Giants’ John Flansburgh. Although he went on tour with TMBG, we actually didn’t catch him until two years later at Gutherie Theater.
Of course, Johnny C couldn’t stay out of trouble when television show Glee stole his cover version of ‘Baby Got Back’ (which blatantly stole his arrangement, down to his line Johnny C’s in trouble again). Despite not acknowledged or credited, JoCo took it in good fun by re-releasing his song, “in the style of Glee” (which is, to say, exactly his version) and donating the proceeding to charity.
With 17 new songs, a limited set time, and playing to Aimee Mann’s audience, we can understand why Coulton decided to concentrate mostly on newer songs from Solid State... but it would have been nice to hear his signature ‘Code Monkey’ song.
Coulton broke a guitar string while playing ‘Brave’, but kept playing, ignoring the fact that he was missing some notes. He improvised, which actually got a huge clapping from the audience. Shortly after the song was done, Aimee Man and guitar tech Brett rushed to the stage to replace Coulton’s acoustic guitar.
“It’s nice to have an assistant,” Coulton joked.
It wasn’t long before Coulton got back his old guitar and Mann joined Coulton on stage to sing to ‘All This Time’ and ‘Pictures of Cats’. He would later return the favor by showing up on Aimee Mann’s set.
Aimee Mann, after admitting that her new album is possibly the saddest and slowest album to date, did start off her set to a “happier” older song, ‘4th of July’, with just Mann and guitarist Paul Bryan.
Soon drummer Jay Bellerose and pianist Jamie Edwards joined Mann & Bryan on stage for ‘Little Bombs’. The players came and went as needed.
In the middle of their set, Mann re-introduced Jonathan Coulton back on stage to play a few of the songs that he co-wrote with Mann on Mental Illness. Their banter was, of course, improvised, but there were some things worth noting in-between their jokes.
For example, Coulton tried to write an Aimee Mann song on ‘Good For Me’, which critics said was “the quintessential Aimee Mann” song (which she resent as she didn’t write the first few lines). Or how Mann always meant to change ‘Goose Snow Cone’ as it’s a personal reference to her friend’s cat... as it would save her so much trouble to not have to explain what a ‘Goose Snow Cone’ was.
Like her other project, The Both (with Ted Leo), Mann’s show is part music and part stand-up, and it’s actually pretty fun to listen to her talk about her songs and her explanations. Throw in “John Coulton” into the mix, and it’s just very entertaining.
Aimee Mann’s Mental Illness album is out now. Mann and Coulton are currently on tour.
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5/05 | Boulder, CO - Boulder Theater
5/06 | Salt Lake City, UT - State Room 5/08 | Missoula, MT - The Wilma 5/09 | Seattle, WA - Neptune 5/10 | Portland, OR - Revolution Hall 5/12 | San Franciso, CA - The Fillmore 5/13 | Los Angeles, CA - The Theatre 6/19 | SOPAC, South Orange, NJ 6/20 | Landmark, Port Washington , NJ |
6/21 | Ramshead On Stage, Annapolis, MD 6/23 | Alexandria, VA, Birchmere 6/24 |Tarrytown Musc Hall, Tarrytown, NY 6/25 | Westhampton Beach Perf Arts Center 6/26 | Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 6/28 | Martha's Vineyard Perf, Vineyard Haven, MA 6/29 |Columbus Park, Providence, RI 6/30 | Prescott Park, Portsmouth, NH 7/01 | Colonial Theatre, Bethlehem, NH |
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Aimee Mann with Jonathan Coulton at Fitzgerald Theater, St Paul (03 May 2017) |
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