It was yet another sold out show at Landmark on Main Street when Aimee Mann visited Port Washington for the first time on Saturday, Jan, 14. Mann brought with her an unexpected treat – an unannounced opening act comprised of four young guys from Seattle with the unlikely band name of Ivan & Alyosha. For those who don’t get the literary reference, Ivan and Alyosha were characters in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. (If you’re curious about their reasons for choosing the moniker, visit their website). What started as a solo project by singer and guitarist Tim Wilson, the group expanded to include Wilson’s brother Pete Wilson, Ryan Carbary, and Tim Kim. All, except for Pete Wilson, play guitar, and all four sing.

Their set was spare and interesting. Between the four of them, they had three guitars (two acoustic, one electric), which they passed around among themselves between songs. At any given time, any band member might (very competently) be playing any guitar, and whoever ended up with the electric seemed to do the solo. The music – which I’d describe as indie folk pop-rock – was eminently listenable with excellent harmonies and some unusual twists such as a whistle solo (not an easy feat!) and some hand clapping/foot stomping rhythmic accompaniment. Many of the songs on their latest CD, “Fathers Be Kind,” touch upon balancing family and career goals, something that band founder Tim Wilson had experienced after the birth of his first child. 

After a break, Aimee Mann took to the stage, ahead of her band, and played her first song with just solo guitar. Mann is strikingly attractive – even a jacket, tie and oversized black-rimmed glasses couldn’t diminish her lithe, tall, blondness. But what stands out most about Mann is not her enduring good looks, but rather her unusual voice. Guitar builders, known as luthiers, choose certain woods in order to give the guitar a distinctive sound or “flavor.” Mann’s voice has always sounded like a mahogany guitar – smooth and strongest in the lower and mid ranges. I interviewed Mann a few weeks ago, and she told me that she doesn’t like to sing with much emotion because she doesn’t want to manipulate the audience. I found that strange at the time, but seeing her onstage, it made perfect sense. There are no Mariah Carey-ish frills, no wild vibrato, no facial contortions – Mann sings in the same blunt and straightforward manner with which she seems to do everything. The emotion is carried in the words.

Mann was joined onstage by her producer and bass player, Paul Bryan, keyboard player Jamie Edwards, and drummer Sebastian Aymanns. Mann is an excellent guitarist, although she had to spend a lot of time tuning her instrument, leading to her anthropomorphizing the offending string and calling it a bad name. Her back up band was absolutely terrific – particularly Edwards, who used voices on his keyboard to replace a whole variety of instruments including strings, horns, and bells. I’ve rarely heard a keyboardist use synthesized sounds so well, and manage to make it look so effortless. Bryan, an extremely able bassist, also provided backup vocals.

Over the course of her set, Mann played songs from a variety of her CDs, including some from the soundtrack of the movie “Magnolia.” She also demoed some songs from her unreleased upcoming CD. One, “Gumby,” was inspired by the TV show “Hoarders” according to Mann. “I’ve always been fascinated by crazy people and broken nutbags,” she said. Standouts of the performance were “Freeway” and “Looking for Nothing,” from her last CD, “You Could Make a Killing,” and “Save Me.” But perhaps two of her best were actually covers – Joni Mitchell’s “Free Man in Paris,” and the Harry Nilson penned (but recorded by Three Dog Night) “One.” Her encore included two favorites – a solo, acoustic, stripped-down version of “Red Vines,” and “Deathly” from “Magnolia.”

The next shows at Landmark include Stew and the Negro Problem on January 21, and the sold-out Joan Osborne on January 22.