Posted on: July 5, 2011 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Fresh from playing the ultimate house concert of the year, The White House, Aimee Mann returns to the road for a string of West Coast tour dates in August. Kicking off her tour at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on August 12th, Aimee will make a stop at the Hollywood Bowl to perform in Joni’s Jazz, alongside Herbie Hancock, Clen Hansard, Chaka Khan, Cassandra Wilson and Wayne Shorter and then continue north for a stop at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, along with dates at the Portland Zoo and Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo.

To be clear, Aimee Mann doesn’t usually play house parties, however she decided to make an exception when she was invited by President Barack Obama and first lady, Michelle Obama, to perform for Poetry Night at the White House on May 11th. Aimee was honored to join a prestigious cast of poets, musicians and artists to celebrate the art of American poetry and prose.

Currently working on her 8th solo album, set to release in 2012, Aimee is also writing a new musical production based upon her critically acclaimed concept album The Forgotten Arm, her first foray into the realm of musical theatre. Set in the 1970’s, The Forgotten Arm follows the story of John, a Vietnam vet and boxer struggling with addiction, and Caroline, a young woman trying to escape the dead end world she lives in, as they meet, fall in love and road trip across America. In a review of the original release, Magnet magazine proclaimed “Aimee Mann has emerged as one of the finest songwriters of her generation.”

Never one to rest on the laurels of her past, Aimee has been busy releasing albums and touring for the better part of the last decade. Ending the millennium with a bang, Mann was nominated for an Oscar, a Golden Globe and three Grammys for the Magnolia Soundtrack which released simultaneously alongside her solo album Bachelor No. 2. Mann continued her solo career with the 2002’s Lost in Space the second release on SuperEgo Records and then on to her first live CD and DVD Live at St. Ann’s Warehouse. With her 5th solo album The Forgotten Arm, Mann delved head first into the realm of the concept album, following up the next year with a turn at a Christmas album One More Drifter In The Snow, an unexpected homage to the spooky beauty of the holiday season.

Mann’s most recent release @#%&! Smilers was hailed by Mojo magazine as “a masterpiece,” while People Magazine pronounced “trends may come and go, but real artists, like this singer-songwriter remain.” With the upbeat single “Freeway” garnering a solid amount of radio play across the country, Mann has followed with sold-out Summer, Fall and Christmas tours, along with appearances on The View and The Tonight Show, and a concert filmed for the Ovation channel’s Live from the Artist’s Den performance series. In addition, Aimee has also been brushing up her comedic acting skills, with a recent guest starring appearance on the new IFC TV series Portlandia, featuring comedians Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein. In the episode titled “Pinata”, a comedic commentary on the state of the music industry, Aimee portrays herself as a singer-songwriter who has had to take a second job as Armisen and Brownstein’s cleaning lady. Aimee’s comedic timing is also gaining notoriety on Twitter with the Huffington Post just naming her one of the “13 Funny Musicians You Should Be Following on Twitter.” Aimee made the list at #5 on the Huffington Post’s “short list” of their “favorite musicians who have a habit of tweeting comedy gold on a regular basis.”

Find more about Aimee at www.aimeemann.com, www.facebook.com/AimeeMann, www.twitter.com/aimeemann,www.youtube.com/aimeemann,and www.myspace.com/aimeemann

Tour Dates:
August 12 The Coach House San Juan Capistrano, CAAugust 13 Burton Chase Park Marina Del Rey, CA
August 14 The Belly Up Solana Beach, CA
August 17 The Hollywood Bowl Joni’s Jazz- A Tribute to Joni Mitchell
Los Angeles, CA
August 18 The Mountain Winery Saratoga, CA
August 19 The Center For Arts Grass Valley, CA
August 20 Oregon Zoo Portland, OR
August 21 Woodland Park Zoo Seattle, WA
August 23 Britt Pavilion Medford, OR

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