Aimee Mann takes 'Smilers' out for a spin

April 3, 2008 11:04 AM
Singer/songwriter Aimee Mann is planning a North American summer tour to coincide with the release of her new album, "@#%&! Smilers."

The 13-date outing is set to launch June 2 with a few shows in and around Los Angeles, and then stop by Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Manchester, TN's Bonnaroo Music Festival before heading back to the western US in July. The itinerary currently wraps with a July 24 gig at the Calgary Music Festival in Alberta. Details are listed below.

On tour, Mann will showcase songs from her seventh solo record, "@#%&! Smilers," which is scheduled to drop June 3. The set is said to be a return to form following 2005's concept album, "The Forgotten Arm," and Mann's 2006 holiday collection, "One More Drifter in the Snow."

"After doing a concept album, I wanted to go back and just do a set of songs that were not linked quite so tightly," Mann said in her bio. "I didn't have a specific vision I was after so I kept writing and after a while, the album began to take on its own sound."

That sound tends toward fuller, richer arrangements than the performer's previous offerings.

"We tried not to echo any previous albums," Mann added. "For this one, we wanted to use a different palate, thus replacing electric guitars with distorted Wurlitzers, Clavinets, and analog synthesizers. We wanted the rhythm section to sound full and organic with detailed, interwoven keyboards on top. We also knew we wanted to have real string sections and horn arrangements for select songs."

All of the album's 13 tracks were penned by Mann, with the exception of "True Believer," which was co-written with fellow singer/songwriter Grant Lee Phillips. The humorous Bobcat Goldthwait-directed video for one of the songs, "31 Today," is streaming at the YouTube website.

Fans can also catch Mann on upcoming episodes of NPR's "All Things Considered" and Ovation TV's "Live from the Artist's Den."

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]
 tour dates and tickets
June 2008
2 - Los Angeles, CA - Largo
6 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
10 - Los Angeles, CA - Largo
12 - Minneapolis, MN - Minneapolis Zoo
13 - Milwaukee WI - Pabst Theater
15 - Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo Music Festival

July 2008
9 - Boulder, CO - Chautauqua Auditorium
11 - Denver, CO - Denver Botanical Gardens
12 - Park City, UT - Deer Valley Resort
14 - Saratoga, CA - Mountain Winery
15 - Rosebud, OR - Stewart Park
16 - Seattle, WA - Seattle Zoo
24 - Calgary, Alberta - Calgary Music Festival

 tour dates and tickets

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