Live at Bumbershoot 2014, Day 1: The Both

Aimee Mann and Ted Leo are both clever, melodically-inclined songwriters with a knack for harmonies, so while their past careers aren't that similar on paper (Mann emerged in the '80s with new wavers 'Til Tuesday, Leo in the '90s with hardcore punks Citizens Arrest) their joint project The Both is an unexpected but great collaborative effort from a pair of songwriters who spent the last 15 years carving their own paths. When Mann and Leo first toured together in late 2012, the two songwriters' trek soon turned into something much greater than a two-month jaunt. Spurred on by their musical chemistry on and offstage, Mann began joining Leo onstage sporadically throughout the tour, and the pair began writing songs not long after, resulting in more shows in 2013 and their April 2014 debut, The Both. Accompanied by drummer Matt Mayhall, Mann and Leo's project has continued well into 2014, with the duo's joint-written songs, tracks from their respective catalogs, and plenty of onstage chatter.The Both could barely contain their enthusiasm as they greeted their audience as the final performance of the day at the Bumbershoot Music Lounge. Full of straight-faced wit, Ted Leo and Aimee Mann, backed by drummer Matt Mayhall, harmonized their way through "You Can't Help." There was no shortage of banter between each song. Mann and Leo (who have both long since proven their worth as live acts) talked James Taylor, band fights, broadway, and the appropriate time to "woo" at a concert, all with impressive ease.

Their fourth song, "The Inevitable Shove," was described by Mann as "an outtake from the musical Godspell with a dash of Jesus Christ Superstar and a smidgen of Hair." While we didn't get the choreographed dance moves many envisioned, Mann did throw in some jazz hands at the end. After Mann treated us to her "NPR voice," and the crowd demanded another song, the pair tacked on "Milwaukee" to end their set, a song with a fierce intro packed with drums and guitar.