It’s the holidays, and that means one thing: Aimee Mann and Ted Leo’s Christmas Show.
Well, kind of. The outing hasn’t always taken place annually and never visited Cleveland before Monday night at the Agora Theatre. But hey, let’s take it for 2025, shall we?
The duo (who also perform together under the band name The Both) and a trio of special guests made up for lost time, though, with more than two hours of songs, skits and stand-up comedy. The hipster thrift-store variety show, which has been on the road since late November, was just fun, and one this review likely can’t do enough justice.
It worked because Mann, a folk-rocker who’s long been associated with the Los Angeles comedy scene, and Leo, who’s best known for his decades as a punk rocker, committed to the bits, no matter how silly. A running gag involving references to the Apple TV show “Severance” wouldn’t have worked if the musicians and their special guests continuously busted out laughing out of self-awareness. No, they were all in.
But the music provided many of the highlights. Mann and Leo—backed by a bassist, keyboardist and drummer—were in fine form as they trotted out holiday classics, parodies (Mann’s old band ’Til Tuesday’s “Voices Carry” turned into an ode to mom’s new boyfriend with “This Is Gary”) and obscura (“The Ballad of the Christmas Donkey,” anyone?). There were also curios like the run-through of Lisa Loeb’s “Stay (I Missed You)” which featured the duo singing only the backing vocal parts, and run-throughs of each musician’s solo careers.
The harmonies were as stellar as the playing. Who knew Leo was proficient enough on guitar to nail the horn parts on “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”?
Special guest Nellie McKay, a jazz and standards-influenced performer, also impressed with her three songs, including a simple take on “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” And writer and comedian Josh Gondelman made the most of his limited stage time with his stand-up.
But the performer who stole the show was Paul F. Tompkins. Whether it was playing off Mann and Leo as himself or performing as Irish Catholic Msgr. Damien Fearnley as he offered options for the next pope, the comedian garnered big laughs every time he opened his mouth. For the initiated who knows him from his frequent appearances on podcasts like “Comedy Bang! Bang!”, this was no surprise, but it was still a joy to watch.
The show wrapped up with “Christmas Time Is Here” from “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” with Mann and Leo imploring the crowd to sing along.
Now that it’s over, I’m already thinking about next year. Can we make this an annual tradition for Cleveland?
Eric Heisig is a freelance writer in Cleveland. He can be reached at eheisig@gmail.com.