Any Day of the Week

Mandy Moore returned to Joe's Pub last night, performing songs from her new album, Amanda Leigh with her collaborator, Pub-favorite Mike Viola. The Pub was packed, the crowd enthusiastic and the music sweet.

"We're not putting you to sleep?" Moore asked timidly after a string of quiet pop songs with simple string, piano and guitar accompaniment. By the end of the set, the crowd was thumping the stage, demanding one more song, which she delivered in the form of a completely re-conceived and off the cuff ("Should we bring the strings out again?" Viola asked before running off stage to gather them) performance of her teen-hit Candy.

Moore will be on Jimmy Fallon's show tomorrow night, backed by Mike Viola and Kelly Jones (if you missed her appearance on Leno from way back when Leno hosted the Tonight Show).