By Lisa DiCarlucci
The ever-popular and talented Andrew McMahon, front man of Jack’s Mannequin wrapped up the “Hammers and Strings” tour of his second Jack’s album at the Blender Theater at Gramercy in Manhattan on Nov 22. The intimate venue, packed to the rafters with excited fans, gave undeniable electricity to an already passionate and energetic performance.
The first opening act however, was not quite up to par with the headliner. Treaty of Paris, a fairly young band from Chicago, performed an all-acoustic set which seemed rather cliché and uninteresting. It’s not that the band was necessarily bad so much as they were just typical and lyrically unimpressive. They do get the benefit of the doubt however, since they do not typically perform acoustically, but only did so to accommodate Andrew McMahon’s piano. They also have the backing of being signed to McMahon’s label, ATR records, but this unfortunately does not compensate for the lead singer’s whining.
The second opening act far surpassed the first with an enjoyable and unique sound. The band, Fun was exactly that and their performance showed talent and creativity. Fun is the brainchild of Nate Ruess, former front man of The Format, who simply stated, “Why would you want a name like ‘knick-knack-patty-wack’ when your band name can be ‘Fun’?” Their album will be available around Feb. 2009 and is definitely worth a listen.
When Jack’s Mannequin took the stage, the crowd was immediately explosive. Listeners of both Something Coporate and Jack’s mannequin were taken aback by McMahon’s presence. There was a sense of respect among the audience and an understanding that this is the man who wrote all those words that they have always been able to identify with so easily. Who wouldn’t love a guy that stood up on top of his piano in between songs and sent paper airplanes flying through the audience?
If there is one thing McMahon has, it’s energy. This was apparent right from the first song, which was also the first song on the latest album, “The Glass Passenger.” “Crashin'” opened up the show with excitement as McMahon feverously played his grand piano, hardly ever staying in his seat. As the show progressed from the first song to the last, covering favorites from both Jack’s Mannequin albums including, “Dark Blue,” “The Mixed Tape” and “Swim,” the crowd remained entranced in the same way which the band played with unfailing passion.
When McMahon came back on stage for the inevitable encore, he announced that “I was going to come back anyways whether you wanted me to or not.” He definitely has a certain charm which makes him an exceptional showman. Alone on this stage with just his piano, McMahon gave a dramatic performance of the tour’s namesake, “Hammers and Strings,” which he said to have been the last song he ever wrote on his previous piano. Most notable and exciting (personally, at least) was his performance of the Something Corporate favorite, “Cavanaugh Park.”
For so many reasons, the Jack’s Mannequin concert was full of emotion and powerful music. More than anything, the show gave insight into the talent of a songwriter who has thoughtfully and beautifully spoken to our generation.