Anyone who attended Saint Louis University’s 2008 Homecoming concert at Chaifetz Arena would have witnessed a familiar scene at the Pageant last Thursday, Jan. 19. A high-energy band four years ago, Jack’s Mannequin continues to rock out as only a piano band can.
Singer/songwriter Allen Stone performed first, followed by Jukebox Ghost— a young band eerily reminiscent of early Jack’s Mannequin. The two openers succeeded in warming up the crowd and provided some good tunes to boot. After a short break, Jack’s Mannequin took to the stage with force, headed by lead singer and pianist, Andrew McMahon. They began with two powerhouse rock songs: “Bloodshot” and “Spinning.” The songs, both from the band’s 2008 album “Glass Passenger,” set the tone with an energy that rarely let up throughout the performance.
With the baby grand set center stage, it was hard to pay attention to anyone besides the driving force behind Jack’s Mannequin. Unlike other piano performers, such as Ben Folds and Billy Joel, McMahon required two microphones, instead of one. One mic, to the left of the piano, allowed McMahon to turn his pretty, bearded face to the screaming audience and sing directly to the swooning ladies. A second mic, over the piano, was more convenient for the surprisingly rocktastic piano solos he hammered out from time to time over the course of the night.
A true rockstar, McMahon left the piano on occasion to dance around the stage, flirt with the first row and generally act the fool. A bottle that looked suspiciously like booze occupied a spot atop the piano to complete the image.Unique for such a rockin’ show was the stage scenery. Under the piano lay a large Persian rug. Scattered around the stage, near each of the instruments, were lamps of varying sizes and shapes. The props made the entire set look more like a living room than a concert hall stage.
Even the piano, a beat-up Baldwin, looked like it had been used for years by a family with children. It was pretty cool, actually. The set up gave the sense of watching a rock concert in your own home, rather than in a nearly sold-out arena. Atop the piano sat a synthesizer. McMahon used it sometimes exclusively on a few of the less piano-driven songs, but usually as a supplement to the piano, often playing both at the same time. Further illustrating his musical talents, he even did some pretty sexy things with a harmonica once or twice, making more than a few audience members— I’m sure— jealous of that harmonica.
One of the set’s highlights was “Holiday From Real,” from the 2005 album “Everything in Transit.” McMahon described his early days on the road and how much he missed “California in the summer.” Toward the end of the show, they played a single from their most recent album, “People and Things.” The song, “My Racing Thoughts,” received an enthusiastic reaction from the crowd and caused some conflict in the balconies. It was one of those awkward situations where some people wanted to stand and others wanted to sit. Luckily, folks at a Jack’s Mannequin concert are not generally a violent group, and this crowd was no exception.
Roughly an hour into the set, the band left the stage with some quick goodbyes, only to return moments later for an encore.
“We wouldn’t run off so fast,” McMahon announced, before serenading us with the song “A Lullaby”.
While “A Lullaby” was not the best encore song, it transitioned spectacularly into the much faster paced “Dark Blue.” Anyone sitting down was quickly on their feet, and remained so for the rest of the show. As the last notes were struck, confetti erupted from the ceiling and onto the crowd in a fitting end to an exceedingly energetic show.
Jack’s Mannequin has a history of great shows, and this one kept with tradition. Over the course of the night, McMahon joked with the crowd, telling one disappointed fan, “You’re a dude. You can’t have my baby.” He bantered with the crowd, but, most noteworthy, he made it clear that he recognized his good fortune of playing music for a living. A survivor of Leukemia as well as a successful musician, McMahon has a lot to be thankful for— and he appreciates it.
It was an entertaining, energetic show performed by a fantastic band that never fails to impress.
