Andrew McMahon- The Legend!

For those of you who either don't know me or don't listen to a word I say, you should know that I am absolutely obsessed with Andrew McMahon! He fronted the band Something Corporate (who is doing a show in Anaheim March 27! :D) until 2004. He then started the band Jack's Mannequin and was set to begin touring in 2005, until he was diagnosed with leukemia. He has now made a full recovery thanks to a marrow donation from his sister, and has put out two albums with Jack's. (Everything in Transit and The Glass Passenger) I found out last night that he is working on a third album right now, and I am incredibly excited! Andrew is my hero to put it simply. He was blessed with incredible songwriting talent, but even more inspiring is the pure passion he has for music. Every time I watch one of his in-studio performances I want to go lock myself in a cabin in the middle of nowhere for a month and just write music on my piano.

You may be wondering why I am telling you about my hero, well, other than to persuade you to love him and embrace his incredible music... Well, I had the opportunity to see him in concert last night, and it was AMAZING! A friend of mine told me that I should not be so excited for this concert, and that I was setting my hopes way too high and would only be disappointed. However, I didn't listen and stayed true to my faith in Andrew, and let me tell you, he DEFINITELY exceeded my incredibly high expectations! Vedera and fun. opened for Jack's Mannequin, and they didn't disappoint either. I had never heard either band before, but as soon as the singer sang her first note, I completely fell in love with Vedera. In fact, I'm listening to their album "Stages" right now! :) fun. was a really good show... or would've been except for the fact that the crowd had started a giant pushing war, and everyone was crammed into everyone else and it was highly uncomfortable. Also, Katie got sick, so we had to sit most of this set out. (I was kind of okay with it) fun. and their dedicated fans had energy to spare, and it was well, a lot of fun (lol). I think their music might have possibly been a little too fun for me though. We were determined that we were going to see Jack's Mannequin, so after making sure Katie wasn't dying anymore, we made our way through the crowd. I was so proud of myself; I pushed us all the way to the front. (We were like, four rows from the front! :D) I think I honestly had the best spot in the whole house. I got separated from Katie and Ariel, but I ended up exactly in the center, right in front of the stage, with the perfect view of Andrew. I will say that, hands down, seeing Jack's Mannequin was the most amazing concert experience of my life! I have never seen anybody rock as hard as Andrew McMahon (and I've been to some pretty intense shows). He was completely drenched in sweat by the end of the show... from playing his piano! Honestly, I don't think it's possible for another human being to make the piano look as attractive as he does. And if Andrew's energy wasn't enough to make a person's life complete, the audience was absolutely incredible! We were all completely drenched in sweat and cramped and uncomfortable, but everybody was full of energy and complete admiration for Andrew's work. I don't think I will ever experience excitement like when he played "Dark Blue" and the entire audience was singing along at the top of their lungs and jumping up and down again in my life! Don't be fooled into thinking that this show was just a fun experience. It was also an incredible musical experience. Like I said, Andrew has this indescribable passion for his music. When he played "Hammers and Strings" I basically died, and when he sang a reworked version of "Swim", almost everyone was silent. Everyone was absolutely in awe watching him sing what is quite possibly the most touching song ever! They also did a cover of U2's "New Year's Day". Normally, I would be hesitant about a U2 cover... they're basically God and should be left alone, but I absolutely loved Jack's Mannequin's cover! It was completely their own, and was definately not a cheap rendition of the U2 version. Andrew was completely friendly and easygoing, and I can't wait for the day when I meet him in person. I even saw his tattoos in real life, which I was incredibly excited about, because I've always really liked the ones he has on his forearms. (Wow, I'm kind of sounding like a stalker, but I promise I'm not! Even though I did scream "I love you Andrew!" four or five times)

Anyways, that is my experience of seeing my hero Andrew McMahon live in concert with his band Jack's Mannequin. I definitely hope to experience it again soon, and if I got my wish, I'd just spend a whole day watching him in a private session or something.

My friend Jonathan suggested that I tell a joke in each blog I post. So this is my favorite corny joke: "Why do sharks swim in salt water?" "Because the pepper water makes them sneeze!"

And finally, for the song(s) of the blog! "Hammers and Strings"-Jack's Mannequin, "Loving Ghosts"-Vedera, "Satisfy"-Vedera, "Worlds Apart"-Vedera, "Forgive You"-Vedera, "The Gambler-fun. Go give them a listen! :D