September 26, 2008 – Forget whatever you think you know about piano rock. When Andrew McMahon hits his grand, the floor is going to bounce.
Slamming the ivories with rock star finesse, McMahon and Jack's Mannequin stormed the Chaifetz Arena to deliver an explosive performance that shook the house to the rafters.
Whether seated at his piano, standing over it, or running around it, Andrew McMahon was the undeniable center of attention on stage as he drove home fan-favorites throughout the night.
The set list from the evening drew heavily from the band's 2005 debut, Everything In Transit, while also giving fans a few glimpses from the upcoming album, The Glass Passenger, which comes out today. Stand-out songs in the high energy set included “The Resolution,” and “Dark Blue.”
Set list:
Holiday From Real
The Mixed Tape
Crashin
Bruised
I'm Ready
Kill The Messenger
Swim
Rescued
Dark Blue
La La Lie
The Resolution
Into The Airwaves
Encore:
Me and the Moon
Dream (Everly Brothers cover)
MFEO/You Can Breathe
Photographer's Notes:
As circumstance would have it, this was the third time I'd had the pleasure of photographing Jack's Mannequin in as many months. The first gig was at Warped Tour in July, followed by the band's Pageant show in August.
Andrew McMahon proved to be ever the dynamic subject, and was a treat to photograph again. As with the previous two shoots, one major factor was the two microphones that Andrew uses, so finding clear sight lines was a constant concern as the singer switched between them.
I found the best angles to be in front of Andrew's monitor and shooting from stage left, down the arm of his front mic stand.
For their performance at the Chaifetz Arena, the big variable coming into the show was lighting. I was crossing my fingers for spotlights, but it just wasn't in the cards.
What we got for the first three songs was a mix of very quickly changing color washes, with bursts of tinted frontlighting. This is one set where I would have loved to set up just a few flashes for a blend of more neutral lighting. Maybe next month!
End Notes:
You can stream the full album from Altpress.com, and also find out more at theglasspassenger.com. Also, you can check out Buzznet‘s interview with Andrew McMahon about the new album here.
Already listened to The Glass Passenger? What do you think?
