So on friday I headed out to Toronto to check out the Jack's Mannequin "Sing For Your Supper Tour". One word to sum it all up? Astonishing. Never have I seen a band play with more passion and pure, untainted talent. If you missed out, well thats kind of depressing because this is something I feel everyone should see and hear for themselves!
The night started off with opening act, Fun. This american indie pop band warmed up the crowd with happy tunes and FUN instrumentation. Some of you may recognize front man Nate Ruess as a former member of the group- the Format. They played a great set of memorable songs and had the crowd in an audible frenzy when Andrew McMahon joined them on stage with booze to inspire a Happy Birthday chant for Nate. All around the group was flawless musically, and captivating to the audience. I heard many people trying to find out the groups name and discussing the purchase of CDs. Well done, Fun. The name could not be more fitting for that set!
Next up was the headlining act, Jacks Mannequin. The crowd chatting excitedly as the small brown grand style piano is carted out on the stage and amplifiers are decorated with colorful bottles of alcohol and comic book heroes. As the lights dimmed, Andrew and the boys took the stage, greeted with cheers and applause. He sat behind the piano and broke into "I'm Ready" and a heartfelt version of "The Resolution". Beautiful piano break downs were met with rousing approval as the set list carried on through old and new favorites. Also incorporated into the performance were a few rare B-sides and tracks off the latest EP to accompany Andrew's documentary "Dear Jack". A couple specific track that made the night memorable were "Hammers & Strings" and "Swim". Both songs sparked a make shift sing along with the audience almost drowning out the stage. You could just see the way Andrew's eyes lit up as he briefly turned toward to audience and encouraged the chants. Its just one of those moments that make a concert unforgettable. On a side note- I definitely appreciated the between song score updates on the Canada/Slovakia hockey game... he acknowledged how important the game is to our country and how grateful he was that we had chosen to miss it for his show. Thats right Andrew, we are a hockey nation, thank you for understanding! haha
The night was amazing. My hunger for piano rock has been insatiable since that show. I still find myself humming along to Hammers & Strings, my poor kittens having to listen to my 3am kitchen karaoke sessions... This song here is another favorite of mine, give it a listen, hope you love it as much as I do! (sorry its a live version- best audio I could find on youtube!)
Definitely recommend checking out Andrew's bands on upcoming J.M tours and POSSIBLE Something Corporate reunion (anyone else excited for this?!?!?!)
Did you catch one of the Sing for your Supper dates? Thoughts/Pictures/Reviews?
Let me know!
Rock On,
- Girl At The Rock Show
