The Incredibly Unofficial Andrew McMahon/Jack's Mannequin Primer
Recently, a couple of people expressed interest in a Jack's Mannequin primer. Being wholly unqualified for such a venture, I of course immediately volunteered.
There’s really no way to write a Jack’s Mannequin primer without first introducing another band.
Something Corporate is a piano rock band formed in 1998 and originally from Orange County, California. While some people classify them as punk or pop-punk, they have said in interviews that while they don’t care how people label them, they don’t consider themselves a part of that scene. (source)
Something Corporate band members L-R: Kevin Page “Clutch” (bass), Andrew McMahon (piano, vocals), Brian Ireland (drums), Josh Partington (lead guitar), William Tell (former member, rhythm guitar)
Their first demo album, independently released by the band, is called Ready…Break. After they were signed to Drive-Thru records, they released Audioboxer. This was followed by major-label albums Leaving Through the Window and North. Something Corporate also recorded a Japanese-only release, Songs For Silent Movies, and two performance DVDs - A Year in the life and Live at the Ventura.
(I can’t look at this picture without thinking of baby Mikey Way. It’s the hair.)
During the summer of 2004, Something Corporate announced that they were taking a hiatus. They’d been touring and recording non-stop for years, and the band was burnt out and needed some time off.
During the break, lead singer/songwriter/pianist Andrew McMahon continued doing what he’d been doing since he was nine years old - writing songs. After meeting with the band and their management, he decided that the songs he was working on didn’t have a Something Corporate feel, and that he wanted to take them in a new direction. He called his new side project Jack’s Mannequin (a combination of song title “Dear Jack” and an original idea for a band name, The Mannequins). While Jack’s Mannequin was originally intended to be a solo project, as all music and lyrics were written by Andrew, it eventually expanded into a full band.
Jack’s Mannequin band members L-R: Jay McMillan (drums), Andrew McMahon (piano, vocals), Jonathan Sullivan “Dr. Jay” (Bass), Bobby “Raw” Anderson (guitar, backing vocals)
It’s important to note that Andrew still introduces himself as being from both Jack’s Mannequin and Something Corporate, and that he’s still interested in both projects. There are no bad feelings between any of the band members. Lead guitarist Josh Partington of Something Corporate formed the band Firescape, which played shows with Jack’s Mannequin once both bands were up and touring. In 2006, Something Corporate reunited to play Bamboozle Left as the festival’s special guest artist.
Andrew McMahon worked on the first Jack’s Mannequin album, Everything In Transit, between late 2004-early 2005. In the spring of 2005, he noticed that he was having trouble singing, breathing, and walking long distances. He went to see his doctor, who requested permission to do some blood work.
On May 27th, 2005, Andrew finished mastering Everything In Transit. He walked outside to find two voicemails from his doctor, asking him to call back as soon as possible. Shortly afterwards, at the age of 22, Andrew was diagnosed with acute lymphatic leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells.
Andrew started chemotherapy and was given two choices - years of chemo, or a bone marrow transplant. His sister’s stem cells were a perfect match, so he chose the transplant. The first Jack’s Mannequin album, Everything In Transit, was released on the same day as the surgery.
After the transplant, the doctors told him that his cancer was in remission, and that the first 100 days were the most critical. On the 100th day, Andrew took the stage with Jack’s Mannequin for his first performance since the diagnosis. Now in Summer 2008, his second Jack’s Mannequin album The Glass Passenger is scheduled to be released in September.
Andrew has a tattoo of Van Gogh's Starry Night on his left arm, around the original tattoo ‘MUSIC’; the words "the river is everywhere" from Herman Hesse's Siddhartha on his left wrist; and woodblock printing from Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai on his right arm. He had the latter done in memory of his uncle, with the idea that the east influences the west (as Hokusai's work influenced later European impressionists) and that was how great an impact his uncle's life had made on him. Andrew started playing the piano when his uncle passed away, and he calls the Hokusai and Van Gogh tattoos a testatment to art and influence. (source)
He has the words "be positive" included as part of the Hokusai tattoo, facing himself so he could read it as a constant reminder during dark times. But wait, you say. Haven't I seen that somewhere before? Yes, you probably have.
These buttons were worn by friends in support of Andrew’s recovery. Funds were also sent by many bands to the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, where Andrew requested donations be sent in lieu of flowers or gifts, and later to Andrew’s own charity, the Dear Jack Foundation.
You know who loves Jack's Mannequin? Shhh, don't tell.
I mean, seriously, who wouldn’t?
Andrew is A+
Nngh. I mean, what?
He’s also quite bendy.
And occasionally a stripper.
Music
Something Corporate
Audio Tracks:
Punk Rock Princess
I Woke Up In A Car
The Astronaut
Cavanaugh Park
Konstantine
Music Videos:
I Woke Up In A Car
(This is a really fantastic glimpse of them just being ridiculous boys together. For those who like that sort of thing. *g*)
If You C Jordan
(Prep School AU. There is so much potential for an MCR crossover here. Just saying.)
Punk Rock Princess
(Ignore the hair - I know, it's hard - and focus on the fact that his voice is sex.)
Space
(Fingers. On the piano keys.)
Live Performances:
Me And The Moon
Space (Jimmy Kimmel live)
Space (acoustic)
Live in Ventura DVD - This is their second live concert DVD. Some kind soul has uploaded songs to youtube, but the DVD is absolutely worth buying.
Hurricane & 21 & Invincible, As You Sleep, I Woke Up In A Car, If I Die, Me and the Moon, I Kissed A Drunk Girl,Only Ashes, Ruthless, Fall, Down & Wait, Walking By, Konstantine, Space & If U C Jordan, Punk Rock Princess
Jack's Mannequin
Audio Tracks:
Holiday From Real
The Mixed Tape
Bruised
La La Lie
Dark Blue
Music Videos:
Dark Blue
The Mixed Tape
Live Performances:
The Mixed Tape (live)
Andrew's first live performance since recovering from leukemia.
The Mixed Tape (VH1 live acoustic)
Dark Blue (acoustic)
Live in New York City (Part One) ~ Part Two ~ Part Three
The Mixed Tape, Bruised, Miss Delaney, Holiday From Real, Dark Blue
Interviews:
Andrew McMahon on Your Total Health
This is a really beautiful and moving interview about Andrew's battle with leukemia.
Dear Jack: The Journey of Andrew McMahon
The first trailer for the documentary following Andrew's experience with leukemia.
Haystack
The beginning of Jack's Mannequin. (the video is terrible, but the audio is really clear and it's an excellent interview)
Yahoo Music Interview
Andew talking about how cancer interrupted and changed his life.
Concert Pipeline (Part One) ~ Part Two ~
Andrew talking about moving from Something Corporate to Jack's Mannequin.
Under The Skin
A tour of Andrew's tattoos, including plans for the future.
Rapid Fire (Part One) ~ Part Two
General questions and a rapid-fire Q&A session.
Swept Away TV
Fusic Media
Fairly standard interviews with some clips of live performances.
Darren Wilson Interviews Andrew McMahon
What's that? A crossover with The Hush Sound?? Why yes, yes it is. It's also adorable.
TAI TV
Andrew’s cameo on “Beat the Heat.”
There’s really no way to write a Jack’s Mannequin primer without first introducing another band.
Something Corporate is a piano rock band formed in 1998 and originally from Orange County, California. While some people classify them as punk or pop-punk, they have said in interviews that while they don’t care how people label them, they don’t consider themselves a part of that scene. (source)
Something Corporate band members L-R: Kevin Page “Clutch” (bass), Andrew McMahon (piano, vocals), Brian Ireland (drums), Josh Partington (lead guitar), William Tell (former member, rhythm guitar)
Their first demo album, independently released by the band, is called Ready…Break. After they were signed to Drive-Thru records, they released Audioboxer. This was followed by major-label albums Leaving Through the Window and North. Something Corporate also recorded a Japanese-only release, Songs For Silent Movies, and two performance DVDs - A Year in the life and Live at the Ventura.
(I can’t look at this picture without thinking of baby Mikey Way. It’s the hair.)
During the summer of 2004, Something Corporate announced that they were taking a hiatus. They’d been touring and recording non-stop for years, and the band was burnt out and needed some time off.
During the break, lead singer/songwriter/pianist Andrew McMahon continued doing what he’d been doing since he was nine years old - writing songs. After meeting with the band and their management, he decided that the songs he was working on didn’t have a Something Corporate feel, and that he wanted to take them in a new direction. He called his new side project Jack’s Mannequin (a combination of song title “Dear Jack” and an original idea for a band name, The Mannequins). While Jack’s Mannequin was originally intended to be a solo project, as all music and lyrics were written by Andrew, it eventually expanded into a full band.
Jack’s Mannequin band members L-R: Jay McMillan (drums), Andrew McMahon (piano, vocals), Jonathan Sullivan “Dr. Jay” (Bass), Bobby “Raw” Anderson (guitar, backing vocals)
It’s important to note that Andrew still introduces himself as being from both Jack’s Mannequin and Something Corporate, and that he’s still interested in both projects. There are no bad feelings between any of the band members. Lead guitarist Josh Partington of Something Corporate formed the band Firescape, which played shows with Jack’s Mannequin once both bands were up and touring. In 2006, Something Corporate reunited to play Bamboozle Left as the festival’s special guest artist.
Andrew McMahon worked on the first Jack’s Mannequin album, Everything In Transit, between late 2004-early 2005. In the spring of 2005, he noticed that he was having trouble singing, breathing, and walking long distances. He went to see his doctor, who requested permission to do some blood work.
On May 27th, 2005, Andrew finished mastering Everything In Transit. He walked outside to find two voicemails from his doctor, asking him to call back as soon as possible. Shortly afterwards, at the age of 22, Andrew was diagnosed with acute lymphatic leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells.
Andrew started chemotherapy and was given two choices - years of chemo, or a bone marrow transplant. His sister’s stem cells were a perfect match, so he chose the transplant. The first Jack’s Mannequin album, Everything In Transit, was released on the same day as the surgery.
After the transplant, the doctors told him that his cancer was in remission, and that the first 100 days were the most critical. On the 100th day, Andrew took the stage with Jack’s Mannequin for his first performance since the diagnosis. Now in Summer 2008, his second Jack’s Mannequin album The Glass Passenger is scheduled to be released in September.
Andrew has a tattoo of Van Gogh's Starry Night on his left arm, around the original tattoo ‘MUSIC’; the words "the river is everywhere" from Herman Hesse's Siddhartha on his left wrist; and woodblock printing from Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai on his right arm. He had the latter done in memory of his uncle, with the idea that the east influences the west (as Hokusai's work influenced later European impressionists) and that was how great an impact his uncle's life had made on him. Andrew started playing the piano when his uncle passed away, and he calls the Hokusai and Van Gogh tattoos a testatment to art and influence. (source)
He has the words "be positive" included as part of the Hokusai tattoo, facing himself so he could read it as a constant reminder during dark times. But wait, you say. Haven't I seen that somewhere before? Yes, you probably have.
These buttons were worn by friends in support of Andrew’s recovery. Funds were also sent by many bands to the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, where Andrew requested donations be sent in lieu of flowers or gifts, and later to Andrew’s own charity, the Dear Jack Foundation.
You know who loves Jack's Mannequin? Shhh, don't tell.
I mean, seriously, who wouldn’t?
Andrew is A+
Nngh. I mean, what?
He’s also quite bendy.
And occasionally a stripper.
Music
Something Corporate
Audio Tracks:
Punk Rock Princess
I Woke Up In A Car
The Astronaut
Cavanaugh Park
Konstantine
Music Videos:
I Woke Up In A Car
(This is a really fantastic glimpse of them just being ridiculous boys together. For those who like that sort of thing. *g*)
If You C Jordan
(Prep School AU. There is so much potential for an MCR crossover here. Just saying.)
Punk Rock Princess
(Ignore the hair - I know, it's hard - and focus on the fact that his voice is sex.)
Space
(Fingers. On the piano keys.)
Live Performances:
Me And The Moon
Space (Jimmy Kimmel live)
Space (acoustic)
Live in Ventura DVD - This is their second live concert DVD. Some kind soul has uploaded songs to youtube, but the DVD is absolutely worth buying.
Hurricane & 21 & Invincible, As You Sleep, I Woke Up In A Car, If I Die, Me and the Moon, I Kissed A Drunk Girl,Only Ashes, Ruthless, Fall, Down & Wait, Walking By, Konstantine, Space & If U C Jordan, Punk Rock Princess
Jack's Mannequin
Audio Tracks:
Holiday From Real
The Mixed Tape
Bruised
La La Lie
Dark Blue
Music Videos:
Dark Blue
The Mixed Tape
Live Performances:
The Mixed Tape (live)
Andrew's first live performance since recovering from leukemia.
The Mixed Tape (VH1 live acoustic)
Dark Blue (acoustic)
Live in New York City (Part One) ~ Part Two ~ Part Three
The Mixed Tape, Bruised, Miss Delaney, Holiday From Real, Dark Blue
Interviews:
Andrew McMahon on Your Total Health
This is a really beautiful and moving interview about Andrew's battle with leukemia.
Dear Jack: The Journey of Andrew McMahon
The first trailer for the documentary following Andrew's experience with leukemia.
Haystack
The beginning of Jack's Mannequin. (the video is terrible, but the audio is really clear and it's an excellent interview)
Yahoo Music Interview
Andew talking about how cancer interrupted and changed his life.
Concert Pipeline (Part One) ~ Part Two ~
Andrew talking about moving from Something Corporate to Jack's Mannequin.
Under The Skin
A tour of Andrew's tattoos, including plans for the future.
Rapid Fire (Part One) ~ Part Two
General questions and a rapid-fire Q&A session.
Swept Away TV
Fusic Media
Fairly standard interviews with some clips of live performances.
Darren Wilson Interviews Andrew McMahon
What's that? A crossover with The Hush Sound?? Why yes, yes it is. It's also adorable.
TAI TV
Andrew’s cameo on “Beat the Heat.”