The Closing Of A Chapter: Jack's Mannequin Is Officially Done

As many of you know by now, Andrew McMahon, the brains behind Jack’s Mannequin and an integral part of the former band Something Corporate, has decided to disband Jack’s Mannequin. Although I am absolutely heartbroken by his decision, I have gained a greater respect for him. Andrew is one of the few artists in the spotlight who have remained true to their passion for the art of making music. Andrew knows when it is time to take a step back to evaluate his life and art, in order to make the decision to end a project and to allow a new one to begin.

On November 11th and 12th, Jack’s Mannequin performed their final two shows at the El Rey theatre in Los Angeles for the 3rd Dear Jack Benefit, which rose over $50,000. I was blessed enough to be present for both shows, and I can report first hand that it was an extremely emotional night for everyone. Andrew remained humble, but you could catch fleeting moments throughout the nights where he was overwhelmed with the emotion, support, and sadness of the crowd. Matthew Thiessen, who opened the show and also the frontman of Relient K, has experienced being a fan of Andrew’s work, as well as being a dear friend to him. During Jack’s Mannequin’s final song on the last day, I looked over at Matt and from his face you could tell that he was just as affected by the ending of Jack’s Mannequin as every one in the crowd was. It was beautiful to see that connection.

After the show was finished, roughly 200 people congregated in front of the venue to wait for Andrew and the other musician’s to come outside. Andrew stayed outside until he met every single person; he signed things, he took photos, he wrote lyrics for those who asked and basically he did whatever he could to make sure his fans were happy.

Thankfully Andrew is not finished with music, and we can all expect him to be back in the Spring with some new tunes from an independent project. Will you be listening?