I'm only slightly masochistic

Andy and his stunning sweater rocked Manchester tonight! More photos to follow… :)

I have one extra ticket to Andrew’s London show at the Union Chapel because my friend can’t go. It is yours for FREE for the taking.

Drop me an Ask and we’ll figure out where to meet up and I’ll give it to you. I’ll be in London on Wednesday around 1pm-ish. First person to message me will get it.

…and other people who may be able to answer any of these.

• Any videos of “Watch The Sky”, “Wrecking Ball Heart”, “Konstantine” or basically anything that isn’t “Learn to Dance”? As much as I share your enthusiasm of the new song, I’d love to see some other videos from these shows.
• Speaking of “Learn To Dance” - anyone managed to jot down all the lyrics?
• Out of all the band members on stage, I only recognize Mikey. Anyone knows who are the other guys? Their names, where they come from (as in their musical past), stuff like that?

Hello fellow Jack’s Mannequin/Andrew McMahon fans,

A lot of fighting and anger and bitterness and sadness have swept our little fandom as of late, and that sucks. But I’ve been thinking of something positive we could maybe try to achieve as a fandom, something we can all get around and push forward.

Some people are going to either one of the last two Jack’s shows. Some cannot, but have seen Jack’s in the past. Some cannot and have never and will never see Jack’s perform as Jack’s (that’s me).

What all of these people have in common, is that we’d all be pretty stoked to own a Dear Jack Benefit show live DVD.

Jack’s Mannequin have not, in their 7 years, released a full live show DVD (like SoCo’s Live at the Ventura). I think we’re long overdue one, and I think it would be a wonderful idea if Andrew and co. could film both shows, and compile a DVD and/or live album of the shows, as a keepsake for fans both of the band and of those last shows. The DVD and/or live album could naturally be sold through the Dear Jack foundation and benefit the cause.

The only problem I can see with this is the funding of the actual filming - you have to pay a director, a crew to film, bring in filming gear etc. to make this possible - but assuming Andrew can find funding for this - would you guys be interested in a DVD like that?

Can we all just tweet Andrew about this in the hopes he sees it and considers doing this?

(Source: jacksmannequin.blogs.com)

Using words like that to describe the end of Jack’s Mannequin is just misleading. You’re giving people the impression Andrew has retired and will no longer be making music: false. This man will always make music one way or another. Also “broke up” would indicate these four dudes will not play together again, or that the end of Jack’s somehow has to do with the 4 musicians playing in it: also false. As far as Andrew is concerned, he will continue playing with Bobby, Jay and Mikey for as long as they’ll want to keep playing with him. 

So lets put this in perspective:

Andrew is a story-teller. In SoCo we heard the story of his coming-of-age, of beginning life as an independent man, of experiencing adult life for the first time. In Jack’s we got a different story. The story of a young adult who tries to mend everything that has broken or gone astray: from his relationship to his body to his own mind. That story, too, is over. So just like Andrew has closed the book on SoCo (lets face it, the chances of a new SoCo album happening equal to the chances of Andrew playing Konstantine every single show he’ll play from here on out - we want it to happen, but we’re not too optimistic), he has closed the book on Jack’s Mannequin.

Jack’s Mannequin is merely a chapter in Andrew’s life that is closed. And now, after he experienced adulthood, fucked it all up, and fixed it up again, he’s ready to go on the next chapter, under his own name. So lets change the terminology around, okay?

I’m not saying you can’t be bummed that the Jack’s chapter in Andrew’s life has ended. I’m bummed too because I never got to experience this chapter live on tour, but put it in perspective. These songs will still be there. He will still play them. And just like he wrote songs that were relevant and real and comforting to you in the past, he will continue writing songs like that and better in the future.

PS: Also, no more “RIP”, the band is not dead. Andrew and the other three guys are alive and kicking. And hopefully, they will not rest in peace but rather continue rocking out.

I miss your face, Andrew McMahon. 

(Source: wreckingballheart)

optimistic-host:

As many music fans know, August 23rd represents a very important day for Jack’s Mannequin lead singer Andrew McMahon. On that very day back in 2005, Andrew released the debut Jack Mannequin album Everything in Transit. He also received a stem cell transplant from his sister, Katie. This stem cell transplant saved his life and led him down the road to remission from leukemia. 

Needless to say, these two events have had an immense impact on Andrew and his fans, and while Andrew has moved past his illness and continues to create beautiful music, it seems only right to honor this day somehow. Inspired by fans of The Cab and all the wonderful things they’ve been able to accomplish, I figured the time was right to start a new movement. Right here, right now, this August 23rd.  

Jack’s Mannequin Day. 

First and foremost, Jack’s Mannequin Day is a day of celebration. A celebration of music. A celebration of community. A celebration of life. You can choose to celebrate any way you choose. You could:

• Blast Everything in Transit and the rest of the Jack’s Mannequin discography in your car or at your workplace. 
• Share Andrew’s story and his music with people in your life who have never heard of him. Make your very own mixed tape for them with all your favorite songs!
• Hang up posters around town that feature Andrew’s story or maybe some Jack’s Mannequin lyrics.
• Share a movie night with friends/family and watch “Dear Jack.” 
• Post Jack’s Mannequin-related stuff (Andrew’s story, a JM song, etc…) on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr. If you see other fans doing it, message them and make a new friend!

I’d also like to make Jack’s Mannequin Day a day of action. This can be accomplished in a multitude of ways. 

• In honor of Andrew being in remission for 7 years, donate $7 to the Dear Jack Foundation or another charity of your choice. While $7 might not seem like a lot, the smallest donation can make the biggest difference, especially if a lot of people do it! Andrew’s charity, the Dear Jack Foundation, supports the UCLA stem cell transplant program, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. You could also donate to your local Dear Jack team marching in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s annual Light The Night Walk. There’s also 11:11 A.M. (a charity started by Jack’s Mannequin fans) or the Matt Cwiertny Memorial Foundation, to name just a few. 
• Start or join your local Light The Night team. This is a great way to raise money for an important cause, get involved in your community, and meet other Jack’s Mannequin fans! 
• If you don’t have the money to donate (or even if you do), spend the day volunteering. Go visit with pediatric cancer patients at your local hospital. Ask your friends for gently used toys. Organize a bake sale and donate the proceeds to the charity of your choice. Whatever you end up doing, make sure to share Andrew’s story and let people know what you’re doing for your community and why. 
• Become a bone marrow donor. Andrew was lucky enough to find a successful donor in his sister, but not everybody is. Every year, 10,000 patients with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases need a marrow transplant from an unrelated donor, but only half receive one. By registering as a bone marrow donor, you can help change that. 

August 23rd is next Thursday. I have no idea what to expect, but my hope is that other Jack’s Mannequin fans will join me in honoring Andrew and spreading the word about his incredible journey. To wrap things up, I’ll leave you with a quote from the man himself: 

“With each new day it becomes more and more apparent to me that everything and everyone in this world is connected in some beautiful and inexplicable way, and the more I accept that, the more my world seems to come together.” -Andrew McMahon, August 23rd, 2005

(Source: theressomuchsunwhereimfrom, via thetreehouseonmulholland)