JACK’S MANNEQUIN
Jack’s Mannequin, The Stone Pony, Asbury, NJ 6/26/25.
Jack’s Mannequin – 20 Years of Everything in Transit
Not many artists can sell out the Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park on a Thursday night, but Jack’s Mannequin sure can. Can you believe it’s been 20 years since Everything in Transit dropped? I’m definitely feeling older just saying that. That’s right, two decades ago, we were introduced to emo-piano anthems like “Dark Blue,” “The Mixed Tape,” and “Bruised.” These tracks didn’t just define an era; they influenced a generation of musicians and reshaped how many artists approached songwriting.
Looking back, Everything in Transit was a remarkable achievement for Andrew McMahon. After parting ways with Something Corporate, he took a creative leap with a new band and a new sound. But just as Jack’s Mannequin was getting off the ground, Andrew was diagnosed with leukemia.
He underwent two rounds of chemotherapy and a stem-cell transplant, achieving remission by October 2005. Since then, Andrew has not only remained healthy but has gone on to create the Dear Jack Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting adolescents and young adults with cancer through treatment and recovery. At every show, fans can donate to the cause. By the end of the first leg of the tour, they’d raised over $49,000. You can find a donation link at the bottom of this article, please consider contributing.
During the show, Andrew shared a powerful moment with the crowd:
“Last year I’ve been thinking, Oh it’s the reunion of Everything In Transit. The birth of Jack’s Mannequin. And then a month or two before I got out here I was like, oh shit, this was actually 20 years ago this month that I found out I was sick with cancer and that I had to figure out how to fight and survive. And it was so many of you in this audience who were there by my side who were cheering me on. Who made it possible when I wasn’t able to promote Jack’s Mannequin. Everything In Transit record. So many of you were out there selling wristbands, spreading the word. So to be on this stage, thank you. So to be on this stage tonight, 20 years a concert survivor, 20 years a member of Jack’s Mannequin. Alive and well, singing these songs in front of you. This means more to me than you can possibly know. This music is about living, it’s about hope, it’s about survival.”
It was a chilly summer night, as is typical when you’re just 300 feet from the ocean. I definitely regretted not bringing an extra layer. But once I got inside the packed venue, the crowd’s energy (and body heat) made up for it. The space buzzed with fans donning merch from every phase of McMahon’s career, Something Corporate, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, and of course, Jack’s Mannequin. Even the merch line for the Stone Pony itself was nearly as long as the one for the show gear. What can I say? When you're in the house that Springsteen built, how can you resist?
Around 8:00 p.m., I made my way to the photo pit. The LED screens lit up with nostalgic camcorder footage of the band’s early days, accompanied by Andrew’s narration. He walked us through the creation of Everything in Transit, ending with the line: “Jack’s Mannequin is not just a band. It is a story.” The band then launched into “Bruised,” followed by “Spinning” and “The Mixed Tape”, a perfect opening trilogy, setting the tone like a great intro paragraph.
Later in the set, Andrew said:
“This music. This Jack’s Mannequin music is brooded in the idea of struggle and friendship and how good friends and the people that you love can pull you through to the other side of something difficult. Sometimes it’s just the everyday ordinary stuff and sometimes it is the life changing heavy heavy stuff.”
The crowd stayed fully engaged all night, and the timing of a light rain during “Swim” added a surreal emotional layer. The setlist was packed, covering Everything in Transitin full, plus tracks from The Glass Passenger and People and Things. It’s been nearly a decade since Jack’s Mannequin’s last full tour, so getting a comprehensive show like this felt truly special. A surprise highlight? “Doris Day”, a track that hadn’t been performed live since 2012. Andrew laughed, “Give us a freebie, alright Jersey? We’ll see what happens.”
No Jack’s Mannequin show would be complete without Andrew crowd-surfing on an inflatable. This tour’s choice: a llama, a nod to a past mishap in Asbury Park where he supposedly fell off one. This time, though, he rode it safely from the front to the back of the crowd during “La La Lie.”
The emotional arc of the evening continued with “Hammers and Strings (A Lullaby)” and the epic “MFEO: Pt. 1 - Made for Each Other / Pt. 2 - You Can Breathe,” during which Andrew jumped into the crowd to sing alongside his fans. Afterward, the band briefly exited, and a heartfelt video played. It featured Andrew speaking into a camcorder in 2005 after finishing Everything in Transit:
“That’s the record. I’m very happy with it. I don’t know. I feel like I learned a lot about myself when I did this. I feel like I learned a lot about myself that makes me scared of myself. I don’t know. I hope this thing does well. I hope that this gives me the opportunity to make records like this and like I want to for as long as I want to. I feel like I finally made music that I’ve always wanted to make. Which is a good feeling. With the exception of all the other feelings attached to that. I guess we’ll keep talking. This tape is gonna run out soon and I’m gonna have to go buy more. And I’m a procrastinator so I probably won’t do that for a while. So until the next time… It’s been interesting. But I’m glad that we have her done. Jack’s Mannequin, Everything in Transit.”
When the video ended, the band returned for a powerful encore, closing with “Caves” and, of course, “Dark Blue.” The energy was electric, and the sense of community palpable. Fans shared tattoos, rare merch, and stories that spanned two decades. On my way out, I met Emily R., the lucky winner of the signed drumhead, and snapped a photo of her and her friends at the Dear Jack Foundation table.
As I stepped out, the sky misted gently over the venue, a perfect curtain call for a night steeped in emotion, memory, and music. Jack’s Mannequin kicks off the second leg of the tour on July 23rd. If you’ve ever been touched by Andrew’s music, don’t miss it.
If you’d like to support the Dear Jack Foundation, visit:
https://www.dearjackfoundation.org
Shot and Written by Dylan Sheridan.
