Jack's Mannequin at Pier 17 [photos + review]

It poured all day.

It poured during the queue, it poured during doors, it poured on the fan club VIPers, already in the venue, piled in the pit. It threatened to pour into the night, potentially delaying the show, or canceling it altogether.

Jack’s Mannequin fans have been waiting for this tour for quite a while. As Andrew McMahon’s band, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, continues to play shows and release records, Jack’s had sat defunct for a bit. However, this summer marks the band’s 20^th anniversary. Much like last summer, with a reunion of McMahon’s pop-punk band, Something Corporate, Pier 17, New York City’s most celebrated summer venue, was sold out and ready, so long as the rain held off.

Out of nowhere, a faint light blanketed the sky. Out of the stormy darkness, a brilliant rainbow heralded the South Street Seaport, one that fans were able to follow right to the venue’s doors; the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The sun began to shine as the clouds parted, making way for the openers, Yoke Lore. Fans checked the weather on their phones, realizing the night would be a clear one. The stormy day was about to explode into light.

The excitement reached a fever pitch as McMahon’s piano was wheeled to the center of the stage. With three extraordinary albums under their belt, Everything in Transit, The Glass Passenger, and People and Things, the setlist held the promise of a trip down memory lane, well-worn musical paths traveled before.

However, always lurking in the background is the utter horror of McMahon’s leukemia diagnosis just before Everything in Transit was set to be released. That’s part of the story of McMahon and Jack’s Mannequin, their eternal linkage, the ugly part that fans wish they could forget. McMahon addressed it head-on: not only did he release a documentary detailing those experiences, but also prefaced the show with an intro video. He discussed the beginning, the cancer; he described fighting for his life. In the video, he appears gaunt and bald, an extremely difficult watch. But as always, McMahon remained positive; in fact, he and his doctors have theorized that it was his unfailing optimism, his will to go on, to believe in, and dream, about a brilliant future, one with an eventual marriage to his then-fiancée, Kelly Hansch, one where he is back on tour, singing and playing piano for all the fans praying for him daily, wishing he was well again, wishing he was healthy and on a stage.

McMahon did, of course, live, did go on and marry Hansch. He began to tour again. He began, with his now-wife’s help, to put the pieces of his life back together. They had a child together, Cecilia McMahon, who now makes guest appearances at her father’s shows, often singing beside him.

In addition, 2025 marks 20 years of being cancer-free. McMahon also felt it his mission to give back, helping those suffering from leukemia. His sister saved his life by being a bone marrow donor; she was his direct match. Without her sacrifice, McMahon would not be here today. With his Dear Jack foundation, McMahon matches potential bone marrow donors with those in need. In this way, McMahon has filled a gap, a pressing need. He recognized how lucky he was and wants to pass this on to others. And it’s this, this kindness, where McMahon truly shines, as bright as the peal of keys on a piano.

When McMahon walked out, he stepped to the front of the stage with a massive grin. Kicking off with “Holiday from Real,” the first track off Everything in Transit, the crowd began to sing in chorus. Bursting into “Spinning,” off The Glass Passenger, followed by “Release Me,” off People and Things, the setlist was a compilation of greatest hits, and songs not played for years. McMahon, a dynamic performer, was all over the place, jumping into the audience to sing in the crowd, leaping on, and off, his piano, and traversing the sold-out audience of 3,500 people on an inflatable pool float, which can change from show to show. NYC was treated to the sunglasses-sporting rubber ducky, whereas other venues were treated to the party llama. Sailing on a sea of hands, McMahon delighted spectators.

Ending the show with “Dark Blue,” one of the most beautiful songs written, the night concluded at 10pm sharp, Pier 17’s curfew. Filtering out of the venue, fans talked excitedly with one another about their experience. Many were going to multiple Jack’s Mannequin shows on the tour, some even traveling to Philadelphia the following night, before making their way down to Asbury roughly two weeks later.

Jack’s Mannequin has an incredible year ahead. Catch them throughout the summer and into the fall!

Find a full gallery of photos from the performance posted below along with the setlist.