This past Tuesday, fans started lining up as early as noon for the co-headlining show featuring OC-based piano-driven pop rockers Jack's Mannequin with Boston alternative rockers Guster. A harrowing storm plowed through Ybor without warning as doors opened just in time for eager concertgoers to run inside The Ritz. A pre-party began around 5:30 p.m. with
live music in the side room as the main room filled with a college-aged crowd and various other 20- and 30-somethings. [Text by Valerie, photos by Mike.]
Augustana dropped off the bill, leaving the quirky mellow jammin' trio Lady Danville with the duty of warming up the crowd. The Los Angeles group played an eclectic collection of smooth Southern-fused folk-pop tunes clad in spunky bowties and hipster mustaches. Their short but charming set showcased their indie vibe and mixed in a little humor, ukulele and harmonica.
Jack's Mannequin is a must-see live act. Fans of the band — which is led by Something Corporate frontman Andrew McMahon — stood patiently beneath the dimmed lights anticipating a sincere, energetically heartfelt performance. McMahon has been through his share of hard times, yet somehow manages to ingeniously brew up mega pop rock anthems consistently over the years.
They kicked off their set with the dynamic piano-riffed "Dark Blue" off of their 2005 debut Everything In Transit. McMahon played the hell out of his iconic wood-finished Baldwin grand piano, precise but boundlessly enthusiastic, and backed by a killer band that performed a balanced combo of songs from Transit as well as off 2008's The Glass Passenger, like the inspirational track "Swim," which always proves to be a crowd pleaser.
The set also included songs off their forthcoming third LP, People And Things, slated for release in October. The first, "Platform Fire," was introduced by McMahon with a fair warning, as it was a number they've only played a few times live and forgot to practice on this particular day. "Yeah, I already fucked that up," he admitted mid-song, addressing the crowd throughout the show more as a group of friends rather than simply onlookers, "but you guys wouldn’t know the difference anyway, right?"
Toward the end of the set, during "Bloodshot," McMahon's signature jump from front of keys onto the body of his massive instrument generated an eruption of cheers exponentially pumping up the energy in the room. He closed out the show with the upbeat and fun "La La Lie," bringing out members of Guster to join the finale. Fans left wanting more and looking forward to October, when Jack's Mannequin plans to return on a tour in support of People And Things.
As Jack's Mannequin exited the stage, eager Guster fans rushed to fill in the newly vacant spots on the rails. They had a tough act to follow — trying to impress the leftover Jack's Mannequin fans and entice the indifferent boozers who'd been hanging at the bar all night. Guster has been making music together for a good 20 years, though I had never heard of them prior to this night, I intended to see what they were all about.
They opened their set with one of their more upbeat tracks, capturing the attention of the crowd, but couldn't quite keep the momentum going and the crowd seemed to lose interest. They played a mix of mellow, mainstream radio-groovy pop rock songs — "Satellite," "Hang On" and "On the Ocean" among them. They closed out the show with a cover of Peter Bjorn & John's "Young Folks," inviting McMahon back onto the stage to join them for this last song.
At the end of the night, Jack's Mannequin commanded the crowd in a way that Guster simply did not. There were some moments in their set that shined, but the songs seemed to blend all together toward the end of it. Though I'm sure Guster pleased their long-time fans, they didn't deliver well enough to win over many new ones.
