Marquee Memories: Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

It's time for our favorite segment - Marquee Memories! Staring the musical juggler Andrew McMahon! This talented artist has had numerous musical projects; including acting vocalist, pianist and primary lyricist for Something Corporate and main songwriter for Jack's Mannequin. He currently performs solo, both under his own name as well as his moniker, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness.
Since dropping his first solo release, The Pop Underground, in 2013 after a dozen years as the singer for the pop-punk bands, McMahon has been tirelessly honing in his musical craft. He released two albums with his latest project, Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness, and has toured constantly, even managing to squeeze in a short reunion tour with Jack’s Mannequin for the 10th anniversary of its debut album in 2015. With such an extensive musical background, it's no surprise that the indie rocker was able to pull influence from the iconic musicians of his early days and even more amazingly perform alongside them today.
From watching his musical hero's perform from afar, to rocking out next to them onstage, McMahon's Marquee Memories are comprised of one and a lifetime experiences and full circle moments.
Marquee Memories: Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness
BILLY JOEL
"I started playing piano when I was about 9 and Billy Joel sort of became the Bible for me. My music teacher hated me because every classical piece that I had to learn for recital, I insisted that I learn a Billy Joel song and my parents got me tickets. We drove to Cleveland and I remember it was the kick drum. It was like the first sound that you heard in the show. It brought tears to my eyes and the show was incredible. When I got asked to play with Billy Joel, the first show they asked me to play was in Cleveland and I got to tell him that story of me being a kid and seeing his show for the first time and he had stories about that very night that were hysterical. It was a real full circle moment for me to get to see myself on a stage with a hero"
BEN FOLDS FIVE
"There are those handful of artists that people turn you on to and that change your life. For me, I remember that first Ben Folds Five record came out it absolutely changed my life. I remember this particular show because it was the seminal moment where you say ‘I’m going to be this kid who waits in line to see my favorite band.’ Seeing those guys come up playing nightclubs and they get on the radio and blow up and you follow them through that process, you believe all of a sudden like ‘I can do this.’ So I think for all of us it was inspiring in a lot of ways. One, is that musicians need to grow and be better at your job or a better songwriter, but also to hustle. To see that there is an art to this. It’s not this overnight thing, like all of a sudden you’re just this superstar playing big venues. Seeing your favorite bands in a punk rock setting and watch them grow was certainly inspiring."
TOM PETTY
"Petty is such a legend, but for me is probably the artist that I most admired over the years. I got tickets to see him out in Palm Springs and I got to get up on the side stage right behind the monitor console and here is Stevie Nicks kind of coming on and off stage. I’m watching my favorite band standing next to the singer of one of my other favorite bands, Fleetwood Mac, and pinching myself and I definitely smoked some weed earlier in the evening so this moment of kind of looking at everybody going, ‘is this really happening? Am I in a dream?’ To have had an experience like that where I got to be so close to it, I’ll cherish it forever especially now that he’s gone."
For those heading to the singer's current trek, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness Upside Down Flowers Tour, take a look at the upcoming dates below and find his most recent setlist HERE!
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness Upside Down Flowers Tour:
2/23 - Clifton Park, NY - Upstate Concert Hall 2/24 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE 2/26 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall 2/28 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room at Old National Centre 3/1 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore 3/2 - Chicago, IL - The Riviera Theatre 3/3 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue 3/5 - Milwaukee, WI - The Pabst Theater 3/7 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant 3/9 - Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium 3/10 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up Aspen 3/12 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot 3/14 - Missoula, MT - The Wilma 3/15 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre 3/16 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater 3/19 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades 3/21 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater 3/22 - Los Angeles, CA - The Orpheum 3/23 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues 3/24 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
Karma Police - Please Share:

More from Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness