Tag: Jack’s Mannequin

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mayday Parade, Jack’s Mannequin, & The Home Team @ Hordern Pavilion, Eora/Sydney – 13 September 2025

When people heard that I was heading to the Mayday Parade, Jack’s Mannequin, and Home Team show the day after returning from Japan they said I was crazy. But I’ve always believed you can sleep when you’re dead. And considering I love Jack’s Mannequin so much that I’m heading to the United States to see them on the Holiday from Real cruise in February, there was no way on earth I’d miss seeing them so close to home!

Running on pure adrenaline, I was psyched for this incredible triple bill. I wasn’t really familiar with The Home Team, but they quickly won me over with their energy and genre-bending sound. They’ve definitely got pop-punk at their core, but they know how to rock hard and bring some dance-funk into the mix. It’s such an unusual blend, but I was definitely here for it. Brian Butcher is one of the most charismatic frontmen I’ve ever seen. I could barely take my eyes off him, which is saying something considering the moves that guitarist John Baran and bassist Ryne Olson delivered. All without missing a note! Formed in 2013, The Home Team are one of the newer acts on the pop-punk scene. Brian seemed in awe of the moment, marvelling that their music has taken them to Australia and noting that their gigs back home are much smaller. They’ve definitely got the goods to play those big stages though. Their 10-song set was more generous than most afforded to opening acts, but I was entranced from start to finish. I’d see them again in a heartbeat.

Seeing how much time The Home Team had only made me more psyched for Jack’s Mannequin. It’s always a gamble to attend a show when you love the support act more than the headliner. You can easily be shortchanged. But I was treated to an hour of fantastic music from this band that means so much to me. I wasn’t there when Jack’s Mannequin had their time in the sun. Andrew McMahon’s music was a pandemic discovery for me, one that brought a rainbow of colour during a really dark time. So this was my first opportunity to see him in full-band mode and I relished it.

It was a totally different show than the stripped-back Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness one I saw in February 2023. While Andrew excels behind a piano, I loved watching him prowl around the stage and move into the audience to feed off their energy (no photographic evidence because he moves fast!). Seeing his connection with his bandmates filled my heart. The set list was also fire, featuring personal favourites including “Bruised,” “Dark Blue,” and one of the songs that hit me hardest during the pandemic, “Swim.” I know I’m biased when it comes to this band, but my friend Lisa, who is far less familiar with their music, leaned over to me during the set and said, “They’re fantastic!” Yes, they are. If it were possible, I’m even more excited about my US trip after Saturday’s set.

Understanding my love for Jack’s Mannequin and the travel fatigue I was fighting, Lisa asked me whether I wanted to stay for Mayday Parade. But I never considered leaving. Not for a second. While most of the crowd here no doubt discovered these bands in their adolescence, I’ve been on a bit of a pop-punk/emo kick in recent years that’s seen me diving into a lot of the fabulous music that wasn’t quite mainstream in this country including this band’s back catalogue. It’s a bold move for any act celebrating their 20-year anniversary to open up with a 2025 single, but the rapturous response to “By The Way” showed this crowd was up for anything. And that’s what they gave us, a set that took twists and turns as it celebrated all that makes Mayday Parade such a fantastic act. I was thrilled to hear my personal favourite “Jersey” come out early. As it wasn’t released as a single, I didn’t expect them to play it, but I lost my mind when they did. Along with the deep cuts, Mayday Parade also made sure to celebrate favourites like “Oh Well, Oh Well” and “Anywhere But Here.”

High-energy moments were contrasted with stunning emo ballads like “Miserable at Best” and “Terrible Things.” While they sounded beautiful, I wish they didn’t see lead singer Derek Sanders move to the back corner of the stage to play piano. He was totally obscured by the speakers from my seats on the left. And while I know it’s not very punk to sit at a rock show, I can’t recall another show where the lead singer spent any considerable time hidden away near the back of the stage.

When we did see Derek, he was incredible. I loved watching him jump around with such feeling, vocals never faltering despite his high-octane performance. He also seemed overcome with the emotion of the occasion, noting that Australian cities are among the band’s top markets for new material. I felt privileged to be amongst this crowd who continue to support this band. “Jamie All Over” was the predictable closer, but even though I knew it was coming I had such fun rocking out to it.

I came out of Saturday’s concert without the small shred of voice that I had been hanging on to. It still has not returned. I crashed out in record time once my head hit the hotel pillow. When people said I was insane to even contemplate going to the gig so soon after my overseas adventures, they were probably right. But I would do it all again, because it was incredible. Mayday Parade, Jack’s Mannequin, and The Home Team have just two shows left in Australia. If you’re on the fence, trust me: buy the tickets.

17 September 2025 – Hindley Street Music Hall, Tarntanya/Adelaide (ALL AGES)
19 September 2025 – Metro City, Boorloo/Perth (18+)

Photo credit: Lauren Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mayday Parade, Jack’s Mannequin, & The Home Team Heading to Australia For Monster Pop-Punk Tour

I’m buzzing today with the news that Mayday Parade are celebrating 20 years in the business with an Aussie tour, and they’re bringing The Home Team and one of my favourite acts of all time – Jack’s Mannequin – along for the ride.

Just a couple of weeks ago I was cursing that Jack’s Mannequin were playing shows in Japan while I was cruising around the country, meaning I’d be stuck in the middle of ocean while they were entertaining the masses. Thankfully they’ve been considerate enough to schedule the Eora/Sydney show for the day after I return. Jetlag cannot get in the way of what promises to be a good time!

“Mayday Parade is so excited to return to Australia to headline in celebrating 20 years as a band and our current releases,” the band’s guitarist Alex Garcia said. “Throughout all this time some of our best shows have been in Australia and that’s because our fans there are so incredibly special. We can’t wait to celebrate this band with you guys!”

The Three Cheers for 20 Years tour travels to the major capitals this September. The early bird presale begins this Friday before the general sale on Tuesday February 25, so get on it!

12 September 2025 – Margaret Court Arena, Naarm/Melbourne (LICENSED ALL AGES)
13 September 2025 – Hordern Pavilion, Eora/Sydney (LICENSED ALL AGES)
14 September 2025 – Fortitude Music Hall, Meeanjin/Brisbane (LICENSED ALL AGES)
17 September 2025 – Hindley St Music Hall, Tarntanya/Adelaide (LICENSED ALL AGES)
19 September 2025 – Metro City, Boorloo/Perth (18+)

Image used with permission from Bigmouth PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness @ The Triffid, Meeanjin/Brisbane – 8 February 2023

I don’t often travel interstate for gigs. But when Andrew McMahon announced his current Australian tour and the Sydney date clashed with previously made plans, I knew I had to head to Meeanjin/Brisbane. I’m a relative newcomer to Andrew’s music, discovering it through a friend in the early days of the pandemic. In a dark time, sinking my teeth into his exhaustive back catalogue brought colour into my world. I listened to little else for months. When I was at my angstiest, there was Something Corporate. When I needed hope, there was the lighter indie-pop of his Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness material. I thought Everything in Transit, from his Jack’s Mannequin days, was one of the most exciting albums I’d ever heard. I’ve always been of the belief that it doesn’t matter when you get into an artist’s music. It’s there when you need it. And if you’re lucky, you get to join long-term fans in a gig like Wednesday night’s show at The Triffid in Brisbane and feel like part of a community.

I must admit I didn’t twig when Heavenshe was announced as Andrew’s support, but I got pretty excited when I realised this was the new moniker of Tonight Alive vocalist Jenna McDougall. What a brilliant reintroduction to this artist. We got to catch up on her new material and take a trip down Memory Lane with a couple of Tonight Alive classics. With just an acoustic guitar they sounded a little different to the way they did way back then, but I’ve always appreciated hearing songs stripped back to their purest forms. Speaking of appreciation, I’ve got to give a shout-out to the punters at the Triffid. They probably didn’t know most of this material, but they listened captivated and applauded enthusiastically. What an incredible bunch of humans. After hearing so many crowds talk over support acts, it was so refreshing to be amongst people who were so receptive to new music. Needless to say, I’ll be checking out Hevenshe’s music after this beautiful set.

Often when you get into an artist late in their career, you miss out on intimate gigs like Andrew’s set at The Triffid. So many years in they’ve already graduated to the big arenas or stadiums. I am so thankful that he remains underground here in Australia, at least for now. While he was up on stage, there was no barrier so he could easily chat to those of us in the front few rows between songs. He could hear the people who’d get excited when they heard the first few bars of their favourite tracks and acknowledge their joy. We felt like friends gathering around a piano to hear some tunes rather than punters at a gig.

I’ve always been a sucker for an acoustic show, so I really appreciated the simplicity of this gig. Just a man and a piano sharing songs and stories with us all. The set was incredible, a celebration of his entire career, although he joked that he probably should have played more than one track from his forthcoming album. Perhaps that’s for another tour. From my position in the second row, it seemed like we were all singing along with every word, although we joined in the woah-ohs of “Fire Escape” and the fuck yeahs of “Holiday from Real” with extra gusto. I saw people wiping away tears in “Swim,” a song that’s helped so many of us, including myself, through hard times. Hearing heavier tracks like “Straw Dog” and “Punk Rock Princess” broken down was a revelation. It all was.

And because we were good, because Andrew assured us it would only happen if we were, we got “Konstantine,” the nearly 10-minute epic from the Something Corporate days. Always requested but rarely played, it was so special. Closing out with the joyous “La La Lie,” I struggled to think how the show could have been better. You can never hear anything you want when an artist has such an exhaustive back catalogue, but this show certainly came close.

I mentioned before that I feel it doesn’t matter when you come to an artist’s music, it’ll be there for you when the time is right. I saw this gig with my best friend in the world, Lisa. She’d heard a couple of Andrew’s tracks but was pretty unfamiliar with his back catalogue. But she decided to go to the show anyway, trusting my judgement. She came out a fan. While she didn’t know the majority of the songs, she found herself so engaged by them. I am so thrilled that like my friend introduced me to Andrew’s music a couple of years ago, I could do the same for her. I am so grateful that she’s open-minded enough to just go and see what it’s all about. And that she’s selfless enough to give me the set list she caught, because she knows it’ll mean so much to me. Experiencing this show with her made it even more special.

When you travel for a gig, you want a show like this. When you stand up for a gig, even though you’re past 40 and feel too old for standing floor gigs, you want a show like this. I might have been late to the party, but you can bet I won’t miss another Andrew McMahon tour. If you’re in Eora/Sydney, you can catch him tonight at The Factory.

Images: Lauren Katulka and Lisa Mayer