Coveting Strength

These days I'm not so keen to head to a concert for a fun night out, though I used to on a regular basis. Hands down, my favorite performer I've ever seen live (7 times? Maybe 8?) has to be Andrew McMahon, of Something Corporate and now of Jack's Mannequin.

I originally went to a concert in Westport, near the Plaza in Kansas City, to see Yellowcard. Don't judge... you know you love some "Ocean Avenue" just as much as the next guy. Anyway, I that was either my junior or senior year of high school, and Yellowcard was opening for Something Corporate. Being a high schooler, and having traveled an hour to go to this show in my parent's car with one other friend,  I was given a curfew that didn't allow us to stay through the whole show. We only heard 2-3 SC songs, but when I got home I immediately started scouring the internet for downloads. I. Was. In. Love. 

(early 2007-Jack's Mannequin concert back at the Beaumont Club- with a full head of hair again! I was definitely squatting down nearly a foot in this picture)

I was a bit confused at first when SC decided to take a break, but absolutely thrilled when I found out that Andrew was going to do a side project... Jack's Mannequin. Everything in Transit was a dream come true. Around the same time it was released, I remember trying to research his lyrics, and being stunned to find that Andrew had been diagnosed with leukemia.

Anyway, really long story short, (I mean really, I could go on and on) while I was busy counting down the days 'til the new album was in my hands, Andrew was a bit preoccupied fighting for his life. A one hour movie was recently released, called Dear Jack, that documents the time he spent beating his awful disease, from his own and his family's perspective.

If you ever need a little inspiration to pull through something difficult in your life-- look no further than Dear Jack. Not only that, but it's really nice to see a person who is often in the spotlight in the raw; he's just another guy like the rest of us. I also really enjoy knowing where an artist's lyrics come from, and this movie does a great job of showing how Andrew's music changed through his experience.

After receiving a stem cell transplant from his sister and fully recovering, Andrew has started the Dear Jack Foundation, which is "working to find the organizations and charities with the greatest need and highest potential for impact. Amongst the recipients are the UCLA stem cell transplant program who are on the cutting edge of cures through transplantation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation." Proceeds from the movie will be donated to the Dear Jack Foundation.