Andrew McMahon started playing and writing music when he was 9 years old. He knew what he wanted, and that was to be a professional musician — it’s “the only thing I’ve ever set my eyes on,” he said.
Twenty years later, it’s clear he’s accomplished that goal. McMahon is the frontman and pianist for the band Jack’s Mannequin, which will perform at The Graduate on Nov. 8 as part of its “People and Things” world tour.
The show in San Luis Obispo isn’t an accident — McMahon said he “put out a mandate” to his management about stopping at some places the band has never visited before during this tour.
“I’ve been up to (San Luis Obispo) to visit,” McMahon said. “It’ll be nice to actually get to do a gig (there).”
McMahon formed Jack’s Mannequin in Orange County, Calif., in 2004, after his previous band Something Corporate went on hiatus (the band returned for a reunion tour in 2010). McMahon said he recorded almost all of the first album with his producer, and then they decided they wanted to get more people involved.
And the band was well received — Jack’s Mannequin’s first album “Everything in Transit,” including the hit single “Dark Blue,” which asked “Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?” made it into the top 40 on the Billboard 200 music chart in 2005.
That same year, McMahon said he received difficult news. He was diagnosed with leukemia. While the experience of getting through a life-threatening disease changed McMahon in a lot of ways, including personal relationships and his sense of self, he said it didn’t affect his musical ambitions. The obstacle only appeared to deepen his resolve.
“This is what I do for a living; this is what I do to satisfy my soul,” McMahon said. “(Leukemia) was just the thing at the moment that sort of stood between me and doing it at that time.”
McMahon didn’t let it stand in his way for too long — Jack’s Mannequin released its second album “The Glass Passenger” in 2008.
The band’s third album “People and Things,” released on iTunes in late September, was “one of the greatest challenges” for the band, McMahon said. The band recorded every song live and then edited together the best parts of the live takes, he said.
Over the years, the band has incorporated a variety of sounds into their music — some are reminiscent of rock drums and electric guitar, but more unconventional sounds such as the violin or bells can be heard on some tracks.
When finding inspiration for his music, McMahon said he “likes to employ as much of (his) imagination as possible.” But the person sitting next to him in a bar, or a fight with someone he cares about could be inspiration as well, he said.
“My greatest source of inspiration are the things I encounter as I travel in my daily life,” McMahon said.
And the band is excited about its stop in San Luis Obispo, McMahon said. He said he will personally be glad to be back in California — approximately a week ago, the band was in Alberta, Canada, where McMahon said it was freezing.
“We love San Luis (Obispo) — we’re just looking forward to being there. It’s so beautiful,” McMahon said. “Hopefully, there are people who are excited enough about it to show up and have a good time.”
Collective Effort Events booked the event, and also brings concerts to venues from Santa Barbara up to San Francisco. Owner and partner Johnny Kenny said they thought they would “try to bring some indie rock that normally wouldn’t stop here.”
“We’re blessed in the sense that most bands travel on (Highway) 101 from San Francisco to Los Angeles,” Kenny said. “Our company goal is to get those bands to stop at college towns along the way.”
Past shows by similar bands such as MGMT have had success, Kenny said. San Luis Obispo has a diverse musical scene, he said, including country and electronic.
“Indie rock is definitely a genre that is embraced, especially in a town where there are as many coffee shops as hair salons,” Kenny said.
And ticket sales for the show “have been strong” — Kenny said they’re expecting to get approximately 700 people.
One person who will be in the audience is business administration senior Andrew Woloz, who said he’s been a fan of McMahon since the singer was a part of Something Corporate.
“As far as I know, there haven’t been any bands like this here in quite some time,” Woloz said.
This show will be a nostalgic event for Woloz, who said the band reminds him of high school and even middle school.
There’s “a big lacking of good music in general” in San Luis Obispo, Woloz said, and he wishes more bands like Jack’s Mannequin would come here.
Another attendee will be graphic communication senior Jennifer Friesen, who said she’s been a fan for two or three years and “never imagined they’d come to (San Luis Obispo).”
While she’s looking forward to the overall experience of the concert, she said she’s also excited to hear them play music from their new album.
“They are great live; they sound basically how they sound on the CD,” Friesen said.