Three Pianos: An Evening With Something Corporate, Jack's Mannequin, and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

by Roman Sobus

Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island - Chicago, IL - August 14, 2026

A sold-out crowd packed Chicago's lakefront on a warm, summer night to watch Andrew McMahon take the stage for a performance that may never happen again. Three pianos sit on a stage, waiting to tell a story through the songs of Jack's Mannequin, Something Corporate, and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, as fans patiently waited for the three and a half hour show to begin. What may have felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity for McMahon, to have all three bands on the same stage at Red Rocks, was now a reality as the second of three very special shows was about to begin.

Andrew McMahon Three Pianos Tour Chicago

The smile on Andrew's face was impossible to miss as he took a seat at the first piano of the night, the one that that would play the songs of Jack's Mannequin. The band kicked off the night with "Resolution," immediately giving fans a taste of the energy that would carry throughout the night. There was minimal talking between songs, allowing the night to unfold through 38 songs that would take fans through an emotional roller coaster. The crowd sang along to every word, smiling crying, and dancing through night.

The intermission between bands was brief but didn't feel like a break at all. A video played on the screens that showed words that were read by Andrew McMahon. Each video served as an ode to the pianos sitting on the stage, with each representing a different chapter of McMahon's musical journey and the projects that have defined his career. After the first intermission, Andrew found his place at the next piano to take the crowd on the next adventure through Andrew McMahon and the Wilderness. The Wilderness set brought out the iconic inflatable duck during "Island Radio," which Andrew hopped on to be ridden across the fans in the pit. The last song of the Wilderness set, "Synesthesia," took Andrew out into the crowd to dance under a giant, colorful, parachute. The final piano on stage would bring the long-awaited songs of Something Corporate to life. SoCo brought a different group of musicians to the stage than those that had performed earlier, since Jack's Mannequin and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness share band members. Something Corporate's set took us through a road trip via "I Woke Up in a Car," before the emotional release of "Hurricane."

After a fifteen minute intermission, that had fans, loudly, counting down the last ten seconds, Brian Ireland (drums, Something Corporate) and William Tell (guitar, Something Corporate), came out for what Tell would describe to fans as a "serious" moment. Ireland and Tell, also known as The Prom Queens, came together on the first Andrew McMahon's Holiday from Real cruise and due to their popularity, got a pool deck set on the second cruise. The "serious" moment of Brian and William's time was an acoustic cover of Sisqo's "Thong Song," and "I Love You Always Forever" by Donna Lewis.

While The Prom Queens were entertaining the masses, McMahon, Bob Oxblood (guitar, Jack's Mannequin and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness), Josh Partington (guitar, Something Corporate), and Zac Clark (keyboards, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness), quietly prepared for an intimate acoustic set on a stage in the middle of the pavilion. The stripped-down performance brought out "The Astronaut" by SoCO, and "Swim" by Jack's Mannequin, offering a more intimate moment amid an already unforgettable night.

The lights faded on the stage in the middle of the pavilion, drawing the audience's attention back to the main stage. Brian Ireland of Something Corporate and Jay McMillan of Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness treated the crowd to a powerful drum solo, building anticipation for the final set of the night.

The closing set was a final celebration of McMahon's 30-year career, featuring "Stars" and "Fire Escape" by Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, and "If U C Jordan" by Something Corporate. Moving from piano to piano, McMahon revisited each chapter of his musical journey, while members from all three projects joined him on stage. It was a fitting finale to a night that brought the full scope of his career together in one place.

Before the party came to an end, Andrew brought out his daughter, Cecilia, to join him as part of the encore in singing "Cecilia in the Satellite" by Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. McMahon shared a story of how the song came to be while he was in a studio recording. The song came about after he shared, that he may need to leave because his wife was due to have their baby at any moment. The journey ended with every member back on the stage, including some of the band's kids, to perform "La La Lie" by Jack's Mannequin.

The smile never left Andrew McMahon's face throughout the night. As the show came to a close, he took a moment to thank the friends and musicians that joined him throughout his incredible journey: Bob Oxblood (guitar, Jack's Mannequin and In the Wilderness), Jay McMillan (drums, Jack's Mannequin and In the Wilderness), Mikey "The Kid" Wagner (bass, Jack's Mannequin and In the Wilderness), Zac Clark (keyboards, In the Wilderness), Josh Partington (guitar, Something Corporate), Kevin "Clutch" Page (bass, Something Corporate), Brian Ireland (drums, Something Corporate), and William Tell (guitar, Something Corporate).

Three Pianos was never about revisiting old songs. It was about celebrating the people, music, and memories that have connected McMahon with his fans for three decades. If this truly was the last time these three worlds come together in this way, Chicago was incredibly lucky to be part of it.