Something Corporate, fronted by Andrew McMahon of Jack’s Mannequin and In the Wilderness, performed their first show in the state of New Jersey since 2010.
The group, comprised of guitarists, bass, drums, keyboards, and a lead piano, are on the road on their reunion ‘Out of Office’ tour, playing select dates on the weekends only.
The last time Something Corporate came to the Garden State was part of the Bamboozle Festival in 2010, playing alongside the likes of Paramore, Angels & Airwaves, and Saves the Day.
So for the first time in 14 years, Something Corporate came to New Jersey for a sold-out show on the Stone Pony Summer Stage on Friday night. When I mean sold-out, I mean it was sold out in just minutes – one of the highest demanding shows the Stone Pony has seen in a while.
The show also took place on ‘Transit Day,’ marking lead singer Andrew McMahon’s 19 years cancer-free.
Opening the show was Jersey’s own Hidden in Plain View, who put on a high-energy hometown set which could have passed as a headlining set.
The band formed 23 years ago in Morristown, New Jersey, and have been playing shows here and there for the last ten years.
The 40-minute set felt like it was the indoor Pony from 20 years ago, even though it was the band’s first time playing the Stone Pony.
Playing their hits like ‘Bleed For You’ and ‘Garden Statement,’ this is probably the best way you can start a show in New Jersey.
However, they weren’t the only opener, as 20 minutes after doors opened, Something Corporate keyboardist Zac Clark took the stage for his own 20-minute set.
Clark played solo songs and took listeners through a ride through his career and life.
After all of that, Something Corporate took the stage. Set breaks were very short, taking just 20 minutes between each one.
The band started with ‘I Woke Up in a Car,’ the way their debut LP, ‘Leaving Through the Window’ began. They then transitioned right into a fan-favorite deep cut, ‘Straw Dog.’
Between every few songs, interludes played on the digital screen behind the band featuring old clips from each band member.
The band continued the set with more deep cuts like ‘Drunk Girl,’ and even a new song, ‘Happy,’ which is one of two they’ve released this year.
The band also performed a cover of ‘I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing’ by Aerosmith, which worked really well with the band. Before that, and before the 9-minute song in ‘Konstantine,’ was an all-acoustic version of ‘Wait’ performed for the first time since 2010.
The band closed at roughly 10:20 pm with ‘If You C Jordan,’ one that fans have mixed opinions on, but everyone can say that it was a great way to end the show.
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