ANDREW MCMAHON/MICHIGANDER/WILDERMISS – COLLEGE STREET
On November 28, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness brought his “New Friends” tour to a packed College Street Music Hall with Michigander and Wildermiss for support.
It was a beautiful night in downtown New Haven and I was excited to catch all three bands. Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness is an amazing talent while Michigander comes highly touted. Wildermiss was an unknown entity but I was looking forward to making a new discovery.
Wildermiss was up first. The Denver trio recently dropped their debut full length entitled Levitate. Most of tonight’s selection were off this record. Their sound is mix of indie, pop and organic rock. Emma Cole (Lead Vocals/Synths) is the perfect front person. Her vocals were impressive and full of imaginative emotion. Joshua Hester (Guitar) created edgy soundscapes while Caleb Thoemke (Drums) dispensed an uproar of cascading inflections.
The College Street audience warmed up quickly to Wildermiss. Each consecutive song brought on a louder applause. The trio was captivating and the music rang true. You could feel every note down to your very soul. Emma’s stage demeanor was enthralling. Her vocals showered the room with torrents of shimmering delights. “Supermagical” and “New Year’s” were well received. “Wi-Fi” and “This Isn’t How The Story Ends” were also highlights. My personal favorite was “Gettin’ Old Rock & Roll”. Wildermiss was the perfect opener.
Michigander is the alter ego of Michigan native, Jason Singer. I’ve known about Jason’s endeavors through the writings of my fellow journalist and friend, Jeff Archuleta. Jeff publishes the amazing website, Eclectic Music Lover. In my opinion, his insights are some of the best around. So, I’ve listened to Michigander quite a bit. I’ve always found his music powerful and harmonically rich.
Singer came on stage with a full band and immediately drew the crowd in with his amical disposition. But I felt something just wasn’t right. His vocals were slightly off center and the band seemed to drag. “Better”, from his EP Everything Will Be Ok Eventually, didn’t have the expected charge. As the songs progressed, I felt something was missing. When Singer acknowledged that the entire band was sick but didn’t want to disappoint the audience by not playing, I totally understood. They really were troopers.
Even though they were battling illness, Michigander still gave a rousing performance. “Superglue”, “Cannonball” and “The Other Way” from his 2023 EP, It Will Never Be The Same put the onlookers in a divine groove. His new single, “East Chicago, IN” positively engaged the room. All in all, Michigander surrendered a robust outing. I would definitely like to catch them at another show when they are all up to speed.
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness is the latest incarnation of Andrew McMahon‘s musical career. His previous exploits included Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin who still occasionally perform. This tour was christened “New Friends” and McMahon treated the room like we have been hanging out forever. The boundaries between performer and audience seemed to easily dissolve. His set was totally fun. It was set up as a campsite including a tent, a campfire and crew dressed as forest rangers. Everything was whimsical.
McMahon entered the stage from the rear of the house, singing as he walked down center aisle. Right from the start, this enlivened his fans. His first song was “Nobody Tells You When You’re Young” from his latest album Tilt At The Wind No More. That set the vibe for the entire evening. McMahon’s songs are personal and tell amazing stories. He went directly into a Something Corporate cover “I Woke Up In A Car”. From there, he played his huge hits “Stars” and “Fire Escape”. I believe everyone in College Street was singing as loud as he was.
His 21 song set included quite a few standouts. McMahon“s renditions of “Little Disaster”, “Smoke & Ribbons”, “Konstantine” and “Skywriting” were fantastic. His rapport with the his adoring followers was something to witness. It felt like we were all enjoying a night at the campsite. Throughout the show, he adorned a multi-colored lit up cape, crowd surfed on a huge llama float and told stories that resonated with every person in attendance. He was surely making “new friends” and enjoying the old ones.
In addition, the musicship was superb. McMahon‘s piano expertise was excellent. The band cranked with dazzling guitar fills and wonderful harmonies. He closed out with fabulous renderings of “La La Lie” and his monster tune, “Cecilia and the Satellite” written for his daughter. The encore was “New Friends” and “Dark Blue”, a Jack’s Mannequin cover.
The only was to describe the evening is magical. Both in musical context and personal interpretation. Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness is my new “best friend”.
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Thanks for the mention Ralph! Sounds like it was a great show, and I’d love to see Michigander perform live, as I’ve reviewed both their music and solo music by their guitarist Jake LeMond and drummer Aaron Senor.