On November 28, 2023, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness brought the “New Friends Tour” to College Street Music Hall in New Haven, CT. I’ve been a fan of almost everything McMahon has done across his career, from his days in bands like Something Corporate to Jack’s Mannequin to his solo music and his present endeavors, so I jumped at the chance to see him live.
I had seen the drive-in concert that the band put on in 2020, finding a way to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Jack’s Mannequin’s iconic record “Everything in Transit” while adhering to social distancing guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Needless to say, I was excited to attend one of McMahon’s shows in a normal venue, not sitting on the hood of a car in Monmouth Park in Oceanport, NJ.
Wildermiss and Michigander opened up the show, with two very different vibes. Wildermiss’s sound was dark and atmospheric at times but also had traces of indie-pop, which reminded me a lot of Ethel Cain. Michigander leaned more into indie-folk; I’d definitely recommend checking this band out if the top artist on your Spotify Wrapped was Noah Kahan.
Andrew McMahon and his band entered for their set from the back of the venue, walking in through the front doors and allowing fans all over the venue to get up close and personal with them. Some members wore bear costumes and held lanterns, fully committing to the campsite theme of the tour.
As he walked in, McMahon began to play “Nobody Tells You When You’re Young,” one of the band’s newer tracks. He played much of the song standing in the middle of the general admission floor with fans singing along around him. I absolutely loved how intimate and special this start to the set was.
After the first song, the stage lit up, and we got to see the adorable decor all over it. There were inflatable flamingos, tents, trees, and more, and the band members referred to themselves as “camp counselors” at the beginning of the night, driving the theme home even more.
Most artists say that they play a mix of old favorites and new tracks, but no one embodies that more than Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. The night officially kicked off with “I Woke Up in a Car,” one of Something Corporate’s most well-known songs. The band then played a few Wilderness songs, ranging from timeless classic “Fire Escape” from 2017’s “Zombies on Broadway” to “Stars” and “Little Disaster” from the band’s 2023 effort, “Tilt At The Wind No More.”
There was a fair amount of “Everything in Transit” songs (which I’m sure was totally just to appease me), including the high-energy “Holiday From Real” and “La La Lie,” the cathartic “The Mixed Tape” and “Bruised,” and the one that everyone knows from going to emo nights, “Dark Blue,” the last song of the night. Some of my favorite Wilderness tracks were played as well, like “High Dive,” “Paper Rain,” and “Cecilia and the Satellite.” I was shocked that Something Corporate’s “Konstantine” made an appearance on the setlist, considering the fact that it used to be so rare for McMahon to play it live, clocking in at almost 10 minutes long.
It was evident that the “New Friends” tour was built for fans of all eras of Andrew McMahon, which the frontman himself acknowledged on stage. “A lot of us have been on this journey since you were kids and I was a kid,” he said before launching into a series of throwback tunes.
There’s never a dull moment watching McMahon on stage. Watching him jump around makes you want to do the same, and it fills me with so much joy to see the way he can’t get himself to sit down at the piano because there’s so much energy flowing throughout his body.
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness’s “New Friends” Tour was an emotional and magical evening for elder emos and younger fans alike, and I’m happy I was able to stay at this band’s campsite for the night.
