Last week, a breezy and overcast evening in Asbury Park, New Jersey awaited the arrival of a long-anticipated reunion at the Stone Pony Summer Stage. The ocean that painted the edge of the picturesque beach town provided the perfect backdrop for the occasion, waves crashing alongside the quickly approaching opportunity to be a part of the MFEO Tour, the 20th anniversary celebration of Jack’s Mannequin’s Everything In Transit. The excitement of fans stirred in the horizon as they filed into the outdoor section of the venue to experience the pop rock quartet’s debut record live in its entirety. The return of Jack’s Mannequin carried the weight of something far greater though, the magic of their still beloved existence highlighting the crucial nature of resilience. If there’s anything the band has proven, it’s that everyone is capable of withstanding all of life’s weather, no matter how powerful the storm — and that there’s no better way to do it than with a community of people emphatically cheering you on.

Before the band began, a representative from the Dear Jack Foundation walked onstage to lay out the significance of our gathering. She informed us we would be celebrating 20 years not just of Everything In Transit, but of vocalist Andrew McMahon’s experience with facing, and surviving, cancer. In 2005, Andrew was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 22 just before the record was released. With the help of medical professionals and a loving support system, he made a full recovery and now works through the Dear Jack Foundation to amplify the voices of those navigating a cancer diagnosis. It focuses on adolescents and young adults in particular, the foundation’s representative continued, two groups that are the least funded in regards to cancer patient demographics. She then welcomed us to get involved, encouraging everyone to donate for a chance to enter to win a signed drumhead from the band in the process. The winner, she exclaimed, would be announced by the band during their set that very evening.

As she exited, a highlight reel rolled on the screens before us and illuminated wonder-filled eyes with memories of Jack’s Mannequin past — the triumphant milestones, the painstaking challenges, and everything in between that beckoned the band to the stage that night. The band, consisting of vocalist Andrew McMahon, guitarist Bobby Anderson, bassist Mikey Wagner, and drummer Jay McMillan, emerged with ear to ear smiles, embracing the warm welcome back they received as they readied their instruments and prepared to immerse themselves in a celebration of the last 20 years. After raising a toast to the audience, Andrew headed to center stage where his piano sat waiting for him and sent an electrifying nostalgia into the night the moment he began to play.

Each note of the piano weaved its way through youthful accounts of home and heartbreak, the instrument a guiding anchor for the experiences of Andrew’s past to escape through. His energy exploded during the choruses of songs like “Bruised” and “The Mixed Tape” as he pulled his body back from the keys and leaned into the enthusiasm of the crowd — thousands of people ejecting their own past experiences into the lyrics and letting them fly free toward the anguish-absorbing piano. This symbiotic display of catharsis led Andrew up on his still and to the top of the piano. There, he took in the scope of the sea of supporters before leaping off of it to continue tapping out the tune of the song.

“All of this is made by your love and support,” he paused, thanking us for participating in a piece of Jack’s Mannequin history. “The show is about survival and community and I’m honored to share it with you. To be on this stage 20 years later playing music for you, alive and well. This means more to me than you know.” And alive and well he was — a man channeling the sentiment of a fulfilling life lived in spite of medical setbacks and eternal gratitude for being given the chance to experience everything, and everyone, that followed them.

Touched by the overwhelming sense of appreciation and togetherness below, the sky’s tear ducts swelled and shed a heartfelt mist. The timing was beautiful in every way, the precipitation introducing “Swim” from 2008’s The Glass Passenger. Dewey cheeks glowed above impassioned voices as everyone’s words cut through the rain to sing, “Just keep your head above.” With undefeatable strength, the reminder to persevere through life’s cloudy days washed over the crowd.

Those cloudy days defined the journey of Everything In Transit, Andrew shared as he prepared for another inspiring, wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve conversion and let us in on his most recent reflections of the record and the characters in his life that played a vital role in its creation. He explained that it started as a breakup record when he returned home to California after travelling the world with his first band, Something Corporate and split with Kelly, his girlfriend at the time. “I saw this record from a whole different perspective this morning,” he shared following a conversation with his family where he was given the opportunity to view the record from a whole different angle — the perspective of having made it to the story’s eventual happy ending. He told us about the journey he embarked on after the breakup to reconcile his relationship. Along that journey, he gave Kelly a mixtape (the mixed tape) and won her back, proud to share he had just celebrated 19 years of marriage with her. Knowing about the stories that informed the record made hearing “Into the Airwaves” live extra special, its tenderness and transparency filling the air with the bittersweet relief of retrospectively observing life lessons that have been learned and hardships that have been overcome.

“California and rain is what Everything In Transit was built on,” he shared as he referred back to the rain that came down earlier in the evening and mimicked the record’s melancholic mood, acknowledging how special being able to bring a little bit of that to the east coast was. “This album is about struggle and friendships that can pull you through to the other side,” he continued, encouraging us to hold our friends and loved ones close as he thanked his own — his bandmates for sticking by his side through all of the highs and hospital rooms and the Something Corporate fans for cheering him on through the creation of Jack’s Mannequin and his diagnosis that quickly followed. This brought us to “La La Lie,” a song that calls for snapping your fingers, kicking your feet, and skipping through the streets (and the Stone Pony Summer Stage lot) alongside your favorite people.

The band paused in the middle of the song as a giant pool floatie deemed the “La La Llama” made its way to the stage. Andrew announced it was finally time to pick the winner of the signed drumhead giveaway, but that the name of said winner was at a table behind all of the people looking up at him in curiosity. The easiest way to get there, he figured, was via the top of the crowd. With that, he jumped down to meet the barricade, prepared S.S. La La Llama, and set asail.

Eager hands reached up to support the ship as Andrew pointed and smiled at those helping him navigate to the back. When he made it to his destination, he received news that revealed an elated shock in his voice — a shock that let us know how proud he was to have a fanbase so willing to open their hearts and make room for helping others. The news: on the MFEO Tour, $49,000 had been raised for the Dear Jack Foundation. With another expression of thanks, Andrew made his way back to the stage and leaned on his harmonica to play out the accomplishment.

The end of the evening drew near as Andrew made his way into the crowd once more, this time on foot to share the last song with all of the people that helped make the night, and the last 20 years, so special for him and the band. “If you leave with one thing tonight, let it be the feeling of being in a community, the feeling of what it’s like to sing next to friends and strangers and neighbors,” he said. “We are all neighbors. Human beings are made for each other.” 

Here, the name of the tour solidified itself. We were made for each other, each and every one of us craving companionship and finding fulfillment in the support we found in it that night. That’s why it was breathtaking when everyone took the words of “MFEO – Pt. 1: Made for Each Other, Pt. 2: You Can Breathe” to heart and belted, “Maybe we were made for each other,” voices buzzing in a crowd defined by compassion and camaraderie. Then, as if we tugged at its heartstrings for a second time, the sky gave way to rain again. This didn’t stop us though — we had learned to weather the storm. So we pushed through the rain and sweetly cemented that moment in our memories. And cemented it was with enough pure human connection to last a lifetime.

As the band exited the stage, an old recording played on the screen before us again. This time, it was a short and sweet speech to mark the conclusion of the entire record making process and the very speech that caps the album: “That’s the record. I guess we’ll keep talking. This tape’s going to run out soon. Then I’m going to have to go buy more. And I’m a real procrastinator so I probably won’t do that for a while. So until the next time. It’s been interesting. But I’m glad that we have her done. Jack’s Mannequin. Everything In Transit.”

But something was still missing.

The band returned for an encore as Andrew walked to the front of the stage to detail a dream he had, the sequence of thoughts that inspired “Dark Blue” to be. In this dream, he was faced with the impending severity of a tidal wave that would soon crash onshore and obliterate his surroundings. However, in the aftermath of it all he saw someone that survived — himself. “There’s hope in the rain because on the other side of that rain is a sunny day,” he reminded us, one final piece of encouragement to take what we had learned that night into the chaos of a world we now felt better equipped to face with confidence. And the most important part of it all is that we did it together.

Despite the clouds, it was a sunny day in Asbury Park that evening and we had the motivating tales of Jack’s Mannequin to thank for that. Enduring the unthinkable from day one has only pushed the band to burn brighter and the stories they share are a testament to the strength they embody. So when in doubt, look to the vast beauty of the ocean, even when the thunder rolls in — there you’ll find the beacon of light that is Everything In Transit, steadfast and ready for anything life throws your way.