As the People and Things tour rolled through Orlando’s House of Blues on October 16th, I was not only excited to photograph the show but also to watch three bands that I had heard so much about. Jack’s Mannequin, celebrating the release of their new album titled People and Things, headlines the tour, and they are accompanied by Motion City Soundtrack and Company of Thieves.
First to the stage was Company of Thieves, and they knew how to start off the show. The emotion and energy of the lead singer got the crowd going and singing the choruses to a few of their songs. This was a band I had not heard of until tonight and I can promise you there is going to be more to come from Company of Thieves.
Next up was Motion City Soundtrack. This band rocked the stage with a mixture of comical lyrics, a little storytelling between songs, and overall upbeat music. The indie rock/pop punk group had a great time, as did I. Motion City Soundtrack played a fantastic show, and I will be looking forward to seeing them again as soon as possible.
Finally, Jack’s Mannequin took the stage and oh boy was the crowd in for a treat. Jack’s Mannequin played one of the best concerts I have ever seen. The lead singer/piano player, Andrew McMahon, couldn’t sit still on his piano throne and had everybody fired up for the band’s music. Half way through the set, McMahon and the lead guitarist sat down for a set of acoustic songs before ramping the energy up to 11 to finish off the night.
All three bands had outstanding performances, and the People and Things tour surpassed my expectations for the night. I thought I was going to the House of Blues just to take some awesome photographs but I got an incredible show along the way!
-Ian Roth
