On Saturday, August 24, Something Corporate brought their highly anticipated Out of Office Tour through the Roadrunner in Boston, MA, with support from Zac Clark and Hidden in Plain View. The piano rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1998, has been on hiatus since 2004. Although they did a reunion tour in 2010, this tour marks the first time in 20 years that the band has toured with its original lineup, including rhythm guitarist and backup vocalist William Tell.
Frontman Andrew McMahon has amassed a devoted following in the years since Something Corporate’s hiatus with his past and present projects: Jack’s Mannequin and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. Although fans get to experience the nostalgia of Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin at AMITW shows, supporters have been begging for a SoCo reunion tour for years. McMahon’s typical response to these requests would be that a tour was unlikely given that his SoCo bandmates have careers and families of their own, but that a one off show could be a possibility. McMahon surprised fans at his 40th birthday show at the House of Blues in Anaheim with a brief SoCo reunion in September 2022, 20 years after the band’s release of Leaving Through the Window. Shortly after, it was announced that Something Corporate would be a part of the When We Were Young Festival lineup in Las Vegas, and that they would headline a WWWY sideshow. McMahon jokes that the band worried they would not sell tickets to that sideshow, only to be surprised when the show sold out in mere minutes. The band then went on to headline two New Year’s Eve shows at the City National Grove of Anaheim. Due to the demand for tickets, fans had to enter a lottery system for a chance to buy tickets to these shows. It was no surprise, given the overwhelming response from fans, that the band considered taking their show on the road.
In February of 2024, the band started dropping tour easter eggs through inter-office memos, indicating the need for PTO for Mstrs Tell, Ireland, Page, Partington, and McMahon. This was only the start of a brilliant, 90s/early aughts office themed marketing campaign for the tour which has been extremely well received by fans. Promotions have included newspaper ads for temporary office manager positions, notes from HR typed in old school Microsoft Word documents, and announcements made through AOL Instant Messenger and an iPod. The band has sent select fans inter-office memorandums, sheet music, and a Something Corporate Gameboy game in which a member of the band has to defeat their boss. On February 26, 2024, the band officially announced the Out of Office Tour, kicking off in June 2024 and spanning through October 2024. The tour will make its way coast to coast with all shows to be played over weekends. The band will play many venues that are much larger than any of those they played back in the day, and although select dates have some tickets remaining, most dates sold out the day tickets went on sale. McMahon has been very vocal in his fight against ticket scalpers and ensuring that tickets get into the hands of the fans that want them and at an affordable price. Because of this, the majority of dates on this tour do not allow for the transfer of tickets, and tickets can only be listed for resale at face value through the ticket exchange.
The band has arranged pre-show happy hours for every show of the tour to date, where fans can mingle with one another and enjoy SoCo themed drinks. While an appearance from the band is often unlikely due to the timing of the events, they have made it out to two of the events to date. At the show in Asbury Park over the weekend, the band arrived in an ice cream truck and handed out ice cream to fans while blasting reimagined retro-esque SoCo tunes.
With all of the excitement surrounding the tour, it was no surprise to find hundreds of fans waiting in line outside the Roadrunner more than an hour ahead of doors for a chance to get a premium viewing spot for the show. Fans, many of which were decked out in vintage SoCo merch, could be heard reminiscing over Something Corporate and were seen exchanging SoCo themed friendship bracelets. The night was a family affair for many who brought children of all ages to enjoy the show. McMahon, who is known for showing genuine care for his fans, always makes an effort to acknowledge the young fans in the audience by singing to them, giving high fives, speaking to them between songs, and often taking requests for the songs that they want to hear, which makes for an extra special experience for the children.
Fans turned up early in support of Zac Clark who opened the bill. The beloved singer-songwriter from Vermont is very well known in the Andrew McMahon community, as he has played in Andrew’s band since 2013, opened for Andrew in the past, and is now playing the keys and singing backup for Something Corporate on this tour. Clark opened his set with “Beginner”, and treated fans to a short, soulful set of favorites, including “Don’t Just Love Me Cause You’re Lonely” which was co-written with Allen Stone, “Holy Shit”, and “Mountains”.
Next up, New Jersey natives Hidden in Plain View took the stage, opening the set with “Twenty Below”, a track off of their 2005 debut album Life In Dreaming, which is approaching its 20th anniversary. Frontman Joe Reo had an energetic stage presence that did not let up at any point during the band’s set. The crowd was filled with fans of the band that screamed the lyrics to every song. The band reminisced about remembering the first time they ever heard Something Corporate and about memories of touring with the band. The band’s setlist consisted mainly of Life in Dreaming tracks, with a few others mixed in. The emo nostalgia was perfect for the bill and set the tone for SoCo’s upcoming performance.
In between sets, Tiffany, a representative of the Dear Jack Foundation took the stage to share about the foundation’s initiatives and to raise funds for adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer. The Dear Jack foundation was founded by Something Corporate frontman Andrew McMahon in 2006 after surviving his fight with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia at the age of 23. According to the Dear Jack website, during Andrew’s fight, it became apparent that “in a generation where cancer has become the second largest cause of death in the U.S. and the biggest public action item relevant to health, there were still major shortfalls in treatment, support, and research on behalf of the young adult demographic.” Dear Jack’s mission is to “provide impactful programs benefiting adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer and their families to improve their quality of life from treatment to survivorship.” Tiffany explained that members of the audience had a chance to win a drumhead signed by Something Corporate by making a donation to the Dear Jack Foundation. The foundation raised 2500 dollars the night before in Asbury Park, and Tiffany urged the audience to surpass that amount by raising at least 3000 dollars to fully fund the wish lists of two Life Listers. Boston understood the assignment, and not only met that goal, but surpassed it by raising 6000 dollars, which will result in the fulfill the LifeLists of four young adults with cancer.
After much anticipation, the lights dimmed, and a video montage of black and white clips of the guys from the early aughts began playing. Something Corporate took the stage, with band members dressed to the nines. Those who have been following McMahon for years know that he is always sharply dressed when on stage, no matter the weather. The band opened the set with “Fall”, and treated the audience to a set consisting of all of the favorites from Leaving Through the Window and North. The band has been changing up the order of the setlist with every show, playing at least one different rarely played song each set, and alternating between their newly released songs “Happy” and “Death Grip”. On this night, the audience was treated to “Miss America” and “Happy”. McMahon has an energetic, charismatic, and unforgettable stage presence. When he isn’t on the piano, McMahon bounces around the stage, gets up close and personal with those on the barricade, and frequently makes his way through the pit on the shoulders of a fan (or surfing on a pool floatie). During “Hurricane”, McMahon made his way upstairs to sing and dance with fans on the balcony before making his way back to the piano for everyone’s favorite piano solo. The energy and joy radiating from McMahon's bandmates, especially guitarist and SoCo co-writer Josh Partington, was infectious.
This weekend was a special one for Andrew McMahon, as it marks the 19th anniversary of his life saving stem cell transplant, or his “re-birthday”. McMahon took a moment to share that it was the first year he had woken up on this day and not remembered the significance of the date, which he said was the best gift he could ever have. He became emotional as he thanked his fans for the well wishes, prayers, and hope that got him through his fight.
Before returning for the encore, the band closed their set with “If You C Jordan”, which ended with Andrew jumping off of his piano. The encore included the highly requested “Konstantine”, which McMahon typically reserves for his Dear Jack Benefit one time per year, but which has become a constant on the setlist for this tour. The encore also included a cover of Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” which came with an amazing montage of “Armageddon” clips that had Partington laughing hysterically while performing. The set closed with “I Woke Up in a Car” and another piano jump from McMahon. Fans were buzzing with excitement upon leaving the venue and many hung around in hopes of a chance to meet the band outside, as they are known for being extremely kind and generous with their time. Something Corporate puts on an unforgettable show and the Out of Office Tour is a must-see.
Catch Something Corporate on their Out of Office Tour through October 12 when the tour closes in San Francisco. Andrew McMahon and all of his projects will also reunite for this year’s Dear Jack Benefit, which will be held during the Holiday From Real Cruise. The cruise is currently sold out, but you can join the waitlist for a chance to go here.
You can make a donation to the Dear Jack Foundation here.
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