Openers and singer-songwriters Zac Clark and Annika Bennett prepared the audience for an emotional evening, each harnessing the power of their voices in stripped-down sets that let their lyrics resonate throughout the venue.
As designed, the Three Pianos tour is the perfect bookend to Andrew McMahon’s new memoir, giving context to his discography for fans new and old. The Boston (11/1) setlist had favorites for fans of every era, bridging the distance from “Cavanaugh Park” to “Ohio.” Newer songs like “Halls” and “Maps for the Getaway” shined while older songs like “Watch the Sky” and “I Woke Up In a Car” were reimagined to spotlight McMahon’s keys, all coupled with complementary visuals on dual screens. One of the most nostalgic visual moments of the night was McMahon’s updated rendition of “21 and Invincible,” set to a video compilation of performances that spanned the last two decades.
In many ways, the show felt like a return — a rebirth even — to live music, for the audience and artists like McMahon who spent the last year and a half without, and to these well-loved songs. Many members of the audience grew up alongside and with McMahon providing the soundtrack. With an appearance from Bobby Raw and a “La La Lie” singalong to close the night (and not without a notorious jump or two off of McMahon’s piano), the show provided more than nostalgia; it was a testament to McMahon’s staying power as songwriter, performer, and storyteller.
