On July 24th Andrew McMahon, lead singer of Something Corporate, Jack’s Mannequin, and currently with Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, donated his time and talents to partake in a meet and greet for his fans and fellow cancer survivors followed by a 1 hour acoustic solo set at the LHS Lounge in Denver, Colorado.
Andrew is a leukemia survivor who received a lifesaving bone marrow transplant in 2005. Since then, he has become one of the biggest advocates for young adult cancer survivors through his nonprofit foundation, Dear Jack (http://www.dearjackfoundation.com).
Andrew first became involved with LHS while opening for the band O.A.R. Since then, Andrew has had an LHS table set up at dozens of his solo shows, signing up an impressive 1,396 new donors to date and finding 14 MATCHES from his current Wilderness tour. His heartfelt plea from stage to his fans to visit the LHS table and help others in need of a livesaving match ensures our staff and volunteers stay busy at his shows!
When approached by LHS VP of Programs, oncology nurse Katie Poppert about playing a benefit show in the lounge, Andrew’s response was, “Of course. Anything I can do to help you guys!”
“As a survivor, musician, and advocate, Andrew embodies what LHS stands for. He has recorded messages for patients, stopped by the table to meet other survivors, and continues to encourage his fans both here and in the UK to Get on the List. We are very blessed to include him in the LHS family,” remarked Katie.
Local artist Aaron Collins, lead singer and pianist for A. tom collins, opened the show with some engaging acoustic songs and the story of his own journey of matching after signing up with LHS in 2011 and recently donating cells to a stranger with leukemia.
The sold out lounge show exemplified Andrew’s reach, with fans, survivors, and donors rockin’ out to a full hour of his music stretching from Something Coporate to his latest smash hit “Cecilia and the Satellite.” A particularly poignant moment came when he dedicated his inspirational song “Swim” to LHS patient ambassador Abby Fessler, currently facing debilitating side effects from her treatment against leukemia.
Look for Andrew at his upcoming Wilderness Politics tour, and be sure to thank him for his continued dedication to our mission of saving lives, one concert at a time.
For more photos of the event visit our facebook page at Andrew McMahon in LHS Lounge.