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Andrew McMahon To Headline Second-Annual SPA Day

Piano-rock-pop star Andrew McMahon is coming back to State College this month as the headliner of SPA’s second annual SPA Day. The event, which will take over the HUB all day on Friday, January 27, will again feature a Noontime Lounge performer (City of the Sun), a lecture (Nyle DiMarco), and a LateNight concert (Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness with opener Young Rising Suns).

The Noontime Lounge performance will take place at noon (duh) in the new HUB by the high school musical stairs. Nyle DiMarco, who won season 22 of America’s Next Top Model, will then speak at 7 p.m. in Heritage Hall. The SPA day will conclude with the concert which starts at 10 p.m. in Alumni Hall. There will also be a tea brewing demonstration at 2 p.m. in 134 HUB.

McMahon, who played a concert at Levels in 2015 (RIP), has gone by many names over the years — he started his career in the piano punk rock band Something Corporate in 2000 before embarking on a solo project in 2003 under the name Jack’s Mannequin. The band (really just McMahon) released its first album in 2005 but McMahon was forced to cancel all shows just three months later when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He was able to recover completely and went on to release two more albums with Jack’s Mannequin.

He then began putting out music under his own name, the most recognizable of which being “Synesthesia,” which launched his solo career. McMahon rebranded again in 2014 as “Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness,” and released a self-titled album. Recently McMahon has been promoting his second album with the group, “Zombies on Broadway,” which is set to release on February 10.

McMahon is best known for the hit off his new persona’s first album, “Cecilia and the Satellite,” but you might also recognize some of his piano-rock ballads from the Jack’s Mannequin days, namely “Dark Blue” and “The Mixed Tape,” for which the music video features Hilarie Burton from One Tree Hill after McMahon appeared and performed on the show.

If you’re not a One Tree Hill fan, here’s McMahon’s latest single, “Fire Escape”:

All events are free to Penn State students so long as they have a Penn State ID. SPA will also use the event to unveil its new logo in celebration of its 10-year anniversary. Last year’s SPA Day was headlined by Logic and did not disappoint.

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About the Author

Lexi Shimkonis

Lexi is an editor-turned-staff writer who can often be found at either Irving's or the Phyrst (with the chances she'll have her backpack being the same). Lexi is a senior hailing from Spring City, PA (kind of) and studying Civil Engineering. Please email questions and/or pleas for an Instagram caption to [email protected], or for a more intimate bond, follow her on Twitter @lexshimko.

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