I always imagined Jack’s Mannequin’s fans to be just like the music: calm, cool and relaxed. I never would envision that they would be so intense that during the course of last Thursday evening’s concert in the Hub I would nearly get trampled, or that my friend would get into a fight with two guys.

Aside from that, the show was really amazing: Three creative and innovative performers all under one roof for only $23 makes for a wonderful night in Santa Barbara.

The two opening acts, Treaty of Paris and Eric Hutchinson were a great way to start off the night. The Hub provided a very intimate setting for a very unknown and underrated group of musicians. I was literally two feet away from the groups playing on the stage. It’s these kind of small venues that really allow you to appreciate and enjoy the music being played.

The concert lasted almost five hours, and all the bands were able to play sets that really showed off their talents.

Treaty of Paris came out first. I had never really heard of this band, but after its set of songs, I fell in love with it. Following them, Eric Hutchinson performed on the piano with his small backing band. Hutchinson is the new Gavin DeGraw, with an amazing voice and talented piano skills.

I hate to say this, but personally, I thought Hutchinson stole the show. His songs were catchy and he had great interaction with the audience. The highlight of the evening was seeing him bust out R. Kelly’s remix of “Ignition” on the piano and having everyone in the audience sing along.

After about a 30-minute intermission, Jack’s Mannequin finally came out. Unfortunately, by that time, all of the freshman guys in the back of the Hub had managed to push themselves up to the front. So that meant all of us in the front were now literally on top of each other. Even though I couldn’t breathe, was sweating profusely and was practically on top of one of my friends, I was so excited.

The band played all its classic songs: “Dark Blue,” “The Mixed Tape” and “Holiday From Real.” Andrew McMahon was great with interacting with the crowd. Thank God, because the rest of his band played it shy, especially the bass player who barely broke a sweat or spoke a word.

McMahon sang his heart out and even jumped on top of the piano during a couple songs. Though I have few complaints about the evening, I wish they played a little more of the old stuff and a little less of the new stuff, because it seemed that most of the audience in attendance consisted of fans from the beginning of the band.

From start to finish, these three acts were a perfect fit for each other and for the night before the mayhem of Halloween. Each group brought its own personality and really complimented each other. Of course, it was Jack’s Mannequin that brought it home at the end of the night. I left the show feeling hot and disgusting, a new fan of two new artists and above all else, remembering why concerts, especially this one, are so much fun.

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