Having a piano as the center of attention can be tricky for live shows, but Jack's Mannequin front man Andrew McMahon kept the mood high and the music moving with ease for their opening night headlining set at the U.S. Cellular Connection Stage.

The fans came to see McMahon slamming on the piano, and that's just what they got. With him front and center, Jack's Mannequin deftly mixed the melodic sounds of the black-and-whites with a powerful baseline and accompanying guitar riffs and counter-melodies. The band kept the crowd engaged with ease, transitioning quickly through their more popular repertoire to start off the show.

Ever-conscious of Jack's Mannequin's loyal following, McMahon bookended their set with sincere praise for the venue and the fans. While he kept downtime to a minimum, the crowd still had plenty of opportunities to eagerly join in the various choruses throughout the show.

McMahon wasted no time getting the crowd into its second wind with "My Racing Thoughts," a new song off their upcoming fall album. He quickly followed with a mellow rendition of "Swim," only to ramp it back up again for another crowd favorite, "Bloodshot."

The spotlight rarely strayed from front man McMahon, keeping the focus on his energetic performance, which brought him to his feet (and the crowd's hands into the air) for much of the show.

McMahon highlighted another new song, "Release Me," near the final third of the set, only adding to the energy of the crowd and the concert. He again took the opportunity to bring it back down for "Hammers and Strings," only to switch gears seamlessly into the more up-tempo "I'm Ready."

Jack's Mannequin didn't have to do much to keep the crowd fired up – the fans hung on every note and nuance. This was even truer during the encore, in which McMahon returned to the stage with his guitarist for an acoustic performance of yet another new track, "Restless Dream." The night concluded with back-to-back plays of the amped-up "Dark Blue" and "La La Lie," which came complete with a collaborative crowd effort and harmonica solo, ending with McMahon giving the crowd one final thank you from atop his piano.