Jack’s Mannequin in Concert at Stage AE; Star Lake Hosts Thomas Rhett; Bantam Jeep Heritage Fest in Butler (Fri., 6/13/25)

June 11, 2025/Rick Handler

1) The very popular alternative pop rock group Jack’s Mannequin, led by indie-pop singer-songwriter-pianist Andrew McMahon, plays a sold-out show at Stage AE. The group is on a 25-date headlining tour, stopping in Pittsburgh with special guest Yoke Lore. This year Jack’s Mannequin will be performing at Bonnaroo, When We Were Young, Summerfest, and SXSW and playing at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre in July for McMahon’s Three Pianos event. “Jack’s Mannequin was born out of one of the most prolific and transformative periods of my life,” shares frontman Andrew McMahon. “The songs narrate my journey from youth to adulthood, heartbreak to marriage, cancer to remission. The health crisis at the heart of this journey often made it difficult for me to fully appreciate just how magical this music was and how powerfully it connected me to my bandmates and the audiences we played it for. It’s been nearly fifteen years since the band and I have toured this catalog exclusively and it feels like such a gift to do so at a time in my life when I feel able to truly celebrate what we created together. Jack’s was always two things: a studio project and a live band that toured relentlessly. I’m so excited to bring it all back to life onstage for the fans that made it possible to take that strange and beautiful ride.” Jack’s Mannequin launched in 2005 as a solo project for McMahon following the success of his pop-punk band Something Corporate in the early 2000s. Doors open 7 p.m. 400 North Shore Dr., North Shore. (R.H.)

2) Country music keeps evolving, most notably with the infusion of hip-hop influences. But a strong mainstream current also persists—lots of songs about courtin’ and drinkin’ and trucks and religion, all delivered in a reassuring down-home twang—and nobody carries that flag much better than Thomas Rhett. Check out the song above, from his latest album, last year’s About a Woman. You want internal rhyme? Who else but Rhett would think of rhyming “boondocks” and “boom box”? Thomas Rhett is a country blue-blood. His dad, Rhett Akins, first made a splash as a performer and has segued to being mainly a songwriter. Meanwhile, young Thomas moved in the opposite direction. The kid started out writing for the likes of Jason Aldean, then broke through as a performer with his 2012 debut album It Goes Like This (which featured, among other songs, “Beer with Jesus”). And it’s been on to the mountaintop from there. Rhett is a two-time winner of the Academy of Country Music’s Male Artist of the Year Award. He’s got a passel of other awards. Catch Thomas Rhett on his Better In Boots Tour at The Pavilion at Star Lake, with guest artist Tucker Wetmore and The Castellows. 7:30 p.m. 665 PA Route 18, Burgettstown. (M.V.)

Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival — June 13 – 15, Butler and Slippery Rock.

Jeep owners can register to have some big boulder fun on the Bantam Jeep Festival obstacle course.

3) Whether you have a Jeep or not, head to the Butler area for the annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival. The event is a celebration of the fact that the original winning design for an all-purpose reconnaissance vehicle for the U.S. Army in 1940 was by Butler’s American Bantam car company. The government worried that Bantam couldn’t supply all the Jeeps the Army needed, so the design went to several different manufacturers while Bantam focused on other products. However, diehard Jeep enthusiasts see the Heritage Festival as honoring the true birth of the vehicle, and a rousing celebration it is. Highlights include the annual Jeep Parade, which has set world records for largest Jeep parades; Jeep historical exhibits with a WWII encampment; family-friendly activities; vendors; food; and a variety of on- and off-road Jeep driving events. Camping is offered too. The event is produced by the nonprofit The Friends of the Bantam Jeep Association (FBJA). The Jeep Parade is in downtown Butler and many other events are at Cooper’s Lake Campground, 205 Currie Rd, Slippery Rock. (R.H.)