By Erica Remboske
Correspondent
Jack Gilinsky and Jack Johnson of Jack & Jack took Philadelphia’s hearts on March 20 during the duo's first concert in the city since 2019. From the sounds of the screaming fans, you could tell they were dearly missed in the area.
The concert was a part of Jack & Jack’s “No Place Like Home” tour, where they will stop in 24 cities. Some of the stops, other than Philadelphia, include Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Jack & Jack started their careers on Vine in 2014. Gilinsky is a 27-year-old singer and Johnson is a 27-year-old rapper. According to Fandom, they grew up together, both attending the same elementary school. They instantly became friends within the first few minutes of the first day of kindergarten.
Sammy Wilk was the opening act of the concert. Jack & Jack and Sammy Wilk are long-time best friends. Johnson, Gilinsky and Wilk met during MagCon in 2014. MagCon was a convention that started and abruptly ended in 2014. Other members of the convention included Jacob Whitesides, Nash Grier and Cameron Dallas — all influencers who got their fame on Vine. MagCon then started back up again in 2016 but with only a few original members, not including Jack & Jack or Wilk.
The concert was held at The Foundry, and was almost a full house. According to the venue, the maximum capacity is 450 people.
During soundcheck Johnson said, “Only 30 tickets short from reaching max capacity but we expect it to sell out at the door.”
Jack & Jack answered questions during soundcheck.
One fan asked, “What inspired you guys to get into music back when it all started?”
Johnson answered the question, stating, “It’s funny, you know. Me and [Gilinsky], even going back to like sixth grade, we would make parodies on YouTube in front of this webcam and just edit them in iMovie and it was always our dynamic.”
Johnson went on to say that he would always rap verses whereas Gilinsky would sing the hooks. They realized that it was almost as if they were foreshadowing the future since this is what they still do now. Gilinsky and Johnson were both unsure how far they could get since they are both from a town that not many people become something in, Omaha, Nebraska.
Gilinsky added, “We could have never gotten here without you guys.”
Johnson and Gilinsky then performed one acoustic song, “Beg,” one of their older songs, which was released in 2017.
Following soundcheck was a meet and greet, during which Jack & Jack took the time to talk to everyone who showed up. The meet and greet was not rushed, and they were so sweet to everyone.
At 7:30 p.m., DJ Rupp took the stage and excited the crowd by playing hype hits before the concert started. As Jack & Jack predicted, the concert ended up being sold out for the night, according to DJ Rupp.
At 8 p.m. the concert started with the opening act, Sammy Wilk. He sang a total of 6 songs including “Mexico,” “Aye Ma” and the unreleased “Mrs. Perfect.” Some fans screamed as he performed, but the majority of them did not know any of his songs.
At 8:30 p.m., Jack & Jack took over the stage. They started the concert with “Thought I Was Dead” and ended it with “Like That.” During “Like That,” they brought out a special guest, a rapper who goes by Sk8, who worked alongside them for the song.
Throughout the show, the duo played their older music and a few of their newer songs off of their new album, “Home,” which came out on March 1, 2024.
Overall, the concert was really fun and unforgettable. Jack & Jack, Wilk and Sk8 are so down to Earth and so sweet. The artists, and the DJ, definitely knew how to draw in a crowd and had everyone adrenalized.
