MKTO, Drew Seeley & Johnny – Hold On Til Dawn
- PopEntertainment
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
MKTO, Drew Seeley & Johnny
Hold On Til Dawn
by Kayla Marra and Emma Fox
The fourth and final Hold on Til Dawn benefit concert, held at Philadelphia’s World Cafe Live, brought all the nostalgia and fun. It featured Drew Seeley, MKTO (Tony Oller and Malcolm Kelley), and Johnny, who put on electric performances. Mental health advocate Erin Mahoney created Hold on Til Dawn in 2020 with the initiative of raising awareness and funds for suicide prevention through music. Between ticket sales and raffle baskets donated by local businesses, this show alone raised over $2,000 benefitting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Erin also went on to launch the Hold On Til Dawn podcast in 2024, where she speaks about mental health, the incredible impact music has on mental health, and the benefit concerts. The night wouldn’t have been possible without Erin’s hard work and dedication to the cause.
The show was one that fans will never forget. To kick off the night, Johnny took the stage performing hits including “Inside Out,” “Right Now,” and even debuted a new song that fans can expect to hear later this year. This was such a great start to the show, getting everyone on their feet.
Drew took the stage next, and my High School Musical fangirl heart couldn’t take it. He played fan-favorites, including “New Classic” from Another Cinderella Story, “Breaking Free” and “Get’cha Head in the Game” from High School Musical, and more. I’m not kidding when I say that every single person in the venue was singing along. It’s evident how much Drew loves performing, and how much fans love watching him perform these songs years after they came out.
To end the night, Tony and Malcolm of MKTO launched into their set, which included “Thank You,” “Goodbye Song,” “Monaco,” and of course, “Classic.” It was such a cool experience seeing Tony and Malcolm take the stage together since reforming the duo this year. Hearing these songs live was iconic, to say the least. The energy and good vibes that MKTO brings to the stage are incomparable. Hearing the guys sing “Classic” in 2025 was not on my bingo card!
We were lucky enough to chat with headliners Drew, MKTO, and Johnny about everything from mental health to what fans can expect to see in the future.
We asked the guys what it means to have been on the Hold On Til Dawn lineup for years – Johnny has been a part of all four shows, while Drew has performed three times, and MKTO twice.
Johnny: I’m super grateful to perform in front of so many great crowds and people that are supporting such an amazing organization. Erin’s always been good to me and always wanted me to be a part of it, so I’m excited to be here for the last one.
Drew Seeley: It’s an important cause. What I’m contributing, if it’s a tiny little piece that can help one person, then it’s all worth it. Erin’s asked me the last three go-arounds, and it’s always such a great time. I think she raises a lot of money for this, so I’m always in. I hope they do more!
Tony Oller: It was just a cool way it all came about. Erin started this a while back and asked for us to perform on it, and it’s fun to perform again, but also for a good cause, as you said. I think it’s a good thing to bring awareness about and have a good evening.
On the same topic of mental health awareness, we asked the guys what they do to take care of their own mental health.
Johnny: I would say that music is one of the biggest therapeutic things for me. If I’m ever going through something or feeling some type of way about it, writing it down and getting it there has always been something that’s helped me get through it and helped me feel better about the situation. Whether it’s just figuring out what was bothering me about it or just saying it out loud, that’s always been one of my biggest outlets.
Drew Seeley: Coffee. I’ve gotten into yoga recently, like hot yoga’s my jam. I didn’t do it until I was about forty, and I was like “Oh, I need this, my bones are aching!” So I do that, I love to run. Exploring new cities running is my favorite thing. Right when I flew in last night to Philly, I took a night run all around downtown and took it all in.
Malcolm Kelley: I like music. Music definitely gets me in a good vibe, creating and being in the studio, getting some feelings out. Whatever your go-to is, just take some time and get away and be to yourself. That’s what I do, but whatever works for you.
Speaking of performing, Drew, Johnny, Tony, and Malcolm then revealed to us their favorite songs to perform live.
Johnny: That’s a tough question! I usually have a very similar start and a very similar finish, but I always finish with my song “Right Now” – it was the first single that I put out under this project. It’s fun and dancey, it’s always a fun ending, and a song that people tend to receive well. It can’t always be about sad dance songs! (laughs)
Drew Seeley: That’s hard. I did three years of Jersey Boys on tour and in New York, and my character’s song was (singing) “Oh What A Night!” That was always a crowd-pleaser, and it fit in my voice tone and range. I always loved doing that one.
Tony Oller: There are songs that we did toward the end that I really enjoyed, like “Monaco,” and that whole EP was really cool. “Classic” never gets old. It’s always cool to see people who know the music. “American Dream” is still fun to do. I’d definitely say that “Monaco” and that EP is probably my favorite these days.
Malcolm Kelley: It’s whatever’s the vibe. Just like to turn up and have a good vibe.
All of these talented individuals have such strong supporters, and they had messages to share with their fans.
Johnny: Thanks for listening! Every time I put something out and someone reaches out and says, “This impacted me,” in some kind of way, that’s why we do it to begin with.
Drew Seeley: Thank you for still being here throughout all the years. I’ll bring something new and something old for everybody today. I love singing, I love performing, and I’m glad I still get to do this even though I’m a family man now; this is not my normal everyday situation. It’s fun to step back into these shoes and see if I still got it. We’ll see tonight if I do!
Tony Oller: For me, for both of us, I think we’ve always been so grateful for people who travel, even an hour away, to see us. It’s always been awesome. I really appreciate that and meeting people in person who you’ve known for maybe ten years on Instagram, but you've never met in person. I don’t know if they’re coming here, but somebody said they’re from Germany! I’m pretty baffled that happened, so that’s really cool. Big reunion there. That’s incredible, flattered that somebody would do that. Looking forward to meeting them in person.
Fans can expect to see lots of exciting things coming up for their favorite artists, including several “house/EDM” songs coming later this year from Johnny, a brand-new film titled Saturday: The Movie Musical starring Drew as Mr. Marlon coming next year, and MKTO shows including Musikfest in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and a 2025 Australian tour.
Though Hold On Til Dawn had its final show, you can still support the cause by donating to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, spreading awareness for suicide prevention, and by listening to the Hold On Til Dawn podcast, hosted by the amazing Erin Mahoney.
Copyright ©2025 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: June 3, 2025.
Photos by Emma Fox and Kayla Marra © 2025.
