AJR’s ‘Something in the Sky’: A tour you can’t miss!

Article & Photos by Fernando Flores

AJR, a band of three brothers with limitless potential rose to stardom with their hit song, I'm Ready in 2014. Since then, they continue to write and produce their own songs in the comfort of their own living room, keeping true to their original roots and connection to home. AJR consists of three brothers, Jack, Adam, and Ryan Met. They started out playing in the streets of New York City where their songs eventually took off from. What sets AJR apart from other artists is their blend of youthful lyrics and serious mental health topics that are usually overshadowed in the media. Fans all around respect that AJR focuses on the hard to talk about topics making even the loneliness of fans feel seen and know that they’re not alone.

Walking into the venue you can't tell what to expect from AJR. They are known for their amazing setlists. Their creativity has only grown as new tours emerge year by year. A sea of fans all ecstatic to see AJR perform fill the venue. One by one each runs to get into their seat with merch in hand and excitement in their eyes. The fans ready to be in awe once more by the band are restlessly waiting for the show to start. Suddenly the lights dim and the magic begins. The crowd roars.

Masterfully beginning the setlist with Way Less Sad, the crowd rumbles with excitement as the trumpet plays but only Jack and Ryan come out. Yet, in a blend of screens, graphics and creative planning the band submerges the stage and creates an immersive experience for everyone in the crowd. As the show goes on, AJR continues to surprise the audience with a mixture of illusion and quick thinking. The audience, captivated by the band's great mixture of technology, art and music, cries out AJR! AJR! AJR! 

Although the set is very energetic, the band still takes time to interact with the audience throughout the whole set. They play out a story with their songs and insert the audience into their adventures all while providing excellent vocals and high-energy performances. One particular instance that stood out was their musical demonstration of their song 100 Bad Days. The band creates a very well-done combination of visuals and dialogue to bring the audience deep into their creative brainstorming that ends up being the creation of one of their top songs. Like a teacher in a class room and the audience is the student, AJR made an educational moment, inspiring for the crowd especially if you want to go into music as a career. 

Jack and Ryan really knew how to rock the crowd and make sure everyone was really having fun. As they continued to run through the setlist, a fan in the crowd caught my attention when they exclaimed Where’s Adam? Yes, where is he? For this particular show Adam made a surprise appearance for one song that left the crowd ROARING. He explained that he's out creating change for the world while his brothers continue to perform for us. Adam says that none of what he is doing would have been possible if it wasn’t for the AJR fans and thanks the crowd after performing, Bang! With the other two brothers.

Year after year, AJR continues to wow the audience with their captivating performance, amazing visuals and fan interactions. They are true artists that don't make music because it's their job but because it's what they love. Adam, Jack and Ryan are truly amazing people that are doing amazing things on and off the stage. If you want to be heard or support a band that goes all out for each of their shows, go see AJR!