On July 31 in Nashville, AJR became the most punctual band on Lower Broadway. They were set to take the stage at Bridgestone Arena at 8:30 p.m., following two openers—almost monday and mxmtoon—and the lights went down at exactly 8:30. Spotlights lit up the stage, hitting a different person in every corner, wearing Jack Met’s signature trapper hat and a buffalo-check shirt. The lights went down again. The beat dropped, and AJR burst onto the stage in a flurry of sound, light, and color.
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The Maybe Man Tour is AJR’s first foray into arenas, even though they’ve been doing this since 2012, when they released their first self-titled LP. The brothers—Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met—have been touring for their recent album, The Maybe Man, since April, and they brought their high-energy show to Nashville last month. American Songwriter was on hand to catch the show and experience the brothers’ easy rapport and style.
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AJR Takes On Arenas for the First Time During The Maybe Man Tour
Bridgestone Arena, located near Lower Broadway, is on the smaller side for an arena, but AJR used the space well. They filled the venue with energy and light, utilizing a unique screen setup for their visuals. A half-circle of screens would periodically raise and lower to create intriguing scenes and visuals that Jack often interacted with. Scenes that showed him walking through various environments like complex scaffolding or a neighborhood. What was interesting about this was that Jack was walking in place on a platform behind the screens, so he was visible above. The visuals moved steadily, so it seemed that he was walking through these scenes without leaving the stage.
Another visual included Jack interacting with his drum-playing shadow behind him, engaging it in a skill contest. There were many tricks like this during the show. The stage production was tight and choreographed at times, but loose and easy at others. The dichotomy of their stage show proved to be an engaging, entertaining display of their creative personalities.
AJR interspersed their big hits among work from their new album quite well, and utilized space and technology in interesting ways. Their band is also top-notch, with standouts including Arnetta Johnson on trumpet and Ginny Luke on violin.
The energy at an AJR show is palpable—Jack is jumping around, twirling in circles, kicking his legs in the air, and singing at the same time, while Adam and Ryan groove with their guitar and keyboard respectively. Being brothers, their rapport is humorous and relatable, colored by the intimacy of years and shared blood. Early in the show, Jack joked that he was upset that Ryan got more applause than he did during introductions. He then proceeded to list all the things about Ryan he was not going to tell the audience—like the fact that his first kiss was in 12th grade but he tells everyone it happened in 8th—in the spirit of maturity.
Later, Jack brought a fan up on stage to play Connect Four on the poster they brought. If the fan won, Jack had to give up his hat—supposedly a trend during the tour. However, if Jack won, the fan had to tell a joke in front of the audience.
Jack won the game, but relinquished his hat anyway. The fan then told their joke because, as Jack said, “a wager’s a wager.” Addressing the crowd, the fan asked, “What do you call a happy cowboy?” The crowd asked, “What?” in unison, and the answer was, “A jolly rancher.”
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Jack Met shouted, to cheers and applause from the crowd. It’s that kind of fan interaction that makes an AJR show something special—they clearly care about their audience, bringing the lights up and turning the adoration on the fans, giving it back tenfold.
AJR Puts on a High-Energy Show with Thought-Provoking Visuals
TikTok has clearly had a humongous influence on AJR’s fanbase. There were waves and waves of kids filing into Bridgestone Arena accompanied by their parents. Most of them were under 13. There was possibly a 6-year-old in the seat next to this author on one side, and a 12-year-old on the other side. However, the one place where there weren’t any kids was the pit. That’s where true fans go, crowded up close to the stage with their signs, hoping to be scoped out by Jack Met. That’s where fans who have been following AJR since 2012 go, when they played in Nashville for a crowd of maybe 15 people, as Jack estimated.
They’ve been back to Nashville more times over the years, playing venues like Ascend Amphitheater. Now, however, they’re taking over arenas, playing to tens of thousands of screaming fans, and they’re doing it with energy, heart, and boundless creativity. The Maybe Man Tour concludes on August 20, so if you haven’t had a chance to catch it yet, you’re missing out on a truly exciting production.
Featured Image Courtesy of Lauren Boisvert
