I saw AJR perform at iHeart Radio's Jingle Ball last December and was astounded at how incredible their set was. I'd, of course, heard several of their hit songs like 'Bang!' and 'Weak' before, but hearing it live was something else—beyond compare. I knew if I was that blown away by their fifteen-minute set, then their concert would be nothing short of remarkable, and I was not wrong.

AJR's 'The Maybe Man' Arena Tour was such an electrifying yet heartfelt show that had the audience start out dancing and singing and then leave the concert misty-eyed. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you my best friend/concert buddy, and I were silent for a good five minutes as we walked out of the arena. We were rendered speechless by the extraordinary concert we'd just experienced.

Here is a brief background of the extremely talented band and what made their concert unlike any performance I've ever seen.

From NY Streets to Madison Square

AJR is an indie-pop band consisting of brothers Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met, who write, produce, and mix their own music. The band was formed 19 years ago when the youngest brother, Jack, was only seven years old. The brothers would busk cover songs on the streets of New York and used the money they made from that to buy instruments and recording equipment.

They spent eight years perfecting their songwriting technique and eventually released their first song, 'I'm Ready' in 2015. The song wasn't doing well, so Ryan tweeted the link to the music video to a thousand celebrities as a last resort. Famous Australian singer-songwriter Sia thought the song was a hit and retweeted Ryan. She took them under her wing and introduced them to people in the industry, where the brothers met their manager. 'I'm Ready' peaked at number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 and even went platinum.

The song was incredibly popular and well-known, but the band itself wasn't. Despite the hit, hardly anyone would show up to their concerts. Two years later, they released 'Weak,' which went Triple Platinum. The popularity of 'Weak ' expanded their fanbase, allowing them to finally go on tour. Over the past decade, AJR has consistently released albums and toured. Now, with their latest album, The Maybe Man, they're fulfilling a long-time dream: headlining Madison Square Garden.

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Insane Visuals

The visuals AJR had were incomparable to any concert I've ever been to. Every song performed was its own production that continued to impress. Some songs felt like watching a music video live on stage, with the backing screen serving as the set and lead singer Jack interacting with it. During 'Yes I'm a Mess,' treadmills and harnesses made it look like he was biking, skiing, and driving. In 'Karma,' he appeared to float through outer space and fall from the sky. Other songs like 'The Good Part' and 'Burn the House Down' can only be compared to a rave because of the way the venue would explode at every beat drop with vibrant light cues, fog, and perfectly in-sync visuals. The concert was such a production that they even had a credits roll at the end, revealing that the show was not only performed by but also directed by these remarkable brothers.

It's All For the Fans

It's so charming the way AJR can perform to a sold-out crowd yet still get personable with their fans: they shout out fan signs that catch their eye, have a bit going where they ask audience members to find Ryan a new hat, and even go out into the audience to sing with some fans. The way they interact with the crowd is incredible. They act like they're a couple of normal guys just hanging out…with thousands of people.

Jack talked about how they've always wanted to play a song from the crowd and they jumped at the opportunity once they finally got the green light on this tour. It was so endearing how starstruck the fans they sat next to were. It shows just how grateful the band is for their fans, the way they run across the arena in minutes—sometimes even getting stopped by security—to sing with them.

They care so deeply about their fans, demonstrated by their decision to reschedule what was originally set to be the opening night of their tour. The reason? The venue couldn't accommodate the scale of their production, and they wanted to ensure the show was truly worth it. In an episode of their tour documentary series on YouTube, Jack emphasizes this commitment, urging the tour team to adopt the mindset that "someone spent their paycheck on the tickets, so we gotta give them the greatest show ever." This level of consideration reflects just how down-to-earth the band is and how much they value their fans.

They Know How To Work a Crowd

AJR doesn't just know how to entertain a crowd, they also know how to work one. They keep the audience on their toes and even pull a prank on them?! Now, I'm not going to spoil it because they still have a couple of shows left on their tour, but the crowd went wild for it. It was hilariously random, and my friend and I couldn't stop laughing, wondering how they even came up with it. It was a perfect example of how much fun the band has with their fans.

As I mentioned earlier, the band writes, mixes, and produces their own music. But they also do it live on stage. They go through how they made the song and reenact things that inspired them, like a waitress putting down a plate or watching old home videos.

At The Maybe Man Tour, they show how they created the song 'Way Less Sad'. In this video from their previous tour, they did a similar thing with the song 'Weak'.

Life Lesson at a Concert?!

A good concert is thrilling and explosive, which this concert was, but at the end of the day, authenticity is what made this concert and what makes this band so special. The lyrics to their songs are true to them and convey such resonant messages, which is what makes them so well-received by fans.

The show kicked off with 'The Maybe Man,' a song about wishing to be someone—anything—else, weighing the pros and cons, but ultimately wanting to be one's self and wondering how one would even go about doing that. Before the final track, Jack gave a speech, emphasizing that you shouldn't waste a second of your life not being yourself. He said to be the biggest version of yourself, which is a scary thing to do.

This message was visually echoed earlier in the concert, where we saw visuals from the point of view of Jack growing larger. The concert concluded with '2085,' a song that brings both the album and the live experience full circle. It reflects on looking back from an elderly perspective, filled with regret over time wasted worrying about others' opinions.

I never thought I'd learn such an important lesson at a concert, but that's the thing— it didn't just feel like a concert, it felt like a meaningful experience that left me reflecting on my own life.

*Thumbnail permission received by Shelby Beckler from SAP Productions