AJR, mxmtoon & Almost Monday – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA – July 25, 2024
Pop trio AJR brought their “Maybe Man Tour” back to Philly. After a date back in April, they returned once more for another huge crowd. This time, they were recording the show. Along with the trio, they brought two amazing opening acts: Almost Monday and mxmtoon. Two pretty different sounds, but it set up the audience for an amazing night.
Almost Monday, like AJR, are also a trio. They’re an alternative indie pop band from San Diego, with the iconic California sound. “Sunburn,” their most popular song, captures the feeling of the perfect summer day. The audience loved the summer sound on such a beautiful summer night. The energy they brought to the stadium was unmatched, they got the crowd up and dancing, even though it was early, and the night was just beginning.
Starting off strong with the opening guitar riff in "Is It Too Late?" the concert goers were on their feet. They played their other hits like "Only Wanna Dance With You" and "Tidal Wave."
Playing all their summery songs and dancing with the crowd, it was an amazing way to kick off the show. With lots of singles and more being released throughout the summer, fans are anticipating an album to hopefully be released soon. Almost Monday will be finishing out the rest of the “Maybe Man” tour with AJR, followed by opening for The Driver Era in the UK and Europe this fall.
mxmtoon was the second opener to take the stage. mxmtoon is an alternative pop singer-songwriter and she brought her emotional and meaningful lyrics to the venue. Her vibe and energy kept the crowd ready for more.
She played a lot of songs from her album Rising, with hits like “Coming of Age” and “Sad Disco.” Her angelic presence and music were like a breath of fresh air in the packed stadium. Ending her set with “Mona Lisa,” she was dancing around on stage and smiling whilst singing. Some voices in the crowd, singing along with her and putting up their phone flashlights, lighting up the arena.
As she was ending her set and walking off stage, she had an immense amount of applause and several new fans. mxmtoon will be following AJR the rest of their US leg of the tour with some headlining shows in between. Her newest single “I Hate Texas” was released the same night of the show in Philly, attracting new fans in the crowd.
Following mxmtoon’s performance, it was time for AJR to get their set started. AJR is a pop trio consisting of three brothers, Adam, Jack, & Ryan Met, which is where the initials for the band originated. Adam is the bass player. Jack is the main vocalist, guitar player, and pad controls. Ryan is the pianist, ukulele player, and also another vocalist.
The three brothers were born and raised in New York City where they got their start doing street performances. Busking in Washington Square Park got them some money which they used to get more tools and recording equipment, like the track pad they use so heavily in their current music.
Their big break wasn’t super-fast, but also, didn’t take much time for them to gain traction and a fan base. Since they have grown, the band of brothers have played so many venues in Philly over the last ten years. During the show at Wells Fargo Center, Adam wrote down every venue in Philadelphia they have played and how many people showed up to each show. Starting at World Café Live with an audience of less than ten people some ten years ago, to Wells Fargo Center in 2024 with 20,000 people. Their unique sound, recording process, and elaborate shows have gained the attention of so many more fans, leading them to gain more popularity as the years continue.
AJR’s set started off with the song that inspired the name of the tour, “Maybe Man.” The audience was full of people of all ages, everyone there, united by music, to have a great night with a band they all love. Everyone was immediately up and out of their seats dancing and singing along with the band, word for word. Younger kids in the audience were amazed by how big and bright the set was. A stunning LED screen display from the floor to the ceiling allowed them to put on an incredible, entertaining, classic AJR show like never before. Every tour has grown even greater and greater, this is their biggest yet.
AJR is not just a concert, it’s an experience. It’s a show you can go to without knowing any of their music, and still be entertained. The theatrics and other elements involved are unlike any other concert you will go to.
The setlist was the perfect mix, giving a taste of a little bit of something from most of their albums, with their huge discography. The trio explained how they found a fan remix of two of their songs “Birthday Party” and “I Won’t” blended together on YouTube that was so amazing they added it to their setlist, with the disclaimer, "Please don't sue us,” which got a good laugh from the audience. They then transitioned and played the hit off of their 2017 album The Click, “The Good Part” which went viral on TikTok back in 2021. Followed by “Bang!” which also was a pretty big success, making it to number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 a year after its release.
After lots of songs back-to-back, they do a segment where they read posters brought by fans. One that got their attention was a young girl who challenged Ryan to a plank challenge in exchange for Adam’s iconic hat he wears to every show. Needless to say, Ryan was beaten by the young girl, as the audience was cheering her on, she was having the best night of her life. She won and got a hat from lead singer Jack Met who was just amazed at how brave and confident the girl was to go up on stage in front of 20,000 people.
The show went on and Ryan, after recovering from his plank challenge, brought the show to a more emotional and slower place. Performing a trilogy of their songs, “Turning Out (Parts I, II, & III),” it was just Ryan at the piano, alone on stage, with no big sets, it felt like a more intimate concert. While Ryan was performing those songs, it gave the band the time to go to section 203 of the venue, up in the nosebleeds, they set up their instruments in the chairs of the audience. Sitting with the fans in the venue seats, the band performed another viral Tik Tok hit, “World’s Smallest Violin," surrounded by excited fans who couldn’t believe that AJR was sitting with them, playing their songs live right next to them.
They played “Steve’s Going to London,” while they were up there and towards the middle of the song, they headed back down to the stage where they finished the song. At every show, AJR breaks down one of their songs and shows the audience how it was made from the very beginning. Using the trackpad, they allow the crowd to feel what it was like to be there with them making the song. Using the song, “Way Less Sad,” they showed how it all began with the odd and peculiar sounds they found and produced the rest of the song off of. This is one of the best bits they do in every show, it not only shows the audience how unique and original their production is, but it breaks down the song and shows the crowd how many layers go into producing a song, something we don’t always get the behind the scenes of. After starting at the bare bones of the song, they play it in its’ entirety, allowing us to hear things we maybe didn’t hear before.
Ending with “100 Bad Days” before the encore, the energy wasn’t dying down anytime soon. Adam, Jack, and Ryan were all bouncing around on stage, flailing their arms with energy just radiating out of them, the joys of the performance were nowhere near an end. Exiting the stage and returning for the encore of “Weak” and "2085," no one in the crowd was ready for the night to be over, and yet, it was. The exiting of the band on the stage was followed by an extremely long applause and people staying hoping for more songs. Everyone was seen leaving, smiling, talking about how much of an amazing show it was.
AJR will always put on an incredible show. It’s not just a concert, it’s an experience. The theatrics that are involved with the concert, from the music to the LED screens adding special effects that bring everything together, it’s something you shouldn’t miss.
Their show is one you can go to knowing no songs, and still enjoy it and have an amazing time. Everyone at some point needs to go to an AJR show for the experience. There is truly no live show that could compare to it.
Maria Gilles
Copyright ©2024 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: July 27, 2024.
AJR Photo © 2023. Courtesy of Musikfest. All rights reserved.
Almost Monday Photo © 2024 Cole Ferguson. Courtesy of Hollywood Records. All rights reserved.
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