AJR’s The Maybe Man Tour might be the adult boy band indie pop version of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
Going in with the vaguest of knowledge (I knew the hits and that they were brothers from NYC — and Ryan, the R in AJR, produces their music), what I recently saw at Capital One Arena was nothing short of shocking in terms of production. AJR’s set was over two hours of moving screens and stages, actors as astronauts, and various sets, interactive songs throughout the arena, and at times one of the members dangling in the air.
AJR is an American indie pop band composed of three brothers: Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met — whose first initials make up the band’s name. They are known for their eclectic style, blending elements of pop, electronic, and indie music, and their DIY approach to music production. On August 2, their DC stop on their Maybe Man Tour was the second to last night of tour, which was supported by opening acts Almost Monday and Mxmtoon, at Capital One Arena.
Almost Monday brought such excitement and enthusiastic energy on stage out of context one may think they were headlining. They played a short set of 7 songs and are based in San Francisco. Dawson Daugherty, Cole Clisby, and Luke Fabry make up the trio, who joined forces in high school.
Maia, whose stage name is Mxmtoon, has been making music for over 10n years. Her mix of unique vocals, synth sounds, and signature ukulele playing is often categorized as bedroom pop or indie pop. Her career began secretly online self-producing and self-releasing under allies, but quickly grew as she began to take music on full-time.
AJR wasted no time with wowing fans once their set began. After an elaborate intro video with effects like heat and live camera of the audience, Jack kept appearing and disappearing on different parts of the stage under a singular spotlight. He was appearing to be everywhere at once in his signature plaid and fur hat. Finally, with the entire band and Ryan and Adam out on stage, Jack flew in from the ceiling, literally out of thin air.
Listen to AJR’s 2023 album The Maybe Man on Spotify:
Throughout the show, the elevated screen/stages made Jack appear to fall from space, drive in a car, and walk. While Adam and Ryan (who often played ukulele and piano practically at once) stained mainly stationary. Toward the end of the set, Ryan gave a short “masterclass” on how they produce their songs, mixing in vocals with everyday sounds and recordings from home videos. At one point, they even appeared in the nosebleeds sitting among fans, sitting shoulder to shoulder for an acoustic moment to play “World’s Smallest Violin” and “Steve’s Going to London.”
It was clear that the sold-out Capital One Arena wasn’t going to stop AJR from making the show feel intimate. In between elaborate set changes and large-scale musical numbers, they brought a fan to the stage who was a Ryan lookalike, read aloud various posters, and even joked around with a fan close to the barricade who seemed to know none of their lyrics. They spoke about growth as a band and how some venues they have played in the DMV included an almost empty Fillmore Silver Spring. It was clear they were proud of what they accomplished since their days street playing music in Central Park.
At one point, a light appeared to fall from the ceiling. The crowd seemed to be 60% aware what they were seeing was a bit, and 40% concerned about the potential emergency. The band members were shuffled off stage, which made some fans think the show was stopped. As venue employees (or so we thought) came on stage to clean up the glass, the disguise was ripped off and an an “employee” was revealed to be Jack. The crowd cheered as the screen read “IT WAS PART OF THE SHOW!” It seemed like the bits and jokes never ended.
The show was a visual experience as much as a musical one- like a Broadway show or stadium tour. If a magician directed a musician’s tour, it would be this.
Here are some photos of Mxmtoon, Almost Monday, and AJR performing at Capital One Arena on August 2, 2024. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Sami Pye.
