The AJR brothers made their Houston Livestock and Rodeo debut on March 6th—a highly anticipated show after their Houston tour stop was canceled due to Hurricane Beryl last July. With over 50,000 individuals, including myself, in attendance, the concert was a huge success. Following their two sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden in 2024, it became one of their biggest shows to date.
I’ve been a fan of theirs for nine years now. I was devastated when AJR canceled the Houston concert. I anxiously awaited the reschedule and was absolutely thrilled when they announced their appearance at the rodeo.
During their set, the brothers played their biggest hits, like “Weak,” “Steve’s Going to London,” and “World’s Smallest Violin,” and broke the songs down for us.
The brothers dedicated a whole segment to creating a fan favorite, “Bang!” and walked us through the process. They reenacted a summarized version of what the room was like while writing the song, displaying the complexities of the song-producing process. I was blown away by the levels of vocals and sampled noises used as snare drums. They then wrapped up this part of the show with the infamous “Here we go!” intro after pretend bickering with the anonymous presenter’s voice, sending the audience into a surge of cheers and flashing phone lights.
Later in the show, they took a moment to reflect on the early days of their career. “We grew up street performing in New York City,” lead vocalist Jack Met explained. “We would play a lot of covers.” This gave a sentimental aspect to the show, allowing the audience to connect with them on a personal level. They then segwayed into a surprise cover of “All-Star” by Smash Mouth. The crowd screamed all the words instantly, excited to hear the nostalgic track.
AJR’s performance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was a 10/10 overall. Considering they were down a brother (Adam Met) and could not put on their regular theatrical show due to the stage restrictions, I was overwhelmed by the energy in the venue and the dedication and energy they had put into this show. From the visuals, the connection with the audience, and the song choices, this is easily one of the most memorable concerts I have attended.
