AJR’s orchestra of sound, color unlocks Hollywood Casino Amp, alongside Blue Man Group cameo

Photos by Andy Argyrakis

When AJR unlocked the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre for its busiest and best summer in what seems like a lifetime coming out of COVID, there were people as far as the eye could see.

The band of brothers sure have come a long way since starting in town at the tiny Bottom Lounge, the slightly larger House Of Blues and even the Aragon Ballroom to become one of today’s top pop/rock chart-toppers.

The bump up to the major leagues also meant an enormous stage filled with innovative, imaginative and interactive screens, along with a sea of colors, cartoons and confetti that were capable of making even the furthest fan on the lawn feel part of the constant party.

A lot of that had to do with the tunes themselves and AJR made sure to not only give its latest long player, “OK Orchestra,” an extensive overview, but look back on several others on the ascent to much-deserved superstardom.

“Bummerland” and “Bang!” were just a couple of the contagious crowd-pleasers that came early on, as did the surprises, such the one and only Blue Man Group, in all their pipe-banging, virtual paint and water-splattering glory, accompanying the band on percussion.

Even as those theatrical icons and recording artists in their own right explosively exited to a mock intermission, AJR kept the momentum going with additional sing-a-longs, such as “Don’t Throw Out My Legos” and “100 Bad Days.”

The guys also gave a behind the scenes look at composing the quirky and ultimately epic beats behind “Weak,” building up towards “The Good Part” and “Burn The House Down” to close out the main portion of the evening, but they quickly came back for “Sober Up.”

“Way Less Sad” wrapped it all up with one of AJR’s catchiest choruses, and perhaps more importantly, a mental health-affirming message that left a feeling that was just as fantastic as the constant flow of eclectic sights and energetic sounds.

For additional information on and AJR, visit AJRBrothers.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre include Styx and REO Speedwagon (Jun. 4); Nick Cannon Presents MTV “Wild ‘N Out” Live (Jun. 11); The Chicks (Jun. 15); Tears For Fears and Garbage (Jun. 16); Q101 Piqniq featuring Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats (Jun. 18); Steely Dan (Jun. 19); Josh Groban (Jun. 25); Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin (Jun. 26); Santana and Earth, Wind & Fire (Jul. 2); Halsey (Jul. 3); Train, Jewel and Blues Traveler (Jul. 15); Rod Stewart and Cheap Trick (Jul. 16); The Black Keys (Jul. 17); Chicago and Brian Wilson (Jul. 24); Backstreet Boys (Jul. 29); Kidz Bop (Jul. 31); OneRepublic (Aug. 3); Chris Brown (Aug. 4); Rob Zombie and Mudvayne (Aug. 5); Jason Aldean (Aug. 12); Incubus and Sublime With Rome (Aug. 14); Kid Rock and Foreigner (Aug. 19); Korn and Evanescence (Aug. 20); Alice In Chains, Breaking Benjamin and Bush (Aug. 24); Imagine Dragons (Aug. 26); Sammy Hagar & The Circle and George Thorogood & The Destroyers (Aug. 27); “Encanto”: The Sing Along Film Concert (Aug. 28); Wu-Tang Clan and Nas (Sept. 2); Luke Bryan (Sept. 10); Keith Urban (Sept. 24) and Five Finger Death Punch and Megadeth (Sept. 30). For additional details, visit LiveNation.com.

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AJR’s orchestra of sound, color unlocks Hollywood Casino Amp, alongside Blue Man Group cameo

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