Photos by Andy Argyrakis

No matter the environment, AJR always brings its A-game as artists and innovators, though there’s something especially exhilarating whenever the band of brothers heads to the great outdoors.

Front man/guitarist Jack and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Ryan Met, alongside supporting keyboard/trumpet player Arnetta Johnson and drummer Chris Berry, may have topped themselves when it came to the “Somewhere In The Sky” Tour, not only in terms of taking “The Maybe Man” concept to the next level, but curating a near festival’s worth of openers, including Lawrence, Cavetown, Valley and Madilyn Mei.

As for the established indie/electro pop headliners and their selectively touring yet ultimately absent bassist bro Adam, they are currently celebrating 20 years since starting in the family’s New York home and ten since dropping the aptly titled full-length debut “Living Room.”

Since then, the trio racked up billions of streams, a slew of multi-platinum singles and sold out crowds at prestigious places like Madison Square Garden, which was also almost the case at the much larger Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre.

For 90 minutes, AJR turned in the bulk of what got them this far, starting on a “Way Less Sad” note of “Karma,” “Yes I’m A Mess,” “The Good Part” and the brand new “Betty,” representing a cross-section of eras and infectious experiments.

“100 Bad Days,” “Burn The House Down” and “Bang!” really ramped up the audience participation, while the guys went closer to the crowd by taking a few back pavilion seats during “World’s Smallest Violin” and “Wow, I’m Not Crazy.”

Dedicated listeners were probably all the more pleased with a massive medley of less frequently performed tracks, such as “Come Hang Out,” “I’m Not Famous,” “I’m Ready,” “Break My Face” and “Finale (Can’t Wait To See What You Do Next),” each demonstrating a multitude of emotions and witty angles.

Even so, the peaks were probably “Sober Up” and “Weak” when AJR unleashed an explosion of endorphins, followed by an actual marching band providing a robust recap of an idyllic night under the Tinley Park stars.

For additional information on AJR, visit AJRBrothers.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre include Cyndi Lauper (Aug. 5); Rod Stewart (Aug. 8); Toto, Christopher Cross and Men At Work (Aug. 9); Big Time Rush (Aug. 10); Nelly (Aug. 13); Billy Idol (Aug. 14); Kidz Bop Live (Aug. 15); The Offspring (Aug. 16); $uicideboy$ (Aug. 17); Volbeat (Aug. 22); Styx, Kevin Cronin and Don Felder (Aug. 23); Lil Wayne (Aug. 24); Jonas Brothers (Aug. 26); Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia (Aug. 29); Falling In Reverse (Aug. 30); The Doobie Brothers (Sept. 10); Jason Aldean (Sept. 13); Conan Gray (Sept. 14); Twenty One Pilots (Sept. 24); Papa Roach and Rise Against (Sept. 27); Parker McCollum (Oct. 4) and Judas Priest and Alice Cooper (Oct. 5). For additional details, visit LiveNation.com.

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