The much-respected folk-punkers AJJ set off on their summer-long tour last night in Phoenix, Arizona at the Crescent Ballroom: a hometown show of sorts as the band formed in the desert back in 2004 as Andrew Jackson Jihad. This is the band’s first live show since October of last year when they finished up a short tour in celebration of 10 years since their Knife Man album. This tour has them going across the U.S. with openers Open Mike Eagle for the first half and Why? Joining them for the second half. The band will also play the opening slots for Frank Turner for three shows starting on July 15.
The five-piece band has been dazzling fans and skeptics alike with their irresistible melodies and lightspeed finger plucking. Frontman Sean Bonnette’s songwriting is a melting pot of wit and self-awareness, crafting poems filled with questions that everyone asks but never gets answers to. This latest tour is in support of their 2020 album Good Luck Everybody, an 11-song album of electrifying guitar licks from the band’s lead guitarist Preston Bryant.
Their 24-song setlist last night not only covered their last album, but they performed songs from most of their discography. Starting off the night with “Kokopelli Face Tattoo”, a hard rock cut from their 2014 album Christmas Island. The rest of the night was a grab bag from their albums, performing deep cuts and hits alike, including “I Wanna Be Your Dog 2” from their two-pack single released last year.
Check out the setlist below,
