Each year RodeoHouston brings a variety of talent to their star-shaped rotating stage. But the customarily country-heavy lineup always seems to have a wildcard. In 2020 the Korean boy band NCT 127 broke the mold, attracting tens of thousands of NCTzens (fans of the band) who adoringly brandished the band’s iconic neon lightsticks, turning the arena’s concourse into a speckling of waving fluorescent green dots.
The RodeoHouston wildcard in 2022 was, perhaps, Puerto Rican pop star Ricky Martin, who performed in a faux leather monogramed cape. In 2023 we saw Machine Gun Kelly take the rotating rodeo stage, and 2024 brought the Jonas Brothers back to Texas, where they set the record for for paid stadium attendance. This year there is a clear wildcard in another group of brothers.
Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met (formally Metzger) comprise the New York indie-pop trio AJR, who’s discography contains more than a few ultra viral songs. But despite their success and devout fandom, they’re an odd fit for RodeoHouston. Their (sometimes irritatingly) optimistic music, quirky lyrics, and anthemic choruses leave them in a genre unto themselves.
Live, the brothers put on a feel-good three-man show that sometimes feels more like a 2014 YouTube collab channel that’s broadcasted from someone’s bedroom than an arena concert. But, thats almost certainly by design. The AJR origin story goes like this: three brothers make music in their New York family living room, and, with the help of social media and Sia (yes, that Sia) they rapidly garner attention in the industry. But more importantly, they rapidly gain a loyal following.
The brothers were delivered to the stage in standard Rodeo fashion, in a blacked-out SUV which dodged pyrotechnics as it drove across the dirt field. A prerecorded introduction played as AJR climbed out of the car and up the steps to the main platform, until the first chord of the band’s 2020 single “Bummerland” from their fourth album OK Orchestra rang out into the stadium.
It was clear from the beginning of the performance that the audience was divided cleanly into two categories: AJR super fans, who sang along to each song, and everyone else. The pockets of super fans made themselves known through sheer zeal, perhaps matching the energy of AJR frontman Jack Met, as he cavorted across the stage. Jack Met dances like the inflatable wavy tube man perched in front of every used car dealership—but it’s endearing.
Fans got a treat when AJR broke out their old cover of Smash Mouth’s “All Star” with a reggae twist, which was followed by “100 Bad Days” from their 2019 record Neotheater. The band’s trumpet player, Arnetta Johnson, really shines in the second half of the concert, playing lots of catchy ad libs and solo throughout.
One of the group’s most famous songs, “World’s Smallest Violin” (OK Orchestra, 2021), was initiated by a monotone drone which transformed into the song’s initial lyric. Always a crowd favorite, the song brought many audience members to their feet, happy to sing the lyrics they knew. The final moments of the song saw its chorus turned into an accelerating chant which peaked with a ferocious drum solo accompanied by a backlit strobe light show.
“Steve’s Going to London” is another beloved AJR song, from their 2023 album The Maybe Man. Here Jack switched the modes on his keyboard so that it sounded like he was playing a harpsichord as he sang. Johnson’s trumpet fills were integral to the live orchestration of this song, though its final hook, the song’s namesake, sung by thousands of fans in the audience was the most memorable part.
AJR’s live presentation seems to rely heavily on prerecorded backtracks, and this song was no different. But it’s to be expected from a band who’s known for making and using loops ad nauseam (the most famous of which was taken from SpongeBob SquarePants for their 2015 song “I’m Ready”).
Before performing “Bang!” the band did a short demonstration on how they record and use samples to build their own percussion and accompaniment. Ryan explained to the crowd that all of their studio recordings were produced, recorded, and mastered in their living room in New York City. As he demonstrated their process it became apparent that they were recreating the beat for “Bang!” Eventually leading directly into the song.
The group finished strong with one of their biggest hits, “Weak,” a 2017 showstopper from their album The Click. 2025’s Rodeo wildcard took Houstonians to their New York City living room for a night of music that’s unlike anything you have heard or are going to hear at the Houston Rodeo in years to come. It’s music that works in a massive stadium, but, despite its easily digestible choruses and syncopated beats, is strangely personal, as if it was written just for just one person.
