Aly & AJ took their Sanctuary Tour across the United States to play 36 shows in just under 2 months. Alternative band ARMORS were tapped as openers for the tour, and pop singer Jena Rose joined in on the fun for a handful of West Coast dates. We caught one of the last shows of the run at the Observatory North Park in San Diego, California.
Singer/songwriter Jena Rose kicked off the show. She radiated energy as she took command of the stage. Fans who caught her performance were treated to a live rendition of her latest single “Mad Man” and plenty of upbeat pop songs.
Next up, Armors showcased their energetic sound and personas. Their solid set included songs from their debut LP
Who’s Gonna Love Me (When I’m Not Young), which was released six months ago and recently passed a million streams on
Spotify. They were in the final stretch of shows, and their music felt like home to the Southern California crowd. This tour took them to cities they hadn’t played before, and they expressed their gratitude to Aly & AJ for taking them along on the ride.
Aly & AJ started the show with “Church,” the opening track of their latest EP
Sanctuary, and ended the concert on a high with everyone yelling out the words to “Potential Breakup Song” as if it were 2007 all over again. There was no shortage of singing along that night, regardless of which era the songs came from.
It had been 12 long years since Aly & AJ last played a show in San Diego, but the crowd gladly welcomed them back with open arms and eager cheers. The sister duo recognized their musical past by promising a night full of old and new favorites, and they definitely delivered on that promise. They played every song from their
Sanctuary EP and even covered a Kacey Musgraves song.
Aly & AJ also used their platform and took time out of the middle of their show to advocate for
The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ youth. By asking everyone to take out their phones and send a quick text, fans had the opportunity to virtually sign a petition to help
ban harmful conversion therapy in the U.S. as well as
donate to The Trevor Project. Before performing “Good Love,” Aly spotted a California pride flag in the crowd and draped over her keyboard during the song.
The room was full of love and adoration for the sisters who returned with powerful songs, smooth vocals, and perfect harmonies. While people may recall Aly & AJ from years prior, they should definitely be paying attention now to the duo’s updated sound and strong live show. Their performance was met with the enthusiastic encore chant of “ALY! AJ!”, and crowds will surely be wanting more from this musical duo as they continue to give us pop perfection.
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