Concert Review: Aly and AJ with Hayden Blount at Archer Music Hall in Allentown, PA

Aly and AJ brought their Places to Run Tour with support by Hayden Blount to Archer Music Hall in Allentown, PA. It was one of the first nice days in the Lehigh Valley after a really long and cold winter. Downtown was bustling with concert goers between this show and Hardy a few blocks away the city felt alive.

Inside there was a long line for merch, Aly and AJ had a large display with so many different items to choose from. They also had an awesome neon sign for their display which was really cute and unique. Fans grabbed drinks and walked around the venue chatting with each other before the lights went down for Haydens set. It was such a great and relaxed vibe. No one was in a rush to crowd the stage or each other.

Hayden is a young, up and coming country artist from a tiny town in Tennessee. He walked out onto the stage solo and played a 40-minute set of originals and covers. It's safe to say that most of the audience had never seen Hayden or heard his music but they were all captivated by him. The audience was attentive and engaged with him throughout the set. This was super refreshing to see, many times people talk during openers or continue to wander about but not at this show. He opened with Good God, Hot Damn and closed his set with Alabama Women, both are great songs to check out. He had good energy and is definitely a rising country star.

Aly and AJ the verterans of the show played 19 songs over and hour and 45 minute set. The sister duo from California has been at this for more than 20 years. Their debut album Into the Rush was released in 2015 and their latest album Silver Deliverer was released 20 years later in 2025.

Aly and AJ perfomed 8 songs off or their current album and opened the show with the title track Silver Deliverer. This got the crowd pumped for a night of sing alongs. They also performed Dandelions, Next to Nothing, Places to Run and my personal favorite What it Feels like.

They blended in fan favorites from albums past including Like Whoa, Chemicals React, Blue Dress a most famously Rush. Before they started Rush AJ talked about them realizing that last year was the 20th anniversary of Rush, she said they just wanted to go back in time and honor the fans for sticking with them all this time. Aly took her spot at the piano for this one and AJ played the guitar. Their voices blended perfectly with each other and the audience. This was a full circle moment for the band and their fans. It was really something special.

They closed the night with Potential Breakup Song, Aly again at the piano bathed in red light and AJ across the stage on her guitar. The audience was scream singing at this point at the top of their lungs. This night was so much fun for everyone. So many songs, so many memories and so many new favorites to fall in love with.

This night was an amazing journey for fans, from finding a new artist to love, to going down memory road to visit 20 year old songs, to singing along to fresh music that will carry them another 20 years. Aly and AJ have fostered an amazing fanbase and community, it was a great place to be on an otherwise ordinary Thursday night.