Jake’s Take’s Concert Review: AJ Mitchell at Gramercy Theatre

By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com

Singer-songwriter AJ Mitchell is taking the world by storm. His superb covers of Jon Bellion’s “All Time Low,” Julia Michaels’ “Issues,” and Martin Garrix and Bebe Rexha’s “In the Name of Love” have been viewed millions of times on YouTube.

However, when the Bellville, Illinois native released his 2017 original tune: “Used To Be,” he became a household name.  He signed a record deal with Epic Records and released his debut EP, Hopeful.  Spotify listeners caught onto AJ’s music as his songs “I Don’t Want You Back” and “Girls” were streamed 8.6 million times.  Last August, AJ Mitchell made his national television debut on The Today Show, where he performed “Girls.”

This month, the “All My Friends” singer-songwriter is traveling across the country. He performed in Denver, St. Louis, Chicago, and Pontiac, Michigan. On Tuesday, May 14, his tour took him to New York City’s Gramercy Theatre.  Hundreds of fans and their parents waited outside of the rain-soaked Big Apple to get inside the theatre.

Brynn Elliot Takes The Stage

After concertgoers scrambled inside to escape the rain, Brynn Elliott took the stage. The Atlantic Records-signed artist started off her segment A cappella, which brilliantly showcased her voice before her band jumped in.  As she sang her way through her set, Brynn performed several of her songs from her 2018 Time of Our Lives EP including “Tongue Tied,” “Internet You,” and the EP’s title track.

Enter Marteen

Fans screamed with delight as Marteen took the stage. The singer-rapper has amassed a massive following on social media, opened for Dua Lipa, Fifth Harmony, and Kehlani, and caught the attention of Billboard, the New York Times, and Paper Magazine. He energized the crowd with his hits such as “Be Cool, “Sriracha,” and “Two Days.”   Marteen has superstar potential, and I believe that he is just getting started.

A Star in the Making

Around 9 PM, AJ Mitchell took the Gramercy Theatre stage. Once AJ started walking to the center of the stage, the Gramercy Theatre’s decibel level exponentially exploded and stayed there until the end of his set. He mentioned to the audience that the New York City concert was his last performance as a 17-year-old. As I watched AJ perform, I saw shades of several of his Top 40 contemporaries, including Justin Bieber, Charlie Puth, and Shawn Mendes when they were starting.

Just like the trio, AJ Mitchell has excellent pieces of ear candy that his fans devour. When he sang “Hopeful,” “Girls,” “Mind,” and “All My Friends, ” AJ proved that those songs are fantastic tracks that would be perfect songs for Top 40 radio stations across the country. Also, AJ Mitchell has a strong falsetto that he showcased on “Hate That I Love You” and “Mind.” If he continues to take care of his falsetto, AJ will be a Top 40 sensation that might surpass Bieber, Puth, and Mendes.

Final thoughts & grade: AJ Mitchell delivered a perfect set that made satisfied his fans and proved that his future in the recording industry is bright! A-