20 Years of Nostalgia, One A+ Show
- Paige Rasmussen
- Sep 26
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 26
It was just after 5 p.m. on a Thursday. As I was about to shut off my working brain as well as my laptop for the day, my phone rang. I jumped. Muscle memory, knowing the likelihood that it was a last-minute client request. However, on the other line, the chipper voice of my husband asked, "Did you still want to go to that thing?"
Glancing up at the clock, I realized he meant the concert I had mentioned to him a couple of weeks ago and even marked on our calendar, just in case a typically casual Thursday night made it out of our quiet suburban neighborhood and into the city. Hell yeah, I do!
And it did. With almost zero traffic and ample walk-up ticket availability at the box office, we snagged ourselves a seat in the fourth row of the orchestra, just slightly left of center stage. Perfect, I thought.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, Oregon was its usual, elegant self. Rows of lights gleamed bright white from blocks away and overhead as you entered the front doors, dressing you in megawatts. Aly & AJ beamed across the marquee: tonight only!
As you entered the great room, it was just as bright inside as it was from the street, and was studded with decor straight out of the Italian Renaissance. It had the usual setup; concessions lined one side with choices of beer, wine, cocktails, candy and snacks, and oversized pretzels rotating in a hot window and a merchandise section on the other with boxes of band t-shirts, sweatshirts, vinyl, and even jewelry lining the long tables and up onto the wall, showcasing themselves. We had our pick.
The crowd was tame and scattered with small groups and pairs of what I can only assume are fellow Disney Channel (original only!) lovers, and new fans, who've discovered or likened the beautiful, dreamy sound of Aly & AJ, a 20-year legacy since their first album, Into the Rush, debuted in 2005. I'd seen this space uncomfortably filled before, lines twisted up and down the stairs for the ladies' and men's rooms, but today was delightfully different. Calm.
Again, perfect.
With plenty of time before the show, I made my way to the merchandise area, waiting a mere ten minutes tops. Despite having my eye on a retro zip-up hoodie with the phrase "INTO THE RUSH" sprawled across the chest, I opted instead for a white ringer t-shirt lined in coral, a hibiscus-like flower on the front, and script wrapped around the petals that seemed to sing out, "be every color that you are."
Their opener, Amanda Shires, had a new album, Nobody's Girl, to be released later that night, and I knew I'd be back for that. Even luckier given the chance to chat it up and get a signed copy, an ode to my old concert hopping days, much more frequent and agile, decades ago.
The attendant running the merchandise stand was sweet and hardworking, showing out for his beloved Frenchie.
Amused and satisfied with my purchase for now, we made our way to our seats, just moments before Amanda took the stage. Which she did unforgettably and in cute chaos, at a loss of breath, cloaked in a long black trench coat and matching heels, a shimmery mid-thigh length dress peeking through underneath, she announced, short-winded, "I'm Amanda Shires, and I just ran here!"
The crowd loved her, as did we. Her charm swept us all up, taking us with her in song, beautifully accompanied by violin, and a voice spilling with heart. Her dear friend, on the keys, barely broke eye contact as she fluttered around the stage, between singing and playing, his gaze was glued to her, endearingly.
Her set was short, but lovely and sprinkled with humorous bits that showed her personality well, her commentary just as captivating and entertaining, when she nonchalantly drew a piece of chewing gum from her mouth, wadded it up in a torn piece of her setlist, and proclaimed something like, "I just quit vaping and it's gum. Didn't want you to think I was pulling teeth or something," and after a short pause, "more things I shouldn't say out loud." She was gold.
When Aly & AJ took the stage, it went as you would expect, drawing in the audience with their live feed countdown, they emerged from the wings slowly, intentionally, and with fierce harmony.
This being towards the beginning of their Silver Deliverer Tour, their 20 years behind the music was just as much of a dream as any finale show could be. From the effortless transitions behind the scenes of the technical team and instrument swaps, to the cascading light shows, and of course, skilled talent and a close-knit band, the show beyond exceeded my expectations, blowing any of that of my inner thirteen-year-old self away.
Smooth, engaging, and familiar with their audience, they led ballad after "bop" and enjoyed the intimate weekday crowd as much as we did, including a rather enthusiastic fan dressed in a full cow suit. Okay, Cow Belles.
The momentum didn't seem to stop and, in fact, felt soothing when they spoke on issues like gun violence, encouraging fans to donate to Everytown, sharing they'd experienced a mass shooting after performing their show at the Crest Theatre in Sacramento, California, in 2022.
In good faith, they also dedicated an emotional song to a late close friend they'd lost unexpectedly. Hands rose in the air, a giant singalong, signifying unified pain across the crowd. Together, relating to loss and fear, these songs were a comforting blanket of acknowledgement in today's current events.
The show continued throughout the evening with hits from their first album, Into the Rush, and newer, catchy tracks on their recent album release, Silver Deliverer.
A quick exit and a rushed "Thank you, Portland!" left us wanting more, and they obliged an encore with a silky intro to Potential Breakup Song with Aly behind the keys, the acoustics melting over us before jumping back into one final rock show send-off.
On the drive home, I was giddy, as if I were 20 years younger, rocking out to Potential Breakup Song again for the first time. Clutching my new t-shirt, I sank into the passenger seat, reliving the show, thinking and repeating to my husband, "What a great show! That was so fun," while finishing my pre-show Burger King Chicken Fries and sipping on a crispy Diet Coke. A great Thursday for a night out.
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