AJJ w/ Gladie at Le Poisson Rouge, in NYC

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States early in 2020, live music as we knew and loved it abruptly came to an end. For many musicians, the show played on in the form of live streams across the internet, whether they were digital events in collaboration with production companies, songs performed over Zoom calls with ticket proceeds going to charity, or simply the artist logging into Facebook or Instagram and pressing the "go live" button. AJJ frontman Sean Bonnette chose the last option, using the band's Instagram account as a way to connect with fans and sing songs from the comfort of his home - 225 times. Bonnette hopped onto the platform to perform not only original AJJ music, but covers of his favorite artists as well, often trolling the virtual crowd with Roger Miller's famed Robin Hood track, Oo-De-Lally. Many friendships were formed through these shows, with regulars attending night after night, chatting with other fans they've come to recognize and bond with. After vaccines had been rolled out for a while and it was deemed safe to tour, the streams ended, and the band hit the road to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their fourth album, Knife Man.