Aly and AJ at FIVE, Jacksonville (October 25, 2025)

 

 

 

Musical duo, Aly & AJ (Alyson Michalka and Amanda Joy Michalka) just headline Jacksonville’s newest venue, FIVE, on October 25, 2025.

You may recall that we were eagerly waiting to check out the venue, writing about them in December 2024. We were supposed to see the venue on opening night on Feb 22 with Palaye Royale. Unfortunately, at the last minute, the Palaye Royale show was moved to Decca Live. It seemed that FIVE was not quite ready to open to the public. According to News4Jax, the delay was due to “construction and permit delays”.

So, we finally got to check out FIVE last night. This is a converted historic theater (formerly Sun-Ray Cinema and before that, named Riverside Theater and 5 Points Theatre). The venue is located in a dense, bustling little area known as the Riverside and Avondale area or the Five Points (hence its name FIVE)… but this may just be Saturday night. Parking is non-existent in the immediate area, so you’ll have to park a block away and walk to the area. It’s not so bad, but the venue does suggest using Uber or other car services.

The new venue removed all the theater seats, leaving open standing room in three or four different levels (with the highest raised level in the back). It’s similar to the Palace Theatre, in St Paul. There is a full-sized bar in the back, nearby the generous two soundboards. The sound is impressive; they must have gotten new equipment. And with these theaters, they were designed so you can hear the crystal-clear sound. There is a mezzanine (balcony), but it was closed for this show. I am assuming some shows may have an additional cost to access that viewing area, and/or if the capacity (1,250) is reached.

Bathrooms are outside the stage area and well lit. It is also next to the merchandise area, where you can tell it was converted from the old theater concessions. This is kind of cool, because you can have small merch on display under glass with bright lights.

Overall, based on the large room, great viewing angles (I think most theaters were designed to view the stage or screen – like no random columns holding up the roof, like other venues), with plenty options for drinks and merch, I am very excited to see FIVE enter into Jacksonville’s concert scene. Between all the venues I’ve been to around this city, FIVE is easily one of my top three. You can read about other venues here.

Fiddle player and songwriter Amanda Shires opened the show. You may know her as part of the supergroup The Highwomen (along with Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, and Maren Morris). They got their idea from the 80s supergroup The Highwaymen (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson), so in similar vein, they re-worked “The Highwaymen” theme song to “The Highwoman”… and it’s the first song that Shires had on her brief set.

She is joined on stage by keyboard player Daniel Myers (I could have misheard), from Tennessee. The rest of her set seems pretty sad (“Friend Zone”, “Lately”), taken from her latest album Nobody’s Girl, that just came out in September on ATO Records. While it’s not said, it’s certainly implied that these heartbreaking songs were the results of her divorce from Jason Isbell.

 

 

Before the Aly and AJ took the stage, the lights dimmed and we get to see a live video feed of their backstage green room. The sisters looked nervous, but also excited to go on stage. They do their little ritual, and before you knew it, you see the full live band on stage: drummer, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, going on stage and taking their position. Then the girls came on stage, with the spotlight directly on them.

Here is the thing about this stage, it seemed specifically designed, assuming under the sisters’ direction. You get this ying-yang-ish video projection display, you get these very unique wires (they look like dream weavers), and you get specialized lighting – controlled off stage. Whoever put together the stage design, they deserved a prize. You don’t get these kind of thoughts and effort in a typical touring band.

The lights were very nice and colorful. I’m not sure if that is because it was a combination of the set designer or the built-in FIVE lights, but the results, as you can see in the captured photographs, they looked phenomenal.

The thing with Aly & AJ was that they were quite successful when they first started. Their cover of The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Do You Believe in Magic” was #2 on the Billboard Top Singles Sale. They sold a million copies of “Potential Breakup Song”, and so on. From my understanding, part of the reasons why the band didn’t go on tour that often was because of Aly had starring role in Hellcats and iZombie (the show based on DC Comics). After the show ended, you started to see Aly & AJ on tour in 2019, and 2022, and recently 2025, in support of their latest album Silver Deliverer. In addition, the duo is also celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Into the Rush with a release of 20 Years Of Into The Rush (LIVE) Album.

Highlight of the night was Amanda Shires joining the band for two songs “Blue Dress” and “Lasso”. They did “Rush”, and ended their set with “Places to Run.” For fans who stayed until the end, they were rewarded with their most popular song, “Potential Breakup Song” as the encore. There was no way they wouldn’t end their set with that song.

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