Ajeva Off to a Monster Start in 2025

St. Petersburg’s prog rock funksters Ajeva have come out of the New Year’s gate swinging, and they have crushed every time they hit the stage. They began with two killer performances opening two shows on the Spafford Florida run, then had a three-night run around the state, including town with similarly-minded Tamayo.

Ajeva – 01.18.25. 📸: Dan Fernandez @djfworkshops

Next up for the quintet will be opening for The Main Squeeze at Crowbar in Tampa, followed by a set at Whippersnap Music & Arts Festival in Brooksville. They have a three-night swing through Charleston, Tucker, and Asheville, fest appearances at Fat Tire Fest and St. Pete Community Fest, and two more North Carolina shows. Also on tap, the Dunedin Brewery Spring Beer Jam and a three-night residence at the famed Green Parrot.

When Ajeva opened for Spafford in St. Petersburg January 18, we declared:

Hometown heroes Ajeva have been a going concern for more than a decade, but the past two years or so everything seems to have jelled for this quintet. Their extensive touring throughout Florida and the Southeast have raised their profile, highlighted by a huge set on The Hallows at Suwannee Hulaween in October.

You know it’s going to be a great night when BOTH bands start early. In Ajeva’s case, they had to be off at 8:40, so they blew into “Try to Release” at 7:58. Taylor Gilchrist’s nasty bass intro gave us an indication of what was to come — one of the most badass funk tunes you’ll ever hear. Tucker Sody made very effective use of the clap drum in his timekeeping here. Lyndon Thacker starred with massive keyboard chops, pumping out electric piano and synths in equal measure.

The group downshifted for “People We Love” with vocalist Reed Hills (who also plays guitar) in command. Five minutes into the groove, they speed-shifted up for some powerful rock.

Successful bands in most any genre build upon their rhythm sections, even more true for jambands. Gilchrist and Sody are so perfectly in lockstep as they propel the band’s groove, never more evident than on “You Can Too.” They were on fire, with Thacker washing synths atop everything and guitar beast Mike Nevins continuing to do what does best. The song roared to a massive crescendo, blazed all-out rock, and totally funkified at the end.

The band thanked the crowd for the warm reception before throwing down ridiculous heavy metal prog with “Seven.” UNREAL! These gents need to be on the national stage.

Do yourself a favor and check these boys out. You’ll find plenty of shows on YouTube, archive.org, and bandcamp.

Ajeva are: Reed Skahill, vocals; Taylor Gilchrist, bass; Mike Nivens, guitar; Lyndon Thacker, keyboards; and Tucker Sody, drums.