This week’s edition of 15 Minute Live Performances features rising singer-songwriter AJ Smith. Earlier this year, we got a glimpse into what a day in the life of Smith was like and on top of being wildly entertaining (quite fun), Smith has got some serious musical chops.

Don’t believe us? Well, you may take the words of a little band called the Eagles or some up-and-comer named Billy Joel a bit more seriously. Smith has earned plaudits from both rock legends and converted many believers, young and old, that he’s on the brink.

Born in Denver, before having a cup of coffee in Nashville before moving to New York City, Smith is a classically-trained multi-instrumentalist who served with the National Symphony Orchestra. Not just a musician, Smith had ambitions to be an engineer, to which he took his talents to U.S. Naval Research Laboratory before pivoting back to his first love: music. He then got a Master’s in songwriting. Creating catchy, melodic and complicated pop isn’t easy, but if there’s a guy to harness the energy of all those elements, it’s the rising Smith.

If you don’t believe us, then maybe you will after watching his 15 Minute Live Performance below.

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