Adam Met

Adam Met
Met in 2017
Born
Adam Brett Metzger

(1990-08-27) August 27, 1990 (age 36)
Bayside, Queens, New York, United States
Education
Years active2005 (2005)–present
Musical career
GenrePop
Instruments
  • Bass guitar
  • vocals
  • percussion
Labels
Member ofAJR
Websitewww.adammet.net

Adam Brett Met (né Metzger, born August 27, 1990) is an American musician, academic, and climate activist. He is known as the bassist and a background vocalist of the indie-pop band AJR. Met is an adjunct professor at Columbia University.

Early life and education

Met was born on August 27, 1990, in New York City. He attended Columbia University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Philosophy in 2012. He later obtained a Master's degree from New York University. In 2021, he completed his Ph.D. in International Human Rights Law from the University of Birmingham.

Music career

In 2005, Met co-founded the indie pop band AJR with his brothers Jack and Ryan while living in Chelsea, Manhattan. The trio began performing live in 2006 by busking in Central Park and Washington Square Park in New York City. The group released songs such as "I'm Ready", "Weak", and "Bang!". AJR has released albums such as The Click (2017) and OK Orchestra (2021). Their 2018 song "Burn the House Down" became associated with the March for Our Lives movement.

In 2017, Met and his brothers released the charity single "It's On Us", supporting the "It's On Us" campaign created by Barack Obama and the White House Council on Women and Girls to raise awareness about sexual assault on college campuses. On January 17, 2021, AJR performed at the Biden-Harris pre-inauguration We the People virtual concert alongside other artists.

Climate activism and policy

In 2018, Met founded Planet Reimagined, a non-profit focused on renewable energy policies, sustainable music touring, and youth climate advocacy. During the development of the Inflation Reduction Act, Met worked with policymakers on reaching bipartisan clean energy policies.

Met participated in the Social Good Summit in 2019, where he spoke about sustainability in the entertainment industry. He also collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on sustainability projects.

In 2023, Met became an adjunct professor at Columbia University, where he teaches courses on sustainability and climate policy. He has written articles on climate campaigning and human rights for outlets such as TIME and Rolling Stone.

Met was included in the Time 100 "Climate list" and received the "Earth Award" at the TIME100 Next Gala for his environmental work in 2024. He was also recognized as a Changemaker by The New York Times in 2024 for his work in climate advocacy.

Author career

Amplify

Amplify is a 2025 nonfiction book by Met, co-written with award-winning journalist Heather Landy. Published on June 3, 2025, the book draws on Met's firsthand experience growing AJR's audience from playing in living rooms to selling out arenas, adapting those fan-building strategies to the realm of social movements.

Amplify Book Tour

Following the book's release in early June, Met embarked on an eight‑city "Amplify Book Tour", comprising intimate events that blend literary discussion, musical performance, and practical activist strategy. Tour stops included:

Personal life

Met, as well as his two brothers, is Jewish, describing himself as "culturally Jewish but not observant". His parents divorced while he was a child. His father was Gary Metzger, an architect who died in July 2023.

Met and his brothers grew up in Bayside, Queens, until moving to Chelsea, Manhattan, in 2001.

References

  1. ↑ Bravender, Robin (September 17, 2024). "A pop star and a climate boss hit the streets of Michigan". E&E News by POLITICO. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  2. ↑ Veltman, Chloe (August 17, 2024). "How one pop band is trying to turn concertgoers into climate activists". National Public Radio.
  3. ↑ "Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz and AJR's Adam Met talk voting". The Red & Black. October 31, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  4. ↑ Pillay, Tharin (October 10, 2024). "Adam Met on Movement Building and Music". TIME. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  5. ↑ Miller, Gregory E. (October 15, 2013). "Could AJR be the next Jonas Brothers?". Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Technology, Media, and Communications | School of International and Public Affairs". bulletin.columbia.edu. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  7. ↑ Cardoso, Paul (April 6, 2022). "Adam Met Biography – 5 Interesting Facts You Should Know". Naija News. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Keynote: Dr. Adam Met". Lakeside Ohio. March 21, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  9. ↑ McKenzie, Haidyn (February 13, 2024). "How AJR's Adam Met Uses His Degree and platform to Better Our Planet – Off Record Media". Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  10. ↑ "TEDxPurdueU | TED". www.ted.com. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Adam Met". EarthX. February 19, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  12. ↑ Denis, Kyle (August 21, 2024). "AJR's Adam Met Talks Harris-Walz Ticket, Musical Climate Change Initiatives & Potential Deluxe Album". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  13. ↑ "AJR's Adam Met earns PhD". 105.7 The Point. December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  14. 1 2 Jones, C. T. (September 27, 2024). "This Indie-Pop Star Wants to Turn Audiences Into Climate Activists". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  15. ↑ Meares, Hadley (June 24, 2024). "Indie Rockers AJR Spotlight Sustainability on Their Summer Tour". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Members of AJR release new music. How are they coping after their dad died?". NPR. November 24, 2023.
  17. ↑ Gorce, Tammy La (May 17, 2019). "How the Members of the Band AJR Spend Their Sundays (Published 2019)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 6, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Use Your Voice: AJR's Adam Met on Going Green in Music". www.sofarsounds.com. December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  19. ↑ Ginsberg, Gabriella (March 20, 2017). "AJR Interview: They Make Music In Their Living Room & There's Nothing 'Wrong With That'". Hollywood Life. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  20. ↑ Gelles, David (March 12, 2024). "A Pop Star's Wonky Climate Campaign". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 7, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  21. 1 2 "5 things to know about indie-pop band AJR". ABC News. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  22. ↑ Campus, The Daily (May 1, 2019). "AJR's 'Neotheater': Theatrical and impactful". The Daily Campus. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Adam Met: AJR'S ABD Ph.D On The ABCs Of Sustainable Touring - Pollstar News". news.pollstar.com. April 19, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  24. ↑ Snowden, Jordan. "Q&A with siblings Adam, Jack and Ryan of AJR". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  25. ↑ Kaplan, Ilana (June 28, 2018). "AJR on Their March for Our Lives Anthem, Writing With Rivers Cuomo". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  26. ↑ Kaplan, Rebecca. "Civic Nation BrandVoice: It's On Us And AJR Partner On Charity Single To Change the Conversation Around Sexual Assault". Forbes. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Keegan-Michael Key and Debra Messing to Host Pre-Inauguration Concert on Sunday Night". People.com. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  28. ↑ Toplensky, Rochelle (January 26, 2024). "Bipartisan Backing to Explore Fast Tracking Solar and Wind on Oil-And-Gas Lands". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  29. 1 2 "Changemaker Ideas: "Pop Music and Climate Change" - The New York Times Events". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  30. ↑ "A major indie-pop band is asking its Utah fans to care about the Great Salt Lake". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  31. ↑ Met, Adam (June 15, 2023). "What I Learned Negotiating a Bipartisan Climate Policy". TIME. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  32. ↑ "Team/Adam". Planet Reimagined. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Raising Your Voice: AJR's Adam Met, PhD, Encourages Artists To Promote Climate Action - Pollstar News". news.pollstar.com. April 22, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  34. ↑ Adam Met Talks Energy Policy Advocacy, July 12, 2024, retrieved December 23, 2024
  35. ↑ Reimagining the planet with AJR's Adam Met. June 27, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2024 – via edition.cnn.com.
  36. ↑ "2019 Social Good Summit". unfoundation.org. September 19, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  37. ↑ "7 PM TONIGHT | A Conversation with Adam Met | Sustainability Summit 2021". cornell.campusgroups.com. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  38. ↑ "Adam Met of AJR Opens Up About How He and His Brothers Stay Sustainable on Tour". People.com. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  39. ↑ "CAMPUS NEWS: AJR's Adam Met teams up with Mila Rosenthal to teach course on climate campaigning". The Morningside Post. May 10, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  40. ↑ "Adam Met". Worth. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  41. ↑ Waxman, Olivia B. (October 10, 2024). "Adam Met Says Everyone Plays a Vital Role in Solving the Climate Crisis". TIME. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  42. ↑ Met, Adam (November 12, 2024). "TIME100 Climate 2024: Adam Met". TIME. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  43. ↑ "Amplify by Adam Met, PhD: 9780593735909 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  44. ↑ "Book Tour". Adam Met. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  45. ↑ Dzurillay, Julia (November 17, 2022). "Why AJR Changed Their Last Name". ShowBiz Cheat Sheet. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  46. ↑ Songfacts. "My Play by AJR - Songfacts". www.songfacts.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  47. ↑ Bradley, Josh. "Review: AJR remembers Dad during emotional, triumphant production in Tampa [PHOTOS]". Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  48. ↑ Hall, Trish (May 5, 2002). "Habitats/Chelsea; Moving to Manhattan, for the Children's Sake". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2020.