(NEXSTAR) — The All-American Rejects, one of the 2000s’ most beloved pop-rock bands, is currently touring the U.S. — and coming to a house party near you. During a recent pop-up performance in a Minneapolis bowling alley, frontman Tyson Ritter announced that fans can request the All-American Rejects for their house parties.
The band, who released their debut self-titled album in 2002, is best known for mega hits from their second and third albums, including “Dirty Little Secret” and “Gives You Hell.” But ahead of a forthcoming fifth album (their first in 13 years), the band is finding new, younger fans through these pop-up performances.
During this week’s Minneapolis performance, Ritter explained that the band’s reasoning for such a touring strategy comes from “giving a [expletive] about the common man,” elaborating that AAR isn’t “trying to sell you finance tickets to Coachella,” “Ticketmaster [expletive] penalty fees,” or “$25 parking.”
“We’re just trying to sell you some songs you might’ve grown up with,” said Ritter in videos posted to social media by attendees.
The concept of “house parties” isn’t new but as popular culture has recently leaned into late 2000s-early ’10s nostalgia (see the rise of “indie sleaze” and “recession pop”), it makes total sense that parties would be back. As data shows that Gen Z and Millennials are increasingly seeking out in-person experiences — fueled by both an epidemic of loneliness made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic and heightened presence of screen time — the Millennial partying aesthetic is back in full swing. Even if Gen Z still says it doesn’t understand why Millennials drink and party so hard.
On Sunday, the All-American Rejects played to a packed front yard: outside a residential house in an area of Columbia, Missouri known as “East Campus” to students of the University of Missouri. The show was hosted by Mizzou’s KCOU 88.1 FM radio station and proceeds aimed to help out Ragtag Cinema, a Columbia non-profit theater which recently experienced funding losses due to federal arts grants cuts.
KCOU General Manager John Sansone praised the band for its appearance (and additional $500 donation), saying: “It was incredible to see a band that normally fills out full arenas to come back to their roots and play a DIY house show for a few hundred people. It was an incredible show of community… It’s not lost on me that things like this don’t happen that often.”
So, if you can’t wait for a house party, AAR is touring across the U.S. through the summer. The band will appear at the Vans Warped Tour 2025 festival in Long Beach in July and will tour with Jonas Brothers x Marshmello’s Living the Dream Tour into the fall.
Finally, for any Millennials hoping to get invited to a house party to see All-American Rejects sing “Swing, Swing”: Wear comfortable shoes.
Nexstar’s Megan Mueller contributed to this report.
Source: Fox 8 News Channel