“Orange is the color of sex,” or at least that is what Tyson Ritter, vocalist/bassist of the All American Rejects, said to the crowd Wednesday night during their concert. Had I known that witty stage banter would await me, I wouldn’t have been so angry that I had to wait until 7 p.m. in the frigid weather to enter the Mini-Dome.
During the hour wait for the opening band, concert-goers were treated to fun-filled trivia questions about the bands, a for instance being that the opening act, The Upwelling, was voted the 2005 top underground band on spin.com – to this I thought, oh wow, I guess they’ll never gain momentum if it has been that long ago that they were acknowledged as up and coming. But that is neither here nor there, I was just ready for the show to start after the ETSU code of conduct scrolled across the big screen for the eighth time.
Then, The Upwelling took the stage. All four members, clad in black, began their set to a less than heart-warming welcome from the crowd. The band’s sound was that of a watered down shoe-gaze band. According to the trivia question, the band is most influenced by Pink Floyd, which I could see during some of their intros, but for the most part, this so-called influence fell flat by the end of the song.
Lead vocalist Ari Ingber’s delivery was that of Radiohead Tom Yorke, but hey, who doesn’t ape Tom Yorke’s delivary style these days?
I cannot comment too much on the lyrical content of the songs because the singer was difficult to hear over the talking of an indifferent crowd. I recall hearing lines like “I was born with American teeth,” but who knows if anything logical followed.
However, I was impressed by the fact that Lee Moretti, the band’s second guitarist, didn’t dance around the stage like a little girl. Most females in bands seem to go for the hyper 12-year-old thing or a wilting flower. It’s good to know that there is a female in a band that can’t be stereotyped.
After The Upwelling’s 30 minute set, the crew immediately set up for the premiere act, The All American Rejects. The foursome was greeted by a crowd excited to see them, and one that was grateful that the opening band had left. The band opened with the single “Dirty Little Secret” off of their latest album, Move Along which got the audience interested in the music from the get go.
The energy and bravado the band gave off was apparent from the beginning. The drummer, Chris Gaylor, was shirtless, guitarists Nick Wheeler and Mike Kennerty moved across the stage during the entire performance and most notably, Ritter held the crowd’s attention with tales of the band’s drunken escapades at Buck’s Pizza, his announcement of a guitar solo as “It’s the guitar solo bitches” and suggestions of sex or words meaning sex- – the guy said the “f word” at least six times. But hey, I swear like a sailor too and the crowd was 18 and older so he didn’t need to worry about “ear muffs” a la Old School covering the ears of children in the Mini-Dome.
The rest of the set was filled mostly with tracks from Move Along, but I have to mention the serious sing along that ensued when their debut single “Swing Swing,” from their first album The All American Rejects, was presented to the awaiting crowd.
And of course, like any concert, after the band performed their so-called last song, they left the stage only to join the audience once again and perform “Move Along.”
Overall, I would say that The All-American Rejects were, if nothing else, entertaining. Their brand of pop rock isn’t usually what I listen to, but Ritter’s vocal delivery was steady and rarely fell flat. I can appreciate a band that puts a lot of energy and gets the crowd to actively engage in the show.

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