I never thought I would be able to experience The All-American Rejects live on stage, but somehow I was granted a chance of reliving my alternative rock phase as an adult. What happened at the concert will be kept my dirty little secret.
The All-American Rejects rocked Johnson City last Saturday at the Freedom Hall Civic Center, bringing back the vibes of the early 2000s and all of the nostalgia that comes with the band.
ETSU hosted The All-American Rejects for the annual fall concert, which drew in college students and others from the community celebrating their youth with the band.
The band played songs from several albums, including the most popular album “Move Along” (2005) and others such as “When the World Comes Down” (2008) and “Kids in the Street” (2012).
Though lead singer Tyson Ritter is now 33-years-old, his vocals sound the same as they did at 21, when he released the “Move Along” album. Ritter didn’t sound like he had aged a day, but then again, had any of the crowd aged any either? When everyone screamed the lyrics to “Move Along,” nobody missed a single beat. It was as if 2005 was calling us back home.
Ritter also loved teasing the crowd with lines like, “I’m feeling a little dirty tonight” before the crowd screamed for him to play “Dirty Little Secret.”
The band did well in transitioning too. Not only did they play other mellower songs from their albums, but they also featured their newest song from 2017 called “Sweat.” Ritter led up to its performance by asking the crowd, “How does it feel to be sexy?” and let the crowd know just what kind of sexual tension the song has.
Afterward, the crowd experienced a light show not common with many performances. With a transient feel, a horizontal wave of light encompassed the heads of the crowd as the stage lights lowered and Ritter pulled out a flashlight microphone. Everyone’s phones immediately went into the air as the crowd swayed back and forth with the slow and echoing song of the night.
Just as the band left the stage, immediately people were screaming for the last song “Gives You Hell.” After enough chanting, the band came back on stage and Ritter said, “This is for anyone who knows that someone out there and hopes your face gives them hell!”
With the lights and sounds, the crowd jumping and screaming, The All-American Rejects truly did better than anyone expected. The band really out did themselves with their songs and stage presence. From their performance, fans can only guess what’s planned for the future of the band. Maybe we can expect a new album and national tour coming soon.
Right now The All-American Rejects are ending their 2017 short tour. Their last performance this year will be Dec. 2 in Saint Charles, Missouri.
