There are some classic pop punk tracks that instantly transport the listener to a simpler time- memories of Warped Tour mosh pits, mixtapes and an idyllic youth all come to mind when The All-American Rejects are mentioned. The band is now back, better and probably weirder than ever and they brought their Wet Hot All American Summer Tour to Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre last weekend.
The nostalgia kicked off right away with an opening set by The Get Up Kids. An early audience crowded in the pit to sing along to “The Advocate”, “Don’t Hate Me” and more. The band played us into the sunset- the perfect segue into Motion City Soundtrack. Even though singer Justin Pierre has been recovering from spinal surgery and walked onstage with the assistance of a cane, the band delivered nothing less than their usual levels of rowdy energy. Opening with “L.G. FUAD” is always a power move by the band that churned out hits starting in the late 90s, and they packed their set time with all the classics.
New Found Glory amped up the energy even more despite the heat of the evening, stomping onstage to “All Downhill from Here” to get their party started. Another band that helped define pop punk in the early 2000s, NFG has never held back in their live performances and they used that amphitheater stage to the fullest with their retro backdrop and stage fittings. From “Failure’s Not Flattering” to “Dressed to Kill”, the older millennials in the audience let the band know they haven’t forgotten all the words to their favorite songs. They even threw in a Sixpence None the Richer cover before closing with “My Friends Over You”.
With their audience properly warmed up (and probably worn out), The All-American Rejects emerged from the smoke and blinding lights right into “Swing, Swing”- turning the venue into an absolute madhouse. Singer Tyson Ritter is more theatrical onstage than ever, appearing in a sheer, glittering jumpsuit to command his willing audience. The band rewound the clock to 2002 and their debut album, playing several tracks at the top of the list for the night.
Singing the words to “Dirty Little Secret” is practically muscle memory for fans still jamming Move Along like it’s 2005 and the band made sure to project the song’s iconic music video behind them for maximum effect. Ritter proclaimed that he was feeling very goofy on this last night of the tour, fully drawing the audience into his whimsy. We said it last time the band came to town many years ago, but they’ve certainly embraced their eccentricities that make them so entertaining to watch every time.
A dramatic sing-along to “It Ends Tonight” whisked the band offstage for a quick costume change on Ritter’s part before he demanded our attention for a floor-shaking encore of “Move Along” and “Gives You Hell”. We’ve seen a lot of bands from our youth come back around in these last few years, but The All-American Rejects are so much more than a nostalgia grab- these songs feel just as fresh as when they were released and it’s a joy to witness them live in 2023 (and hopefully beyond).
Check out all the photos!
Story and photos by Olivia Khiel
