On a day when I was feeling rejected by everything, ironically The All-American Rejects made me feel not so rejected.
Opening an official South by Southwest music party, the band delivered an electrifying set at Stubb's, bringing together groups of all ages. As I looked around, I realized most people were way older than me, but still made me feel included and even danced along with me to “Swing, Swing.”
Before the show, I got the inside scoop about the band during a quick caffeine run at a nearby restaurant. The bartender told me they had hosted a private event on their patio and later showed me photos from their Instagram. He shared stories about the experience and joked about the night. We talked for a good while about their music and the songs we hoped they would play. In the end, we agreed on one thing: we are both big music lovers.
After the amazing conversation and latte, I made my way to Stubb's more excited than ever to see them perform. If you ever had an older sibling or watched a 2000s high school movie, you probably understand the importance of The All-American Rejects during that era. As I waited for them to come on, people shouted about how they had been waiting for this moment since they were teenagers. Others talked about seeing the band live in the early 2000s. I stood nearby, listening and writing these moments down in my Notes app.
The band opened the set with the iconic “Dirty Little Secret,” greeting SXSW with a secret that clearly was not so secret anymore. The crowd moved in tandem, beers in hand. While this was not a backyard show, the audience made sure to bring that same energy.
At one point, the band performed a silly bit about a time machine, teasing albums from 2012, 2008, 2005 and 2002. The crowd got riled up, myself included, and I knew I was in for an amazing set.
Much of the set featured songs from The All-American Rejects and Move Along, bringing a wave of nostalgia and cool older-brother energy to Austin. They had a funny exchange with the sound production crew because they were not allowed to curse on stage. Lead singer Tyson Ritter joked, “Why can’t I say the f- word? They just told me through my ear I can’t say it.”
The set was memorable, to say the least. I left smiling from ear to ear, feeling a little less like a reject that night.