All-American Rejects

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      At the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Thursday, December 7

      Apparently, the All-American Rejects have a dress code at their concerts: everyone must wear tapered jeans, Converse sneakers, and, of course, the most important accessory—a thick coat of smoky black eyeliner. It seems that the entire crowd, composed mostly of tweenage girls, got the memo and happily complied. Although many were accompanied to the show by their parents, that didn’t stop the band’s underage fans from confessing their love for All-American Rejects lead crooner Tyson Ritter.

      Shortly after the release of their self-titled debut album in 2002, the Rejects became pop-rock heartthrobs, winning over gaggles of young girls with their sensitive lyrics and Weezer-like arrangements. It was blatantly obvious on this night that Ritter was aware of the band’s appeal to female fans, and he answered their persistent screams by kneeling at the edge of the stage so that they could maul him.

      In spite of the sound being a little muddy, the Rejects rocked out energetically and sincerely, each member appearing thrilled to be playing the show. The band opened with the chart-topper “Dirty Little Secret”, off last year’s sophomore album Move Along, and that got the young crowd off its feet within mere seconds. In between songs, the Rejects focused on engaging their fans and making them feel a part of the show. The theatre fell silent when the band paused to tell stories or toy with the crowd, but then the high-pitched squeals would kick up to overpower numbers like “Swing, Swing”, the song from their sugary-sweet debut album that got the Rejects’ career rolling.

      After playing what seemed like a ridiculously short set, the band exited the stage. The fans managed to keep the noise level at what felt like upwards of 150 decibels until they returned. The encore included latest single “It Ends Tonight” and the title track from Move Along. It wasn’t the most exciting finale, as many fans were more focused on capturing the band on their camera phones. Ritter then gave them one last thrill by re-emerging after the show had finished to showcase his dancing abilities and lob drumsticks and other items into the crowd. As their parents rushed them out in a hurry to get them home and into bed on this chilly school night, fans giggled amongst themselves, each hoping that they might be Tyson Ritter’s dirty little secret.

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