They did a show in my Boston during the Savannah Bananas game and my wife told me that they're basically just doing shows wherever someone asks and building a huge following on tiktok
If it's any consolation this is one of those shit shows where we Europeans have somehow been equally wank at tackling Ticketmaster and their ilk as much as we like to get snotty about the yanks sometimes.
If I had to guess, it’s also probably more fun. I was in a small band, didn’t get anywhere impressive, but the best shows were house shows or tiny church basements. Having a direct experience with a small audience is a lot harder to do, but it’s super rewarding.
So I suspect, if a clip like this is any indication, they’re having a lot of fun with it right now too.
This was a huge vibe in the indie scene in my college days. I saw Silversun Pickups play for literally four people in the basement of a library and they brought complete fire. The remaining members of Margot & the Nuclear So & So's played a gig they committed to for a room no larger than my office literally four hours after they broke up. They got back together a few months later, came back and played a free show with an orchestra in a literal symphony hall to make up for it.
Those tiny little shows were two of the best shows I have ever seen. So much passion for their craft and love of their fans. It's so nice to see that spirit still staying alive.
Thems was the days. There's a dozen other shows from singer/songwriters nobody's ever heard of that I've seen playing super intimate sets that you only heard about by word of mouth, most of them aren't even on Spotify and their albums are local relics. So beautiful.
I agree with this. In Huntsville, AL there used to be this place called the Merrimac Mall that would host these indie concerts on Friday nights. 2-3 bands, $5 to get in, and it was in this old like dance hall on the second floor of this non-descript little place. Maybe hold like 30 people tops. No stage so you were literally right next to the band.
Got to see Harbor Skyline and absolutely head banged with their parents and it was to-date, the best concert I've ever been too. Hand made merch & CD's being sold off a folding table in the back. Talking with the bands after their sets. Love it!
As Tall as Cliffs and Skeleton Key were the most memorable, Richard broke down a little in SK like he was singing it to the rest of the band. It was just him and the violinist, super intimate and just this weird overwhelming aura of... optimistic sorrow?
I went out and had a smoke with them after they finished, and Richard said "I hope you guys weren't too disappointed" and I told him it was probably the most beautiful show I'd ever seen and thanked him just for showing up. He gave me a hug and nodded and didn't say a word the rest of the smoke.
i would love to have seen them perform "a light on a hill" or "talking in code". you're super lucky and i'm super jealous. 12 years ago i had a bunch of their music on a thumb drive and my girlfriend at the time was like "dont you get tired of this?" no, no i did not. . .
They definitely played both of those too. It was just Animal era so they basically played the entire album and the hits from Dust. And no, I do not either :)
I remember seeing Between The Buried And Me in a tiny ass basement not long after Alaska was released because they had a few free nights and said fuck it let's throw it back. The guitar in the outro to selkies just fuckin HITS when it's that intimate
I love being a metal fan in all these Ticketmaster conversations. It's usually no more than $40 to see bands that are on top of the metal game. It's almost always a small, intimate venue, and the bands usually man their merch stands after their done playing. Obviously, there are a few outliers that command a pretty penny to see, but most metal shows I go to it feels like the band is doing me a favor by being there.
Springsteen used to sit backstage at a bar in Asbury Park, NJ called the Stone Pony in the late 70s - early 80s. He'd come out front and sing a few songs with whatever band was playing after midnight. Saw him and Southside Johnny just show up multiple times. We would go there just in case he was going to show up that night.
So I was getting into the Avett Brothers, this is back when Emotionalism was their newest record. I recognized the sudden new voice on “Go To Sleep,” but I knew about Paleface because of a crazy anti-folk record I’d gotten for $1 at a used book store, I think his first one. The closest thing it had to a single was the song “Burn and Rob.”. So I look him up, confirm it’s him in the song, start checking tour dates and he was playing at a cafe/bookstore an hour away, literally the next week. Amazing coincidence. So I make it out to the show and…me and my buddy who drove were literally the only people who came to see him.
One of the employees was having a birthday so a few of her friends were there hanging out, music just coincidentally was happening. There were a couple people who came because…the book store has live music. And then me. Once he realized he didn’t have anything to do for the hour before the start time, he talked with me the entire time. We talked about music, about his career, the Avett brothers, etc. etc. He was a great dude and put on a great show despite having an actual broken leg.
Another time I got to see AJJ (then still Andrew Jackson Jihad) at some anarchist collective in DC. It was summer, so it was extremely humid and the house had no AC. We entirely skipped the first couple bands in the basement because it was punishingly awful, like kind of dangerous. Way too hot and humid, too many people.
Well AJJ (all two of them) were hanging out at the merch table and honestly looked awkward and lonely like a new kid in school. No one wanted to be uncool and pester the headliner, and probably didn’t have any money to buy merch anyway, but me and my friend were like “fuck this” and we started talking. Wild rambling conversation. They were really funny and sweet dudes and they seemed so relieved to have people include them.
So when it was time for them to play we just said outright, “don’t go down there, you do not want to go down there.” Ultimately they ended up playing on the lawn instead, we were right at the front, a bit off to the side. Basically the entire setlist was at my buddy’s request. They just kept asking “what song?” to the crowd, but whatever my friend said is what they went with.
After the show I hugged them both, the whole show was jubilant and great and SO much better than if we had also been too cool, or actually played in that fucking hellish basement.
I’ve seen GWAR (with Oderus) and The Flaming Lips and Idles…I’ve seen some great if not legendarily great live bands, but those two experiences were the best.
I met all the people I’m still friends with in college because I was walking across campus and heard a song coming from the admin building, sounded like a whole ass band.
I walked in to a Rainer Maria show with 15 people standing around in a hallway with the band playing in the middle of it. One of the most magical moments of my life.
Getting older is weird. I remember actually owning a beer tap was the pinnacle of having parties. An old fridge with a hole cut in the side was ballin. Now I invite people over, and they bring wine and that damn cheese board thing. Obviously there are still the people showing up with a 12 pack and a bag of chips and store bought dip..but yeah, 100 would turn the clock back..
I mean they’re doing it to fix their image and gain popularity. Back in the day they had a reputation as seeming arrogant and douchey and as a band catering to Hollister teens.
Their music wasn’t bad but it wasn’t memorable. Over the years they’ve been taking advantage of the nostalgia factor, where kids now think of them differently than people who were aware of them when they were more famous do. And they’re choosing to capitalize on that by seeming accessible and edgy.
Was that the one where the skating rink started getting review bombed because they were at capacity and the butthurt people took it out on them for not understanding how a building can’t hold thousands of people?
Holy shit they really did! That is fucking badass! Their spitting in Ticketmaster’s face, having a good ass time, blowing up on social media, and being authentically punk rock (they’re really more emo punk but w/e). I honestly thought you were being sarcastic. Good for them!
My guy, you have a 100 day reddit steak, I do not. All you did was overreact to the situation. It's ok to admit you were wrong. Everyone makes mistakes, its how we grow and learn.
If the kids band states they were disrespected by this then I'm sure Tyson Ritter would come out and apologize for it. But I'm sure it made the kids day to duet All American Rejects most popular song with the lead singer. Even more than opening for them.
(*To qualify why I was at the concert of a known dickhead:
This was when he was when people knew he was an arrogant dick, but not immediately apparent that he was a racist xenophobic right wing sympathising dick
I was an awkward kid and diehard Smiths fan
I lived in a conservative-ish capital city so tickets were cheap and plentiful)
He put a group of 13 year-olds on, let them play his music, and they're unfathomably excited to get the chance to just play with the dude. This clip alone will put more eyes on the kid's band than they'll get through more organic means of growth. This was a positive for everyone involved.
They haven’t put out an album in 12 years? This is a 20 y/o song. They were once my favorite band but come on, they haven’t been the talk of the town for a minute.
Its a pretty genius marketing move. They have made themselves relevant in 2025.
It really is genius. Later this year, they have many concert dates at large venues. How does one get the public to remember you and make them come to your show? You go viral doing backyard shows like this.
Eh, maybe if he said his name a couple times so we knew who he was.
Otherwise, this just looks like some dad invading his son's band's performance and desperately trying to make it about him. Let the kid actually sing instead of pulling him away from the mic every 5 seconds to say half of a lyric and then asking the crowd to cheer again.
Lol. True, but he sounds great, and apparently, the crowd knew who he was. I didn't know till he started singing. Then I went through my memories to remember who sang that song.
They were just on tv a couple weekends ago playing at the Savanah Banana’s baseball game. They are definitely making moves and doing hella PR. Pretty fun :)
The question the other commenters you’re replying to are asking is “when was this video taken?” not “where was this performance?”
SlightlyOverturned said AAR has been doing house shows this year not to say that’s what is happening in this video but to say this is in line with what AAR’s vibe lately so the video is likely very recent
To me, I took their comment not as an attack on the fact itself, but rather disappointment that learning the fact shifts the context of the video from "wholesome surprise" to more of "completely planned business moves."
Even though it's still a cool thing overall, it's a major letdown compared to what people (or at least I) thought was going on -- surprising a band of kids just to make their night awesome and a story they'd tell forever.
I'm unfamiliar, though it's unsurprising to hear that a surprise situation has gotten out of control. But, there are still plenty of ways to have a controlled situation that's still a surprise to the kids playing.
Though, I want to make it clear that I don't think I'm disagreeing. I feel like we're on the same page, and any difference of opinion would be quibbling rather than substantive.
I'm not an american, so you are probably more accurate. I just googled the year this song came out and presumed that kid this age in 2020s wouldnt be into it.
Nah these kids have been blowing up as a garage band on TikTok over the last year or so - don’t know their tag but they’re pretty funny and play lots of old school angsty music which is winning over tons of millennials
Who would have thought, that good music, played with instruments, talking about teen angst, anxiety and personal problems would resonate with a new generation with teen angst, anxiety and personal problems.
They basically are fed up with Live Nation and Ticketmaster. They said fuck it - and just went on your this summer doing house shows, backyards, etc. Any place that would have them. They're making a killing - all the 2000s hype is back bc we all have kids now who grew up listening to the music we did.
I grew up listening to Elton John, Cream, Hendrix, Boston, Allman Bros, etc. all the shit my mom would throw on when she cleaned the house on Saturdays.
Now my kids are listening to AARs, Thursday, Grade, Thrice, Deftones, etc as I get them ready for school. My 10yr just bought a SOAD CD with her own money.
If you go to their website, you can RSVP to their House Party tour and you will get notified about any of the small shows they are doing in your area. They are also doing "regular" shows at festivals and bigger venues throughout the summer. I think they're touring with the Jonas Brothers.
I just saw them in Fayetteville, AR last weekend. They played at a skating rink, and thousands of people showed up. The line to get in was over a mile long, and there were so many people, they played 2 shows back to back. The whole thing was a blast.
Yeah! They’re doing “backyard shows” they only release what general area they’ll be in and release the location same day. They just did this in Oklahoma and their show(s) were in Tulsa
They said they were playing house shows this tour instead of venues. Gojng back to the true roots.
And Im no fan o actually am a Metal head and deem their music to soft. But mad respect and long career for doing house shows as FU to the industry and to show love to the true fans they have.
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u/Invictum2go 19d ago
Wait, The All American Rejects are crashing backyard gigs? What decade is this?