Police in Missouri college town let All-American Rejects play one final song before shutting down backyard gig
(From left) Nick Wheeler
By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN
(CNN) — Like a plot out of an emo band music video, The All-American Rejects’ joyfully hectic house party tour made a stop in a Missouri college town over the weekend only to have their show shut down by the police, who turned out to be familiar with the music.
The band – particularly known well and loved by Millennials and likely played daily over the speakers at your grocery store of choice – have swung through cities in the midwest this month and made some unlikely stops along the way, like backyards and, in one instance, a bowling alley.
On Sunday, the band performed in the backyard of a house near the University of Missouri in Columbia. According to a video posted to the band’s official TikTok page, the show was ultimately shut down by the police, who allowed the band to play one final song.
“I guess we’re getting kicked off campus,” the band’s lead singer Tyson Ritter said to the crowd in the clip.
As the crowd cheered and screamed-sang along, the band played their popular 2008 hit “Gives You Hell” before concluding the show.
Mark Fitzgerald, the Columbia Police Department’s assistant chief of police, told CNN in a statement Wednesday that the band, their security staff and the crowd were “very cooperative” with officials, despite the concert being “in violation of several local ordinances.”
The officers that responded, according to Fitzgerald, “listened to a couple of songs” before the patrol sergeant informed the band and their security staff of the rules.
The sergeant, Fitzgerald confirmed, “allowed the band to play a final song before they ended the concert.”
“The Sergeant told me that he knew exactly who the band was and listened to them a lot while he was in college,” Fitzgerald added. “The Police Department would be happy to have the All-American Rejects return and play in Columbia, hopefully with the proper permits and approval.
CNN has reached out to a representative for the band.
The show in Missouri marked the All-American Rejects’ fifth house party show. They previously played in Green Bay, Chicago, Ames and Minneapolis. During their Minneapolis stop, they added another show because of the turnout, Ritter said in a video posted to his TikTok. The show took place at Memory Lanes, a local bowling alley.
The band has been teasing another show – the location of which has not yet been announced – set for Wednesday night. It will be live streamed on their official TikTok page.
The seemingly impromptu shows were sparked by a pop-up concert that took place last month at a house on the USC campus in Los Angeles, according to Ritter.
“We’ve been overwhelmed with the reaction to our LA house party pop-up,” Ritter said in a video posted to the band’s TikTok page earlier this month. “We see all your comments and DMs requesting these house parties in your city and we’re going to make it f***ing happen.”
Those interested in hosting a performance by the band can apply via a form posted on several of the band’s social media pages.
They have documented each performance on their social media and have been promoting the release of their latest album, titled “Sandbox,” out on Friday.
The All-American Rejects, formed in 1999, became ubiquitous with the emo music genre during the 2000s when they released their self-titled debut album, which included their first big hit “Swing Swing.”
They are also best known for hits released throughout the decade including “Move Along,” “Dirty Little Secret,” “Gives You Hell” and “It Ends Tonight.”
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