Making the Young Girls Tremble
The All American Rejects are Certified Rock Stars

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>> AAR's Tyson Ritter rocks the crowd. >>

>> Hollywood, CA, October 24, 2003 >> Ah, to be young, good looking and have the world at your finger tips.  That’s the current situation for the guys who are collectively known as the All-American Rejects – they’ve got one massive hit, another waiting in the wings, and they’re currently making the young ladies swoon all across the nation.  Not bad for four guys from Stillwater, Oklahoma who are all not that far out of high school.

Chances are you’ve caught yourself singing the catchy “Swing Swing” portion of their hit of the same name, though you probably don’t know much beyond that.  It’s one of those classic situations where everyone knows the tune, but you’ll hear the rest of the song mangled a million different ways.  It matters not – the track has risen as high as number eight on the Modern Rock charts and gave the band true crossover success.

For frontman Tyson Ritter, whose striking blue eyes and resemblance to Tom Welling, who plays the teenage Superman on TV’s “Smallville,” have made him the heartthrob of a new generation, the world is his proverbial oyster.   That iconic status was never more apparent than his first few moments on the stage at the legendary Hollywood Palladium.  As the decibel level rose to become one collective scream of adoration, Ritter seemed unfazed as he took his bass, drank a bit of water, then finally turned to great the waiting crowd.  Just when you thought it couldn’t get any louder, it did.

>> Ritter surveys the capacity crowd. >>

Flashing his perfect rock star smile and running a hand through his appropriately tousled hair, Ritter and his mates – guitarist and co-founder Nick Wheeler, drummer Chris Gaylor and second guitarist Mike Kennerty – began pouring through the majority of the tracks from their self-titled major label debut, and the love fest was under way.

It didn’t seem to matter what the guys played or what they said.  Everything was greeted to the same adulation and adoration, the fans singing right along to every word.

It’s a testament to their level of stardom that they’re out headlining shows of this size with only one record under their collective belt.   It almost defies conventional rock wisdom, but one look over the massive crowd and all those ideas are out the window.

>> Guitarist Nick Wheeler and his axe. >>

Displaying a masterful level of stage presence and control over the mostly-teenage fans, the Rejects deftly moved from song to song, each one a three-minute span of power pop perfection.  Though each track had that infectious danceable feel to it, the aforementioned “Swing, Swing” and fan favorites “Happy Endings” and “My Paper Heart” really show that Ritter and company have a keen understanding of what it takes to make hit songs.

After all was played and done, it’s hard to deny that the Rejects have a style that transcends genres and has the staying power to keep them on top for some time.  Though they’ll be hard-pressed to match the success of this record, it seems like these boys from Oklahoma are well are their way to mega stardom.