Fear and Loathing on the Rock 'n' Roll Express: The All-American Rejects Resurface After a Decade in the Shadows
By Dr. Gonzo
Las Vegas, NV — A sensation of electric anticipation courses through the air, like the static charge before a thunderclap. It's the kind of feeling that'll twist your spine and make your pupils dilate, leaving you trembling on the edge of something big. Ladies and gentlemen, mark your calendars and brace yourselves, because after a decade-long sabbatical, The All-American Rejects are back in the saddle and tearing down the asphalt, their wild journey documented exclusively for you, dear readers, courtesy of yours truly, the one and only Backstage Pass connoisseur.
The road warriors, consisting of frontman Tyson Ritter, the axe-slinging duo of Nick Wheeler and Mike Kennerty, and rhythmic enforcer Chris Gaylor, are about to explode onto the stage once more. They're the torchbearers of the Wet Hot All-American Summer Tour, sharing the limelight with legends like New Found Glory, and making pit stops alongside Motion City Soundtrack, the Starting Line, and the Get Up Kids on selected dates. The rolling circus will momentarily halt in Minneapolis on the 27th of August before revving up once again on a fateful Friday, the 22nd of September, when the tour machine cranks back to life in Denver.
This ain't the Rejects' first rodeo. They burst into the stratosphere with their platinum-clad eponymous debut album back in '02, slinging them into the celestial vortex of stardom. But hold onto your hats, folks, because Tyson Ritter, now a seasoned 39, lets slip that this particular tour holds an arcane significance.
"Can you dig it, cats? This here is the mother of all headlining tours we've ever hitched ourselves to," Ritter divulged with a gleam in his eye. "We're talking two decades and some change into our sojourn, and the fact that we're still breathing this rarefied air, man, that's what's setting the adrenaline coursing through my veins."
The Masters and Their Tunes
In the seething cauldron of the music world, where artists of all stripes are scrutinizing contracts with the intensity of an owl eyeballing a mouse, we've got to pause and consider the fallout from Taylor Swift's bare-knuckle brawl with the infamous Scooter Braun. The pop sensation took to the digital ether to wage her battle after Braun wrangled control of Big Machine Label Group, snatching her master recordings. It was a scream of defiance that echoed across the industry, leaving everyone wondering just who was next in line to duke it out.
And yet, here's the twist: Ritter, the maestro of the mic, ain't throwing any wild pre-show ragers anymore. He's traded the debauched escapades of yesteryears for something far more potent: better performances. "Once upon a time, I'd guzzle a bottle of vino and puff on joints 'til I saw double, and that'd be the green light, man," he reminisced. "[But now], I step into that spotlight with a clear mind, a sharp focus, and I reckon we're sounding better than a choir of angels high on rocket fuel. We're ready, man, and that's a fact."
Pre-Show Mojo and Cosmic Whispers
As the sun dips below the horizon, painting the sky with hues borrowed from the cover of a pulp fiction paperback, Ritter's dance with pre-show rituals takes center stage. It's a symphony of Kundalini yoga and other sacred routines. "I've got this hour-long prelude, you know? It's like priming an engine for liftoff. And the elixir that lubricates this machine? Harmless Harvest Coconut Water, man. The celestial chorus of Throat Coat tea is inescapable," he confided. "Then comes a contemplative stretch for twenty, and finally, a whisper to the cosmos. I'm telling you, there's magic in the details."
But that's not all, folks. The backdrop, the ambiance where Ritter readies his mind and spirit, it's Stevie Nicks' shadow that looms large. "Imagine a tapestry straight outta Stevie's secret sanctuary, something dripping with paisley patterns and hues of the universe. Picture the interior of a yurt that's been marinating in Nicks' vibes for a week straight. When you step into that zone, man, you feel the spirit beckoning. It's like we're summoning our own damn storm."
Harmonies and Hedonism
Yet, amidst the whirlwind of tour life, there's a singular song that Ritter cradles like a lover in the moonlight. A tune christened "There's a Place," birthed for the 2015 cinematic journey titled Miss You Already. The man, armed with only a ukulele and the muses, penned this soul-stirring creation in a London loft. "It was a moment when the cosmic tides aligned, and this song spilled out like a forgotten memory. It had a life of its own, man, devoid of marketing and hype. It was pure magic, a moment I hold close to my heart."
Afterglow and the Dice of Fate
As the curtain falls, the music subsides, and the adrenaline retreats, the Rejects still partake in celebration, but oh, how the tables have turned. "My six-string slinger indulges in a fine cabernet, a nectar of the gods fit for the occasion," Ritter confessed with a knowing grin. "And perhaps a touch of indica to soothe the collective soul, just enough to set the mood for some good ol' dice rolling. There's laughter in the air, the clink of glasses, and sometimes, we part ways with a Benjamin or two."
Eyes on the Stars
Even after two decades of the spotlight's scorching glare, Ritter remains a disciple of the music gods, never forgetting the surreal encounters that punctuated his voyage. "Imagine this, cats: a giant butterfly at a Flaming Lips gig, a moment etched in the annals of time," he shared, the wonder still painting his words. "The music, the energy, it melded like colors on an artist's palette. There I was, rubbing shoulders with these titans, and they extend an invite: 'Wanna be part of the show?' My answer? Hell, yes. I mean, who'd pass up a chance like that? It was cosmic, cosmic I tell you."
A Hymn to the Legends
But there's more. The Rejects paid homage to rock royalty, Def Leppard, at the 2002 VH1 Rock Honors, belting out the anthemic "Photograph" to roaring applause. "It was like entering a mad dream, a vortex where the heroes are reaching out, saying, 'Hey, you, yeah, you, honor us.' Def Leppard chose us, man, and the sheer audacity of it? Pure madness."
Strumming with Destiny
And as if that wasn't enough, destiny hitched a ride in the form of Bon Jovi, handpicking The All-American Rejects