Tyson Ritter of All-American Rejects in October 2022.
A recent performance by the All-American Rejects took an unexpected turn when it was abruptly halted by law enforcement. The band was entertaining a crowd in the backyard of a house near the University of Missouri, Columbia, on May 18.
As confirmed by Mark Fitzgerald, the assistant chief of police at the Columbia Police Department, a police sergeant allowed the group to play one final song before calling it a night. This impromptu standstill occurred during their House Party Tour, leaving fans both surprised and amused.
The alternative rock stars, known for their hit “Swing, Swing,” were in the middle of an electrifying rendition of “Move Along” when frontman Tyson Ritter suddenly announced, “Alright guys. Whoa, whoa whoa. We’ve gotta stop it.” Ritter later added, “The cops just shut us down,” prompting the crowd to boo in unison in a display of collective disappointment.
The 41-year-old singer reassured the audience, saying, “Sorry, y’all. We just got kicked off campus,” which was met with chants of “f— the police.” However, Ritter’s return to the makeshift stage came with unexpected news: “They said we can play one more f—— song!”
Expressing gratitude, he cheekily remarked, “I haven’t done this in a long time, but I’d really like to thank the local police for letting us f—— keep carrying on. Holy s—. How often do you get a blessing from an officer? Well, I guess we’ve got one more song for you, and I’ll give you 1 million guesses to guess which one. You might recognize it.”
The band then launched into their 2008 anthem “Gives You Hell,” wrapping up with Ritter thanking the crowd and advising fans to “get home safely because the man let us keep playing,” referring to the accommodating officer.
On May 21, Mark Fitzgerald told CNN that despite being “in violation of several local ordinances,” the band and their fans were “very cooperative.” The sergeant on duty, who reportedly enjoyed a few of their songs, laid out the regulations to the band and their security, ultimately permitting them one last performance.
“The Sergeant told me that he knew exactly who the band was and listened to them a lot while he was in college,” Fitzgerald shared. He also mentioned that “the police department would be happy to have the All-American Rejects return and play in Columbia, hopefully with the proper permits and approval.”
This concert was another installment in their tour, which began at the University of Southern California on April 30, shortly after the release of their new single “Sandbox” in anticipation of their first full-length album in over a decade. Thus far, their tour has seen stops in Phoenix Innovation Park at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, a farm in Ames, Iowa, and Los Angeles.
