Towards the end of 2024, All-American Rejects released a cover version of Flagpole Sitta by the now-defunct Seattle alt-rockers Harvey Danger – a song Brits will know as the opening theme tune to the comedy series Peep Show. Not that this means anything to Tyson Ritter, mind. “I’ve never seen Peep Show and I’ve never been to one,” the 42-year-old jokes.
Tyson and the rest of All-American Rejects – guitarists Nick Wheeler and Mike Kennerty, drummer Chris Gaylor – are currently in Denver, where tonight they play the latest show on their House Party Tour. These pop-up gigs take place in what Tyson calls “alt-venues”, including houses, barns, and in this case, the home of The International Church Of Cannabis, a religious organisation that uses the ol’ devil’s lettuce as a sacrament.
These shows have been top secret, with each only announced the day beforehand, and everyone involved in their production having to sign NDAs. Sadly, not everyone has been able to remain tight-lipped. Just the other day, in San Diego during graduation weekend, the support act let the cat out of the bag, so by the time AAR arrived in the area, it had been transformed into a campus lined with people and party buses. The band therefore sought alternative arrangements, with a fan stepping in to host them at a private venue in the mountains. For Tyson, it wasn’t simply a question of everyone’s safety, but of staying true to the mission statement.
“This is a goodwill heartbeat that we’re trying to share,” he explains, looking as chiseled as when AAR first burst onto the scene with their self-titled debut in 2002. “We’re trying to gather people and create a community and some fellowship. But if that energy isn’t there, it’s a bust.”