All-American Rejects backyard gig shut down by cops

An All-American Rejects backyard gig was shut down by police.

The concert, which took place in the backyard of a house near the University of Missouri in Columbia on May 18, is part of the band’s ongoing tour, which has seen them play in a host of unconventional locations.

So far, it’s included stops at other house parties, a bowling alley and a barn, as the band promote their upcoming album and attempt to create a more financially accessible live music experience for fans.

The University of Missouri gig, though, was shut down by police who turned out to actually be fans of the band, allowing them to play one more song before shutting things down.

“The cops just shut us down,” said frontman, Tyson Ritter, in a video of the event. After facing booing from the crowd of university students, he then reveals, “They said we can play one more fucking song!” before launching into their 2008 hit ‘Gives You Hell’. “I guess we’re getting kicked off campus,” Ritter also says in the clip.

Mark Fitzgerald, the Columbia Police Department’s assistant chief of police, said that the band, their security staff and the crowd were “very cooperative” with officials, despite the concert being “in violation of several local ordinances,” per CNN.

According to Fitzgerald, the officers at the scene “listened to a couple of songs” before informing the band and their security staff of the rules. “The Sergeant told me that he knew exactly who the band was and listened to them a lot while he was in college,” Fitzgerald said. “The Police Department would be happy to have the All-American Rejects return and play in Columbia, hopefully with the proper permits and approval.”

In other All-American Rejects news, the band are set to play the 2025 edition of Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta. Taking place between September 19 to 21 in its new home on Piedmont Park in downtown Atlanta, the festival will see headline performances from My Chemical Romance, Blink-182 and Deftones.

The All-American Rejects pulled out of the emo music festival When We Were Young last October, saying that the festival’s management “won’t be able to accommodate” them. They were slated to play their 2002, self-titled debut album, but told fans at the time that they would no longer be playing following a “management change” at the festival.

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