All American Rejects @ Del Mar Fairgrounds 6/28/07
Let me be completely honest, this show was quite odd. Not because of the band, that definitely was not the problem. The problem was that because this show was held at the San Diego County Fair, the majority of the audience was under the age of 10 and the stage was elevated about 8 to 10 feet so that if you were in the front up against the barricade, you would not be able to see drummer Chris Gaylor at all pretty much. Though not being able to see the whole band and being pushed around by 8 year olds every time they'd go crazy when guitarist Nick Wheeler threw a guitar pick into the crowd, the performance by the band itself was quite amazing.
The All American Rejects are a great example of not needing pyrotechnics or flashy light shows to put on a great show. They delivered song after song, playing all their hits and fan favorites. I was particularly surprised at the guitar playing ability of Nick Wheeler, who pretty much had a guitar solo in every song and each one seemed to be better than the previous. Lead singer and bassist Tyson Ritter seemed most comfortable on stage, mostly because of the fact that he was wearing a wife beater and sweat pants. Yes, it seemed completely and totally possible that he may have just rolled out of bed and got right on stage. His energy was undeniable, he paid attention to the whole crowd, from the kids standing below him to the people in the nosebleed seats high above him. Crowd participation was a must, and Tyson even got some bras thrown at him throughout the set.
Overall, the combination of high energy and crowd involvement made the show a great one, even if the age demographic was weird and the stage was elevated. They made you forget about the not-so-perfect surroundings of a show at a fairground and forced you to live in the moment of their music. Set list: "Dirty Little Secret" "Top of the World" "Our Last Wishes" "Stab My Back" "Dance Inside" "Your Star" "Swing Swing" "Drive All Night" "Paper Heart" "I'm Waiting" "It Ends Tonight" "The Last Song" Encore: "Move Along"
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LOVE the pics! :)
Posted by: Mike | July 03, 2007 at 04:45 PM
ohh I love them! I wish I could have gone my self! It sounded like alot of fun and you got some awesome shots!
Posted by: Ashley | July 03, 2007 at 04:45 PM
great pics =D
Posted by: Natasha | July 03, 2007 at 05:32 PM
Oh my god, that second picture of Nick is sort of phenomenal. He is such sex on legs, wow! I wish I could have gone to this show! Great review - I totally agree that AAR can rock without fancy pyro.
Posted by: jessa | July 03, 2007 at 05:42 PM
I'm so jealous! I love this band, but I want to see them in a better venue, for sure!
Posted by: Sarah | July 03, 2007 at 07:44 PM
WOW! great pics!!!!
Posted by: sara | July 03, 2007 at 09:55 PM
Despite the high stage, and annoying young crowd, you once again took some amazing photos.
i really love the one of nick, by himself because it looks like he's performing one of the solo's you were mentioning in the review.
Once again, jealous i couldnt make it.
keep it up!
Posted by: Spencer J | July 03, 2007 at 10:57 PM
awesome pics, thanks for all the show details- felt like i was actually there
Posted by: lila | July 03, 2007 at 11:05 PM
Yet another great review. I wish I could've been there!
Posted by: Robbie | July 03, 2007 at 11:14 PM
Great pics, interesting review, and I really wish I'd been there. All in all a fantastic job.
Posted by: India | July 03, 2007 at 11:20 PM
That first picture is greatness. I love how you can see the light designs. Haha, I am a dork. But seriously, I am SO jealous.
Posted by: Death Is My Gift | July 03, 2007 at 11:27 PM
sounds like an AWESOME show! the pictures and review are great, wish i was there :)
Posted by: stacy | July 04, 2007 at 01:44 PM
I absolutely love AAR, these pictures are awesomeee! I wish I could have gone.
Posted by: Kristin | July 04, 2007 at 08:10 PM
Love the pictures and the band!! Great review keep them coming!
Posted by: Trinity | July 10, 2007 at 01:56 PM
Okay, so AAR are totally one of my "guily pleasure" bands. Sounds like the show was pretty sick!! And I'm totally bummed I didn't go.
LOVE the shots!!
Posted by: Krysten K. | July 10, 2007 at 01:56 PM
i love aar. this was a lovely recap and the pictures came out wonderfully!
Posted by: fi | July 10, 2007 at 04:00 PM
awesome! this band is so great live. hope you showed those 8 year olds who was boss
Posted by: alia | July 10, 2007 at 04:59 PM
Oh man, All-American Rejects! They always know how to put on a show for their fans. Tyson Ritter's such a goof, too. It's fantastic!
Posted by: Molly | July 10, 2007 at 10:45 PM
Great review!
Posted by: Jada | July 12, 2007 at 03:38 AM
aww, I'm so glad you had a good time. They're one of my favorites!!
Posted by: mouse | July 13, 2007 at 07:42 PM
You're completely right, aar doesn't need all the glitz to put on an amazing show. With them it's all about the music! Especially nick wheelers kick ass guitar solos. Excellent review!
Posted by: amanda | July 18, 2007 at 08:06 AM
nice review. funny that they played there but then they are just that awesome.
Posted by: VICKY | August 08, 2007 at 08:17 PM