Friday, April 24, 2009
Tyson Ritter power sliding during the performance
"I really enjoyed playing at Behrend," said Shiny Toy Guns singer Sisely Treasure
Chad Petree continues his unique and melodic singing. Toto's "Africa" may come to
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The line for the concert, which started growing around noon, eventually stetched all the way to the Bayfront Connector
mind for some
Rejects
Finale Given by Rejects
After an almost ten hour drive cramped up on a tour bus, the
All-American Rejects pulled up right around the back of the
Junker Center. "We sleep on the bus," said guitarist Nick
Wheeler. With equipment trucks rolling up behind the tour bus,
many would assume a band like Aerosmith or Kiss had show up.
But the Rejects, a once small-time band known only to a select
crowd, was breaking boundaries - especially after the release of
"Gives You Hell." "There was definitely a fun aspect about being
a smaller band," said rhythm guitarist Mike Kennerty. "Not that
it isn't now, but obviously it's much different." Their latest sin
gle, which has been out since September of 2008, is starting to
receive mixed reviews. "Sure some people hate it," said Wheeler,
"but it's what's keeping us popular right? Some people are al
ways going to hate something that's been overplayed."
Identifying himself only as "Toad," the Rejects' keyboardist
explained his pros and cons about touring with the band.
"When I started playing with Nelly Furtado, up in Canada, I
was one of the few keyboard players. Contrary to what you may
think, there's really only a handful of touring keyboard players.
[The music-industry] is like a brotherhood. It really is. We look
out for each other. Like, if a band splits up, or a tour ends, we
rely on each other for work. Techies work for everyone," said
Toad. It's like a union of musicians, he explained, "That's why
you're always seeing band members joining and starting bands
with other members. It's work, too, ya know? We have bills to
pay too. We just make sure we keep an eye out for one another.
Touring with the All-American Rejects is awesome."
As the headlining band began to close the night, the Junker
Center rumbled with the cries of screaming fans. By the third
song on their set list, "Dirty Little Secret," Ritter was coaxing
the fans to bombard the makeshift barricade. Through heavy
guitar riffs and Ritter's falsetto vocals, females swooned while
males sang along to their favorite and most memorable lyrics.
But only two songs later, after the crowd's excitement level
had dwindled, Ritter once again revved the throng of adoring
fans: "PSU, where you bitches at?!" With this final push, and
along with the recognizable "Swing, Swing," concert-goers had
disregarded all regulations. Many were hopping the racks in
hopes to escape being crushed, while others were busy crowd
surfing. Grabbing an additional microphone - amplifying his
voice - Ritter brough the concert to an end on a sudden note.
Yet after encouragement from the audience, the Rejects came
back for an encore featuring their single, "Gives You Hell," and
"The Wind Blows." As the concert ended, some exited the build
ing in anticipation for their long drives home, some lingered to
buy memorabilia and others waited patiently to get a word, au
tographs, or pictures with their favored band members.
Ritter serenades the majority of the audience. Most concert-goers were in fact, female
The Behrend Beacon 13
Kristen May harmonizes with her own guitar riffs
All-American Rejects guitarist, Nick Wheeler
The Junker Center held at most more than 2.500
people during the concert's highest point.
I WAP,vlloint
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO