All-American Rejects

No matter how much radio and TV airplay these guys get, no matter how pop-friendly their singles are, no matter how many 13-year-old girls looove frontman Tyson Ritter, I myself can’t help but also have a soft spot for the Oklahoma-bred foursome. Mainstream as they are, children’s product tie-ins and all, these guys are never not fun to see play live. And trust me, I’ve seen them play plenty. Though, admittedly, I continue to grow older as the fans around me inexplicably grow younger, I remain shameless in my liking of these dudes. Well … mostly shameless. I mean, you’ll still likely find me in the back of the venue at the bar as one of five people at any given show who are old enough to drink, with the other four being the band members themselves. - Brien Overly