You never know, the All-American Rejects might arrive in your neighborhood, carrying instruments off their tour bus. 

In the past few weeks, the 2000s band has taken to performing impromptu concerts at unconventional venues — a direct response to the concert industry’s rising costs and increasing unaffordability of concerts. The viral spectacle is shaping the conversation among music fans, especially Gen Z listeners yearning for less extravagant shows.

The group, famous for rock-pop hits such as “Gives You Hell” and “Move Along,” has been popping up with little notice in backyards, bowling alleys and barns across the country. The first stop of their so-called “house party tour” took place in late April at the University of Southern California — shortly after they released “Sandbox,” from their first album in nearly 14 years. 

Tyson Ritter, frontman of AAR, said the free concerts have been a retreat from the concert industry’s immensity, and return to the essence of rock by performing in intimate venues. He added that to put on these shows, band members took $50,000 from their own pockets. 

In August, the group will commence a stadium tour, opening for the Jonas Brothers.

Social media users, many college-aged, have been flooding the internet with wishes for the band to perform in their towns. An RSVP form was created by AAR, in which fans are contacted if the group comes near their city.

AAR have teased in comment sections they might be bringing their nostalgic tunes to a pop-up concert in Michigan. Although it’s unknown if, when and where AAR might perform, band members have responded to numerous TikTok accounts hinting at a possible show in the Great Lakes State.

Free, informal performances are few and far between in 2025. The band’s house party tour is not just differentiating itself from the monopoly on concerts, but shedding light on the roots of enjoying live music.

The price to see a show has risen 20% since 2021, with the average ticket price being $135.92. Taking into account inflation, the cost in 1996 was only $52, according to Pollstar, a publication specialising in the concert industry.

There are numerous reasons for this cost hike. Ticketmaster, the sole provider for around 70% of United States venues, often engages in dynamic pricing– changing ticket prices based on demand and market fluctuations. Another key factor is buying and selling tickets at higher prices, which has been subject to legislative scrutiny in recent months.

“It’s (reselling) horrible, and I hate every bit of it,” said Scott Hammontree, general manager of Grand Rapids’ The Intersection. “All it does is make it more expensive for a person to come to a show.”

Hammontree explained that at The Intersection, tickets are normally between $10 and $39. He’s seen customers at his venue that’ve paid upwards of $150 to see performances.

“They don’t have as much money in their pocket and they’re probably not going to go to as many shows because they’ve just overspent,” Hammontree added. “It’s super frustrating, and sometimes people don’t care because they want to go to that sold-out show.” 

For artists, the amount of money they make per show depends on the deal cut with a venue. According to Hammontree, some performers want half the profit of what each show grosses, whereas others stipulate more. 

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Hammontree, acknowledging his third-party perspective, can’t imagine it’s sustainable for AAR to continuously play backyard shows. Yet, he thinks it’s “awesome” when artists choose to connect and give back to their fans.

“I obviously see what they’re doing, and they just want to make it cheap, simple and get back to their roots,” Hammontree said. “I think that’s freaking amazing.”

Bypassing large venues and the monstrosity of ticket corporations, AAR is inspiring music listeners to consider a scaled-back alternative to what’s become the norm in the inflated concert industry. 

— Contact ONN reporter Hailey Hentz at hhentz@ottawanewsnetwork.org.