May 14 began as a typical Thursday for most central Ohioans, but that all changed around 1 p.m., when thousands of pop-punk enthusiasts’ phones pinged with the text message they’d been hoping for: The All-American Rejects were bringing their “House Party” tour to central Ohio.
Then the countdown began. Fans had four hours to drop what they were doing and flock to the Lancaster address listed in the invite.
The All-American Rejects launched their “House Party” tour in April of 2025. Instead of posting a list of tour dates and a link to Ticketmaster like most bands would, they opted to schedule a series of pop-up shows at unconventional venues ranging from backyards to gas stations and drive-in theaters. The times and locations of the shows were only revealed the day of the event to fans who had signed up to receive text message alerts for pop-ups near them.
Even fans who scoped the pop-up location out on Google Maps before making the trek to the Lancaster location were in for a surprise: an enormous wooden pirate ship looming ahead in an open field.
Ahoy, Rejects!
So, how did The All-American Rejects end up playing to a crowd of fans from a pirate ship in the middle of a field on a random Thursday? We have Lancaster residents Andrew and Kelsea Gussler to thank.
“I saw them on TikTok doing the ‘House Party’ tour, and I was like − I thought it was kind of cool. I’ll submit a picture of the ship,” Andrew Gussler said. “And then they called and said they were coming out.”
Gussler had built the ship two years ago with the help of some friends for a pirate-themed Halloween party. It was originally just supposed to be a fake side of a ship, but the group decided to build out the entire thing, and now it stands as a permanent fixture in the field behind his home.
A fan of The All-American Rejects since their self-titled debut album came out in 2002, Gussler was beyond thrilled to host the band’s latest tour stop.
Ending a 14-year album drought
The All-American Rejects are known for their infectious, upbeat pop-punk anthems like “Swing, Swing,” “Dirty Little Secret” and “Gives You Hell” released between 2002 and 2008. Despite more than a year of the “House Party” tour, the band hasn’t released an album since 2012 – until now.
The Lancaster pop-up performance served as the release party for The All-American Rejects’ highly anticipated fifth studio album, “Sandbox.”
“There was about a decade where we didn’t know if we were going to hang this s— up,” lead singer Tyson Ritter announced into the mic between songs, “but then I looked out in crowds like this, and I see these faces, and I see them mouthing the lyrics. I believe that we’re supposed to keep doing this s—.”
Coinciding with the album release, the band also treated fans to a brand-new music video the morning of May 15 for “Clothesline,” featuring clips from their unforgettable pirate ship performance.
A sunset show to remember
According to the band’s security, approximately 3,400 fans attended the surprise concert.
After an opening set from Columbus alt-rock band Dingo Dango, The All-American Rejects took the stage (or, ship) around 7:50 p.m. Clad in sailor outfits, the band was fully prepared to embrace the nautical theme throughout the evening.
In true house-party fashion, the Rejects played at ground level from inside the ship. While this allowed for a more intimate connection with the audience, it also made finding a decent view of the show difficult from the crowd of thousands.
Ritter briefly climbed to the top of the ship and leaned over the edge while singing “Fallin’ Apart,” but for the most part, visibility from the field was limited. Nevertheless, the majority of the crowd sang, danced and cheered along enthusiastically throughout the set, regardless of their vantage point.
The band kept the setlist short, opening with “Dirty Little Secret,” and managing to hit most of the fan favorites including “Fallin’ Apart,” “I Wanna,” “Swing, Swing,” “It Ends Tonight,” “Move Along,” and “Gives You Hell.”
In addition to the band’s most memorable 2000s bangers, the Lancaster crowd was also treated to live performances of three songs off of the new album: “King Kong,” “Clothesline” and “Easy Come, Easy Go.”
At one point, Ritter squinted into the crowd, trying to read the words scrawled on a fan’s sign. “What’s that sign say in the back? ‘We forfeited a softball game to come to this s—’? I don’t condone abandoning sports, but I will say that’s a hell of a wise forfeit.”
Keeping the ‘punk’ in ‘pop-punk’ alive
At a time when concert ticket prices are skyrocketing and seeing live music has become increasingly inaccessible to the average fan, The All-American Rejects are forging their own path. Through the “House Party” tour, they’ve been able to maintain meaningful connections with their listeners and hold the public’s attention while bringing their music to neighborhoods that might not typically see many artists come through.
In Ritter’s own words during the show, “The house party has turned into a movement that’s turned into a message to the f—ing giant ivory towers that we’re p—ing on the floors of.”
Call The All-American Rejects what you want, but it doesn’t get much more punk rock than that.
Reporter Kelly Tucker can be reached at ktucker@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: All-American Rejects crash Lancaster backyard with a pirate ship show
Reporting by Kelly Tucker, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
