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MAKE A SPLASH
at ALT 98.7’s Summer Pool Party
August 14th, 2026 Review by Joey Clark
ALT 98.7 closed out the summer with the ultimate pool party! Longtime listeners and devoted fans battled the nearly 100-degree heat poolside at Yaamava’ Casino and Resort to experience an intimate performance by The All-American Rejects.
With the performance set two hours after doors, most radio aficionados in attendance took full advantage of the pools near the stage to cool off. Then there were the barricade warriors who decided to take on the heat with pure dedication by standing their ground from the time of doors. When asked how long these passionate fans had been waiting, many stated they had lined up hours ahead of doors to have a shot at landing a coveted spot in the front.
Whether you were a fan soaking in the pool or roughing it against the barricade, everyone was collectively enjoying the pre-show.
DJ Regul8 was enthusiastically bumping the alt hits we all love and the fun antics of ALT 98.7’s afternoon dynamic duo, Booker and Stryker, were hyping up the crowd for the stars of the night,
The All-American Rejects. The crowd sang along to songs being blasted over the speakers as a flurry of ALT 98.7 beach balls danced around the onslaught of AAR fans reliving the glory days of the mid-2000s.
Anticipation was building as the clock struck 8 p.m. Fans were darting their heads around attempting to locate the pop punk act. I noticed a door on the left of the stage had opened up, and then, out poured The All-American Rejects, hungry and ready to pounce on the stage. Before the boys took command, Booker and Stryker reemerged to give the band a proper introduction.
The band seemed like an absolute no-brainer to center the evening around for a variety of reasons. Not only did they release their first record in over a decade with “Sandbox,” but their cultural impact on the music industry as of late has been incredible.
Their outspokenness and commentary about the industry when it comes to ticket pricing, tour logistics for budding new artists, and corporate greed has been eye-opening.
In the past year, the band has stood by their words and taken it upon themselves to travel across the United States on their own dime and play a multitude of third spaces on the recommendation of their manager, Megan Kraemer.
On top of that, frontman Tyson Ritter and startup veteran Brian Battjer have developed PlayHouse, a platform to connect musicians with alternative venues. If there were any doubts of why The Rejects were the band selected for this truly special evening, they were squashed immediately.
The band kicked off their set with the sonic punch of “Easy Come, Easy Go” from “Sandbox.” Everyone was instantly hooked and sang the song back as if they had it engrained in them for the last decade. It was easy to recognize why the track had been the band’s first song to make the Alternative Airplay chart since 2009 – it was absolutely infectious.
The night proceeded with a variety of songs from their entire catalog which might be an advantage of having five studio albums. They’re able to dial in solid offerings off each record and gift that to each era of their fanbase, which is not something every band is capable of doing. “Sandbox” cuts like “Get This” and “King Kong” wove seamlessly into the framework of the set.
You can audibly hear an evolution of The Rejects’ sound from “Swing, Swing” off the self-titled debut, to “It Ends Tonight” from “Move Along,” jumping ahead towards a song like “Fast and Slow” from “Kids in the Street” to the latest material, but they all co-exist beautifully.
There was never a dull moment, especially when you have Ritter as a frontman with devilish, yet charming sense of humor. About midway through the set, Ritter had addressed the pool closest to the stage and had said their sound tech said to be careful of splashing, hilariously mocking the very notion to keep down the splashing and egged them on to keep doing it. They did as the barefooted singer requested.
Following a few more songs, Ritter took a moment to joke, “See if waterproof cameras didn’t exist you would all be like [pretending to dodge water splashes cartoonishly] oh, oh, oh shit. Fucking iPhones.” Everyone cackled at the antics, but it was also pleasant to observe those who read between the lines and stowed away their phones to just simply take in the rest of the show as it was meant to be – a communal end to the summer.
What impressed me the most about the show, outside of hilarious antics, was the pure musicality of the band. While The Rejects may come off as scrappy and unpolished, their delivery is as solid as any another longstanding act amongst their peers.
Ritter has continued to reach new heights as a vocalist not only in the studio but live as well. In an instant you recognize his vocals and they command attention like no other, all the while providing a sweet low end thump when armed with a Serek Lincoln or Epiphone Thunderbird bass.
Co-founder, guitarist and backing vocalist, Nick Wheeler is an absolute joy to watch perform, his energy is prolific and it’s amazing to witness him and Ritter bounce off one another knowing they’ve been building this band together since they were in high school.
Guitarist Mike Kennerty is like Crash Bandicoot with a guitar in his hands; he absolutely doesn’t let off the gas when he’s lost in his performance and gives the audience a spectacle to take in and is a blur of hair and a guitar. With Chris Gaylor, you get more than a drummer; you get a true marksmen of tactical precision truly enjoying every moment behind his drum kit.
The evening came to a close with the anthem “Gives You Hell.” It felt like a stadium-sized moment being lived out on the pool deck at Yaamava’. Audience members sang along in unison throughout the duration of the song and the concertgoers in the pool splashed vigorously to their heart’s content, giving it all they had left before the night was over.
The All-American Rejects are one of the best acts out there today and I cannot recommend it enough to catch a performance of theirs next time they’re in town. You will absolutely be blown away!
SHOW PHOTO GALLERY
by Highway One Photography
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SID 260814 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
