The All-American Rejects
The All-American Rejects (often abbreviated as AAR) are an American rock band from Stillwater, Oklahoma, formed in 1999.[4][5] The band consists of lead vocalist and bassist Tyson Ritter, lead guitarist and backing vocalist Nick Wheeler, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Mike Kennerty, and drummer Chris Gaylor. Wheeler and Ritter serve as the band's songwriters; Wheeler is the primary composer and Ritter is the primary lyricist. Although Kennerty and Gaylor are not founding members, they have appeared in all of the band's music videos and on all studio releases except for the band's self-titled debut.
"Nick Wheeler" redirects here. For the British businessman, see Nicholas Wheeler.
The All-American Rejects
Stillwater, Oklahoma, U.S.
1999–present
- Tyson Ritter
- Nick Wheeler
- Mike Kennerty
- Chris Gaylor
- Jesse Tabish
- Tim Campbell
The group achieved mainstream success with their debut self-titled studio album The All-American Rejects, released in 2002 on the DreamWorks Records label. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and spawned the successful single "Swing, Swing".[6] The band's second studio album Move Along brought the group further mainstream success in 2005, producing the hit singles "Dirty Little Secret", "Move Along", and "It Ends Tonight", all of which charted in the top fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[7] while Move Along was certified double platinum by the RIAA.[6] Their third studio album When the World Comes Down was released in 2008 and was later certified gold by the RIAA.[6] Its lead single "Gives You Hell" became The All-American Rejects' most successful song to date, peaking at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the top 5 in many other countries.[7][8][9] "Gives You Hell" was certified 4× multi-platinum for sales of over 4 million shipments in the United States by the RIAA.[10] Kids in the Street, the band's fourth studio album, was released on March 26, 2012, and debuted at number 18 on the US Billboard 200. On October 30, 2015, the group released a new single named "There's a Place".
The All-American Rejects have sold over 10 million albums worldwide.[11][12] They were ranked No. 73 on the "Hot 100 Artists of the 2000s"[13] and No. 183 on the "Billboard 200 Artists of the Decade" list.[14] The band has continued to tour, and released the singles "Sweat" on July 7, 2017,[15] and "Send Her to Heaven" on their new label Epitaph on July 16, 2019.
Equipment[edit]
Using mainly Fender and Gibson guitars, the All-American Rejects use numerous models. The band uses Sennheiser microphones, Dean Markley Custom Lights guitar strings, and Dunlop Picks.
Lead vocalist/bassist Tyson Ritter uses two models of Fender; one is a Black Precision Bass, and the other model is the then-discontinued Jaguar Bass. Ritter also uses Gibson models, including the Gibson Thunderbird and the Epiphone Flying V.[56]
Lead guitarist Nick Wheeler, primarily uses Gibson guitars. Wheeler's main guitar is the Gibson Firebird. He primarily uses a Vintage Sunburst Firebird V. Wheeler owns a rare cherry Firebird VII, which he no longer uses for live shows, as well as a custom Firebird, which is painted in blue glitter. He owns eight Firebirds overall. He also uses a Classic Gibson Firebird. Wheeler frequently uses a Gibson ES-335. This guitar is notably used live for the intro of "Top of the World", taking the place of the classical guitar originally used in the "Top of the World" recording. It is also commonly used in the songs "It Ends Tonight", "Real World", "Stab My Back", "My Paper Heart", "Gives You Hell" and "Dance Inside". Another guitar that Wheeler favors is the Gibson EDS-1275 doubleneck guitar, which he uses live on "The Wind Blows", "Back to Me", and "Bleed Into Your Mind". He has also been known to occasionally use the Gibson Flying V, namely for the performing "The Last Song" live.[57][58]
Rhythm guitarist Mike Kennerty has used the Gibson SG since joining the band, and also uses Washburn Guitars. Another guitar that Kennerty favors is the PRS Guitars Mira X which came out in early 2009.[59][60]
Chris Gaylor, drummer for the band, uses Remo heads for his drums. Gaylor used to endorse Tama drums, but now he endorses C&C drums. He has a set with a Rootbeer Sparkle wood finish, as well as an acrylic kit. Gaylor's most-current set-up contains seven drums. He uses a 12×7 rack tom, 14×10, 16×12, and 18×14 floor toms, a 14×6.5 Nickel-Over-Brass snare, a 12×7 effects snare, and a 24×16 bass drum. Gaylor uses Tama hardware.
Also, Gaylor uses Vater Universal drumsticks, and his cymbals are Sabian. His hi-hats are Sabian 14-inch HHX Evolution. His 3 crashes he uses are an 18-inch HHXplosion crash, a 19-inch AAXplosion crash, and a 20-inch HHX stage crash. Gaylor also uses 22-inch HH Power Bell ride cymbal. Gaylor also includes an LP cowbell in his set. He also uses an Alesis ADAT HD24 for recording purposes.[12][61]