Fans crowd Minneapolis bowling alley for All-American Rejects pop-up shows

Despite the soggy weather, pop punk fans stretched through the parking lot, down the alley and into the neighborhood Friday night to catch the All-American Rejects play two pop-up shows at Memory Lanes bowling alley in Minneapolis.

After finding out last-minute about the show, fans waited in the rain for hours to see the band, known for its emotive mid-aught hits “Dirty Little Secret,” “Gives You Hell” and “Move Along,” which were teenage anthems for many millennials.

“I think I ran out of work with a puff of smoke behind me,” said Nat Jacobs, after a longtime friend texted her about the band’s appearance around 5 p.m.

Jacobs described waiting in the rain for three hours and getting into the second of two shows the band played.

“Minneapolis, the city so nice we played it twice,” the band posted.

The band usually plays bigger venues when it comes to town, including a show at the Armory in downtown Minneapolis in 2023 and an upcoming fall gig at Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul.

Videos from the show on social media show a packed house with exuberant crowds and some crowd surfing.

Jacobs said standing in line — and then getting to see the band at a small venue — made her feel like she was 14 again.

“We were in the rain for probably three hours, but everyone in line was so ecstatic,” she said. “I haven’t felt that way about pop punk in so long.”

The show was a surprise to Memory Lanes staffers. Linda Keating, a server who worked Friday night, said she and others only had about 30 minutes’ notice.

“We had three servers and two bartenders,” she said. “So yeah, we kicked ass last night.”

Keating said the band intended to play at a house but changed venues at the last minute, coordinating the switch through a Memory Lanes bartender. The crowd was great and tips were good, she said. Fans who didn’t get into either show tried to watch through the windows.

“They were jumping in the rain like they were at a concert,” she said.

The All-American Rejects released a new single, “Sandbox,” last month. They have been playing pop-up shows at small venues, according to news media and social media reports.

Jacobs said many in the crowd were millennials (mostly 30-somethings), but she was happy to see some younger fans come out as well. The concert was free, but the band accepted donations for a nonprofit.

Jacobs said All-American Rejects played hits but fans also sang along with new songs. “I’m gonna buy their new album,” she said. “I might not have it on my Walkman, but Spotify instead of a Walkman.”