May 27, 2025 • 5 mins
“What if one of the biggest bands from the 2000s showed up at your local bowling alley… and played a full set for ten people?”
That’s not a fantasy—it’s exactly what the All-American Rejects are doing, and it’s the heart of this inspiring and hilarious episode of The Ben and Skin Show on 97.1 The Eagle. With Ben Rogers out on vacation, Jeff “Skin” Wade, Kevin “KT” Turner, and Krystina Ray dive into one of the coolest stories in music right now: a major band ditching the big venues for a DIY tour that’s all about connection, community, and pure rock energy.The crew breaks down the band’s self-funded “House Party Tour,” where they’re popping up in small towns, frat houses, and even bowling alleys—asking only for a $5 donation at the door. It’s a middle finger to the corporate concert machine and a love letter to the fans who never stopped listening.
That’s not a fantasy—it’s exactly what the All-American Rejects are doing, and it’s the heart of this inspiring and hilarious episode of The Ben and Skin Show on 97.1 The Eagle. With Ben Rogers out on vacation, Jeff “Skin” Wade, Kevin “KT” Turner, and Krystina Ray dive into one of the coolest stories in music right now: a major band ditching the big venues for a DIY tour that’s all about connection, community, and pure rock energy.The crew breaks down the band’s self-funded “House Party Tour,” where they’re popping up in small towns, frat houses, and even bowling alleys—asking only for a $5 donation at the door. It’s a middle finger to the corporate concert machine and a love letter to the fans who never stopped listening.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right now, it's time for this love music.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
One of the bands that you know, we found the
Eel here and there, the all American rejects here in
the news. They've been doing something kind of cool lately.
I don't know if you've seen the videos of their
house parties they've been having.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
I have not, but it sounds rad. It's tremendous.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Now. They're a band from Oklahoma. Fact lead singer lives
up in Tulsa, but we have a listener I call
him the fake Dustin Johnson, and his wife is cousins
with him, and she was telling me some stories about
the band when we did a music trivia a few
months ago.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Oh cool.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
So basically they have started doing this thing called the
House Party Tour.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Now.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
I want to be real clear, they're gonna go on
a tour that's opening up for the Jonas Brothers in
big stadiums in a few months. So you can look
at that and go okay, So maybe what they're doing
is not risky. But here's what they're doing right now. Well,
they've taken fifty thousand out of their own pockets and
they've booked a bus and they put a crew salary
on it. And they started a tour and they've just
(01:08):
been showing up and doing pop ups. For instance, they
called up a bowling alley like, hey, can we play
a show there?
Speaker 1 (01:14):
That's cool.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
And they're playing a lot of like Midwest towns like Ames,
Iowa and just we're from Oklahoma, and they're just asking
for you. Don't have to do this. A five dollars
donation at the door would be great, but that's all.
And there's a big interview in Vulture about this, and
I thought some of it was pretty interesting, and he
was talking about like how they were again these Oklahoma dudes,
(01:38):
and how it was frustrating that no one, like no
of their favorite bands would come there very often. Luckily,
Tulsa is actually a scene as a pretty good music town.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
It is. Our friends at Josie Records have a record
store there.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
And he mentioned that, but he was like, it was
just hard to get bands to come through a lot.
And then you know, they go off to college and
now they've just been playing at these like a very
like how they did a lot of you know, uh
not frat houses and things like that.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Of course, yeah, it's happening.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
My daughter is nineteen about to be twenty and her
friend group that all are off at college. They talk
about these frat parties where who they're hiring to come
play them because all those kids have money. Yeah, and
there's like a lot of money to be made to
go play frat parties. And you can be a decent
sized band or big time DJ and go make a
lot of dough doing that.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Anyone wants a Nirvana cover band, I know some people. Oh,
you can definitely put in a word. Yeah, so this
thing real quick.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
I know, you can sign up like for an alert
if they're nearby. I didn't realize like I did put
I'm in Dallas. So there's like zero chance they're going
to stop and do Dallas, right, I mean, I mean.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
They might, but it wouldn't be at a big venue. Yeah,
you know, it would be so much. I think there's
a chance they would just because they're close enough, and
maybe forty they swing through here sometimes. I'd be great
if they did forty. It's o Kate out there. So
in this interview, they asked to have certain places. Suspect
did a cat fishing situation like all American rejects went,
they're a big band.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah, that's what I'm with Ben and Tom Cruise. He
thought he was being fished, he did, and then he
found out he was going to have a great summer.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, And they said a lot of kids didn't go
to the first couple of shows because they thought it
was a cover band or something or just some bit.
And he's like, it was actually kind of cool that
there was ten people and we were playing to him
and we played a full show.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
And that's a great story to tell somebody. Hey, I
went and saw Old American Rejects at a house party
and I was one of ten people there.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
It reminds me of seeing the Black Pumas before they
got a huge. We saw him at Homegrown Fest and
there was fifteen people.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
There were fifteen people, I mean, because they're early in
the day.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
What's funny is it? I feel like bands love this,
like once they get huge, they kind of love the smaller,
Like Jack White especially, He's actually like said that on
his Instagram, Like I could see him doing this.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
So he did the little mini tour and played Trees
as a pop up. Yeah, before you know doing the
bigger show. It's outside ballroom, right, this is a good
sized pop up. But still, yes, I mean that was
you went to that, didn't you, Christina? That was not
to but it's really cool. Yeah, I was packed. Yeah,
but the lead singer said, I was raised in a
trailer house. My first concert was sitting on my porch
listening to a band that was playing at an outdoor
(04:07):
pavilion because I couldn't afford tickets.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
I couldn't even afford CDs.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
He say, unless it's a big arena with a big
old sponsor, you're singing now with these giant artists aren't
really selling out their shows anymore, and they pay for
these arenas to make it look like they did.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
And I was like, is that happening? I don't know that.
I think, like, I don't know they're placing bodies in there.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Maybe they're just they're working the dimensions of the stage.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
I don't know. I don't I don't really, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
So I did like this one thing that he said,
and this is something I will remember and I will
always respect the All American Rejects for this. And the
swing swings a great song too also that he said.
So they said you were very strategic in the cities
you touched with these shows, he said, I live in Tulsa.
Music shouldn't have to be born in a social media environment.
It should be fostered in hometowns with local followings.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Oh, it's fantastic. They're still hoping. Yeah, we're not quite
too far gone.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
We're almost there.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
No, that's good. I like that report. That gives me
musical hope.
Right now, it's time for this love music.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
One of the bands that you know, we found the
Eel here and there, the all American rejects here in
the news. They've been doing something kind of cool lately.
I don't know if you've seen the videos of their
house parties they've been having.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
I have not, but it sounds rad. It's tremendous.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Now. They're a band from Oklahoma. Fact lead singer lives
up in Tulsa, but we have a listener I call
him the fake Dustin Johnson, and his wife is cousins
with him, and she was telling me some stories about
the band when we did a music trivia a few
months ago.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Oh cool.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
So basically they have started doing this thing called the
House Party Tour.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Now.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
I want to be real clear, they're gonna go on
a tour that's opening up for the Jonas Brothers in
big stadiums in a few months. So you can look
at that and go okay, So maybe what they're doing
is not risky. But here's what they're doing right now. Well,
they've taken fifty thousand out of their own pockets and
they've booked a bus and they put a crew salary
on it. And they started a tour and they've just
(01:08):
been showing up and doing pop ups. For instance, they
called up a bowling alley like, hey, can we play
a show there?
Speaker 1 (01:14):
That's cool.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
And they're playing a lot of like Midwest towns like Ames,
Iowa and just we're from Oklahoma, and they're just asking
for you. Don't have to do this. A five dollars
donation at the door would be great, but that's all.
And there's a big interview in Vulture about this, and
I thought some of it was pretty interesting, and he
was talking about like how they were again these Oklahoma dudes,
(01:38):
and how it was frustrating that no one, like no
of their favorite bands would come there very often. Luckily,
Tulsa is actually a scene as a pretty good music town.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
It is. Our friends at Josie Records have a record
store there.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
And he mentioned that, but he was like, it was
just hard to get bands to come through a lot.
And then you know, they go off to college and
now they've just been playing at these like a very
like how they did a lot of you know, uh
not frat houses and things like that.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Of course, yeah, it's happening.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
My daughter is nineteen about to be twenty and her
friend group that all are off at college. They talk
about these frat parties where who they're hiring to come
play them because all those kids have money. Yeah, and
there's like a lot of money to be made to
go play frat parties. And you can be a decent
sized band or big time DJ and go make a
lot of dough doing that.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Anyone wants a Nirvana cover band, I know some people. Oh,
you can definitely put in a word. Yeah, so this
thing real quick.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
I know, you can sign up like for an alert
if they're nearby. I didn't realize like I did put
I'm in Dallas. So there's like zero chance they're going
to stop and do Dallas, right, I mean, I mean.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
They might, but it wouldn't be at a big venue. Yeah,
you know, it would be so much. I think there's
a chance they would just because they're close enough, and
maybe forty they swing through here sometimes. I'd be great
if they did forty. It's o Kate out there. So
in this interview, they asked to have certain places. Suspect
did a cat fishing situation like all American rejects went,
they're a big band.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah, that's what I'm with Ben and Tom Cruise. He
thought he was being fished, he did, and then he
found out he was going to have a great summer.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, And they said a lot of kids didn't go
to the first couple of shows because they thought it
was a cover band or something or just some bit.
And he's like, it was actually kind of cool that
there was ten people and we were playing to him
and we played a full show.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
And that's a great story to tell somebody. Hey, I
went and saw Old American Rejects at a house party
and I was one of ten people there.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
It reminds me of seeing the Black Pumas before they
got a huge. We saw him at Homegrown Fest and
there was fifteen people.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
There were fifteen people, I mean, because they're early in
the day.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
What's funny is it? I feel like bands love this,
like once they get huge, they kind of love the smaller,
Like Jack White especially, He's actually like said that on
his Instagram, Like I could see him doing this.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
So he did the little mini tour and played Trees
as a pop up. Yeah, before you know doing the
bigger show. It's outside ballroom, right, this is a good
sized pop up. But still, yes, I mean that was
you went to that, didn't you, Christina? That was not
to but it's really cool. Yeah, I was packed. Yeah,
but the lead singer said, I was raised in a
trailer house. My first concert was sitting on my porch
listening to a band that was playing at an outdoor
(04:07):
pavilion because I couldn't afford tickets.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
I couldn't even afford CDs.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
He say, unless it's a big arena with a big
old sponsor, you're singing now with these giant artists aren't
really selling out their shows anymore, and they pay for
these arenas to make it look like they did.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
And I was like, is that happening? I don't know that.
I think, like, I don't know they're placing bodies in there.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Maybe they're just they're working the dimensions of the stage.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
I don't know. I don't I don't really, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
So I did like this one thing that he said,
and this is something I will remember and I will
always respect the All American Rejects for this. And the
swing swings a great song too also that he said.
So they said you were very strategic in the cities
you touched with these shows, he said, I live in Tulsa.
Music shouldn't have to be born in a social media environment.
It should be fostered in hometowns with local followings.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Oh, it's fantastic. They're still hoping. Yeah, we're not quite
too far gone.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
We're almost there.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
No, that's good. I like that report. That gives me
musical hope.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Boysober
Have you ever wondered what life might be like if you stopped worrying about being wanted, and focused on understanding what you actually want? That was the question Hope Woodard asked herself after a string of situationships inspired her to take a break from sex and dating. She went "boysober," a personal concept that sparked a global movement among women looking to prioritize themselves over men. Now, Hope is looking to expand the ways we explore our relationship to relationships. Taking a bold, unfiltered look into modern love, romance, and self-discovery, Boysober will dive into messy stories about dating, sex, love, friendship, and breaking generational patterns—all with humor, vulnerability, and a fresh perspective.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com