Our team is at it again, this time heading to Stage AE to see three jaw-dropping performances by Dashboard Confessional, All American Rejects, and The Maine. Hear our team’s favorite moments from the show and more with their recaps below!
Tara Friel – Event Operations Coordinator
I had an exciting experience seeing one of my favorite bands from my teenage years, Dashboard Confessionals. They played an hour and a half long set at Stage AE, alongside the 2000’s alternative rock favorites All American Rejects and The Maine.
I couldn’t have asked for a better night to attend an outdoor concert. Between the warm late summer air and city lights illuminating the night sky, the ambience was perfect. The Maine opened the show with their invigorating music and stage presence. Then was followed by All American Rejects. Their style has drastically changed from their original punk pop (emo) days and now a bit more eclectic, still entertaining as ever though. Both bands invited a guy onto their stage who was dressed as a banana. His backstory: he attends every single one of The Maine’s shows in a banana costume.
Dashboard Confessionals went onstage just as the sky was finally dark and opened up with my all time favorite Vindicated. It is one of those songs that you wish could just go on forever or at least play twice in a row. Their set seamlessly flowed between old songs and new, with surprise revamped acoustic versions strategically place throughout the set. Then, I naturally (and very poorly) screamed my lungs out to Hands Down and Stolen.
All in all, it was an awesome night. I had so much fun reliving the early 2000’s with some of my close friends. If this tour is coming to a city near you, I highly suggest attending!
Jessica Merritt – Client Support Representative
It was a beautiful night in Pittsburgh for an outdoor show at Stage AE. Dashboard Confessional and All American Rejects played a co-headline show with support from The Maine. Anyone who knows me knows that The Maine is my favorite band and that I would be at one of their shows in a heartbeat. I was extra pumped for this show as I have longed to see both All American Rejects and Dashboard Confessional live. The atmosphere at Stage AE was filled with both excitement and nostalgia!
The Maine was recently here a few months ago on their Lovely, Little, Lonely Tour that was also played at Stage AE. It was incredible to see them play both indoors and outdoors at the same venue within a few months of each other. One fan who is at all of their shows in Pittsburgh, Eddie the Banana Man, joined The Maine on stage to help them sing “Girls Do What They Want” in his usual banana costume. I’ve seen Eddie at a few of their shows before in said banana costume and has helped the band sing this song before. It definitely got the crowd excited as they closed out their set.
All American Rejects took us back to the 2000s with their classics “Move Along”, “Swing Swing”, and “Dirty Little Secret”. They also played some of their newer songs which have a different feel than their old songs. Regardless, the crowd loved every minute of their set and sang along to all of the songs! Tyson Ritter killed it with his stage performance during their set! They also used the help of Eddie the Banana Man during one of their songs.
Closing out the night was Dashboard Confessional who opened up with my favorite song of theirs, “Vindicated”. This definitely got the crowd excited as everyone screamed the lyrics from the top of their lungs! I really enjoyed getting to see both Dashboard Confessional and All American Rejects live for the first time. It was everything my teenage self imaged it would have been like and more! All the bands brought such great energy and presence to the stage that you couldn’t stop watching and you never wanted the night to end!