A Lesson For Radio From The All-American Rejects

Alt-rockers The All-American Rejects have gone back to their roots. The band has been doing pop-up shows across the country, including a bowling alley in Minneapolis and a barn near Ames, Iowa.

In an interview with KBIA in Columbia, MO, lead singer Tyson Ritter said, “The whole thing about this has been sort of like this weird synchronistic happenstance of reactivity.”

Adding “We played this random house party, and of all the shows we played in the last ten years, it was, like, this big wake-up call to the reality of, ‘Oh, this is why we started doing this’. We played in house shows. We played backyards, VFWs, and I just told my manager that worked, let’s do that.”

There is a signup form on the band’s Instagram, and fans are notified shortly before the show.

It’s a great way to reignite interest in the band, which had the majority of its hits between 2002 and 2008, before they head out on tour this summer.

There is an excellent lesson for radio here. With the competition for share of ear, radio would be well advised to go back to its roots. Remember that people often view radio presenters as being in show business. And love to get a glimpse behind the curtain.

With the need to re-engage the audience and give people a reason to give radio a second glance, it’s time to take your station back to the streets.

One of the most popular things I used to do was a pop-up broadcast from a dad’s backyard on Father’s Day. We brought everything for a backyard cookout, including a new grill that we left behind. The afternoon guy did his show from there, and neighbors wandered in and out during the broadcast.

Not surprisingly, they were most interested in meeting the afternoon guy and gathered round to watch when he did his breaks.

In a time when remote broadcasts were significantly more technically challenging to execute, radio would host live shows from record stores (remember record stores), bars, outdoor celebrations, and even local small-town parades.

People respond to that behind-the-scenes look. I was recently at Circa Casino. They have a studio and production facility just outside their massive sports book. I wondered what the commotion was, so I walked over and saw people three deep looking through the window, watching casino owner Derek Stevens talking into a microphone.

Even as long as I have been in radio, I’ll admit I stopped and watched as well.

Powell Broadcasting, which excels in small-market radio, has a permanent studio located at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Sioux City, Iowa, right on the casino floor. The station will broadcast for big events and match their portfolio of station formats with the genre of the artist performing at the theatre.

When speaking with major market programmers, I almost always ask if being in the public eye is still important and if it can make a difference in a PPM market. Without exception, each one has given me a resounding YES.

No one understands it better than 103.7 KSON San Diego’s “John & Tammy: San Diego’s Morning Show.” They travel the market, making sure to hit the collar communities where they have listeners.

A great example was the show and the station hosting a pop-up event with Country singer Matt Stell performing on top of a double-decker bus. They visit workplaces, construction sites, rehabilitation centers, and hospitals.

Program Director Scott Roddy told me in an interview earlier this year, “Here’s my philosophy, and I believe that a hundred percent. Even when you live in a really big market, you still feel like you’re in a small town because that’s how we live. That’s our lifestyle. I hear this frequently. Well, it sounds like a small market, but our listeners aren’t going. I live in San Diego, so radio shouldn’t be doing this.”

“That’s how you make connections—you really, truly make connections. And I don’t mind being labeled small market thinking or small market-minded at all for that. I think that all of us are simple, very simple people. We all want the same thing: to be loved.”

I often ask talent, “How did you delight and surprise the audience today?” Showing up, surprising them with a breakfast burrito or delivering lunch. Giving them attention and doing it on their turf builds the bond with your brand.

Hit the streets. Get back out with the audience. Surprise them and let them get to know you in person, and where they work and live.

Back to the basics is not a “Dirty Little Secret.”

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Jeff Lynn

Jeff Lynn serves as Editor of Barrett Media’s Music Radio coverage. Prior to joining Barrett Media, Jeff spent time programming in Milwaukee, Omaha, Cleveland, Des Moines, and Madison for multiple radio groups, including iHeartMedia, Townsquare Media, NRG Media, and Entercom (now Audacy). He also worked as a Country Format Editor for All Access until the outlet shut down in August 2023.

To get in touch with Jeff by email, reach him at Jeff@BarrettMedia.com.