It was wet and gross down at the Summerfest grounds on Friday night, but even as everyone in attendance absorbed five fresh pounds of water weight into their clothes, nothing could dampen the nostalgic vibes over at the Uline Warehouse stage as 2000s pop-rockers All-American Rejects put on an energetic 90-minute show worthy of witnessing in a downpour and having to wring out your entire outfit afterward. 

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There’s always a slight sense of anxiety when you see a band far from its heyday – and in the case of the pop-punk alternative favorites, far from their last record, now more than a decade removed from their last full-length effort, 2012’s “Kids in the Street.” Would the band still play like their prime – or would the Big Gig gig just be a half-hearted nostalgia-exploiting paycheck? The anxiety only grew in the crowd as five minutes passed the band’s scheduled start time, with sightings of lightning crackling in the distance but still no sight of the band. Never mind "Would the band still play like their prime?" The question was: Would the band play, period?

Thankfully, after the short delay, All-American Rejects took the Uline Warehouse stage – simply decorated beyond a giant black AAR flag hanging as its backdrop – and quickly blasted any and all worries away (beyond concerns about maybe to having to dunk your phone in rice after it all). Led by frontman Tyson Ritter – emerging on stage clad in a long yellow Summerfest security poncho – the band eagerly launched into their breakthrough hit “Swing, Swing” and launched the crowd of mostly elder millennials happily back in time.

Ritter quickly ditched the Summerfest garb, but never lost the Summerfest crowd’s attention or his own excitement. While his still-immaculate mane of hair now appears to have some aged frazzle and faint flecks of gray peeking through, the lead singer still performs with the animated energy and enthusiasm of the band’s earliest days. His jittery, controlled chaos stage presence – enjoyably preening like a classic ‘70s rock star on “Fallin’ Apart” and “Beekeeper’s Daughter” – kept fans rapt and electrified even when the rain picked up and tried extinguishing the fun.

Meanwhile, his crowd work – from regularly working Milwaukee references and praise into the song lyrics to complimenting the amount of exposed man flesh out in the audience and the unique topography of the Uline Warehouse gathering – made the Summerfest show feel memorable and special, not just another anonymous tour stop. 

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After the vigorous opening of “Swing, Swing” and “Fallin’ Apart” – complete with Ritter prodding everyone to “dance in the rain, b*tches,” and the crowd happily complying – the lead singer took a moment to playfully transport the fans at the Uline Warehouse back in time to the early millennium with the help of some “witchcraft.” While he unfortunately couldn’t send us somewhere drier, he and the rest of All-American Rejects did effectively teleport the audience to 2002 with the help of vigorous renditions of “My Paper Heart” and “One More Sad Song” off their debut album.

Even when they ventured into less-obvious material out of their Aughts prime – like “Beekeeper’s Daughter” off 2012’s “Kids in the Street,” their final studio record, or later on “Too Far Gone,” an admitted deeper cut off the first album – Ritter and company’s genuine enthusiasm and chaotic charisma kept things compelling.

Indeed, while the rain oscillated between drizzling and deluging, at least the All-American Rejects were consistent, always keeping the crowd engaged and entertained. Sometimes it was courtesy of the smartly assembled setlist, nicely dispersing hits like the rocking taunt “Dirty Little Secret.” Other times, it was thanks to Ritter’s unpredictably amusing stage banter – reaching its zany crescendo just past the midway point when he summoned a shirtless fan on stage, claiming him as his adopted son “Foster” before having him serve as a backup dancer on “Sweat.” Even if “Foster” ended up more like a backup ambler, it was still a goofy, entertaining and oddly sincere bit to further personalize the show. 

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The only time the set threatened to get as soggy as the weather came near the end during the requisite acoustic segment of the night. After the lightly poppy “Kids in the Street,” the band tuned the volume down with the subdued strummy ballad “Mona Lisa (When the World Comes Down),” then tuned things down even further as Ritter was fetched a ukulele and performed some of Coldplay’s “Yellow” and “There’s A Place” by himself.

All the tracks sounded good – and the latter satisfying escalated with band members slowly joining on stage – but you could feel the unplugged section slow things down just enough for the crowd to start getting distracted by how drenched they were. 

That, however, was just a modest speed bump – and starting with the hefty power ballad hit “It Ends Tonight,” Ritter and company quickly recovered any energy lost. And if that didn’t do the trick, the grand finale certainly did, wrapping up the night with maximum sing-along nostalgia with their smash rock anthem “Move Along” and – for an encore – the similarly massive punky tell-off “Gives You Hell.” And with that, the audience squished home satisfied. 

Indeed, Mother Nature may have given everyone at Summerfest hell Friday night – but for those at the Uline Warehouse wanting to rock out to the recent past, the All-American Rejects were heaven.