Occasional sun flares showcase the beauty of Colorado near the main entrance of the Aspen Ideas Festival campus. Our crew decided to shoot here despite the nearby traffic and bustle of activity; the gorgeous view far outweighed the risk of noise.

The All-American Rejects lead singer Tyson Ritter took off his shoes and made himself comfortable in the grass as our crew worked to level the incline of the hill with a carpet-covered plywood board. At the start of the show, the band members walked up the dusty Meadows Trail, but had to pause for a moment to catch their breath. Ritter joked to the audience, “Can we all just take a breath together? We need some oxygen.”

Close to 8,000 feet, many of us struggled with the high altitude. But once the musicians collected themselves and started to sing, their delivery was strong. And even though this set includes most of the band’s greatest hits from the early aughts, it’s energetic, fresh and fun.

SET LIST 

“Dirty Little Secret””There’s a Place””Gives You Hell””Move Along”

MUSICIANS 

Tyson Ritter: vocals, ukeleleNick Wheeler: guitar, background vocalsMike Kennerty: bass, background vocalsChris Gaylor: drums, background vocals

PRODUCTION TEAM

Director: Mito Habe-EvansEditor: Nickolai HammarVideographers: Mito Habe-Evans, Nickolai Hammar, Ryan Lohr, Will SardinskyAudio Engineer: Neil TevaultColor Correction: Joshua BryantPost-Production Coordinator: Tsering BistaSenior Producer, Aspen Institute: Ava Hartmann Program Associate, Aspen Institute: Jacqueline Olivas-SisonFestival Director: Graham VeyseySupervising Editor: Becky LettenbergerExecutive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

SPECIAL THANKS

Ben JamesJaidyn HurstSylvie LabalmeSamuel LasaterMatt WindholzKeith Jenkins