DOWNTOWN– Friday, March 23 was the official opening of the newly-renovated Hard Rock Cafe-San Antonio. To celebrate, the Hard Rock brought Tim Halperin, Everclear, and the All-American Rejects in for “Hard Rock Rocks The River Walk”, a free concert, drawing in over 5,000 attendees. There, the Wounded Warrior Project was presented with a $10,000 gift from the Hard Rock International President and CEO, Hamish Dodds.
Tim Halperin, an American Idol season 10 contestant and up-and-comer, opened the show– playing fan favorite “The Last Song” and engaging the crowd with a sing-along rendition of “Free Falling” by Tom Petty, among others.
After Halperin’s set, the performers, members of the Wounded Warriors, and Hard Rock executives smashed guitars onstage alongside City Councilman Diego Bernal. “Involving the Wounded Warriors Project shows the immense support and appreciation San Antonio has for the men and women whom have sacrificed themselves for the country,” said Jazmine Ontiveros, senior, who was in attendance. “[It was] absolutely amazing, and I am honored that I was able to witness such an event. I wasn’t expecting that at all,” she said.
Up next was Everclear, a band with over 20 years of experience. Playing songs from several albums, including their hit single “Wonderful”, prompted many fans to whip out recording devices and head-bang at their classic rock & roll tunes. Tyson Ritter, lead singer of the All-American Rejects, joined Everclear front man Art Alexakis during their performance of “I Will Buy You A New Life”, exclaiming “I forgot the lyrics…let’s just get to the chorus!!” mid-song, much to the audience’s enjoyment. Though the Rejects were headlining the show, Everclear’s formidable fan base drew many to the event.
The Rejects, a band formed by Ritter and Nick Wheeler (lead guitarist) during their high school years, opened with a bass-heavy version of “Fallin’ Apart”, a single from their 2008 record “When The World Comes Down”. Throughout their performance, they played never-before-heard songs from their new record (out today) entitled “Kids In The Street”, including the namesake track, and pre-released single, “Beekeper’s Daughter”.
