Medford City Council Member Kevin Stine was scrolling Reddit late Friday night when he saw an unusual request: the pop-punk band The All-American Rejects needed a venue in Medford for the following day.
“This is the one time that maybe it was beneficial,” he said of browsing social media after midnight.
The band was on their House Party Tour, playing pop-up shows at unconventional venues around the country, and had to pull out of playing inside Rogue Valley Mall because of capacity concerns. The band needed another space — large enough for hundreds of fans — in less than 24 hours.
Stine said he immediately got to work, reaching out to the band and local promoters that night. In the morning, he was on the phone with the city manager.
“Generally, you go and get permits like weeks in advance for events,” Stine said.
After meetings with city officials and law enforcement, Medford offered the band Pear Blossom Park as a venue.
Lead singer Tyson Ritter posted a video on his Instagram during a downtown stroll the morning before the concert.
“As, and you shall receive. The City of Medford, Oregon, has opened up its city-center lawn for us to play,” he said while holding a coffee from a local cafe. “This is a beautiful, beautiful small town with tons of open mom and pop businesses.”
The band shared the show's location just hours before it began.
Despite the short notice, organizers say more than 6,000 people attended, filling the park and nearby streets. Stine said there were concerns over safety and liability, but police reported no major incidents.
“It's just amazing to see the videos that people are posting, the pictures that people are posting, the just general positivity all across the board,” Stine said. “It's just an incredible thing to be a part of.”
Vinny Dominick, with promotion company Down Tempo Productions, also worked around the clock to secure a venue for the band. He said the turnout was surprising but also made sense given the local music scene.
“The alternative music scene is huge," he said. "It's massive,”
Dominick organizes shows regularly at Rockafairy in the Rogue Valley Mall.
“We've watched it grow the past three years,” he said.
In the beginning, Dominick said the concerts would attract a dozen people. “Now, we're seeing shows for like 200 people.”
Stine said he’s waiting for a full debrief. But he thinks the show’s success could be good news for future events.
“There's lots of things that we can take from this,” he said.
