Student response to Social Programming Board’s announcement that rock band All-American Rejects will headline this year’s spring WILD has been characterized by mixed reactions.

The band, known for hits like “Gives You Hell” and “Dirty Little Secret,” will be the first rock group to headline the concert since 2010, marking a departure from the list of rappers and electronic dance music artists that have been featured in recent years.

The All-American Rejects perform at Amos Southend in Charlotte, NC on Sept. 25, 2012. The band will be headlining this year’s Spring WILD later in April.

SPB announced the headliner and the opening act, electronic duo the Knocks, with a video projected in Tisch Commons on Tuesday—a new element to the group’s usual announcement, which is typically only made through social media.

The band, who will play in Brookings Quadrangle on April 29, received the second most number of votes in SPB’s annual spring WILD survey, WILD Director and sophomore Nick Koutrakis said.

Although SPB did not release the student body’s first choice, the choice does gratify a significant portion of students who hoped for a rock group, according to Koutrakis.

“I think it’s going to be a nice change. We’ve had a lot of DJs and rappers over the past six years,” he said. “I think students will enjoy the refreshing change.”

SPB executives believe that reactions to previous rock acts on campus further validate the results of the survey.

“We got a huge amount of positive feedback from Magic Man, who opened WILD last fall—literally nothing but positive feedback—so we’re really looking forward to making a rock band our headliner,” SPB president and junior Rahool Bhimani said.

Koutrakis also believes the group’s mix of established hits and new material will appeal to the student body.

“They just have so many hits; I think kids love it when they hear their songs come on,” he said. “This is a band that wrote hits when most of the students here were in middle school, so most of the students know these songs. And the interesting thing is that they’re still writing music, and it’s still really good.”

The concert will be accompanied by the traditional pre-WILD Happy Hour, as well as a slate of events throughout the week.

“Count on some film screenings and special events,” Bhimani said. “It’s going to be a whole week’s worth of activities just to get people really excited and ready to enjoy the last week of school and WILD.”

However, many students believe the band has passed its prime and is less relevant than other options.

“To be honest, I was pretty disappointed to hear we got stuck with the All-American Rejects,” freshman Eric Odermatt said. “I didn’t even know they were together anymore!”

Other students, however, enjoy the novelty of a throwback act.

“While they may not have been my first choice a bruise on the leg is a hell of a long way from the heart,” senior Adi Radhakrishnan said. “At the end of the day, I’m incredibly excited to listen to some classic throwback songs for my last WILD.”

Whatever the reason, many are cautiously optimistic.

“They weren’t my first choice, but I’m excited for it,” junior Evan Garden said. “Everyone knows a bunch of their big hits so I’m sure it’ll be a fun concert.”