For many of us, “Rookie of the Year” and “American Pie” were more than just movies. They were a defining part of growing up in the ’90s, the kind of comedies with unforgettable casts that you watched on repeat and quoted with your friends for years afterward. At the center of that pop culture magic was Thomas Nicholas, whose turn as Henry Rowengartner made him an instant fan favorite and secured his place in a generation’s memory. He later became part of another iconic ensemble as Kevin Myers in “American Pie,” helping bring one of the most talked-about comedies of its era to life. Decades later, Nicholas is not just revisiting that legacy. He continues to build on it in ways that still connect with fans across generations.
While many still know him best from the big screen, Nicholas has spent years carving out a second act as a musician, fronting the Thomas Nicholas Band and building an impressive musical body of work along the way. With seven studio albums to his name and an eighth on the horizon, his music is far more than a side project. Rooted in pop-punk and alt-rock influences, it taps into the same era that made him a household name, pairing high-energy performances with a genuine love for the culture that shaped him. It is a fully realized creative outlet that has allowed him to connect with audiences in a completely different way.
On April 11, Nicholas rolls into the Avalon Theatre in Easton, Maryland, for a one-of-a-kind “Emo Night” event that blends film, music, and full-on ’90s nostalgia. The evening will feature a screening of “Rookie of the Year,” a fan Q&A, a live performance with the Thomas Nicholas Band, and an after-party DJ set packed with emo and pop-punk favorites to keep the energy going well into the night.
Ahead of this special appearance, we caught up with Thomas Nicholas to talk about the lasting impact of “Rookie of the Year,” his evolution as a musician and performer, the origins of his Emo Night shows and what fans can expect when he brings this unique experience to the stage.
You’re bringing “ROOKIE OF THE YEAR” Emo Night to the Avalon Theatre in Easton, Maryland, on April 11th, 2026. It’s a show that’s taken you across the U.S. and abroad, so how did the concept first come together, and how have you seen it evolve over the years?
Yeah, I’ve actually been touring internationally since around 2008. Then, back in 2012, I started doing guest DJ spots, which at the time was basically me pressing play on my favorite songs. About 10 years ago, emo nights really started taking off in the States, but the UK had already been doing alternative DJ sets for at least a decade before that. So I was doing those overseas and here in the U.S. as well.
In the beginning, it felt like it was really just me and Ryan Key from Yellowcard doing that kind of guest DJ thing. There weren’t a lot of us. Then I watched it grow, and suddenly there were a lot more people in that space. Once there were more options out there and I wasn’t getting asked as often, I decided to build my own version of it, which became “American Pie” Emo Night.
That led to a funny moment when I got booked at a state fair and they wanted to do “American Pie” Emo Night. I had to tell them, “Guys, you cannot play that movie at a state fair. There is no PG version of ‘American Pie.’” So even though “Rookie of the Year” doesn’t have emo music in it, I used that instead for the event, and that’s really how “Rookie of the Year” Emo Night was born. Now, sometimes people even ask for that one instead!
It’s a great film that really takes me back to simpler times. More than three decades later, what do you think it is about that film that still connects with people?
I think part of the reason it still connects is that people are now introducing it to their kids. I showed it to mine, and they liked it, which honestly says a lot. Kids today have so many distractions and such a different attention span than we did growing up, but the movie still holds their attention. That is pretty telling. There are other films from our generation that can still do that, too, but definitely not all of them. Some of the movies I loved as a kid, I’ve shown to my kids and gotten a quick, “Yeah, Dad, no thanks.” [laughs]
What were some of the films that impacted you as a kid? We’re the same age, so we both know there were some bangers.
Yeah, for sure! I was watching all kinds of films growing up, and I’d been acting since I was a little kid, basically since I was in the single digits. A lot of my inspiration came from the classics, films like “The NeverEnding Story,” “The Goonies,” “Indiana Jones,” and “Star Wars.” Those were the kinds of movies that really shaped me.
It’s got to be a little surreal to know that one of your films has become a classic for a whole new generation, especially when you’re still so young yourself.
The funny thing is, a lot of the films I grew up loving still have actors who are very much out there and part of people’s lives. I’m friends with some of the cast from “The Goonies,” and obviously Mark Hamill is still out there making people happy. So for me, it really is an honor to do what I do and call it a job. Being able to entertain people is a privilege.
When you close your eyes and go back to that time in “Rookie of the Year,” what are the first things that come to mind from that chapter of your career?
That’s always a tough question. I don’t just remember isolated moments, I carry a memory of the whole experience. So it can be hard to pull out one specific thing. But I do remember it all, not like it happened yesterday, but in the sense that I remember the highs and the lows, and I welcome all of those floods of memory because they’ve all been part of my career and helped define who I am.
I was actually just texting with someone about the fact that I’ll be in Chicago a few more times this year, and I’ve been throwing out the first pitch for the Cubs since 2008, basically since I started touring. That’s probably the coolest throughline for me, all the time I’ve spent in Chicago, especially at Wrigley Field. Whenever I go back and put my feet on that field and stand on that mound again, it brings back that whole month of filming and the memory of being out there for the first time between a doubleheader.
I can’t wait to revisit the film with you and a crowd. It’s been ages since I last watched it, and I still remember how wild it was seeing a young, lean Barry Bonds before the larger-than-life, fully juiced, home run-chasing version most people came to know later on.
Yeah, simpler times!
The Emo Night experience also gives fans the chance to see you perform live. Take us back to the start of your musical journey. When did music first begin to take hold for you?
My inspiration to play guitar really came from my mom’s love of music. I grew up listening to her ’70s rock records, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, all of that. I actually got in trouble for wearing out her cassette of “Houses of the Holy” because I played it so much in the car. Then, when Nirvana hit, there was a whole chain of events that really pushed me toward music. I won’t bore you with every detail, but it sparked my interest in this guitar that had been sitting in the corner of our apartment for as long as I could remember.
So I started learning to play, and one of my friends was starting around the same time, so we kind of learned together. That really sparked my interest in making music. Then it became something I’d do on set to pass the time between setups. On bigger films, there’s a lot of downtime while the camera crew, grips, and set dressers get everything ready. During “Rookie of the Year,” I was still doing school in those breaks, but when I got older, especially once I was 18, I had more time to really lean into it.
Over time, that turned into my own outlet for storytelling. As an actor, I’m playing characters that someone else wrote. With music, I get to tell my own story. That’s why I’ve continued to do both. They’re just two very different creative outlets for me.
There used to be a real stigma around actors stepping into music, not so much today, but definitely when you were starting out. That feels like something the culture has moved past in a big way. Was that ever something you ran up against?
I was definitely aware of that stigma around actors getting into music. But honestly, being the perpetual optimist that I am, I kind of saw it as an advantage. People were expecting me to suck, so all I really had to do was not suck and they’d come away impressed. In a weird way, it gave me a pretty easy chance to exceed expectations.
One of the things that really stands out to me about you as an artist, beyond the killer tunes, is your real DIY attitude and spirit. How did that become such a big part of your DNA? Was it something that came naturally, or something you really had to develop over the years?
It’s funny you mention that, because I was just having this conversation with my mom the other day when she picked me up from the airport after I got back from the UK. I think that drive really started around 2002. I’m my mom’s only child, but I’m the youngest of seven overall, counting my half-siblings. One of my brothers came to me wanting to make a project together, and when I said yes to writing, directing, producing, and starring in my first feature film, it opened up a whole different world for me.
Up until that point, as an actor, I was mostly waiting for the next audition or opportunity to present itself, or for the chance to go in and prove what I could do. Like I said, music helped fill that waiting period. But when I made my first film, I realized I did not have to just sit around and wait for opportunities. I could create my own path. I could produce the kinds of projects I wanted to be part of as an actor. That is really where that drive came from, starting with a short film and then a feature. Since then, I’ve produced more than half a dozen feature-length projects, including “Adverse,” with Mickey Rourke, which Lionsgate released in theaters, and the TV series “Underdeveloped,” starring Tom Arnold, which is on Amazon.
Last year saw the release of your seventh studio album, “We’re Gonna Be Okay.” When you look back on that chapter, what were some of the biggest challenges you faced in bringing the record to life?
That one was an interesting process for me. My sixth album was the frat party record, which featured covers of some of my favorite songs from the “American Pie” soundtrack. I also had a song on the “American Reunion” soundtrack that recently crossed a million streams on Spotify. Even so, a million plays is still kind of a drop in the bucket compared to what counts as a true hit today.
Because of that, I really had not planned on making another album, or at least I was not sure what direction I wanted to go in next. Once I finally decided to take that leap, one of the biggest questions was who was going to produce it. I had been working with Brian Virtue for years, so that became an important part of the conversation. Brian had been Bob Ezrin’s right-hand man and had engineered some amazing records. He’d worked with Audioslave, Deftones, and Thirty Seconds to Mars, so I knew I’d be in great hands with him again as both an engineer and producer. And while I was figuring all of that out, I was also talking with my friend Taylor Carroll, who drums for Lit and is also in Chemical Fire.
He said, “Why don’t you give me a shot at producing something?” and I was like, “I didn’t even know you produced albums.” So I went to his studio to try it out, see what we could come up with, and get a feel for the collaboration. Within a few hours, we’d written “Tomorrow’s Gonna Hurt,” which became the first single from my seventh album. The experience was so strong, and I loved both the song and the direction he pushed me in, that it really sent me down a new path with that record. He’s actually working on the eighth album with me now. The biggest challenge is just coordinating schedules, because Lit still tours a lot, and I’ve got some shows coming up with them, as well as Fuel and Switchfoot, later this year.
So honestly, the toughest part has been coordinating our schedules. I wanted to explain why I chose a producer whose schedule is every bit as demanding as mine. From a business standpoint, that might not have been the easiest move, especially with both of us touring, but creatively it made the most sense to work with Taylor.
What does your songwriting process typically look like, and how has it evolved for you over the years?
Prior to these most recent records, and I say that carefully since the eighth one is not out yet, I pretty much always wrote from personal experience. Usually it would start with a guitar riff and a melody, and from there a lyric would begin to emerge. That lyric would lead me toward an idea or a feeling, and that feeling would end up shaping the story of the song. But with this latest album, which nobody has heard yet, even though we’re almost done with it and are now in the recording phase, the process has been a little different.
Taylor would throw out an idea and say, “Go write a song about this,” almost like giving me an assignment. I actually really liked that approach. I’d go off, sit with it for a few days, maybe a week or two, and then come back with the song pretty fully realized. It’s been a really fun and different way to work. I’m a little careful about saying too much right now, because I do not want to give away the concepts before the songs are fully done. But I will say this record is going to hit on that same sense of nostalgia that people connect with through my live shows. Until everything is locked in, mixed, mastered, and ona. record, it’s too early for me to talk about the concepts.
Fair enough! Do you have a particular timeline in mind for the new record at this point?
My last record came out through SBÄM Records in Austria, and they’re interested in putting this one out as well. At the same time, I’ve also been talking with Rude Records in Milan. I’ve got friends on that label, like Zebrahead, and after touring Australia with them, that opened the door to some conversations. But until I actually sign a deal, I haven’t settled on a release timeline. The writing is done, and now we’re just focused on finishing the record. At this point, we’re deep into the stage where we’ve got a chart in front of us and we’re tracking what songs still need which elements finished. Near the end of making a record, you really have to start organizing your thoughts and getting everything locked in. One day, I’d love to do what my friends in Bowling for Soup just did, hole up in a studio for two weeks, live there, and write and record an entire album. That’s definitely on my bucket list.
It’s honestly refreshing to hear an artist talk so enthusiastically about getting into the studio and chasing that magic, because that feels a lot rarer these days. What is it about that kind of creative pressure cooker that appeals to you so much?
I think that idea has been in my head for a long time, probably ever since I became a fan of Led Zeppelin. You hear those stories about them living in the house and creating together, and now there’s even a documentary that digs into that period. That whole experience has always felt really inspiring to me. I’ve always thought, yeah, I want to do that someday.
Now it means even more to me because my son is 14 and he’s an incredible musician. He’s been playing classical piano for more than 10 years, really seriously for the last five, and he’s also picked up drums. He actually auditioned for an arts high school on both classical piano and jazz drums, got in for both, and ended up choosing jazz drums as his major and classical piano as his minor. He’s even been jamming with my band.
So that dream of getting into the studio and making a record in that kind of immersive way is even more meaningful to me now, because I want my son to be part of it and help create it with me.
Hearing you talk about your son, it is clear fatherhood has had a real impact on you!
Absolutely! Being a parent, for anyone, is what I always call the most rewarding challenge. It’s the biggest challenge, but it also brings the biggest rewards! There’s really nothing better. I’m incredibly grateful to be a dad!
I love the cover art on “We’re Gonna Be Okay,” and it feels like that heart logo has really become part of the band’s visual identity. What are the origins of that image, and what made it feel like the right visual stamp for this chapter of your music?
I had never really thought about attaching a specific symbol to the band, even though a lot of my favorite bands have one. When I was working with SBÄM Records in Austria, I already knew I wanted to call the record “We’re Gonna Be Okay.” That was partly because it was a song I had written with Jarrett Reddick and recorded with Bowling for Soup, but it also captured where I was emotionally at the time. Even with everything behind it, it still felt very positive.
When SBÄM started sending over artwork ideas, they gave me a couple of options. I picked one that had this tic-tac-toe-style design with broken smiley faces in it. I really liked it, but when I showed it to friends like Jarrett, he said, “That’s cool, but it kind of reminds me of Blink-182,” because of how closely that smiley image is tied to them. So I mentioned that back to SBÄM, and they came back with the hearts instead.
That was the moment it really clicked for me. The tic-tac-toe board basically says “We’re Gonna Be Okay,” because even though the hearts are broken, they still win. At some point, someone suggested pulling one of those hearts out and using it on its own, and I picked the version I liked best and just ran with it. So I’d love to say I masterminded the whole thing, but honestly it was more of a happy accident, and that’s how it all started.
You’ve been writing and recording for a long time now, so I have to ask, what exactly is sitting in the Thomas Nicholas vault musically? Are there a lot of unfinished songs, demos, and ideas that fans would be surprised to know exist?
I actually kind of emptied the vault during that period we can stop talking about now, the pandemic. I started doing a lot online, especially through Patreon, where I did 60 weekly Sunday livestreams in a row. That became my way of staying creative and getting through that stretch. During that time, I released a lot of singles and really dug through the archive of unreleased songs, sharing a lot of that material with the patrons there.
There are probably still a couple of written ideas that never got recorded. Two came to mind as you were asking that question, songs I’ve never shared. The bigger mystery is that my cousin gave me a Tascam four-track recorder back in 1996, and that’s what I used to record the very first song I ever did. The recorder broke, and I still haven’t found the tape, but it exists somewhere in my pile of stuff. So that one is still out there. But for the most part, just about everything else from the vault has already been shared through Patreon. If someone really wanted to go deep, they could scroll back through a few years of posts and take that trip down memory lane.
Having navigated both the music business and Hollywood, what are some of the early lessons you learned that still stay with you and continue to shape the way you approach your career today?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned, and the advice I tend to give people, is to enjoy the journey. We all set goals for ourselves, especially in creative fields, but the reality is that once you hit one, you are usually already chasing the next. If you are only focused on the destination, you are probably never going to feel fully satisfied.
What I’ve learned is to enjoy the process of getting there. That kind of fulfillment is different from the feeling of achieving a goal, but it is what keeps me grounded and creatively fulfilled. Otherwise, you never really stop and appreciate where you are, because the second you get there, you are already onto the next thing.
For someone discovering your music, whether organically or through the Emo Night experience, you’ve got seven albums out and an eighth on the way. Which songs feel nearest and dearest to you, and what would you point them to first?
Like any artist, I’m always probably going to point people toward the newest material. Over the last couple of years, I’ve been touring a lot on songs from the seventh album, along with covers from the sixth, the “Frat Party” record, and both of those really tap into that same pop-punk nostalgia.
That is also kind of the root of the whole Emo Night vibe. You could call it a pop-punk night too. I know some people will debate that, but there is so much crossover between the two worlds and so many bands that live in both spaces. So for anyone just getting started, I’d say dive into the most recent album, because that is where you’ll find a lot of the songs that mean the most to me.
You’ve always got a few irons in the fire. Beyond the touring and finishing the new album, what else has you excited for the rest of the year?
Yeah, I mean, speaking of bucket-list moments, one of mine has always been opening for Switchfoot. I did some shows with Jon Foreman on the Rock Boat a couple of years ago, but now I’ve got, I believe, three shows coming up with Switchfoot, Lit, and Fuel at a few different casinos, which is really exciting.
Beyond that, I’m working on the eighth album, and I’ve also got a horror film shooting in June that I’m producing and starring in alongside Mark Pellegrino. We haven’t announced it yet, so I can’t share the title, but I’ve worked with Mark before on “Underdeveloped.” A lot of people know him from “Supernatural,” and he’s also going to be in the new “The Boys” prequel series on Amazon.
So yeah, there’s a lot happening. I’m excited to get that film going in June, which is why I’m trying to keep my tour schedule a little lighter around that time. I’ve already got some dates booked, but I’m trying not to add much more, because otherwise I’m going to have to yell at myself since I’m one of the bosses too! [laughs]
You’re no stranger to the horror genre, and it was really cool to see you pop up in Ice Nine Kills’ “A Work of Art” video! What is it about horror that continues to pull you back in creatively?
Yeah, they definitely live in that world. And while it was not exactly horror, it was definitely in the same realm, I also got stabbed in the eye by Oli Sykes in the video for “LosT” by Bring Me the Horizon! That actually came through the same casting director as the Ice Nine Kills video.
As far as being drawn to the horror genre, I think a lot of that really comes from my business partner, Brian A. Metcalf. He’s a writer, director, and producer, and we’ve been working together for years. He actually helped with visual effects on the first movie I made in my early 20s, and from there we just kept building. He’s always been very well versed in horror and has a real pull toward that world.We’ve done a few projects in that space over the years, including the horror thriller “The Lost Tree” and “Living Among Us,” a vampire mockumentary that ended up being John Heard’s final film. So honestly, if I’ve been drawn into horror, it’s probably all Brian’s fault! [laughs]
We’ve talked about scratching certain creative itches through music, but when it comes to life in front of or behind the camera, are there still any bucket-list items you’re hoping to check off?
Oh, absolutely. I mean, people are always asking about the rumored sequel to “American Pie,” whether you call it “American Pie 5” or “American Pie X,” depending on how you count the films outside the original cast! [laughs] Universal has been talking about it on and off since 2021, and I know that for a fact, not from the rumor mill, because my son is following in my footsteps not just as a musician, but as an actor too. He starred in M. Night Shyamalan’s “Old,” and when we were at that premiere, I ran into the president of Universal, who told me they were in negotiations. They did not come to terms that year, but the fact that they were negotiating at all told me there was real interest there. It is a billion-dollar franchise, so I definitely think there is still a possibility.
As for my own goals, one of the reasons people sometimes think I am only doing music now is because whenever I take on a character, especially in a film I am producing, I make a point to change my appearance, my physicality, the way I carry myself, everything. I want to become that role and, ideally, be unrecognizable. If you look at my last couple of films, I look very different in each one, so people may not even realize I am still acting. That has been my goal for a long time, to become a true character lead in the spirit of someone like Daniel Day-Lewis or Gary Oldman, to really disappear into the part.
It’s been a real pleasure to help spread the word and hear more about everything you’ve got going on. Whether it’s “Rookie of the Year,” “American Pie,” or everything beyond, your work on screen was a big part of my formative years, and your music has been the icing on the cake. Thanks for the glimpse behind the curtain, and most importantly, keep the good stuff coming!
Awesome, that’s incredible to hear. Thank you so much, Jason. I appreciate your time as well!
Don’t miss what could be the best night of your life as Thomas Nicholas brings “ROOKIE OF THE YEAR” Emo Night to the Avalon Theatre in Easton, Maryland, on April 11 for a night of nostalgia, music, and memories.
For a closer look at all things Thomas Nicholas, visit www.tinicholas.com to explore his body of work and stay up to date on what’s next.
Jason Price founded the mighty Icon Vs. Icon more than a decade ago. Along the way, he’s assembled an amazing group of like-minded individuals to spread the word on some of the most unique people and projects on the pop culture landscape.
