Like baseball, mom’s apple pie and wars with countries we initially can’t locate on a map, the Vans Warped Tour, who is back in 2008 for it’s fifteenth year, has become an American institution. While package tours come and go, the Warped Tour has found a niche and has become more and more successful, continuously finding new fans even as original concert goers now worry more about kids and mortgages than punk rock ideals.
While Warped Tour has always featured big acts like Blink 182, No Doubt, Pennywise, Bad Religion and NOFX, it’s multiple stage setup have also given smaller bands a chance to criss-cross the country and play to crowds bigger then what they might find on their own club dates. “My most memorable experience on Warped Tour has to be the day we played Denver,” stated Beat Union’s Luke Johnson. “Right before we went on almost 600 kids turned out to watch us play. It was crazy, we had only played Denver twice.”
This years’ Warped Tour began in June with a show at the Pomona Fairgrounds, and after playing just about every big, medium sized and small market in the U.S. and Canada, the tour will end roughly forty miles away with a show this Sunday at the Home Depot Center parking lot. This years tour finale features such big names as Rise Against, Against Me!, Angels and Airwaves, Katy Perry and Gym Class Heroes, as well as other (awesome) bands like Anberlin, The Briggs, MC Chris, Say Anything and dozens more. As usual, the show will feature live music on up to a dozen stages, lots of products for demo and sale, band merch, free sway, skateboard demos, the obsequious energy drink free samples, and, of course, overpriced food and drinks.
With tickets around $30 (still available through Ticketmaster), Warped Tour remains one of the best values in the concert stratosphere. While many of those attending have done so previously, there may be a few Warped Tour virgins (or forgetful repeat customers) who may need some pointers. Remember to bring the following:
- Oodles of sunblock.
- A Hat.
- A little more spending cash than you think you might need.
- A Pen to write down set times.
- Your younger brother/ sister so that you don’t seem so creepy hanging around the Gym Class Heroes stage.
Also, remeber to drink lots of water and if someone falls down pick them up.
And while I’m listing things, make sure that you try and check out the following bands:
- Against Me!
- All Time Low
- Anberlin
- Charlotte Sometimes
- Cobra Starship
- Horrorpops
- Ludo
- Mayday Parade
- MC Chris
- Mike Watt + The Missingmen
- Motion City Soundtrack
- ORESKABAND
- Rise Against
- Say Anything
- Set Your Goals
- The Briggs
- The Human Abstract
- The Vandals
Too bad the Jonas Brothers aren’t going to show. As I’m sure a lot of these bands will be on opposite each other, I will try to give you a decent review of the bands I saw next week.
All right so in review: go to the show, wear sunblock, bring money, check out MC Chris, drink water and have fun.
Hopefully I’ll see you there. I’ll be the one with the note pad looking out of place…
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