This is a page header.

The skies were delightfully overcast and the temperature a pleasant 75 degrees or so. After a tough night and a really long ride, we finally arrive in what seems to be the middle of nowhere. With a breath of fresh air, we were finally able to soak in our surroundings. This being my first Vans Warped Tour experience I was equally as surprised as I was excited, when I rounded the corner through the gates and saw the schedule board and exactly how this festival was set up. Completely bummed about missing the As I Lay Dying set, we wandered between the six stages pausing only briefly to take in an incredibly energetic set from Poison the Well. We were interrupted by time though as we hurried through the light rain overhead, and various merchandise booths, to the Ernie Ball stage to catch legendary hardcore quintet Throwdown. Throwdown delivered 30 minutes of some of the most brutal hardcore I’ve seen since Pro-Pain so many years ago. Blood pumping vigorously through my veins now, we wander back towards the main stages to see what’s going on over there. We stop along the midway to catch some luchador professional wrestling and take in an intensely angry set from Revalation Mother featuring Mike Vallejo, who proudly voiced his disgust at the “Emo” crowd. We then catch a wave of Mohawks and denim to a small stage towards the back of the field. A sense of something great about to happen filled the air and I was caught completely off guard as Boston ‘s The Unseen took the stage. This band simply ruled. They ruled the crowd, they ruled us, and they ruled everything around them. Slaying with a great set including “False Hope”, and their cover of the Rolling Stones “Paint It Black”, will stick in my mind forever. After the Unseen set, another bathroom trip was in order. In just two and a half hours the condition of the porta-johns had taken a serious turn for the worst to say the least. Relieved yet nauseous, we decide to start stalking our position for the Lucky 13 stage where the legends themselves Bad Religion would taking the stage in about an hour. Never having seen Greg Graffin and crew, I could hardly stand the anticipation of finally seeing one of the bands that has meant so much to me on a personal level. At this time Hawthorne Heights played. They like circle pits……and….uh….cotton candy??? Apparently together???……..Anyway. Once that was over some of the crowd shifted to the neighboring Vans Stage where Claudio Sanchez and Coheed and Cambria entered the stage. We seized the opportunity to snag spots roughly just two rows from the barricade and waited eagerly for Bad Religion. Coheed finished, Bad Religion started, “American Jesus” rang through the air; the crowd surged, and I was tossed, I was turned, I was kicked in the head repeatedly, I lost trace of my friends and was left to face my goals alone. Bad Religion dominated their moment on stage, tearing through everything that I wanted to hear and ending with their hit “Infected”. With no time to waste, I ran to the neighboring Vans Stage to catch the whole point of this journey; Killswitch Engage! They unleashed upon the unsuspecting crowd one of the most brutal, tight, and flawless sets that this music fan has ever witnessed. Guitarist Adam D. threatened to kill all “Emo” kids with his newly enhanced “razor digits”, tore through a select set of their most notable hits, and closing with “The End of Heartache”. It seemed they were barely on stage before they were already done, but that’s just because you can’t fit enough Killswitch Engage in to just a half an hour to satisfy the need. Re-united with my crew we were all too exhausted to catch the infamous Pennywise. So we limped towards the exit. All in all, I’d have to say that my first Warped Tour was well worth the wait.

Written by: Jason Mack and Kym Krash

To leave a comment, you must log in...