Go Ahead...Try
And Take It All In
Warped Has Become The Annual Event for Punk Rock
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>> MXPX's Mike
Herrera. >> |
With what seemed like far more than the billed 75 bands performing on more than 8 different stages, there were no complaints of boredom at the 2002 edition of the Vans Warped Tour. The best way to see the majority of the bands was to not stay in one place for longer than a few minutes. With small stages scattered throughout the Los Angeles stop at the LA Sports Arena, it wasn't possible to take all the music in, and occasionally bands would end up playing side by side at the same time, making it impossible to enjoy either band.
There was no mistake on the whereabouts of the two main stages, however, which alternated bands to perfection - as one band played, the other stage was prepped for the next artists. This did make it interesting to watch the human tide that moved from stage to stage to see each band. With no waiting time between bands for set up or take down, the crowd was treated to pure music packed with energy and enthusiasm from each artist.
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>>The Bosstones
were having |
Another bonus that had the crowd oohing and ahhing was the motorcycle jump that was set behind the two stages, with the apex of the jumps coming right in between the two main stages. With each motorcyclist trying to top the other in terms of difficulty, these aerial artists provided lots of excitement to a crowd that, surprisingly, didn't wilt on an intensely hot day.
Of special note was The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, who took the stage with full suits on in the 90-degree heat. These guys continue to rock with energy fueled by the support of their huge fan base. The crowd was jumping and moshing to all of their favorites, including a couple of songs from their newest release, A Jackknife To A Swan." Dickey Barrett, with his signature raspy vocals, kept the crowd going and provided full evidence as to why the Bosstones are a perennial Warped favorite.
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| >>Flogging Molly
rocked!>> >>Click here for more Flogging Molly Photos>> |
After the Bosstones powerful set, the question was, "Who needs a drink?" The answer came from a quick move by the crowd to the right stage for a knock-out set by LA's own punkers, Flogging Molly, replete with Guiness in tow. With seven members and a variety of instruments, including accordion, mandolin and fiddle, Flogging Molly provided solid backup to keep the crowd moving and enthusiastic. Their thirty-minute set, which featured tracks from their latest, Drunken Lullabies, may have been the most unique of the day and seemed to be the first exposure of many Warped-goers to FM's brand of punk rock.
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>>NFG's Jordan
Pundik had the crowd pumped.>> |
Right about 6:00 PM, New Found Glory [read the VOX exclusive interview with NFG!] finally hit the stage. The Florida-based quintet had the female members in attendance pushing their way to the front and keeping the security detail busy. With their second full-length, Sticks and Stones, now in stores and climbing the charts, NFG have attained that special star quality that is rare in the punk scene. They were rewarded by what seemed like the most enthusiastic crowd response of the day, rivaled only by the reaction that veteran punkers MXPX received, which was also predominantly provided by the female contingent.
The Warped Tour was once again successful in providing a safe and mostly organized venue to see some of today's top punk performers, all for a very reasonable amount of money.
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| >> Alkaline Trio's
Matt Skiba rocking in the heat.>> >>Click for more Alkaline Trio photos.>> |
It did seem like every possible punk band and record label, regardless of size, had a booth at the show, which is really what Warped is all about - bring in the people and get the music some much-needed exposure that radio doesn't provide. The booths had plenty of CDs and other products available for purchase, and many had autograph sessions, which offered fans a chance to meet the bands. This up-close, personal vibe is one of the best aspects of the Warped Tour, and maintains something that is part of punk's roots, which is the idea that punk is for the fans and not about stardom.
If you happened to miss this year's installment of Warped, rest assured that coordinators will do their best to top themselves next year…if that's possible. With so much going on, it's hard to imagine it could have been arranged any better.
