Take the smell of BBQ, the sound of screaming guitars, mohawk hairdos and Mexican wrestling, (yes I said Mexican wrestling) and what do you get? You have the thirteenth installment of the punk rock summer camp that is, The Warped Tour! Thirteen years ago Kevin Lyman put together a tour that combined punk rock bands, extreme sports and attitude. His musical brainchild has outlasted many summer package tours and it has been a mainstay with fans and musicians alike. Over the years the idea of what “punk rock” is, has changed. Just like blues and jazz festivals the Warped Tour has indeed stretched the idea of what punk can be. Some purists have criticized the tour for being too commercial. Although the focus of “strictly punk” may have changed, much of the punk rock ethos of the tour remains. Each band never knows what time they are on due to the rotating time slots. Although there are veteran acts on the bill there is never a clear headliner and ALL bands are relegated to no more than thirty minutes on stage. On the second tour stop in Ventura the many offshoots of punk were on display including emo (Cute Is What We Aim For, Anberlin), art metal/hardcore metal (Coheed and Cambria, Killswitch Engaged), rap (K-OS) and veteran punk rock (Pennywise, The Circle Jerks, and Bad Religion). As an added bonus, extreme sports such as skateboarding round out the day and this summer the masked Mexican wrestlers of Lucha Libre USA will make their American début on the tour this summer.
Earlier in the day it seemed as if the new school sound of emo would rule the festival as young bands such as Cute Is What We Aim For and Anberlin provided much of the excitement under the sun. Anberlin tempered their exuberance with thoughtful lyrics which means there may be some depth under the emo banner. By mid-day Coheed and Cambria hit the stage and quickly set things off with a mix of music that was devastatingly more metal than punk, thus adding a bit more intensity to the festival. They were offset by the fast paced, pop punk sound of Yellowcard who performed on the stage next to them. While these two bands vied for the hearts and minds of the alt-rock nation Canadian rapper K-OS brought his bag of hip-hop tricks to the party on yet another stage.
Diversity seems to be key on the Warped Tour but make no mistake; the elder statesmen of the tour still command a presence and much respect amongst new and old fans. Keith Morris led The Circle Jerks through a blistering thirty minute set. Bad Religion had fans in a manic frenzy as the band blasted though many of their well known, politically charged hits to the delight of the tattooed and pierced populace. As Pennywise took the stage, it was clear to see the relationship between old school and new school at the Warped Tour. While newer bands bask in getting on the bill and bring a whole new look and style to the punk rock world, veteran acts keep the spirit and ethos of the tour alive and still manage to keep up with their younger brethren. Don’t miss out on the loudest and wildest summer camp when it hits your town!
