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Warped Tour @ PNC Bank Arts Center 7/7/13
(click on photos to see full size)
I have realized that going to the Warped Tour is like going to a family reunion. You go out of a feeling of responsibility that you have to be there, even though you may not have as much fun there as you did when you were younger. Like a family reunion, there are the people (bands) you are excited and happy to see because you know you get along well with them (like their music), and ones you don’t want to see because being around them for too long is your own personal hell. If you’re lucky you will see a relative (new band) that you have never met before, or see in a new light, that will make the experience even better, I think I have gone about as far as I can with that analogy… Now in its 19th year, the Warped Tour is an event that still gives you the opportunity to sample somewhere around 100 bands in the span of 10 hours.
As would be expected, the tour continues to change to remain popular with the teen/early twenty-something audience that make up the bulk of their ticket sales (in fact this year parents could get a free ticket with the purchase of a ticket for their child). Unfortunately for someone like me who is now 40 years old, this means I like far less of the bands performing than I did 19 years ago.
That said, I still did find some highlights. Most surprisingly was how much hip-hop/rap I enjoyed. Hanging Out at the Let’s Rage stage I got to see some incredible Freestyle sets, as well as various rap performers.
One such performer that was part of the freestyle set, Itch, then played a set of his own on one of the bigger stages. I figured I’m here, let’s check it out. Even though Itch himself was confined to a wheelchair as a result of a broken leg, he and his band exuded more energy than most of the bands I saw this year. Catchy as hell, and great rhythmic flow, Itch was this year’s unexpected find. He has a free sampler download up on his website. I highly recommend checking it out.
I also finally got to see nerdcore impresario MC Lars. I have been a fan of his music for years, but thanks to bad set times, I have missed seeing him on several previous Warped Tours. Even though Lars had only a drummer and pre-recorded backing tracks, his energy and fun lyrical rhymes briefly made me forget how hot it was, and by the time he was playing I had been out in the heat almost 6 hours so it was no easy feat to forget the heat.
Last year, Bangups was one of those unexpected find bands, and I was happy to see them back this year. A guitar and drums duo that rocks out blues garage style. This band deserves so much bigger of a crowd than they had. For my money they were the best example of a ROCK band at Warped Tour this year! I hope they come back through NJ soon on their own tour where I can see more than a 25 minute set.
Another good example of rock this year was Strawberry Blondes. A British band that wore that wore their Clash and Rancid influences on their sleeve (or more literally the Rancid patch was on one member’s pants). They definitely gave it their all, and put on a solid set that I enjoyed more than most bands this year, but there was still something lacking that kept me from getting as enthusiastic about them as I wanted to. Maybe it was how closely their tunes were modeled to their influences, or maybe it was just the heat. Either way, I would definitely like to see them again in a more temperate climate.
Speaking of the heat, it was so hot that my sneaker soles actually melted in some spots, something I did not notice until the next day. While Warped tries hard to have misting tents, and a free water refill station, both were packed most of the day, with the line to refill water wrapping around causing what I was told was at least a 20 minute line (I gave up and bought $3 bottled water).
Warped also has a “reverse daycare” tent, where adults can go and sit in air conditioning. This has been a mainstay of the tour for years, and as I have been getting older and less adept at being able to stand in the heat all day, I have happily sat done in there for a few minutes here a few minutes there to ensure that I don’t pass out. No such luck this year, as the tent was filled to capacity all day and many adults were stuck waiting outside for space to open as if they were trying to get into an exclusive club. Hopefully next year Warped Tour will have larger tents for water and reverse daycare.
Another thing Warped Tour should fix for next year, is not put the acoustic tent so close to a bigger, louder stage. I tried to watch several of the acoustic acts, but their music was drowned out from the louder sounds coming from the nearby stage. Sadly this meant missing acts like Allison Weiss, and Austin Lucas, both of whom I was looking forward to seeing.
The excessive heat also caused me to leave after MC Lars set, thereby missing Reel Big Fish, Big D And The Kids Table, and The Swellers, all of whom I was looking forward. At a certain point though you have to choose between the enjoyment the bands would be versus the distinct possibility you could pass out from the heat. I probably would have thought differently back when I first started going to Warped 19 years ago, but as the Warped Tour has changed, so have I.
- Lazlo www.vanswarpedtour.com www.itchsmixes.com/warped www.mclars.com http://www.blondespunx.com |
