Warped Tour Review - June 2008

Warped Tour entertains with a variety of music
Criticism doesn't stop people from attending
Matthew Winters
In the past few years, the Vans Warped Tour has come under fire for many reasons. Older, more veteran acts have been frustrated with the newer up-and-coming artists that come with a built-in rock star attitude. Other artists are angry about Warped "ruining" the small club social feel that many of the beginning punk acts honed their skills in. Even other acts have been accused of causing problems because their view of the world is different than some of the other bands and they are persecuted for it.
All of these criticisms are valid, and are something artists should be concerned about. The problem is these criticisms fall flat in front of the diverse nature of the music and the energy the kids bring to the show. This year I was treated to one of the most diverse group of musicians that I could have hoped for.
There was something for everyone this year, a vigorous plethora of music including Punk, Hip Hop, Pop, Emo and Metal. Metal was well represented this year with two of the giants of the genre, Norma Jean and Every Time I Die, playing enormous sets. Norma Jean's set was early in the day but that did not stop the band from destroying the crowd with songs from all three of their past albums including crowd favorite "A Small Spark Vs. A Great Forest." Every Time I Die's set was later in the day but their edge was not dulled by time. The reigning kings of irony-core graced the crowd with some of their greatest songs, including a crowd-destroying version of "Ebolorama."
In between these two amazing sets, the crowd and I were treated to a set by Gainesville, Florida's Against Me! Their set felt more slowed down and even. Throughout their set, the band played the energy of the crowd as well as they played their instruments. In their half-hour set they played some of their best songs from all of their albums. Starting off with a slowed version of "New Wave" and then playing older favorites "Sink. Florida. Sink.," "Don't Lose Touch," and "Reinventing Axl Rose," the band ended their set with a rousing version of "Thrash Unreal" that gave me chills.
All together I caught about 10 other sets throughout the day. Highlights included Charlotte Sometimes' pop songs on one of the smaller stages, Set Your Goals wonderful punk set that included crowd favorite "Mutiny!!!," and Story Of The Year's emo-rock show that the band were into themselves a little more than the crowd or the music. All the sets I saw were good with not a bad one among them, but in the end one set rose above the others and will go down as my favorite from this year's Warped Tour.Late in the evening, on one of the main stages, LA punk band The Bronx ripped apart the crowd. They were playing opposite Angels & Airwaves so the crowd was full of fans only and the band knew it. They furiously played through their best songs with a passion and violence that is rarely seen at any concert. The band's performance was a perfect, musically flawless listen, but vocalist Matt Caughthran's vocal performance was what set it all off. His voice soared above the music but did not overpower the band's performance. The Bronx ran like a juggernaut through crowd favorite's "Future" and "Heart Attack American." On their last song, "History's Stranglers," a shirtless Matt Caughthran joined the crowd and danced - all while he maintained his flawless vocal performance.
Even with the criticism the Warped Tour has endured, the tour still exposes more kids to music that they otherwise wouldn't hear and gets artists like the Bronx, Every Time I Die, and Against Me! more listeners through the honesty of their music and the intense power of their performances.
Originally Printed in The WSU Signpost 7/8/08