It may sound a bit hammy, but there was one moment of the 2012 Warped Tour that resonated within me quite a bit. Halfway through a rousing set mixing classic and contemporary hits, Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory approached the mic to address the thousands of misfits fawning over the iconic pop-punk band. “Warped Tour isn’t just a concert, this isn’t just about the music- Warped Tour is a culture, a lifestyle. This is a place to escape your job, your school, and the people who don’t understand you and be amongst new friends who share your interests. Warped is a place for the outsiders to escape to and be themselves without the judgment of others.” I’m paraphrasing a bit, but the message was beautiful in the truth that defined it. Warped has continued to be an expression of my youth, a cataclysmic event that represents a celebration of the pop-punk subculture I have continued to identify with for so long.
Being my 6th time attending the Warped tour, I still leave the dusty, littered parking lot with inspiration and unadulterated joy to balance the bruises and blood spilled throughout the day. Despite the changing “scene”, Warped continues to strongly represent the pop-punk crowd, 2012 being a particularly strong year. Last year I boldly declared my “final year attending the Warped Tour”, considering myself growing out of the scene…until the 2012 lineup was revealed. A happy marriage between pop-punk legends who continue to put out solid material and the upcoming generation of rebellious, rousing songwriters, Warped 2012 was awesome.
Before I dive into the day, I should note the biggest artists I regrettably missed. Yellowcard, my most anticipated set of the day, opened up the festival. Our sassy, trickster of a GPS decided to toy with our heartstrings, making the 1.5 hour journey take roughly 4 hours, so we missed their set, along with We Are The In Crowd and I Call Fives. It should be noted that reception to all three has been quite good. Conflicts caused us to miss Bayside and Every Time I Die; hearsay tells me that Bayside were afflicted with poor sound technicians but were competent per usual.
I started my day with ska supergroup Streetlight Manifesto, playing to the most eclectic crowd of the day. Families with 6-year-olds skanking were heart-warming, providing the unspoken comfort that the scene won’t die with the resurgence of boy bands and EDM music. We went to the other mainstage to catch Four Year Strong, despite the tepid most recent release In Some Way, Shape, or Form. FYS were energetic, but the guitar feedback was blaring, overwhelming most of the sound. I stand by my firm belief that the band is made worse with the loss of Josh Lyford, the keyboardist with enough crowd-pumping energy for the entire group. Nonetheless, the set was solid, but cut short by an audience injury. We had a gap so we caught a bit of Anthony Raneri’s acoustic set, hammering through covers and stripped-down Bayside cuts. Raneri continues to be an endearing frontman, a relentless passion for his discography that other similar artists don’t seem to maintain. We caught about 10 minutes of We The Kings, the one-album wonders who still drew a surprisingly large crowd. The set was mediocre, begging the question, “Why the hell is this band still around?” The power-pop boy band phase may have faded a bit, but We the Kings still demonstrate an effort to keep it alive.
Next were Fireworks, the definitive scene-stealers for Warped 2012. Opening with “Arrows”, lead singer David Mackinder drew on the audience enthusiasm for the absolutely killer 2011 album, Gospel. A healthy mix of crowd participation, competent performance skills, and a sincere punk-rock attitude set Fireworks as the gold standard for the budding pop-punk generation. Akin to frequent tour-mates The Wonder Years, Fireworks will likely blow up rapidly upon the next album’s release- now is a better time than ever to pay attention. When audience members splintered their lungs for the calm of “X’s On Trees”, I had the unshakable feeling that there was nowhere else in the world I would rather be than in front of that stage. We busted our asses to get to veterans New Found Glory, the rightful occupants of the throne for the evening (that’s right; step aside, All Time Low and Taking Back Sunday). NFG are always one of the best sets of wherever they perform, aptly mixing hits spanning across their discography. Energizing crowds seems second-nature to the group, who amazingly continue to demonstrate an aching love for what they do.
Following New Found Glory was the largest crowd of the day, All Time Low. Drawing between 5,000-7,500 attendees (based on my speculation), ATL should take a few notes from New Found Glory, rather than their spiritual deities in Blink-182. Awful setlist choices and poorly executed dick jokes aside, Alex’s voice is absolutely phenomenal live- ATL continue to be a damn good time. It’s a shame the crowds for their concerts are so deplorable. The early teenage flocks of girls and closeted gays that shriek with each word the band speaks would probably willingly bite off each one of my fingers for a chance at a boob graze from Jack. New single “The Reckless and the Brave”, despite nauseating lack of lyrical creativity, promises a return to form after major label debut Dirty Work. Hostage Calm may have played to the smallest crowd I saw of the day, but that didn’t stop them from putting on a fucking explosive setlist. The band’s apparent passion for marriage equality provides inspiration to the lack of gay visibility within the Warped community. The new album sounded so phenomenal live that I was immediately swayed to purchase myself a copy, a strong testament to the capabilities of the band. Hostage Calm was also the most community-driven band of the day, the audience members sharing a bond of celebration that the performance was an achievement not only for the band, but for the brotherhood developed around the music.
We ended the day taking in some of Man Overboard, reminiscent of my legion hall days; an able but forgettable and unprofessional performance. Finally, tour closers Taking Back Sunday took the stage. Adam Lazzara looked off his ass, his Dave Grohl grizzle and faux-southern swagger getting more pronounced and embarrassing with each performance. After realizing that the band was putting on a lousy, forced set (outside of John Nolan, whom I wish would return to Straylight Run) we booked it out of there.
All in all, my first trip to the Warped Tour of my 20’s was yet another good one. As the hangover settled in and the shin splints realized their potential on the ride home, I couldn’t help but say a quick prayer that the scene never dies, but continues to reinvigorate itself with the older generation staying strong and younger bands bring the wild, uncontrollable passion of youth with them.
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