By Katie McGregor
Staff Writer
Fans of rock, punk, and pop punk will get a chance to see some of their favorite bands live this summer at the Vans Warped Tour. Because the lineup of bands changes daily and there are three dates in and around Southern California, fans will be able to enjoy a wide variety of bands no matter which day they choose to attend.
When Warped Tour began, mainly punk bands performed. Today, however, almost every genre of music is present on the nationwide tour. Attendees are guaranteed to have a good time, and the bands’ crazy antics are sure to entertain audiences.
The tour covers a huge variety of musical genres. Bands ranging from the Irish punk of Dropkick Murphys to the ukelele-infused lite pop NeverShoutNever! and the All-American Rejects will perform on the 2010 leg of the tour. Around 60 bands play each day, and the lineup is always changing.
The tour also gives attendees a chance to discover new artists or to get to know more about a band. Doors open around 11 a.m. and the last band of the day usually performs around 9 p.m., which gives fans a chance to watch unfamiliar artists perform, buy merchandise, meet a few bands and look into the many non-profit organizations on the tour in between the sets of their favorite musicians. Fans can even watch extra acoustic shows by select artists in between some of the main acts.
Each day of the tour is different due to the constantly shifting lineup and venue. Some venues even allow slip ‘n’ slides to be set up in the hot weather.
Bands that play one of the two main stages often attract huge, raucous, wild crowds. The smaller stages usually produce smaller crowds that can also be extremely rowdy.
This summer will mark the 16th year of Warped Tour. It was created in 1994 by Kevin Lyman, who still runs the event today. Warped Tour started out with only a few small bands playing in parking lots and fields. It expanded each year, eventually adding up to 10 stages at one point so multiple bands could play at a time (only six stages are used now).
Each year the lineup of bands expands to include artists who usually aren’t on the tour, such as Katy Perry and Shwayze. Skateboarding and BMX competitions are also a major part of the tour, attracting extreme sports fans in addition to the typical Warped Tour crowd of music enthusiasts.
Warped Tour is great fun for everyone—from first-time attendees to music fans who have been going for years. Many people attend multiple shows just to see bands who didn’t play earlier dates or just because they love going to the tour.
The three dates in the Los Angeles Area include June 25 at the Home Depot Center, June 27 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, and August 11 at the Pomona Fairplex.
Tickets are still available for all three of the dates. To see the list of bands and when they will be playing go to www.vanswarpedtour.com.
Tickets for Warped Tour can be purchased online or at the venue on the day of the show. There is also a Warped Tour 2010 compilation CD available for those who want a sample of some of the bands playing the tour. The CD is available online, in stores and at the tour.
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