The good folks over at the Vans Warped Tour were nice enough to let us cover the Camden, NJ show this year on July 17th. After a semi-brutal biking endeavor over the Delaware river getting us from Philadelphia to Camden, we got our tickets, checked in with the press coordinator and hit the ground running. Unfortunately we hit the ground running a little too slowly and we made it over to the main stage just in time to miss Andrew WK. After that we looked at the schedule for the rest of the day and formulated our battle plan to make sure we didn’t miss any other key players we were there to see.
  
The first set we grabbed was Reel Big Fish who have been around a long time and are still going strong. I remember seeing them in 1997 with Rancid if that helps date them at all. Chock full of horns, skanking, and “pick it up”, these ska rockers set a good tone for the rest of the afternoon.
After Reel Big Fish, we did a full lap around the festival, making note of where every stage was, checking out the kids ripping on the half pipe and deciding not to spend $11 on a beer. Following a quick Steve Van Doren sighting we headed back to the main stage for two brutal sets from Everytime I Die and The Dillinger Escape Plan.
  
Everytime I Die, from Buffalo New York, is rock and roll with all the brutality and drive of a hardcore band that might make you want to rip off the face of everyone around you. Think about Motorhead with riffing that falls somewhere between Wolfmother and The Sword. They got a huge crowd reaction and definitely brought the intensity of the show to the next level. Everytime I Die was a hard act to follow, but The Dillinger Escape Plan had no problems living up to the challenge.
  
If you were there and saw The Dillinger Escape Plan it is impossible that they were not one of your favorite acts of the day. They hit the stage with a fury that we had not seen all day, and did not see from any other acts after them. So many tempo changes and so many styles go into their music that it becomes like having the best seizure of your life. They are hard to keep up with not only musically, but on the stage as well. Everyone was all over the place, if there was not a guitarist jumping off a cabinet, then the singer was scaling the 8 foot wall of PA speakers. The Dillinger Escape Plan are a Vans Warped Tour highlight, not to be missed!
  
A good many hours into our day at this point, covered in sweat and seeking shelter from the unrelenting sun, we headed into the Susquehanna Pavilion where snacks and liquid were the goal. After a pretzel and a bottle of water, where I had to argue with the lady to keep my lid (really?!?!), we headed off to see veterans of the game, Face To Face.
Seeing Face To Face was awesome, not only are they a band that I have been a fan of since high school and always managed to miss, but after thanking “all the parents” for watching their set, they helped us realize that were not the oldest people there. Face To Face have been at it for 19 years with no signs of slowing down. They are recording their first new record in 7 years, and after hearing some of the new material they played, I’m excited to see how it turns out. Just a full on fun in the sun punk rock show!
  
Vans Warped Tour veterans, The Bouncing Souls without a doubt stole the show. The crowd gathered, crowd surfed, and sang along while these New Jersey boys ripped up the stage on their home turf. Within seconds of starting the first song, singer Greg Attonito was off the stage standing up on the barricade getting mobbed by kids who were all screaming along into the microphone as he borrowed their head gear, making sure of course to return it as he headed back to the stage. The Bouncing Souls were the definition of fun that afternoon, involving not only the crowd, but tons of their friends who were on stage with them smiling and laughing, even occasionally being dragged to the mic for a sing along. After 20 years in the game, these guys are still as punk rock as it comes showing the youth that it’s not all about how “cool” you are, sometimes it’s just about being with your friends and appreciating the good times. You could tell The Bouncing Souls are still having the time of their lives.
  
The last set we caught after a long tiring day of fun in the blazing hot sun was Riverboat Gamblers. We were pleasantly surprised after seeing them that they did, indeed, live up to the hype we had heard. Even though they were on the smaller Ernie Ball Stage, they put on an amazing show with tons of energy and heart. The crowds reaction was definitely positive and I think I may have seen more movement here than I did at the main stage all day. They also get the award for the best shirt of the day, a white tee with black ink stating, “Mel Gibson is an Asshole.” There is no doubt that they are a band to look out for on the main stage in the coming years.
As the Vans Warped Tour has grown and become more well known, and popular with the masses it would be easy to write it off as a former underground punk/skating tour gone commercial. As we walked around throughout the day and made our way from stage to stage pounding the nearly melting asphalt and concrete we realized that this is far from the truth. Droves of kids everywhere, the misunderstood and malcontent youth of today, so happy to battle the heat and sweat all day long seeing the bands they love with the friends they love. No one worrying about what label is put on them, who is giving them weird looks because they appear different, and no feeling of alienation. As we get older it is easy to think that our “generation” or friends were the last true wave of whatever scene we were involved in. I grew up going to punk rock shows and skateboarding and it is still very much a part of my life, but it was great to see that there is a new generation of kids out there, just like we were who have a place to go and are able to be a part of something with people just like them. These are the kids who might not invited to the party on Friday night where all the “cool” kids will be, Vans Warped Tour is their party.
|
