Ever wonder what it's like to go to one of those totally cool summer music shows like Bamboozle Festival, Mayhem Festival or Vans Warped Tour? A lot of people say they want to go to these kind of events, but don't because they don't know what to expect. If you are one of those people, fear no more -- I'm here to give you the low down on what it's like to be at Warped Tour for one day!
"Dirty, sweaty, and fun" were the only three words that could come into Jack Barakat's head (he's the guitarist for All Time Low) when I asked him what three words summed up his Warped Tour experience so far. And quite frankly, that is nothing but the truth! Honestly, what's better than seeing loads of your favorite bands, getting to meet them, and making new friends who like the same music that you do? You can do this all at Vans Warped Tour! All you will need for your jam-packed fun day is empty water bottles, money, a drawstring bag and your cell phone, and you're set!
The fun starts at around 11 a.m. when they start admitting people into the venue. With the positive energy around you, you can't even stand still while waiting in line. As soon as you get inside, you want to find the huge inflatible sign that says which stage and what time each band is playing to figure out where you and your friends want to go. Additionally, you want to check out the merch tents of your favorite bands to see if they're doing a signing. Even though you can't usually get pictures with the bands, you can still get a poster signed, shake their hand and sometimes even sneak in a quick hug, too! And don't forget to write down the times -- you'll want to kick yourself in the butt if you accidentally miss the chance to meet your favorite bands!
Now, time to explain the individual concert experience: Each set from each band ranges from 30 minutes to 45 minutes among about six or seven stages spreaded across the venue. Some of the stages are larger than others for some simple reasons: One certain stage may have a few of the more well-known bands so it will have a bigger area for the fans to enjoy the show, while on some stages, it seems that they try to group together bands playing the same genre of music.
What? Did you just ask who plays at Warped Tour? Well, an easier question to answer may be who doesn't play at Vans Warped Tour! Through all of the Warped years, the artists who join on the tour change significantly. Some bigger names who may ring a bell for you that have been part of the tour are Gym Class Heroes, Mike Posner, Paramore, and Katy Perry (Yes, I just said Katy Perry)! There's a little bit of music for everyone! And believe it or not, you can get yourself into new kinds of music you would have never expected to dig.
So, what are you thinking? Are you sold yet? Well, don't worry, you have a good while yet to think about it. Next year, they start announcing seven bands per week every week for the upcoming summer. In April they start selling tickets and certain V.I.P packages. For a mere $45, why wouldn't you want to go to an amazing summer experience like Vans Warped Tour?!