Warped Tour...the greatest day of the year for a great number of people. This year's line-up is stellar, and if you were wondering who to see, this is your lucky day because I am always here providing my (probably) largely-unwanted professional opinion. Logistically, the tour was run very well and smoothly as usual, and parents shouldn't worry about sending their kids out to play with the Warped masses.
The highlight of my day was The Early November. Not only did they have a great set, Ace Enders' stint in the Acoustic Basement was a day-maker. I think a lot of people are missing out when they choose not to wander over to see The Early November; this band is a classic, and there is so much to be learned from their songwriting and performance. I'm always impressed by how Ace can literally "ace" every note (hehe), and how well the rest of the band executes the technical aspects of performance, along with the energy of the band as a whole.
The Wonder Years were great as usual, and I felt that their set incorporated old tunes and new perfectly. Always enjoyable!
While The Early November made my day, initially I was most excited to see my new favorite, The Story So Far. I was overjoyed at the number of people who swarmed to the Tilly's stage for their set, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I must admit that they are not technically great live, but they are a young band with a lot of talent, and I have high hopes for them. They obviously put a lot of heart into their performance, with Parker Cannon leaving the stage before the end of the set and vomiting off-stage. It was an anticlimactic end to a performance that was overall enjoyable.
The surprise of the day for me was Reel Big Fish. I won't lie--I was inordinately excited to see this band, probably because I'm getting old but maybe because I had a feeling they would be awesome. Their set was easily the most fun I had all day; this band is so quirky and cool, and they are comfortable making fun of themselves. I would recommend not missing this set at all costs.
Motion City Soundtrack was, of course, a lot of fun to see, and I've always thought Justin Pierre connects very well with his crowd. They do a great job live, and if you like them I'd say this is another not-to-miss show. I also witnessed The Summer Set, another fun band with catchy, dance-inspiring tunes. Hawthorne Heights was a throwback, and played older music to a great extent, which seemed to be crowd pleasing. I ran over to The Swellers for a bit as well, and the only thing disappointing about their set was that they were on the smallest stage and didn't draw a large crowd. I think The Swellers are a lot better and have more potential than people give them credit for; if you don't believe me, pull up their song "Runaways" on Spotify. The Swellers – Runaways
I also witnessed Chiodos' set, along with Craig Owens' Acoustic Basement performance. While I attempt to listen to Chiodos like any good new-school-punk loving soul, they have never been among my favorites, so you can trust that my opinion is not skewed when I say that they were very good. Craig Owens' voice is better than most, even live, and the whole crowd, including me, seemed to really enjoy their chosen set. They were a good choice for the tour this year because I think they pulled a big crowd, and roped in a few older people who may not have otherwise went.
Sleeping with Sirens overlapped The Early November and The Story So Far, but I truly didn't mind missing them--as much as I love their first two full-length releases, Feel leaves a lot to be desired, and thus I likely would have boycotted them anyway.
So, this is where I'll stop with my specific band reviews. Soupy Campbell had a little rant during The Wonder Years' set, stating how he is never going to put any bands down, but made it very clear who he thought we should be listening to. And not surprisingly, he was right on the money as far as I'm concerned. Regardless of the type of music a person enjoys, there is a great disparity between truly talented and well-intentioned bands, and other bands that seem to have no desires except shocking people as much as possible, often encouraging young impressionable kids to follow a lead that will likely take them astray.
Be yourselves and be punks if you want, kids, but remember the difference between right and wrong, and support the bands who also know the difference and take pride in making truly good and meaningful music. Go forth with this unsolicited advice, pack up some Gatorades, and get out there and rage at your nearest Warped Tour!
