I have wanted to attend Warped Tour since I was 12 years old. A whole seven years that I have been waiting to attend this great day of music. I finally attended it this year and let me tell you, it was the BEST experience ever! If you have not attended yet or do not know what this is, it is a day filled with performances from different rock bands. This tour travels all around the United States. Sounds like a blast, right? Well if you plan on going now, here are some things I learned that you will now know!
1. It will be hot, dress for weather.
I seriously have never sweat so much in my life. My legs were dripping sweat for goodness sake. So don't plan on wearing jeans and sweatshirt, grab your shorts and tanks instead. Also, wear closed toe shoes because you will get stepped on. Plus, if you go to the bands everyone wants to see then you will be shoulder to shoulder to people, so even more heat.
2. Bring sunscreen.
Like I said above, it will be super hot, which means the sun will more than likely be out so apply and reapply every half hour to hour because you will get super burned. I learned the hard way.
3. Bring your own water bottle.
They have a free water filling station so you don't have to worry about spending four dollars on a bottle of water the from vendors.
4. Prepare to spend a lot of money.
As soon as you are walking up to the gates there are different bands and individuals greeting you with trying to get themselves and their music out there. They all have CD's and if you are anything like me, you can't say no. Also, you will want to buy a tour shirt and probably your favorite band(s) merchandise.
5. Buy the map/set list.
I know, you don't want to spend two dollars on a piece of paper, but it will seriously save you. There are so many stages, bands and times that it will be hard to figure it all out from the large blow up list. Also take a pen and small notebook to write the times and stages that your favorite bands are playing.
6. Don't worry about how you look.
Chances are, as soon as you get there the sun will melt your face off, so don't do your make up too extravagant. Don't worry about how you look dancing and singing to your favorite bands either, because everyone else is there to do the same.
7. Go see some bands you have never heard of.
You will definitely have some time between some of your favorite bands to walk around and explore, so if you aren't walking by all of the tents, go to one of the nearest stages and just watch. It could be one of the best things you do! I did it and found three new bands that I like.
8. Take at least one picture of each band you see.
Take one picture then put your phone away! Don't waste your time trying to video and take pictures the whole time because you will miss the show. Just enjoy it because each band only plays for 30 minutes.
9. Be aware of crowd surfers and mosh pits.
This will happen during most of the more popular bands. There will be people surfing through the crowd, so always be alert (trust me, I got kicked in the head at least 10 times just during Sleeping With Sirens). Also, if the crowd starts to back up, there is a mosh pit. Don't go in the pit unless you know what you are doing.
10. Enjoy yourself!
Rock fans are seriously the best people ever. They are so helpful and non-judgmental. Don't let the mosh pits and crowd surfers scare you away, because they aren't as bad as they sound. I'm not kidding you when I say it was one of my best experiences!
Now that you know how to survive Warped Tour, check it out if it is close to your town! You won't regret it, I promise.
