I went to the Warped Tour at Jones beach parking lot in Wantagh. This was my second year going and I was so excited. There were tons of bands I wanted to see. Some of which I didn’t get to see as they were lined up with other bands I wanted to see more, such as Motionless in White and Veil of Maya. Like any Warped tour, sacrifices must be made. But here are the bands I did see:
White Chapel
White Chapel is a deathcore band and was an interesting way to start the day. The mosh pit was pretty intense but not too bad, I guess it was too early for some people. I don’t know all of their music, but I know a little of it and I thought they were great. The energy in the crowd was pretty great for so early in the day. Even though I kept a safe distance from the pit, I still enjoyed the band’s performance and plan to listen to more of their music.
We the Kings
We the Kings is a pop punk band that was extremely popular in the early 2000's. To be honest… I really only know “Check Yes, Juliet.” But I wanted to go anyway. The crowd was actually really big, which I thought was surprising. I was sort of in the back with tons of other people that only knew one song, so the energy wasn’t really there. I’m sure it was more fun towards the front, though. They tried to get us all to squat down then jump up at one point and it didn’t really work out, which was a little awkward. But overall, it was a good show and I saved a few more of their songs.
Tonight Alive
Tonight Alive is a pop punk band, a little more punk than We the Kings, however. I actually only watched their set because Mayday Parade was going to be on that stage after. Going in, I knew they were a pop punk band and I knew one song. They were actually really good. They’re from Australia and have cute accents. The lead singer is this adorable girl who reminded me of a more alternative Hailey Williams. At one point in the set she said “Warped tour isn’t a place where you’re accepted for who you are, it’s a place where you’re celebrated for who you are.” It was a great set and I definitely want to listen to more.
Reel Big Fish
Mayday Parade
Mayday Parade is a pop punk band that I’m in love with. This is one of my favorite bands, but it was my first time seeing them live, which is why I waited for a full hour to be close to the stage. They opened with the song “Jersey” which is always a crowd-pleaser. This band was so much fun to watch. The lead singer is this adorable man who just looks so happy to be up onstage and the energy in the crowd was awesome. Complete with crowd surfers and circle pits: Mayday Parade was an incredible show. The setlist was perfect, ending with their popular hit “Jamie All Over” which was so much fun to belt. It was well worth the wait.
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a pop punk band and was extremely popular in the late 90's, early 2000's. They were formed in 1996 and still have fans from then to now. Due to liver problems from the lead singer, Sum 41 was inactive for a bit, but they are veterans to the Vans Warped tour and everyone was so excited when they were announced on the lineup. Tons of people flocked to Warped just to see Sum 41. The crowd was huge and the energy was there even towards the back where I was. They played the classic top-charters from the 2001 album "All Killer, No Filter" and the 2002 album "Does This Look Infected?" These songs were huge crowd-pleasers and the band sounded better than ever.
The age range in the crowd was interesting to me, because I saw people who looked anywhere from 13 to late 20's alike. Everyone loves jamming out to the classics like “Fat Lip,” “In Too Deep,” and “Still Waiting,” which were all top-charters upon their release. Much to my surprise, Sum 41 also announced that they would release a new album in October, which was super exciting for everyone. It was clear from this performance that Sum 41 is back and here to stay.
Sleeping with Sirens
Sleeping with Sirens is a post-hardcore band that is led by and angel of a lead singer: Kellin Quinn. I have seen this band once before and they were just as flawless as I remembered. Sleeping with Sirens is one of my favorite bands so I was really excited when they announced they would be on the tour. The energy in the crowd was awesome though there was a lot less crowd surfing as a majority of the fans were teenage fangirls.
This is because Kellin Quinn is a beautiful human being and has the voice of an actual angel. My favorite thing about seeing them live is that Kellin will always add a little more rift or vibrato to his songs so we can all bask in the glory of his incredible vocal capabilities. My other favorite thing about seeing Sleeping with Sirens live is that Kellin Quinn is right in front of me and there’s not too many things that can be better than having Kellin Quinn right in front of you. Their music is awesome, too… but Kellin Quinn.
Yellowcard
Yellowcard is another pop punk band that took off with their 2003 album "Ocean Avenue" and then never really did too much. The songs off of that album have become classics for the punk geeks of the world. As such, the crowd got really excited when the band announced that they were going to play all just songs off of that album for a good half of their set. However, they also announced that they were going to be going on one more tour and that would be it for the band.
This was surprising and a little sad because they’ve been a key part in the pop punk community. But it makes sense as none of their new stuff has really sold like the "Ocean Avenue" album. It was definitely a little sad, but the crowd decided to make the best of it with a huge circle pit and tons of crowd-surfing (both of which I participated in) All in all, Yellowcard put on a great seventh and last Warped tour set and I’m glad I got to witness it. I have a new level of appreciation for this band.
Falling in Reverse
Falling in Reverse is a post-hardcore band with a no-nonsense lead singer with a criminal record: Ronnie Radke. I was really excited to this band, as I’m a huge fan of a lot of their music. As predicted: Falling in Reverse did not disappoint. The band performed all of their top-charters such as "The Drug in Me is You" and "I'm Not a Vampire." They also played “Situations” which was a hit song from Ronnie’s old pre-prison band; Escape the Fate. This was really exciting and the crowd loved it.
Of course, Ronnie made us sing the beginning over and over again until it was at a satisfactory volume. The band also performed “Bad Girls Club,” and Ronnie made the crowd sit down and jump back up, like We the Kings had done. Unlike, We the Kings, however, Ronnie made everyone sit and refused to begin the song until everyone was sitting. Ronnie showed his personality and the band put on a great show. It was a great way to end the day.
