WARPED TOUR IS OH! SO MUCH FUN

BY TRICIA CALLAHAN

On Wednesday, July 22, thousands swarmed into the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Virginia Beach, fighting the heat of the day to see their favorite bands when the 15th annual Vans Warped Tour made its stop in the city.

With headlining acts such as Bad Religion, Less Than Jake and 3OH!3, the reason behind the huge turnout was obvious. It also showed that fans were not deterred by the changes made to this year's concert format, which featured only one main stage that allowed each band to play a 40-minute set, as opposed to the two main stages and 30-minute sets of previous tours.

In between performances, concert-goers found shade near the restrooms and merchandise booths, where they talked about which bands they wanted to see next.

There were a lot to choose from. Alana Grace, a pop singer from New York, was thrilled about the diversity of the acts on Warped Tour this year.

"It's nice that there are other artists on the tour that aren't rockers," she said.

She was right on the money--the '09 Warped Tour features 65 different acts playing hip-hop, electronica, ska, punk rock and off-brand pop/punk music.

Halfway through the day, the crowds flocked toward the main stage to see one band in particular--headliner 3OH!3. The fans squealed, their hands forming the band's infamous symbol, and later they held up those who surfed their way to the front.

The group tore through the tracks that have propelled its rise to fame, such as "Don't Trust Me" and "Starstruck." When the it's set was over, the stage was drenched with passion and sweat, proving once again that Warped Tour is never lacking in energy.

Later, Less Than Jake and Westbound Train offered ska tunes for those in the crowd to bob their heads to, with upbeat songs full of horns and hyperactive beats.

Bad Religion, which was the oldest of the bands on the tour, was also the highlight of the night.

Drummer Brooks Wackerman joked before the band's set, "We woke up to humidity and decided that we are going to name our new album 'Virginia Beach.'"

Bad Religion proceeded to rip up the stage with hard rock tunes like "Los Angeles is Burning," impressing the band's huge fan following.

A number of bands said that playing for Warped Tour was an awesome escape from playing shows at local clubs.

"It's also the most work you will do," said Adam Phillips, drummer for The Architects.

"When you're doing a club tour you can sleep all day and come in once every night. It is nothing like that on [this] tour."

While it has long been renowned for its incredible lineups and inexpensive price, the attitude of musicians like Phillips who put their all into every performance is what ultimately makes Warped Tour such an amazing experience for fans.

Tricia Callahan is a student at the University of Mary Washington.

Stephanie Boscovitch was one of the it! staffers at this year's Vans Warped Tour, and she took the time to record a few of her observations about the classic summer event:

Mosh pits are among the most important and enjoyable parts of Warped Tour. Whether it is crowd surfing, pushing or simply throwing punches, things can get a bit out of hand at some stages.

This year, throughout many of the song breakdowns people were rescued out of what seemed like a sardine can of human bodies with bleeding noses and sore bones. Though the violence and the sharing of sweat from the extreme heat were a little less than pleasant at times, the intense energy and passion exchanged between the performers and the fans was unfathomable.

Warped Tour also features a number of stands where fans can swarm their favorite artists, buy band T-shirts, snag up some free stickers, and sometimes even get an autograph or a photograph.

What was amusing at this year's Warped Tour was that most of the people there weren't dressed as though they were about to be stuck out in the blazing sun all day. Some girls wore dresses with perfect Amy Winehouse-style makeup, or tights and tutu skirts paired with colored hair extensions. Though one can always pick up a few new fashion ideas at Warped Tour, she could probably gain a few chuckles as well.

It was sad seeing the large number of undiscovered artists walking around with what seemed like 12th-century "CD players," as if anyone even remembered what those were.

Throughout the day, random teenagers or small-scale adult bands would appear with their CD, headphones, and a pouty face, hoping to persuade people to listen to them, enjoy their music and buy an album. It seemed like many bands sent out their most attractive members to do this job, making it even harder to say no.

There is no doubt that Warped Tour offers a lot of fun, great music and memorable experiences. Whether one wants to thrash out during the breakdowns of Chiodos or relax to the soothing tunes of The Maine, Warped Tour has it all.

Stephanie Boscovitch is a rising senior at Riverbend High School.

Date published: 7/31/2009

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