VANS Warped Tour

Event Coverage by April Ponce

Photos by Isaac Miller 

The Vans Warped tour is well established as America’s longest-running touring festival bringing punk-rock/skate/action sports culture from the underground to the forefront of our youth culture, while at the same time creating awareness and taking action towards environmental, social justice causes, and helping those in need. June 29, 2007 marks the kickoff of this summers festivities which will feature a wide variety of artists. This year’s line up has old school, emo, punk, screamo, hip-hop, ska, and several other acts for an open minded individual to explore.

One B-low, hip hop artist from Michigan, states that music is becoming much more diverse and innovative -- this is why you have hip hop acts playing with punk rock musicians -- he was in awe and inspired to find young kids skating to his music, as well as popular artists such as Andy Hurley (drummer from Fall Out Boy) listening in.

He believes that if his passion for his music can impact one person than it is worth performing. Many acts at this years Warped Tour have proved themselves inspiring.

Bands confirmed for this date include: Alesera, All Time Low, Amber Pacific, Anberlin, As Cities Burn, Authority Zero, Bad Religion, Bayside, Big D and Kids Table, Bleed The Dream, Bless The Fall, Boys Like Girls, Buck O Nine, Chiodos, Circa Survive, Circle Jerks, Coheed and Cambria, Cute is What We Aim for, Desperation Squad, Escape The Fate, Evaline, Funeral For a Friend, Gallows, Haste the Day, I Am Ghost, Iain Terry Band, K-OS, Killswitch Engage, Lorere Drive, Meg and Dia, My American Heart CA, New Found Glory, New Years Day, Nothington, One B-low, Paramore, Parkway Drive, Pennywise, Pepper, Pistolita, Play Radio Play, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Revolution Mother, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Set Your Goals, Street Drum Corps, The Automatic, The Briggs, The Dear and Departed, The Fabulous Rudies, The Human Abstract, The Matches, The Spill Canvas, The Unseen, The Vandals, The Vincent Black Shadow, Throwdown, Tiger Army, and Yellow Card.  

The media also continues to support the VANS WARPED TOUR by stating that “…The tour has maintained its DIY spirit by letting bands set up their own booths to sell t-shirts and stickers. It also continues to offer an area for political, and social cause tents (The One Project to end hunger in Africa, The Democratic Party, and the Trust Anti-Smoking campaign)"

Keefa Sanneh from the New York Times states, “The Warped Tour is often described as a launching pad for young bands…as Joan Jett and some of the other Veterans have figured out, this launching pad makes a pretty comfortable landing pad too. The Warped tour is a place you can go after you have gone places.”

Here are a few highlights of the show.