What is Warped Tour?
Vans Warped Tour is a traveling rock festival that has been happening for nearly 21 years now. The festival begins at 11am and usually goes until about 9pm. This festival has a diverse lineup from pop punk to metalcore to indie rock and so many other bands and musicians. People who go to Warped Tour have the opportunity to listen to 50+ bands and find new music that they really enjoy. Vans Warped Tour is how I discovered my favorite band three years ago, the first time I had ever gone to Warped Tour.
What should I bring with me?
I have been going to Warped Tour for about three years now. I have encountered a multitude of different weather conditions and that is one thing you should definitely pack for. Here is a small list of what you should have with you at the festival or at least in your car waiting for you when you leave.
1. A bag to put things in
This can be a cinch sack, a regular backpack or anything else that can sit comfortably on your back. This bag will be your go-to for storing merchandise or more commonly known as "merch" that you buy and anything else you may need to bring with you. Some of the musicians will be selling cinch sacks at their merch tables and this is a good way to acquire a bag if you don’t bring one with you.
2. Sunscreen
This is an outdoors festival. Depending on where you are there may not be much shade to protect you from the sun. I highly recommend bringing a bottle of spray-on sunscreen to apply every two to three hours. I also recommend that this sunscreen is water resistant. You will sweat. A lot. And even if you don’t sweat a lot there will be someone standing next to you in the crowd who does.
3. A reusable water bottle
When going to any concert, having water on hand is essential. Many concerts at venues won’t allow you to bring in any open liquids due to safety concerns. However, Warped Tour is different. They will allow you to bring in unopened water bottles or empty reusable water bottles. Personally, I bring an empty reusable water bottle. There is a filling station at every tour date to encourage that concert-goers stay hydrated to avoid any medical emergencies that may arise from dehydration.
4. Cash
Bringing cash to any concert is a little scary. However, cash is golden at Warped Tour. Most of the musicians will have card readers they can use to allow for purchases but in some cases, these card readers may be broken or they may not have one. Warped Tour will also have a wide variety of food and drinks for you to buy during the 10 hours you will be spending there. I usually bring about 120 dollars to ensure that I have plenty of money to buy anything I may need throughout the day. I always have my card on me though in case there is an emergency situation that requires more money than I have.
5. Deodorant
You will smell bad by the end of the day. Trust me. You should have one in your bag and you should have one in your car. You will need this throughout the day to help smell just a little better. And you will appreciate a fresh stick of deodorant after everything is said and done.
6. A change of clothes
This isn’t something you need to bring into the festival with you. This is a good idea to have in your car waiting for you, though. The weather can be extremely unpredictable. Last year when I went it started to downpour all of a sudden. Pierce The Veil was playing and there was no way I was going to take cover from the rain. Needless to say, I ended up soaked to the bone and I had no clean clothes to change into after the festival came to an end. It’s also nice to have a change of clothes if you do sweat a lot so you don’t have to sit in your smelly clothes all the way home.
7. Your phone and your phone charger
Warped Tour offers a phone charging service for a few dollars. Your phone will be your number one way to reach out to your friends if you get separated from each other during a show. It will also be a way to get a hold of your ride if you were dropped off rather than driving yourself. Your phone can also be a good thing to have in case you met any musicians you want to take pictures with or record some of the songs you listen to.
8. Tylenol or Ibuprofen
Sometimes being out in the sun or listening to loud music for a few hours can give you a headache or give you sore muscles. Having one of these medicines on you can help you enjoy your day for longer instead of having to sit down and miss a band you might want to see because you aren’t feeling well.
9. Your inhaler
If you have asthma, regular or exercise-induced, this is definitely something you want to have on your person. The crowds get very dense very fast. There’s a lot of pushing and shoving and there’s not much fresh air, despite the event being outside, getting into the crowd. There is also a lot of running around especially if you have one band playing a set before your favorite band on the opposite side of the festival. This happened to me once when Pierce The Veil played a half hour before Set It Off. I have never run so fast through a crowd in my entire life and boy was I thankful for my inhaler at the end of it all.
Where can I find out what bands are playing?
The Van’s Warped Tour website is your go to for any information you may be looking for about the festival. It will tell you the tour dates, the locations and what bands will be playing which shows! http://vanswarpedtour.com/bands/?blist=stage
Some bands I recommend seeing this year
1. Set It Off
Taken from Set It Off's facebook
This band stole my heart a few years ago. They were playing on one of the smaller stages and I wasn’t particularly thrilled to be standing where I was. There was a band on the main stage that I wanted to see but my friend was waiting to see the musician playing after Set It Off. A couple months after Warped Tour I remembered the band had played a song I had liked and searched for them on Youtube in hopes of finding the song. I found the song and then I proceeded to buy the two CDs they had out at the time. Today SIO is my favorite band. I’ve seen them in concert eight times and have met the band members a few different times. They are really great guys and I highly recommend them. They will be playing the Journey’s Left Foot Stage. I recommend the songs "Bad Guy", "Uncontainable" and "Swan Song".
2. Ghost Town
Taken from Ghost Town's facebook
This is another band I discovered because of Warped Tour three years ago. I was wandering around the festival when a guy stopped me and handed me a fan. Before I could say anything, he had disappeared. The fan was for the band Ghost Town and the guy that had handed it to me was Kevin Ghost. I never made it to their show that day and I regretted it as soon as I got home that night. I am really looking forward to the opportunity to see them play this year. They will be playing the Cyclops Stage. I recommend the songs "Evolution","Down" and "Black Moon".
3. Against The Current
Taken from Against The Current's facebook
This female-led band captured my heart at an SIO show a couple years ago. Their music is catchy and they are extremely energetic. I’m hoping I will be able to catch them play this year. They will be playing the Cyclops Stage. I recommend the song "Gravity".
4. State Champs
Taken from State Champs' facebook
This is another band I first discovered when going to a show strictly for Set It Off. They were one of the first bands to play. I wasn’t sure about them at first, but they started to grow on me pretty fast. I met Derek Discanio at that show and took a picture with him. He was very friendly and down-to-earth. I recommend the songs "Secrets" and "All You Are Is History".
Why should I go to Warped Tour?
You should go to Warped because it is an amazing experience. You have the opportunity to discover new bands that you will fall in love with. You have the opportunity for free meet-and-greets with some of the musicians. You have a chance to grab some cool merch. You may even meet new people you never would have met otherwise. Warped Tour is a great day to just spend some time enjoying music and enjoying the sunshine.
