I went to the Vans Warped Tour in Shakopee, Minnesota about a week ago. Before going, I was excited and a little skeptical about how I would (or wouldn’t) like it. The music that was listed for the event isn’t what I normally listen to. My previous article was about what I planned on bringing to Warped Tour. This one is about what actually happened.

I did bring everything on my list. Everything came in handy, especially the drawstring backpack, water bottle, and the sunscreen. It was sunny and in the mid-eighties all day long, which was a little overwhelming at a couple of points throughout the day.

The Maine at Warped Tour in Shakopee, MN

We watched a total of twelve bands between 11AM and 8PM. Some, I knew and could name the group and some songs. Some, I knew a song, but I couldn’t name the band. Others, I didn’t know at all. My favorites of the day were definitely Good Charlotte, 3OH!3, We The Kings, and The Maine. I’d never heard of The Maine, but they were hilarious and really got the crowd involved during their 30-minute performance. During We The Kings, we were in the middle of a crowd of hundreds of people. There was jumping and crouching and dancing. Even though I’d already had two liters of water by this point, I got dizzy and had to go sit down, unfortunately missing most of “Check Yes Juliet” from the band’s set.

There was a row of porta-potties along the edge of the event space. I never had to wait in line to use the bathroom, but the line for refilling water was another story. I spent half an hour waiting in line to refill my liter water bottle at one point. I drank an amazing 4.5 liters of water during Warped Tour. I found waiting in line to be the perfect time to reapply sunscreen. I put sunscreen on at least once every hour throughout the day, but I still ended up sunburnt in the end.

I think one of the best parts of the whole Warped Tour experience was the people. Most of these people have funky colored hair or lots of piercings. They were the people that didn’t necessarily have a table to sit at for lunch in high school. Outcasts. Different. And I loved it. These people, who normally get judged for just being them, got to freely be who they were the entire day. The self-confidence in the crowd was spectacular. I remember at one point, one of the bands we were listening to was trying to get the crowd more involved. “Dance like crazy,” the singer said, “because we are all losers here anyway.” It made me, and I believe everyone around me, feel great about who I was. They would say things like “you are perfect the way you are”. We believed them. I spent the entire day and night after we left feeling better about myself and who I am than I think I have ever felt. My confidence was through the roof and over the moon.

Another interesting part of the day were the messages groups or even bands were trying to promote. I listened to a band talk about teen and young adult suicide rates. I listened to a girl at a booth tell some girls about a call line they could call if they ever didn’t feel good about themselves. The positive messages and energy during the whole event was insane.

All-in-all, I didn’t think for a minute that going to Warped Tour was going to be half as amazing of an experience as it actually was. It wasn’t just about listening to bands play music all day. It was about being around people that were like you, enjoying something you all have in common. It helped you see that at least in your music taste, you were not alone. Everyone was so helpful and friendly the entire day. Warped Tour is definitely something I will be going to again. I highly suggest that every young adult experience this event.