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What I Expect From Warped Tour 2015
Last year was my first Warped Tour experience, and while I made it through alive, I missed several opportunities that I wish I hadn’t, and this year I’ve made sure to be more prepared. Experience is wisdom, and all of that. Well, something like that.
The Experience
Entering the line last year I learned two things: it is going to be awhile, and talking to people is the best thing you can do. You learn who is there for what band (sometimes the same bands you’re there for) and you meet the “starving artist” bands who are playing their music through headphones and boom boxes alike. Don’t push those musicians away. Listen to their music, buy it if you like it, and support them. They will appreciate you and you’ll thank yourself later.
If you’re there for bigger bands and your 5’4, you’re going to have a problem. If I wanted to see a bigger “Unicorn” or “Shark” band (the Kia stages in 2014), I would either have to get there early or settle for not being able to see…anything. I was ten minutes late to Mayday Parade and couldn’t see above everyone, and when a band sounds just as good as the record, it’s less enjoyable just to sit around listening to them. And when you’re that small, it’s actually very hard to push your way through the crowd.
The first thing you do is check set times. The second thing you do is check meet and greet times. There are some bands that meet within the first few hours and if you put off checking you’ll miss them entirely. This is what happened to me when I wanted to meet The Summer Set and it’s one of my biggest regrets of that day.
Obviously, bring a good sized water bottle and eat before. The food isn’t worth the money, and you’ll end up spending it all on bands anyway. Don’t forget sunscreen, and tell people when you like their shirt or hair. It’s a good feeling.
The Bands
At this point in my life, big bands are not even exciting to me. I like being in the front of a crowd, I like being able to wave at the band and I like supporting bands who aren’t that big. Yeah they’re good and popular, but that’s exactly why I don’t care. I’ve heard about them, I’ve heard them, maybe I’ll stop by. What I want to see is the ones that aren’t household Warped Tour names.
PVRIS (pronounced Paris)
Fronted by Lynn Gunn, this band captured my interest by being female fronted, first and foremost. The first song I listened to, “My House” immediately set the band on a different level from the long list of Paramore sounding pop-punk bands led by girls that I had been overexposed to. The electronic feel of the song and Lynn’s powerful voice made it easy for me to enjoy the song. But after listening to the rest of White Noise, I realized something with fear. The sound, while different from other bands, is really similar throughout PVRIS’s music, and Lynn’s lyrics have repetitive themes making it hard to be wholly interested in the band.
The only thing that could save them for me is their stage performance. Most bands stay forgettable, hidden in my music library because they left no impression on me. PVRIS gets the chance of impressing me, and I hope they do. Their music is good, but I’m not sure that I’m ready to dedicate myself as a fan of the band (I’ll be a fan of Lynn and her girlfriend though). We will see.
Neck Deep
Last year, when I went to see Neck Deep, a pop-punk band out of the UK, I only knew one song. I waited awkwardly through songs I had never heard before to hear “A Part Of Me”. I was not disappointed by the energy they brought, and when that song came on I couldn’t do much but stand there and cry. I had been moved by the song one night in a hotel bathroom and since then it had resonated with me. I went and bought a CD and took it home with me. While not every Neck Deep song appeals to me- some are too chaotic and hard to follow-, the ones I enjoy mean a lot to me now.
More familiar with their music, I am prepared to be part of the moving audience and energetic experience of seeing them live. I hope to meet them and get another CD. The style isn’t for everyone, and the accent can be off putting, but for me it was never a question. I definitely enjoy them and expect a lot out of them again this time around.
BONUS:
TAT
From the featured music video, “Road To Paradise” alone, I’m beyond excited to see what else British punk-rock trio has in store. The beginning of the video addresses the sexism of the music scene with “but why do you want a drummer good especially for a girl you just want a good drummer” and that’s where I was sold for their personality. I was happy to know that Tatiana could bring that tough and sassy personality into their music. Another unique female-fronted sound that hopefully won’t disappoint live.
Our Last Night
Usually I would pay no attention to a post hardcore band playing Warped Tour unless I was already familiar with them, but after seeing how excited my girlfriend was about their appearance I decided I would take the time to acquaint myself with them. The first thing I noticed is the way they blend. The clean vocals are not unbearably contrasting to the screams; the range is just as good by any but it’s less…feminine, dare I say, than other bands. In “A World Divided” the beautiful introduction and melodic verses flow just as well as the breakdown; I don’t feel like I’m being whiplashed or overwhelmed at any point. A band with such good intentions and such a great sound should have a great stage presence to match. I’m sure they will.
The Nearly Deads
It’s no secret that I am extremely biased toward the Nearly Deads and have been since meeting them in 2012, but after a nationwide tour this year they’ve grown to be a big name in the scene, and Warped Tour is always a good opportunity for bands that are gaining speed. The “polished grunge” group may quickly overshadow female fronted bands that paved the way for the sound they’re dominating. It’s a plus that they give a great performance and are incredibly nice people!
That sums them up. There you go.
As always, I never put it out of my mind that there will be other bands there that I will stop to hear and fall in love with. Last year it was Beebs and Her Moneymakers. This year, who knows.
If you see me there, say hi and support a band!
xoxo,
Radium Rollercoaster
Hard Rock Cafe
Just to start out, you will never not be happy at a Nearly Deads show. I saw them on Friday at the Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville, along with The Notion, June Divided, and Comasoft. They are touring with June Divided at the moment, so go check out the dates.
Not exactly their fault, the show started very late, and it being a day of school, I know I was already tired when the first band, the Notion came on stage. They had maybe a little TOO much fun performing. I lost a bit of my interest because they fooled around alot, but their music was just as good as anyone else’s, and the adults seemed to enjoy them. Second up was June Divided, whose sound was so professional that I expected them to be performing in a huge arena, not the small room with not more than 50 people. I was really impressed with them and they did what they came to do, and that was play rock music. They weren’t really into image from what I saw, which made the initial impression even greater when they started playing. Comasoft, a band with real personality and energy, came up third, and the crowd was a little more responsive to Jay’s jumping around, and almost dying by jumping on a piano. They are electronic rock with a hint of 1980’s but all fun.
The Nearly Deads…what do I say about them this time? Oh,yeah, they rock and always will. It’s a great transformation from everyday, really awesome people, to out of this world rock stars when they hit the stage. They had a photoshoot before the show (with brand new shoes!) and their first official encore, where they played The Changeover- which seems to be a fan favorite. And it was also the premier of a brand new song, Brave. I loved the performance as always, and staying up till 2 am was worth it.
Check out these photos that my new friend Maria took with her phone!
Xoxo Radium Rollercoaster
The Fight Over The New BC
On June 13, 2012, Breathe Carolina released their video for the single, “Hit and Run”. Breathe Carolina are an electronic rock band from Denver, Colorado, and gained popularity when their electronic sound was mixed with hardcore elements such as screaming in the album, Hello Fascination. In 2011, with the release of their third album Hell Is What You Make It, many fans have been arguing about how Breathe Carolina have changed.
David, who provides the clean vocals for the duo, stated directly on his twitter, “Trust me guys, the hard side of BC has never gone away and will never go away. We just feel like singing a lot right now. Wait for album 4. It will be the most epic BC record yet. I can promise you that. From old to new to middle to new to old back to new. Everything will be there.”
For now, fans like me accept Breathe Carolina’s current music. Being a band is in no way about pleasing fans. That comes after making yourself content with the music you are putting out into the world. Breathe Carolina has been doing that and I hope they continue to do that.
What about you? Fan or not, do you like this Breathe Carolina?
XoXo Radium Rollercoaster
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